USA Travel Guide

Okay, maybe it’s a little early for Spring Break in your neck of the woods, but who knows? Maybe it’s senior year and you promised your future-graduate something awesome. Well, unless you’re MacGyver, something awesome requires a bit of planning.

Spring Break vacation in Maui, Hawaii? Now that’s something awesome!

Atlantis Submarine Tour in Maui, Hawaii
We’ve talked about Hawaii’s second-largest a couple times before. From Maui golf vacations to whale watching. Today we’re headed back for our most adventurous pick yet: Atlantis Submarine Tours.

The sub is real, and so is the wonderment. Atlantis Submarines Maui invites you aboard a 48-passenger shallow dive submarine for a nearly two-hour tour of the Maui coast – from the fishes’ point of view! Descending more than 100 ft. below the surface, you’ll explore natural and artificial reefs and all the amazing creatures that call them home.

Fairly new to the tour (2005) is the Carthaginian, a 19^th-century supply vessel replica that Atlantis Submarines intentionally sank to create an additional landscape for the tour. This handsome tall ship, now teeming with life and young reef, proves a highlight of the tour if you can turn off your authenticity filter. As someone who loved that Speed Racer movie, I can do that just fine.

The basic tour runs roughly 105 minutes and costs $89.10 per person online (ages 13 and up). That includes a submarine trip only. Atlantis also offers a few combo packages which include the submarine tour along with other popular Maui attractions: Royal Lahaina Luau, Maui Ocean Center, Maui Tropical Plantation, Hawaii Nature Center, snorkeling and dolphin adventures among the choices.

Explore all of their Maui tour options here.

Whether planning for a Spring Break trip to Maui, or any other kind of trip, what’s most important is that you score your reservations early. Like, right now, if you can. With only 48 seats per trip, they do fill up quick, and it’s not like you can just go back any time.

It’d be a shame to stay anywhere but the beach in Maui, so of course we recommend the Maui Oceanfront Inn, located right on Keawakapu Beach – great for couples, great for families, great for anyone who like soft sand and warm sun. The hotel offers great rates if you stay so many nights, so be sure to look into that. Maui vacation specials here.

Have fun on your Spring Break (or anytime!)

If there’s one thing that almost the entire animal kingdom can agree on – from human all the way down to pygmy voles – it’s that we do not want to be cold. That’s why birds, fish, insects, and even some humans are equator-bound come wintertime. No doubt the most awe-inspiring migration of all is that of the massive humpback whale.

Experience these whales’ warm winter getaway, and enjoy one of your own, with a fascinating whale watching adventure off the coast of Maui, Hawaii.

The Pacific Whale Foundation is an easy favorite for whale watching tours in Maui. Options is just the first of many reasons why. From November to May (but really December is better), head out on one of nine whale watching cruises exploring the vibrant coast of Maui and the further waters where the whales roam by the hundreds.

You really can’t pick a bad cruise, so your choice should be guided by the time of your visit, the time of day you want to cruise, and to a certain extent what you want to see (though really it’s all about the whales, and you’ll get that no matter what).

Because you really can’t match the beauty of Hawaii’s vivid waters at sunset, we recommend the “Sunset Whale Watch”. Hosted from December to April, this evening cruise features three cocktails, an hors d’oeuvres bar and, of course, guaranteed whale sightings.*

For true enthusiasts, especially those with a little cash to spend, we say go big with the “Ultimate Whale Watch”. Your day begins with breakfast and a short presentation from a member of the Foundation’s research team about their scientific study tactics, why they choose certain locations and so on. Next, you’re on the boat with the research team for a highly-informative whale watching tour. Finally, you have the chance to meet a full research team, all of whom are willing to field your questions about their latest work.

It runs a little pricier at $71.95 per person (roughly 4 hours excursion), but if you’re really into it, there’s simply no better tour!

There are seven more incredible Maui Whale Watching tours to choose from – everything from sunrise embarkations to special guides like the Foundation’s president. Check them all out.

When browsing hotels in Maui, you’ve just got to go oceanfront. In fact, at this time of year, pick the right hotel and you might see whales right outside the front door. One such Maui beach hotel that we like a lot is the Days Inn Maui Oceanfront Inn. A cut above your average Days Inn, the Maui Oceanfront Hotel has a beautiful property that captures the fresh, lively energy of the Hawaiian Islands.

Have fun!

*The Pacific Whale Foundation guarantees whale sightings. In the event that you don’t see any whales, you will be provided a voucher for a free cruise in the future. No cash/credit refunds.

Forget about that old country club course you’ve played a few hundred times over. Have yourself a summer golf vacation and do it big in the most beautiful place on Earth: Maui.

Voted “Best Island in the World” by Condé Nast Traveler an incredible 14 times, Maui is one of the top vacation destinations for a lot of reasons, and championship golf is one of them. The island boasts 15 courses by master architects Robert Trent Jones Sr., Arthur Jack Snyder, Colin Cameron, the legendary Arnold Palmer and others.

Despite the prestige of the location, reserving a tee time is never a hassle. Let’s look at a few must-plays: 

• Royal Kā’anapali Course – Quintessential Hawaii. This Jones Sr.-designed course has defined the Maui golf experience for over 40 years. It’s even played its way into the hearts of mainland golfers as the site over numerous PGA events since 1963. After a tricky fourth hole, ranked one of the toughest on the island, the course rewards you with a fifth hole on the beachfront. Just don’t get too distracted by the lounging beach babes. www.kaanapaligolfresort.com
• The Plantation Course – Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course touts 4.5 stars from Golf Digest, and it earned them with just the right blend of challenge, fun and visual bliss. Designers Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw built the Plantation Course around the 18^th hole, a massive 663-yard par five that always caps off the day with a bit of grandeur. www.kapalua.com
• Wailea Old Blue Course – Story goes that tournament officials have had to get on to professional players several times for holding up the proceedings. Every time, they’ve been caught gazing into the beautiful blue Pacific. While it’s not our favorite course on the Island, there may not be a more beautiful place to golf anywhere in the world. Old Blue is a forgiving Par 72. www.waileagolf.com

These are just three of the spectacular courses that Maui has to offer. For more information about them, and all the others, the Maui visitor’s guide has put together an extensive brochure. Check that out here.

They’ve also got reviews of all the resort restaurants, so don’t waste your money on fuddy club grub. See them here.

We love golfing in Maui, but the resort prices can certainly run away from you, especially if you want to “play the field” as it were. That’s why we stay affordably at the Days Inn Maui Oceanfront Inn. No regular Days Inn, the Maui Oceanfront offers resort ambiance at leisure prices, especially if you taken advantage of their rotating specials. There are three Robert Jones courses nearby as well.

Have fun!

Let’s change directions a little. I’ve been so busy blabbing away about country music, pirates and, well, Alaska, that I’ve lost sight of what’s really important at this time of year: summer beach vacations!

But no more! Spring Break is only two months in the past, and we hear the beach call our names once again. Rather than return to one of our old haunts, I thought I’d give you something new: Maui, or more specifically, Keawakapu Beach in Maui.

Pack your suit, buy some fresh sunscreen and for heaven’s sake don’t forget your camera, it’s time for a fabulous summer beach vacation in Maui. The second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands, Maui is a year-round destination for beachfront vacations, especially for U.S. travelers (Oahu and the Big Island attract a more international clientele, don’t you know). Leisure entertainment is unlimited, of course, but the best known Maui attractions are the black sand beaches, Haleakal­ā National Park, whale watching, island cruises and shopping at Lāhainā.

Let’s learn a little about the popular things to do in Maui:

• Beachfront Activities: The largest category by far, the beaches of Maui offer days of entertainment – swimming, tanning, volleyball, snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, body boarding, kayaking, fishing – the list could go on. Oh yeah, the water is around 75-80 degrees all the time. It’s, like, not even fair.
• Maui Golfing: Until you’ve been golfing on a volcanic island with the sound of the coast crashing in the background, it’s debatable whether you’ve ever truly been golfing at all. Famous designer Robert Trent Jones has three championship courses on the island.
• Iao State Park: Incredible walking trails define this inner-island park, best known for the impressive 1200-foot “Iao Needle”, a sharp rock pinnacle. (more)
• Atlantis Submarine Tours: The terrestrial beauty of Hawaii is nothing compared to the aquatic paradise beneath. Travel 100 feet below the surface in a very real submarine for this unforgettable tour. (more)
• Feast of Lele: Even professional curmudgeon Anthony Bourdain couldn’t resist the charm of this tourist-friendly Luau, basically a Maui-must. (more)
• Lāhainā: This sort-of-city offers plenty, but is most popular among tourists for the shops and activities along the wharf.

Where to stay? Options abound, of course, but we’ve fallen in love with Keawakapu Beach. The views are breathtaking, the beach is wide and clean, the water is luxurious and because it’s a few miles out from Lāhainā, it’s not as crowded as the major beaches.

And let’s face it, if you’re doing this right, you shouldn’t be spending a whole lot of time in the room, so while we encourage you to stay comfortably, we also suggest doing so affordably. We like the Best Western Maui Oceanfront Inn, featuring villa-style accommodations and oceanfront suites that sleep up to four, so you can bring the kids (or not). Many rooms are located only 100 feet from the water, and if you keep an eye on the Maui vacation deals, you can score a surprisingly reasonable price.

What more can I say? It’s freakin’ Maui! Get out there and have a great summer beach vacation in Maui.