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Maui 2023
  • Siewch
December 2023

Maui 2023

Celebrating our friends Dennis and Susan. Read more
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  • Trip start
    December 23, 2023
    SiewchTravelerMaui 2023
    N485HA "Palila" at the gate at HNL.
    Jeff acting silly on the flight.Jeff acting silly on the flight.N485HA "Palila" at the gate in OGG.We were greeted by a rainbow when we landed at Maui.The new tram service that takes passengers to the consolidated car rental center.Our flight record of HA156 as recorded by FlightRadar24.Our flight record of HA156 as recorded by FlightRadar24.

    Honolulu to Kahului

    December 23, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Hawaiian Airlines HA156 | HNL/OGG
    Economy Class
    Boeing 717-200 | N485HA Palila
    ATD/0730 | ATA/0831

    ================================

    The purpose of this trip was to celebrate our friends Dennis and Susan's 50th wedding anniversary. We looked into making a weekend trip out of this, but the exorbitant price of hotel rooms that long weekend put an end to our plans - even private rooms at the hostels were going for $187 per night! So, we decided to make this a day trip.

    We left Honolulu early in the morning and made the short hop over to Maui. On arrival, we were greeted by a lovely rainbow. A few things had changed at Maui Airport since our last trip, which was before the start of the pandemic. In the past, we had to take a shuttle bus to the car rental lots. Now, Maui Airport boasts a spanking new centralized car rental center. To get there, we took a cute new automated tram.    Read more

  • SiewchTravelerMaui 2023
    The stupa at the Maui Dharma Center.
    Street view at Pāʻia.Cafe de Amis, Pāʻia.My breakfast burrito at Cafe de Amis.Jeff's spinach and feta crepe at Cafe de Amis.Jeff turning the prayer wheel inside the stupa at the Maui Dharma Center.My view as I turned the prayer wheel inside the stupa at the Maui Dharma Center.The stupa at the Maui Dharma Center.The stupa at the Maui Dharma Center.Maui Dharma Center.The fire station at Pāʻia is probably one of the cutest around.Street art by Bunksy, who I presume is a local artist inspired by Banksy.

    Pāʻia

    December 23, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 23 °C

    After collecting our rental car, we made a beeline for breakfast at one of our favorite restaurants in Maui - Cafe de Amis in Pāʻia. This restaurant serves a random combination of Mediterranean and Indian cuisine, but somehow they make it work. For breakfast, I had a breakfast burrito with eggs, cheese, avocado and bombay potatoes and it was absolutely delicious, especially when washed down with my mango lassi.

    After breakfast, we walked a short distance up the road to explore the Maui Dharma Center, which is a Buddhist meditation center following what seems like a Tibetan-inspired version of Theravada Buddhism. We explored the stupa and turned the prayer wheel inside.

    After exiting the Maui Dharma Center, we went for a short walk around Pāʻia.    Read more

  • SiewchTravelerMaui 2023
    Our view of Maui Channel from our first viewpoint.
    Jeff at the viewpoint.Our view of Maui Channel from our first viewpoint.Our view of Maui Channel from our first viewpoint.Our view of Maui Channel from our first viewpoint.Our view of Maui Channel from our first viewpoint.Our view of Maui Channel from our first viewpoint.Our view of Maui Channel from our first viewpoint.Our view of Maui Channel from our first viewpoint.Our view of Maui Channel from our second viewpoint.

    Desperately Seeking Humpbacks

    December 23, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Our next priority was to visit viewpoints along the coastline to see if we could spot humpback whales. We drove down the highway towards Lāhainā and stopped at two viewpoints to see if we could see any telltale spouts. Unfortunately, the ocean was choppy, and we were still a little early in the whale season, so we didn't spot any.

    After our failed attempt at whale spotting, we drove a little further west along the highway into Lāhainā where we saw from a distance the burnt out remains of the historic town. We were heartened to see a fair bit of rebuilding going on.

    After Lāhainā, we made our way to Kāʻanapali to visit a rock which Jeff could dive from. Unfortunately, we had a road rage incident while trying to find a parking spot - the other driver threatened us and attempted to ram us - and that made us not want to be there any more, so we took off.    Read more

  • SiewchTravelerMaui 2023
    The pink water at Keālia Pond.
    A sign explaining the cause of the pink water at Keālia Pond.The pink water at Keālia Pond.Simple Minds' album cover for Life in a Day was oddly reminiscent of the pink pond.The pink water at Keālia Pond.The pink water at Keālia Pond.The pink water at Keālia Pond.The pink water at Keālia Pond.The pink water at Keālia Pond.The boardwalk at Keālia Pond.The boardwalk at Keālia Pond.The boardwalk at Keālia Pond.The beach off the boardwalk at Keālia Pond.The boardwalk at Keālia Pond.The boardwalk at Keālia Pond.

    Keālia Pond

    December 23, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    About a month earlier, I read reports that the water in Keālia Pond, a coastal salt marsh, suddenly turned pink because halobacteria - which thrive in extreme saline conditions - multiplied in the pond due to drought conditions. I was intrigued and so I made a mental note to check out the pond if I had an opportunity to visit Maui.

    After our aborted attempt to visit the beach at Kāʻanapali, we drove east to the pond to observe this phenomenon. After we parked our rental car, we walked along the boardwalk until we reached the pond itself. We saw that the water was indeed pink, but it appeared to have turned a darker shade of pink since the phenomenon was first observed; according to our local friends, the water was apparently the same shade as pepto-bismol at the beginning. When I saw the shape and shade of the pond, my mind immediately associated it with the album cover for Simple Minds' 1979 album Life in a Day. Apart from viewing the oddly hued water, we enjoyed walking along the boardwalk.    Read more

  • SiewchTravelerMaui 2023
    Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.
    Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm.

    Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm

    December 23, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Our final stop for the day before we headed to the anniversary party was Kula Aliʻi Lavender Farm, located at an elevation of 4,000 feet on the slopes of Haleakalā. We have been to this spot before and we both enjoy the calm and quiet at this beautiful location. As per our past visits, we went round to all the benches and sat on them. This time round, we also stopped by the cafe to enjoy a lavender scone and lavender tea. The latter is offered free of charge to kamaʻāina (Hawaiʻi residents).Read more

  • SiewchTravelerMaui 2023
    HA575 landing on Runway 04 at HNL.
    HA575 taking off on Runway 02 at OGG.Tarmac view at OGG.Our flight record per FlightRadar24.Our flight record per FlightRadar24.

    Kahului to Honolulu

    December 23, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Hawaiian Airlines HA575 | OGG/HNL
    Economy Class
    Boeing 717-200 | N480HA Pueo
    ATD/2130 | ATA/2200

    We had a very enjoyable time celebrating Dennis and Susan's 50 years of marriage. We left the party around 8.15pm, made our way to the airport, returned the rental car, and then boarded our flight for the short hop back to Oʻahu.Read more

    Trip end
    December 23, 2023
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