Honolua bay

I think the best snorkeling spot on Maui is Honolua Bay. This is just north of Kaanapali a little bit. It is kind of a hidden spot, and you have to leave your car parked up by the road and walk down, so don't bring any valuables. It's the rockiest beach in Maui though, so don't expect to be able to lay there anywhere. Looking out at the ocean, stay close to the right of the bay along that shore line while you are snorkeling. Once you get out there a ways the coral is really pretty. You have to go out pretty far to see the turtles there.

First off, I have to say that Maui is absolutely breathtaking. However, there are a few important things the traveler should take into consideration before planning that trip. I learned this the hard way.

I spent most of my Hawaiian vacation in Honolulu, so I had to take a plane from there to Maui. I didn't realize Maui had two airports and the one I went to was on the opposite side of the island from Honolua Bay which made for an even longer journey and a ridiculously expensive cab ride. I had to take a cab because I don't drive and Maui doesn't know from public transportation. Sure, it doesn't have all the tourist trappings that Honolulu has, but I still thought that a gross oversight. Even a Graylines bus that went around the island would be nice.

The other thing I didn't care for about Maui - and this is just an aside, really - is that there's not a lot to do there unless you're on one of the resorts that try to give you the full experience while you stay there since you pay so much. Um, you're in Maui. Don't give yourself a prison cell. Go out and explore, people.

Just make sure you have a rental car. You WILL need it.

Honolua Bay is one of the more famous surf spots in the world. The waves there are consistient and good, and far to much for me to even consider riding.

That said, the snorkeling and exploring the bay offers is unparalled. The snorkeling is best to the right of the bay, altough the left side isnt bad either. There are dozens of fish with names i cannot hope to spell, and the occaionial turtle. there are also many crabs, which are not as exciting as fish. Also not as exciting is the moray eel population. But the snorkeling is great, people pay 70 bucks to have a boat take them here from Lahaina. Or you could take nice 30 minute drive and take a walk down a dirt road throught some incredibly beautiful jungle on the way. The population of feral chickens is also rather interesting.

The creekbed you cross on the dirt road is walkable too, when it is dry, and that is a great short hike. But once you head upstream from the bridge, its private property, and there is a sketch and a half shack with a generator that sort of resembles a Hawaiian Deliverance. Thusly, i recomend stopping your trek up the creek at the bridge.

While i have never been while the creek is flowing, it looks like it can get deep (5-6 feet in spots) so i recomend going nowhere near it when it is flowing.

For me, the jungle exploration is much more fun than snorkeling here, especially as there is virtually no sand on the beach, just a bunch of lovely boulders. The jungle has trails winding through it, leading to gorgeous plant life that i really recomend everyone at least look at once. People think of beaches when they think of Hawaii, but this bay makes you add jungle to that short list.