Maui is the 2nd largest Island of the Hawaiian chain. Maui has numerous sun soaked beaches regularly named “the best” by popular travel magazines. Many visitors come to the island for relaxation, weddings, family gatherings or just plain fun. Tourism is one of Maui’s biggest industries. After their 2nd or 3rd visit many try to figure how to move here.

Maui is blessed with a variety of picturesque landscapes. You can snorkel in Kaanapali one day and explore the summit of Haleakala the next. Spend the day driving along the legendary Hana highway then relax the next day by taking a leisurely stroll on famous Front St. in Lahaina. There’s so much to see and do on Maui it’s best to plan ahead and allow you the time to explore the whole island. With technology, there is a lot of valuable websites for you to explore. Here are two of the websites: www.visitmaui.com and www.gohawaii.com. If you’re lucky to be here during December to May you might see a whale breaching and/or teaching its new born how to breach.

Maui has 5 districts: Upcountry, North Shore, South Shore, Central and West Side. All districts have sites worth seeing. Here are 5 top things to do on your first trip to Maui:

1. Visit Iao Valley State Park to see the Iao Needle, a 2,250-ft. rock pinnacle
2. Browse Lahaina storefronts and visit the 60-ft tall Banyan Tree
3. Take a boat trip to tiny Molokini Island for unparallel diving or snorkel at Black Rock off Kaanapali coast (located in front of the Sheraton Hotel).
4. Take the long, winding road trip to Hana and see the Seven Sacred Pools. There are 52 bridges to Hana.
5. Drive up to Haleakala National Park and learn about the volcano. If you’re an early riser, head up to Haleakala and see the sun rise (check local listing for time of sunrise). Maui is the only place in the world where you can start at the ocean and travel less than 50 miles and be over 10,000 feet in altitude.