Where to Go in Hawaii This Spring: Maui

 

Maui

 

SEE 

The teeming reef life around Kaanapali’s Black Rock, or Puu Kekaa in Hawaiian, always puts on a colorful variety show for snorkelers, but in early spring, whales add their song to the underwater soundtrack. Not a swimmer? Head here to observe the daily torch lighting and cliff-diving ceremony at sunset.

 

Waterman Kepa Naeole (center) at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel

 

DO 

You can also navigate around Black Rock on a six-person outrigger canoe, Boki Board raft or stand-up paddleboard. Book a 90-minute outing from Hale Huakai, Kaanapali Beach Hotel’s new water activities kiosk. Manager and culturally savvy waterman Kepa Naeole makes sure the friendly staff share his safety first, eco-conscious approach. Canoe snorkel tour, $97–$107; Boki Board snorkel tour, $69; SUP lesson, $87. 

 

A rainbow of foods at Lineage.

 

EAT 

Top Chef fan favorite Sheldon Simeon celebrates both his Filipino heritage and his Hilo upbringing at Lineage, his new restaurant in the Shops at Wailea. A dim sum–style cart offers a rainbow of island snacks, from boiled peanuts to star fruit dusted with li hing mui, while the small-plates menu puts an elegant spin on local favorites such as pork adobo, squid luau, katsu curry (with fried cauliflower) and huli huli chicken. Don’t miss the playful cocktails and desserts. 808.879.8800

 

STAY 

After a $26.5 million renovation, Sheraton Maui, a classic Kaanapali resort (built in 1963), is refreshed and ready for even the most discerning guests. Not only has the decor been upped, the malama (love for the land) can be seen throughout the property: reef-safe sunscreen is complimentary, and this is one of the first resorts in the state to ban plastic straws. For a special treat, check out the new signature facial using Ola, a small-batch Hawaiian skin care line.

 

The rain shower at the Fairmont Kea Lani’s Willow Stream Spa.

 

For those who can never get enough spa time, the new “Wellness Suite” package at Fairmont Kea Lani provides one solution. The package includes spa-style bedding and an aromatherapy shower in an 860-square-foot one-bedroom suite, plus two treatments at Willow Stream Spa and daily use of its facilities, a Knesko gold- or diamond-infused facial mask, massage and stretching kit, daily fitness classes, breakfast buffet and more. From $869 per night (five-night minimum), 866.540.4456

 


Jeane Cooper

Travel and features writer Jeanne Cooper fell in love with Marin and the Bay Area as a graduate student at Stanford University. After 20 years as an editor and writer for the Washington Post, Boston Globe and San Francisco Chronicle, she began a freelance career that has taken her from the Austral Islands to Zimbabwe, with many visits to Hawaii in between. Her stories have appeared in numerous national and regional magazines, including Hemispheres, Sunset, San Francisco and Nob Hill Gazette, as well as Marin and Local Getaways. The author of several Frommer’s guidebooks, she now lives on the Big Island, where she’s active in animal rescue. She still enjoys exploring Northern California with her husband and friends.