What's New: An Online Update for Frommer's Maui, Lanai & Molokai

Here's a roundup of the changes that have occurred not only on the island of Maui since the last edition of Frommer's Maui, but also on the satellite islands of Molokai and Lanai.

For 10 years in a row, the readers of Condé Nast Traveler have voted Maui the "best island in the world." With good reason: the "Valley Isle" (as locals call this piece of paradise) offers everything a visitor could desire from a quiet vacation on sun-kissed beaches to a heart-thumping adventure down the slopes of a (dormant, but not dead) volcano or through tropical waters filled with rainbowed-fish.

If you want to contact the Maui Visitors Bureau (tel. 808/244-3530), you will have to use their street address: 1727 Wili Pa Loop, Wailuku, HI 96793. They have closed their post office box.

Akina Aloha Tours has halted its Holo Ka'a bus service and Roberts Hawaii (tel. 808/871-4838; www.co.maui.hi.us/bus) has taken over Maui's only bus system. Roberts will continue with the three different routes: Route A from Maalaea Harbor Village to the Shops in Wailea with stops in Kihei; Route B from Wal-Mart in Kahului to the Lahaina Wharf Cinema Center, with a stop at the Maalaea Harbor Village; and Route C, from the Queen Kaahumanu Center in Kahului to the Shops at Wailea,with stops at Wal-Mart and Piilani Shopping Center in Kihei. One-way fares ranged from $1-$3.

Activities

The Lahaina Heritage Museum (tel.808/661-1959; www.visitlahaina.com), located on the second floor of the historic Old Courthouse, the Museum, open daily 9am-5 pm, has recently opened and is offering interactive displays and exhibits ranging from Maui's whaling period to live during the sugar plantation days. Admission is free.

The Maui Ocean Center, Hawaii's largest aquarium, has joined with the Pacific Whale Foundation to create the Ocean Science Discovery Center (tel. 800/942-5311; www.osdcmaui.org), in the Harbor Shops of Maui, to promote more awareness of the ocean. The new Center offers activities like interactive displays and hands-on educational programs for kids. There's also a visitors interpretation center on whales, dolphins, sea turtles, coral reefs and fish, plus two science laboratories.

Also at the Maui Ocean Center (tel. 808/270-7000; www.mauioceancenter.com) a new exhibit just opened: "Life on the Ledge," featuring three tanks of shells (found in Hawaii waters, like the harp, tun, miter and triton's trumpet), along with cone snails, thorny oysters and cowries. The exhibit (created to celebrate Maui Ocean Center's sixth anniversary) explains how snails and bivalves create their protective shells, where the animals might be found in the ocean and how these animals and the shells they leave behind were important to the Hawaiians.

Art & Galleries

A new, free guide to artists and art galleries on Maui is now available. Art Guide Maui is filled with biographies of Maui artists (some well known, some not-so-well known) and information on Maui's numerous art galleries (with maps on how to get there and websites). To get your free copy, write to: KM Publishing, 3620 Baldwin Ave., Suite 202, Makawao, HI 96768 or tel. 808/572-3917; www.artguidemaui.com.

Weddings

The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa (tel. 808/667-4430; www.maui-hyatt.com) has added a chapel to its list of sites for weddings. The new Lokahi ("union") Chapel is a 1,748-square foot building that can accommodate up to 40 guests or rearranged with the use of flower arrangements and lighting to be an intimate setting for just the bride and groom. The Resort also has four additional wedding sites on the grounds in Kaanapali: the Oriental Gardens (overlooking the lagoon at the Swan Court), a gazebo in the tropical gardens, the Statue Gardens (with a view of the Kaanapali coastline) and the Napili Lawn (on the beach).

Tours

Maui's newest tour not only takes in the history and sites in Lahaina, but also literally drives into the ocean. Lahaina Honu Amphibious Tours (tel. 808/662-4668; www.lahainahonu.com) is a state-of-the-art amphibious bus that turns into a sea going vessel. Named after honu (Hawaiian for sea turtle), the bus (some 13 feet high, 39-feet long and 8.5 feet wide) can zip down the highway at 70-mph, then venture into the ocean and power along at 8 knots. Certainly a tour you will not forget, the daily adventures are $30 for adults and $15 for children under 16.

Nanea a'o Kula, also known as the Maui Kula Lavender Farm, has changed its name to Ali'i Kula Lavender (tel. 808/878-8090; www.aliikulalavender.com), after Ali'i Ching, "lavender engineer" and partner in the farm. The farm, located on Waipoli Road in Kula, features not only 30 varieties of lavender, but also a number of culinary products (including lavender sugar, lavender mango sorbet and lavender-scented coffee). The Farm also hosts tours, has high teas and creates various lavender products.

A new kayak adventure, Maui Eco Tours (tel. 866-891-2223; www.mauiecotours.com) is dedicated to showing visitors Hawaii's turtles. Called "Totally Turtles," the 3-hour adventure is along the Makena coastline and is ideal for families with children and people new to kayaking. They provide the kayaks, life vests, reef shoes, snorkel gear, dry bags and wetsuits and snacks (fresh fruit, granola bars and cold drinks). Tours, Monday-Saturday, depart at 7:30 am from Makena Landing.

Restaurants

New restaurants are sprouting up all over Maui, especially in Kihei, where the Big Wave Café; (Long's Shopping Center, 1215 South Kihei Road, tel. 808/891-8688), featuring Pacific Rim cuisine is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ashley's South Shore Café; (Hukulii Place complex behind Tesoro gas station, tel. 808/874-8600) is a bit off the beaten path but great for burgers, local plate lunch and fresh fish. Down the street in the Azeka I (Makai) Plaza is Cevoli's Motorcycle Café; (tel. 808/874-8377), featuring American favorites with a bit of Italian influence. Across the street, Jawz FishTacos Island Style Grill (in the Azeka II or Mauka Center, tel. 808/874-8226 ), serves up tasty Mexican from tacos and burritos to salads.

Sushi Go! (Kukui Mall, 1819 S. Kihei Rd., tel. 808/875-8744), a favorite in Kaahumanu Shopping Center in Kahului, has opened another branch in Kihei featuring the same great sushi paraded on a conveyor belt at lower-than average prices. Also in Kihei, Life's a Beach, (1913 S. Kihei Road, across from Foodland, tel. 808/891-8010), with an eclectic menu from Mexican to pasta, with plenty of drink specials for the 20-some crowd, who can be found in the open-air lanai. Next door at the Kihei Town Center, you'll find an affordable family-style bistro, Aroma D'Italia Ristorante (tel.808/879-0133), with Southern Italian cooking.

Looking for a burger or sandwich for lunch or live music at night, try LuLu's (1945 S. Kihei Road, tel. 808/879-9944). For those looking for a more healthy menu (at budget prices), Joy's Place (Island Surf building at 1993 S. Kihei Road, tel. 808/879-9258), features organic meats, produce and juices. Open only for lunch, it's a great place to pick up a picnic lunch.

For a culinary adventure in "local" food, try Da Kitchen Express (Rainbow Mall, 2439 S. Kihei Road, tel. 808/879-0078), serving Hawaiian-style plate lunches, the favorite dishes of Hawaii's multi-cultural mix. You will not believe the size of the breakfast and lunch "plates." All "plate lunches" come with two scoops of white rice and a choice of either potato-macaroni salad or mixed greens.

Health & Wellness

Maui, which has always been a leader in the "health and wellness" field, is once again featuring classes, spas and treatments on the cutting edge. In Kaanapali, there's a new yoga class, called Kaanapali Yoga, at the Kaanaplai Ali'i (tel. 800/642-6284; www.kaanapali-alii.com), where visitors can stretch next to the beach with yoga instructor Carmen Karady. Classes ($10 a session) are every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8-9am.

In addition to the excellent resort spas in Frommer's Maui 2005, there are also several other spas and wellness centers:

Makai Massage and Bodywork, in the Napili Kai Beach Resort (tel. 808/662-0887; www.makaimassage.com), features a range of massage, body treatments, facials, nail services and waxing.

Maui Massage Company (tel. 808/572-3005) offers massages and facials in the comfort of your own accommodations. Their prices are reasonable (starting at $90 for a one hour massage in your hotel or condo).

The Retreat at Olinda Lavender Gardens (tel. 800/514-1800; www.olindalavendergardens.com) a boutique spa hidden in the lush forests of Upcountry Maui, featuring innovative body-care treatments like aromatherapy and massage, plus hydrotherapy treatments using steam, soaks, compresses, and inhalation.

Molokai

The "Friendly Isle" of Molokai is also growing and adding additional services, activities and things to do. In the Health and Wellness field, Molokai Lomi Massage (in Kaunakakai, tel. 808/553-8034) offers an on-call service specializes in Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage, relaxation therapy, deep tissue, structural integration, aromatherapy, hydrotherapy and other types of massage.

Molokai Plumerias, Inc. (tel. 808/553-3391; amoe@mobettah.net) is Hawaii's largest grower/wholesaler of fragrant plumeria leis and flowers. They have orchard tours where you pick and sew your own lei, plus you can ship a bouquet to the Mainland.

Honouliwai Taro Patch Farm (tel. 808/558-8922), while husband Jim works the taro fields, Lee Callahan takes visitors on tours of the couple's taro farm, explaining how taro is grown, the cultural and historical significance of taro to ancient Hawaiians and along the way you will meet the family-pet/living tractor/chief taro worker, an Asian swamp-type water buffalo named Bigfoot.

Lanai

The island of Lanai, although tiny, has come up with a series of various events to entice visitors to this one-of-a-kind island. New events coming up include:

March

• Croquet Tournament Taste of Lanai. Koele Resort. On the lawn of the Koele Resort, play croquet and enjoy arts and crafts, music, listen to stories about old Lanai. Call tel. 808/565-3000. Early-March.

  May

• Kahili Workshop, Lanai City. In old Hawaii, the alii (king) would have a kahili to show his status among the commoners. The Kahili is still used today to replicate the Hawaiian Royal Court on special occasions. This workshop is to teach and perpetuate the art of Kahili making. Call tel. 808/565-3000. Mid-May.

  July

• Obon Dance, The Lanai Hongwanji. Obon is a time to remember and cherish the dead by laying food, incense and flowers on altars and lighting lanterns, so their spirits are welcomed home. Offerings are made at the temple and a dance is conducted outdoors with Kumi Daiko drummers. Participants dance under a tower of lights decorated with paper lanterns, bamboo and colored paper flowers. Call tel. 808/565-6488. Early-July.

• Lanai 2nd Annual Surf Clinic and Surfing Competition, Manele Bay. Here's your chance to learn how to surf and participate in a surfing tournament. Open to both children and adults, although children must be accompanied by an adult. Call tel. 808/565-6428. Mid-July.

• 2nd Annual Keiki O' Lana'i Spear Fishing Tournament, Keamoku Beach. Designed to focus on children, this "tournament" not only is about fishing, but also to teach kid about the ocean. If you don't have a child, you may "adopt" one for the day. Call tel. 808/565-4507. Late-July

  December

• 15th Annual Lanai Christmas Festival & Tree Lighting Ceremony, Front Lawn, Dole Administrative Building, Lanai City. Take pictures with Santa and receive a Christmas goodie bag. Relax and enjoy local food, craft booths and activities, Lanai style entertainment with lots of Christmas music. Call tel. 808/565-7600. Early-December.