It’s the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands; it’s one of the most beautiful of the Sandwich Islands; it’s the “Valley Isle”; it is Maui!

Maui is an island in the northwest of Hawaiian Islands. Maui is separated by the Alenuihaha Channel from the island of Hawaii, and separated by the Pailolo Channel from Molokai. Maui is comprised of two mountain masses that constitute the east and west peninsulas, connected by an isthmus. The Haleakala volcano in Haleakala National Park is the highest point on the island.

Maui was discovered by the British Captain James Cook on November 26, 1778. Maui is part of Maui County, the other islands comprising the county being L?nai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. Kahului, Wailuku, L?hain?, and K?hei are the important towns of Maui.

Approximately attracting 2.2 million visitors each year, Maui is one of the most popular tourist destinations of the world. Maui is very popular among the tourists from the US mainland and Canada. The island of Maui is a leading whale-watching center in the Hawaiian Islands The fact that many Humpback whales winter in the sheltered Auau Channel between the islands of Maui County make Maui, one of the most popular destinations of whale-watching in the Hawaiian Islands. Maui is a scenic destination widely known for beautiful waterfalls, lush greenery areas and beaches. It is a celebrated destination for Snorkeling and Scuba Diving, Mountain biking, Hiking, etc. Maui has been voted as "Best Pacific Island" by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine for sixteen consecutive years.

The main tourist center of island is the West Maui that has most of the resort destinations of the Island. The major tourist attractions of the West Maui are Lahaina, Kaanapali, and Kapalua. The South Maui is known for the omnipresent beaches and resorts. Some of the attractions of the South Maui include Kihei, Wailea and, Makena. In the central valley area of Maui, Kahului and Wailuku are two main towns. There are two golf courses located in nearby Hyashi Village.
The East Maui surrounded by dense rainforests. Hana is the major tourist attraction of the East Maui The Highway to Hana is a tourist attraction featuring scenic green valleys and waterfalls. Upcountry, located in the foothills of Haleakala, is a cool ranching area. Pukalani, Makawao, and Kula featuring Tedeschi Vineyards, the only winery on Maui are the main attractions of Maui.

Haleakala National Park, one of the major tourist attractions, offers alpine wilderness and stunning views of Maui. Wainapanapa State Park is a great torist trap featuring black sand beach, sea arch, sea caves, and a small blowhole. From about December to March, Humpback whales breed off the coast of Maui. Whalewatching cruises are very popular among tourists. The ‘Road to H?na’ is also very popular among the tourists. Maui has more miles of swimmable beach than any other Hawaiian island, and the island has the second highest waterfall in the United States.

Quick facts about Maui: —

• Nickname: The Valley Isle
• Area: 727 mile² (1883 km²)
• Population: 141,000 (2005)
• Country: USA
• State: Hawaii (Aloha State)
• Major Towns: Kahului, Wailuku, and Lahaina
• Beaches: 81 accessible beaches. 39 have public facilities. Sands may be white, gold, black, salt and pepper, green or garnet, due to ancient volcanic activity.
• Golf Courses: Maui has 16 golf courses.
• Popular Tourist Attractions: Haleakala National Park, Lahaina Town, ‘Iao Valley State Park, Hana, and the Maui Ocean Center.
• Ethnicity: 42% Caucasian, 14% Hawaiian, 39% Asian (including Japanese, Chinese and Filipino) , 5% Other
• Telephone area code: Country Dialing Code – 1, Area Code – 808
• Visa Information: The U.S. State Department’s Visa Waiver Program allows the citizens of certain countries to enter the United States without a visa for stays of up to 90 days. These countries include Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The citizens of these countries just require a valid passport for traveling to USA. Entering the United States, the citizens of the above countries may also visit Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, and/or the Caribbean islands and return to the United States without a visa. The Canadian citizens can enter the United States without visas; they need only proof of residence. However, the citizens of other countries are compulsorily required to have a valid passport that expires at least SIX months later than the scheduled end of their visit to the United States, and a tourist visa that can be obtained without charge from any U.S. Embassy.

Climate: —

Maui features a wide range of climatic conditions and weather patterns that are influenced by several different factors in the physical environment. The climate of Maui is generally mild with a few exceptions of high elevations. Marked geographic differences in rainfall, high relative humidity, and extensive cloud formations are some of the typical traits of the climate of Maui.

Traveling To Maui: —

You can access Maui via Kahului Airport that is the main airport on the island of Maui. The airport is served by the Hawaiian and Aloha Airlines, which provides interisland service to Kahului from the other major airports in the state. Several U.S. airlines also offer non-stop services to Maui from the West Coast and beyond. Additionally, Maui also has a smaller airport in Kapalua (West Maui), and a commuter airport in Hana. Maui is about a half an hour by air from Honolulu.