The CONDE NAST TRAVELER magazine organizes an annual Readers’ Choice Awards Poll. 2006 was the nineteenth year of the contest and Maui, for the sixteenth straight year, was voted «Best Pacific Island». With a score of 90.2, Maui captured the «Top Pacific Rim Island» category scoring higher than runner-up Kauai (88.4) and third place Moorea (84.7), two other fantastic spots. The title of «Best Island in the World» went to the Maldives this year (have to go there to check why), and it was the first time that Maui has not captured that title since the awards began.
Anyhow, there were many good reasons to love Maui when we went there, and it seems that many of them still remain...
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HALEAKALA
"HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK - One possibility is to wake up in the middle of the night and drive uphill to see the sun rising. However, that would require a bit too much stamina, so we decided to get there a bit later..."
"THE PEAK of Haleakala volcano, at 3055 m above sea level, is the highest point on Maui, the third-highest point in the state of Hawaii"
"VOLCANO - The easily-accessible summit of the Haleakala volcano is a terrific experience. The landscape is deeply sculpted and richly coloured, and there are lots of alternative programmes to enjoy: from a few minutes looking for native birds in the bush land to hours hiking in the ashes desert, always surrounded by native Hawaiian plants and animals""
"NATIONAL PARK HEADQUARTER stop, on the way down..."
"TEDESCHI VINEYARDS at Ulupalakua Ranch: Fine wines grown in the tropics, so they say..."
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WAILEA
"WAILEA BEACH, located on Maui’s sunny South Shore, is a large and wide golden sand beach. The relatively flat beach is great for sunbathing and, being protected on both ends, the calm waters are ideal for swimming. It's the finest beach and has the driest and sunniest weather in Maui. It seems to provide an exceptional whale watching vantage point from December through April, though I've never been there during the season! Anyhow, it does not match the best Algarve's beaches..."
"THE FOUR SEASONS - Wailea is full of resorts, maybe a bit too much crowded. The Four Seasons, however, is a superb spot. They say they have «the Island’s most spacious guest rooms» and the most «gracious service» and it's probably true. As far as the «luxuriant gardens», that can be easily confirmed. And Wailea’s crescent of Pacific blue is just nearby: «fresh water? cool towel? Evian spritz? Miss»"
"PASHA STYLE at the poolside cabanas"
"SUNSET"
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