What's New

Maui continues to shine on as the star of the Hawaiian Islands. You can pack a lot of vacation into the 48X26-mile island: everything from just vegging out on a white-sand beach and watching the waves roll in to an action-packed vacation with adventures in the water (both above and under), on land (from rainforest hikes to challenging golf), and even in the air (from helicopter rides to flying through the air on a "zipline" excursion). Nearing the end of the first decade of the 21st century, Maui continues to see renovations at all its major resort areas, improved air transportation, more outdoor and ocean activities, and great eateries for every kind of cuisine from gourmet to plate lunches.

Below is a brief overview of the latest changes to the most magic of isles:

Planning Your Trip to Maui

Getting to Maui, Molokai & Lanai -- Joining Hawaiian Airlines as an interisland air carrier is go! (tel. 888/IFLYGO2; www.iflygo.com), owned by Mesa Air Group (which has more than 1,000 flights to 166 cities across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico). The new airline began service with 50-passenger Bombardier CRJ 200 jets with service from Honolulu to Maui, Kauai, and both Hilo and Kona on the Big Island. At press time, go! was offering the cheapest interisland fares in Hawaii.

In 2007 visitors to Molokai and Lanai got not one but two new commuter airlines that began flying from Honolulu to Molokai and Lanai. go! started a new commuter service from Honolulu to Molokai and Lanai under the name go!Express, on their new fleet of Cessna Grand Caravan 208B planes. Another commuter airline, Pacific Wings, started operating a discount airline called PW Express (tel. 888/866-5022 or 808/873-0877; www.flypwx.com) with daily nonstop flights between Honolulu and Molokai and Lanai, plus flights from Kahului, Maui, and Molokai.

As we went to press, on the horizon was the proposed Hawaii Superferry (www.hawaiisuperferry.com), a 350-foot vessel that will be able to carry 866 passengers and 282 cars and trucks between Honolulu and Maui at speeds up to 35 knots. The State of Hawaii has committed some $40 million for harbor improvements to accommodate the new ferry service. Hawaii briefly had a ferry service (Super Flite) in the 1970s but the high winds and waves took their toll on the hydrofoil boat and it only lasted a few years. Proposed fares range from $42 to $62 for passengers and $55 to $75 for cars.

However, environmentalists have been fighting the Superferry for years because the company was not required to do an environmental-impact statement. Hawaii legislators have recently joined the fight and have called for a more thorough review of the impact of the Superferry, and Maui County has joined a lawsuit with environmentalists challenging whether state improvements to Kahului Harbor are adequate to handle increased traffic from the Superferry. Stay tuned. . . .

Ocean Safety -- Sharks may make the headlines, but drownings claim far more lives. To learn more about just how safe the ocean conditions are, check out the new statewide website http://oceansafety.soest.hawaii.edu, a partnership between the University of Hawaii and Honolulu's city ocean-safety office, which warns beachgoers statewide (you can click on the island of your choice) on ocean conditions at hundreds of beaches. Here you will get information on the beach conditions, safety information, weather and surf reports, links to other sites, and other beach and safety tidbits.

Hawaiian Airlines has joined the water-safety cause by airing a brief video on all flights from the mainland explaining what those warning signs posted at beaches in Hawaii mean.

Where to Stay

For the first time the number of new hotel units are down and the number of new timeshares and condotels (condominium units in a hotel that are sold for private ownership but remain in the hotel's rental pool) are up. Since the arrival of the big boys of the vacation industry into timeshares (Hilton, Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, and others) the industry has taken off in Hawaii. Statewide, Hawaii has some 15,000 condotel rooms and more than 7,000 timeshare units. Even the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua is selling its suites (some of which will stay in the hotel rental pool). Also at Kapalua Resort on Maui, a new concept called fractional ownership on luxury homes and condominiums allows you to stay there 21 days per year. Units are priced in the high six figures.

The major hotel at Kapalua, the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, will be closing for renovations and opening just before Christmas 2007. The investment partnership that recently purchased this property plans to sell 107 suites in the hotel to individual buyers, some of which will be available to vacationers and some of which will remain privately owned and occupied. The hotel announced that it would close until the end of 2007 to make some $95 million in renovations. Contact the hotel for more details.

Where to Dine

E&O Trading Company, Lahaina Cannery Mall, 1221 Honoapiilani Hwy. (tel. 808/667-1818; www.eotrading.com), serves eclectic Southeast Asian cuisine in an elaborate setting. At Mala An Ocean Tavern, 1307 Front St., Lahaina (tel. 808/667-9394; www.malaoceantavern.com), you can enjoy an ocean view as you dine on "tavern food" such as ahi burgers or cheeseburgers, one of the tempting salads (the beet-and-Kula-goat-cheese salad is divine), or something off the "big plate" menu (perhaps wok-fried moi fish or glazed baby back ribs). Tastings Wine Bar & Grill (Kihei Kalama Village, 1912 S. Kihei Rd.; tel. 808/879-8711), a tiny, tiny hole in the wall, produces "island-inspired American Cuisine" and features excellent food and wine pairings.

Shopping

Maui now has an organic vodka: Ocean Vodka (www.oceanvodka.com). It's made from water collected 3,000 feet beneath the ocean's surface off the Kona coast of the Big Island, which is shipped to Maui, where it's blended with organic corn and rye to produce this one-of-a-kind libation. A number of Maui restaurants serve Ocean Vodka -- visit the website to find out where to try it.

Maui After Dark

While you're on Maui, don't miss the three-time Grammy Award-winning Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Series (tel. 808/669-3858; www.slackkey.com), the best of Hawaiian music presented every Wednesday night at the indoor amphitheater at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua. Slack-key-guitar masters play wonderful music and "talk story" about old Hawaii, music, and culture with host George Kahumoku, Jr. Not to be missed. The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua will be closed until Christmas 2007, and the amphitheater may be closed even longer. To find out where the concerts will be held during the reconstruction of the hotel, either check their website or call the reservations number above.

Smoke-Free State

Hawaii has gone smoke-free with one of the toughest smoking laws in the country: It's against the law to smoke in public buildings, including airports, shopping malls, grocery stores, retail shops, buses, movie theaters, banks, convention facilities, and all government buildings and facilities. There is no smoking in restaurants, bars, or nightclubs. You cannot smoke in parking garages, public lobbies (anywhere where there are employees is considered public), on lanais, patios, covered walkways, or at bus stops that have a roof or have two sides enclosed. The fine is $50.

Most bed-and-breakfasts prohibit smoking indoors, and more and more hotels and resorts are becoming nonsmoking, even in public areas. Also, there is no smoking within 20 feet of a doorway, window, or ventilation intake (so no hanging around outside a bar to smoke -- you must go 20 ft. away).

Where can you smoke? Curbside along the street (but not within 20 ft. of a door or window), in your car, or in a tobacco shop. Even some beaches have nonsmoking policies. On those that do allow smoking, you'd better pick up your butts instead of using the sand as your own private ashtray or you could face a stiff fine.