| Almost half of Maui's 120,000 inhabitants - the workers who keep
this fantasy island going - live in the twin towns of KAHULUI and
WAILUKU , to the north of the "neck" connecting its two mountainous
sections. The land here can be so flat you fear the waves will wash
right over it. Kahului is the main commercial center; Wailuku, if not
aesthetically pleasing, is one of the few towns on Maui that feels like
a genuine community, and with its budget hotels and restaurants - and
the stunning Iao Needle nearby - makes a good central base.
Exploring Kahului and Wailuku
There's no sightseeing to speak of in either Kahului or Wailuku, though
you may well become familiar with both while shopping for food and other
necessities, better value here than elsewhere on the island. Market
Street in Wailuku contains several interesting curio and souvenir shops,
and commands a view across to Haleakala.
Wailuku's Main Street heads straight into the West Maui Mountains ,
stopping three miles in at Iao Needle , a stunning 1200ft pinnacle of
green-clad lava. It stands, head usually in the clouds, at the
intersection of two lush valleys; you can't climb the needle itself, but
hiking trails lead off in all directions, and as few visitors follow
them for any distance you can soon be alone in the wilderness.
Kamehameha won control of Maui here in 1790, in a battle determined by a
cannonade directed by two European gunners.
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