| Without a doubt when visiting the Hawaiian island of Maui you might want to take the time out to visit the wonderful town of Lahaina, which lies on the west coast of the
island and is known as the gateway to the beach resorts of Kapalua and Kaanapali. The town of about 12,000 has a rich history as a 19th century whaling center and is the Kingdom of
Hawaii’s former capital. The symbol of the town is an old Banyan tree, which was planted back in 1873 and is one of its most popular attractions. As with the rest of Maui,
the town is blessed with a lot of natural beauty along with some fine sites and celebrations. Some other popular sites include the remnants and cannons of a 19th century fort, the Baldwin
House, the Whalers Village Museum, and Pioneer Inn. For vibrancy, most of the action takes place on historical Front Street, which is where you’ll find the majority of the town’s
restaurants, shops, and nightlife establishments.
There are plenty of wonderful beaches to enjoy in the fine Hawaiian climate where you can partake in an array of water sports and activities including scuba diving,
snorkeling, surfing, fishing, and whale watching. You shouldn’t have any problem at all finding a suitable place to stay as there are hotels and resorts galore that can be found to fit
into all types of travel budgets. You’ll also find the same is true when dining out since there’s a wide choice in all price ranges.
When it comes to the arts you’ll find numerous galleries in Lahaina which feature the works of local artists and photographers. If you’d like to enjoy a taste of Hawaiian
culture, music, and food you can give the Old Lahaina Luau a try since it features several Hawaiian traditions and dishes. You’ll also find several types of tours are available to explore
the area by sea, road, and air.
If you’re a golf enthusiast, you’ll be glad to know that each January the PGA’s SBS Championship is held at the local Plantation Golf Course in Kapalua and there are
several other courses to play on. Another exciting time of the year to visit Lahaina is at the end of October as there’s always some heavy duty celebrating going on at Halloween.
The town’s population usually doubles or triples at this time of the year as visitors flock to Front Street to view the Keiki Parade where all sorts of amazing costumes can
be seen. When night time falls the area become a gigantic Mardis-Gras type of street festival. Lahaina is also home to the Maui Invitational college basketball tournament in November and
is the ending point of the Vic-Maui offshore sailboat yacht race, which begins in the Canadian province of British Columbia.
Lahaina offers visitors a superb choice of sites and attractions to see and activities to participate in at all times of the year. The scenery is breathtaking, the water’s
warm and the food’s delicious. When you combine all of this with the local Hawaiian history, traditions, and culture of the Maui town it’s easy to see why Lahaina is one of Hawaii’s most
loved locations. |
