| KAANAPALI , just a few miles north of Lahaina but reliably cooler,
was never a town; fields of sugar cane here were replaced in the 1960s
by high-rise hotels and condos, each no doubt comfortable enough but
soulless en masse. Besides several perfect family beaches - swimming and
snorkeling are best at Black Rock , in front of the Sheraton - the main
attraction is the whaling museum in the Whalers Village mall (daily
9.30am-10pm; free). Grisly but fascinating exhibits include a cast-iron
"try pot," used for reducing whale blubber at sea; such pots gave rise
to the stereotyped but not entirely untrue image of cannibals cooking
missionaries in big black cauldrons.
A free shuttle bus connects Kaanapali with Lahaina, and a trolley
operates within the resort. The warnings of the car rental companies
concerning the sinuous Kahekili Highway , which on the map looks like a
good route to continue on around northwest Maui and back to Wailuku,
should be taken seriously; it's an exceptionally dangerous drive. Two of
Maui's most famous surfing spots, at Mokuleia Bay and Honolua Bay, are a
few miles along, however, before the road gets too hair-raising.
|
Vacation Rentals in Kaanapali |
|
|
|
|
from $351.00
USD