Plunging 100 feet below the surface of the sea in a state-of-the-art, high-tech submarine is a great way to experience Maui’s magnificent underwater world, especially if you’re not a swimmer. Atlantis Adventures ★, 658 Front St., Lahaina (www.atlantisadventures.com; [tel] 800/548-6262 or 808/667-2224), offers trips out of Lahaina Harbor every hour on the hour from 9am to 2pm; prices are $104 for adults and $38 for children 11 and under (children must be at least 3 ft. tall). Book on the website and receive a free child ticket for each paying adult. Allow 2 hours for this underwater adventure, which navigates around the artificial reef created by the Carthaginian, a replica of a 19thcentury supply boat that was deliberately sunk in 2005—much to the delight of the coral and fish who now call it home. Warning: Even though each passenger has a porthole, this is not a good choice if you’re claustrophobic, for obvious reasons.
Zipping Over the Forest Canopy
For those looking for a different perspective of Haleakala, try Skyline Eco-Adventures' Zipline Haleakala Tour (tel. 808/878-8400; www.zipline.com/locations/haleakala), which blends a short hike through a eucalyptus forest with four zipline crossings. During the zipline crossing, you'll be outfitted with a seat harness and connected to a cable, then launched from a 70-foot-high platform to "zip" along the cable suspended over the slopes of Haleakala. From this viewpoint, you fly over treetops, valleys, gulches, and waterfalls at 10 to 35 mph. These bird's-eye tours operate daily and take riders from ages 10 and up, weighing between 80 and 260 pounds. The cost is $95, if you book on the company's website.
Spelunking
Don't miss the opportunity to see how the Hawaiian Islands were made by exploring a million-year-old underground lava tube/cave. Chuck Thorne, of Hana Lava Tube (tel. 808/248-7308; www.mauicave.com), offers several tours of this unique geological feature. After more than 10 years of leading scuba tours through underwater caves around Hawaii, Chuck discovered some caves on land that he wanted to show visitors. When the land surrounding the largest cave on Maui went on the market in 1996, Chuck snapped it up and started his own tour company. Daily, between 10:30am and 4pm, you can take a self-guided 30- to 45-minute tour for just $12 (free for kids 5 and under).
If you want to combine caving with a tour of Hana, contact Temptation Tours (tel. 808/877-8888; www.temptationtours.com). Its Cave Quest option costs $219, which covers a 1 1/4-hour cave tour, an air-conditioned van tour from your hotel to Hana, continental breakfast, a beachside picnic lunch, and a stop for a swim.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
