Apr 10, 20233 min read

First time on the Hawaiian Island of Maui for this Calgary Photographer.

We stayed in Kihei. Kihei is a busy tourist hub where everyone seems to live, eat, surf, take scuba excursions. It is condo rental central. Souvenir and clothing shops are a plenty. Street food is amazing. We also had the best sticky cinnamon buns here where line ups start at 6 am. This surf town strip faces Kamaole Beaches I, II and III where you can find beach volleyball courts, skate parks, roller rinks and more.

Here are some quiet minimalist morning photographs of Kihei Boat Ramp and Kamaole Beach. I enjoyed a wonderful morning watching boats launch at 6:30 am.

Lahaina is such a bustling little marina town.

Loved our nightly strolls through art galleries. Went to two amazing restaurants here! Lahaina Grill and Star Noodle. Both on recommendations from friends. Make sure to make reservations!

The Road to Hana

The road to Hana is windy, treacherous and vomit inducing. However the view out the car window is quite spectacular! The sweeping views of the ocean, the verdant switch backs and water falls... I just love how the tropical flora blossoms from every corner like piped icing on the fanciest cake. I think the drive is more experiential than photogenic; it's impossible to photograph what your brain pieces together as a landscape with a camera. Once you stop, and try to take a picture, you can never get the perfect angle, there are too many trees and bushes in your way! So there aren't that many photos!

Hana. Great stop for food trucks! Gotta eat.

Great spot to find Mexican, Thai, Burgers, Shave Ice, Coffee and More. Cash only!

Hana Bay Beach Park.

I don't know much about Hana; but it feels like a post apocalyptic paradise. The main dock is dilapidated, cratered and crumbling. Technology from an era before. It's not unloved though. Colourful graffiti abounds. Children play in the bay giving life to this mystical country side vista.

The drive up to Haleakala National Park. Looks very much like Iceland.

This is the summit of Haleakala National Park.

We left Kihei at 3 pm hoping to get sunset photos on the summit. Many times we thought about driving back, it was dreary and rainy the whole drive out there. Luckily we pressed on just to see. Regardless of the bad weather, it was busy on the highest summit and no parking stalls were left. So we parked below in the secondary lot. Still, we are 10,000 feet above sea level on a dormant volcano. It is literally an alien heaven. All the rain clouds are below us and the sky goes on forever.

Driving Down the Volcano.

Lanai Cat Sanctuary is an hour ferry ride from Lahaina.

It was a very turbulent ride and I definitely puked. But you will probably meet other tourists who are cat lovers on your boat ride and talk about your cats the whole ride. The sanctuary houses all the unwanted cats from the island. They have rescued over 3500 in its history and we got to meet 644 of them. Many are grey tabby cats, but there are a few odd exotic ones. They give you kibble at the entrance to help you lure the hungry felines into your personal bubble or you can sit in chairs where the cats will also come to you. I hauled an 1 kg lens through my trip, just so I could take cat portraits!