Maui: More than sun and sand

When most people think of Hawaii, they generally envision hula girls andbikini-clad babes sitting in chaise lounges on the beach sipping PinaColadas from a coconut shell.

Aside from a multitude of white sand beaches, however, the rewards thatawait brave journeyers to paradise this winter are more abundant. Thepeople who live on Maui go out of their way to spin the true Hawaiianspirit into every activity offered on the island. There is much to dofor any fun-loving tourist (or college student) who can spend one or twoweeks.

On my last trip to Maui, I thoroughly enjoyed my two weeks on the warmsand reading, sipping those tropical delights and listening to the waveslap against the shore. But when I was well-rested and ready to explore,the beautiful people on Maui shared their island and showed meeverything from extreme biking and boogie-boarding to hula dancing andzipping across the channel to Molokai. Here is just a sampling of what Itried:

Volcano Biking

My first undertaking was a group bike ride down from Haleakala, a10,023-foot dormant volcano. The group of friends and family chose totake the sunrise tour, rising at the wee hour of 2 a.m. to see the earlymorning sun rise over the volcano, which reminded me of a moonscape litup with an orange cast.

We were given hefty beach cruisers to take down the 38-mile ride. I waswilling to bail for any reason when I heard it was 38 miles, butfortunately I had to remain accountable to the younger members of thepack, so I was in for the duration. It was cold, windy and even a bitrainy at the top of the volcano, but our guide gave us protective raingear.

On the first half of the journey, there were so many hairpin turns Ithought I would wear the rubber right off the bicycle tires. We clippedalong at about 17 mph down a peaceful country road, past pastures, lushgardens and rustic country homes. At Makawao, one of the state?s lastpaniolo (cowboy) towns, we had an authentic ranch-style breakfast ofbacon and eggs. Although some of the group wanted to linger in thisquaint little town, I was anxious to get back on the bike and continuedown the home stretch to Baldwin Beach. The rest of the tour wentquickly and was completed by 11 a.m. The rest of the day was spentplaying at the beach and kicking back.

Treading Waves

We rented snorkel gear and boogie boards for $25 each for the week atTrilogy Ocean Sports, located right on Ka?anapali Beach in front of ourhotel.

There are several world-class dive and snorkel spots in Maui, all withina short drive or boat-ride from almost any point on the island. TheBlack Rock area at Ka?anapali Beach, just in front of the SheratonHotel, proved to be a favorite place for snorkeling. Getting out earlyin the morning almost guarantees the sighting of a sea turtle andschools of colorful tropical fish.

Other great snorkeling areas are Ahihi Bay, Honolua (in the summer), LaPerouse, Molokini and Lanai. The Lanai Cathedrals, found off the islandof Lanai, is a dive site that is among the most beautiful in the world.

The ?Belly Tour?

The road to Hana that crosses over 54 one-lane bridges and winds around600 curves is an adventure in itself. The scenery along the way isawesome; there are more waterfalls at this end of the island than thereis time to hike them.

Exploring the Ka?eleku Caverns with Maui Cave Adventures is anexpedition not to be missed. Experienced guides take you deep into thesubterranean passages of one of the world?s largest lava tubes. Thebrave at heart choose the ?belly tour,? in which you crawl through thechambers on your stomach for an hour.

Islands for Seclusion

The islands of Lanai and Molokai are close enough to Maui that you couldspend a day sailing and snorkeling there and still be back in time for asunset lu?au on the beach in Wailea, at the south end of Maui.

We hopped aboard the Molokai Princess and set out for an overnight visitto Molokai. The residents, all 7,000 of them, are very friendly and moveat a leisurely pace that we on the mainland would envy.

?There?s very little crime on the island,? said Big Al Castro, anemployee of the Hotel Molokai. ?You won?t find a building higher than apalm tree.?

A drive from one end of Molokai to the other takes a little over anhour, but getting to Kaluapapa (home of the remaining few survivors ofthe leper colony), will require a special bus tour with a minimum age of 16.The Molokai Ranch at the West end of the island offers all kinds ofextreme activities. We chose mountain biking, but camping in acanvas-framed bungalow on the beach is another option, if you?re the?Survivor? type. The only difference here is that you won?t be eatingbugs. The hamburgers grilled by the camp?s chefs are almost as good asthe view of the beach from the outdoor dining pavilion.

Oceanside R & R

A tropical vacation is not complete without an oceanside massage. Leo, amassage therapist at the Westin Resort on Maui, gave me a traditionalHawaiian Lomi Lomi massage, using Maui Mango Nut massage lotion and anoil called Infenit Love Aroma. The waves washing against the shore andthe sound of the waterfalls behind me put me into a relaxing trance.After this tropical vacation, the tension that had accumulated from agrueling semester had completely vanished.

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