Link to actual blog on HawaiiLife.com: http://www.hawaiilife.com/articles/2010/09/ten-reasons/
Being "born and raised" on Maui, I feel I have a pretty strong grasp on why Maui No Ka Oi (Maui is the best). I have lived on Maui the vast majority of my life, experiencing the true Aloha spirit, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. I was raised to have to have the utmost respect for myself, others, and my wonderful surroundings. I did spend some time away at Babson College, a great business school in Boston, where I gave my first speech about being born in a coconut grove at my parent's property in Haiku (true story) and which lead to a lot of laughter, many raised eyebrows, and the facetious bombardment of: Did you live in a grass hut on the beach? Did you ride dolphins to school? The students quickly quieted when I showed them some of my treasured birth photos. All sarcasm aside, I don't think many people really understand what an awesome place Maui is to live. On a recent trip to Seattle, I was quickly reminded of the exorbitant cost of living on Maui. Decent houses for $200k, gas for under $3 bucks a gallon, and milk for under $2 bucks a gallon; even at Costco we pay way more for these items. I began to question why it was that I have chosen to call Maui home. This thought didn't last long, as here are 10 reasons why Maui No Ka Oi:
1. Hana If I could live anywhere on Maui, Hana would be my choice. Its remote location and unparalleled natural beauty is breathtaking and unique. I have enjoyed many camping, hiking, surfing trips in Hana that will live with me forever.
As you can see, Hamoa Beach in Hana defines the aforementioned unique beauty of this magical place. Experience the magic in these beautiful Hana homes.
2. Jaws This is some footage I took from late April of this year at the world renowned Big Wave Surf location known as Jaws.
I have ridden my mountain bike or run down through the pineapple fields many times to Jaws as it is just about three miles from my parent's house in Haiku. Here are my personal favorite picks for Haiku Real Estate.
3. Maui Sunsets My favorite place to view a sunset on Maui is from my stand-up surfboard on the water in West Maui. Watching the sun fall behind the island of Lanai as its ambient light hits the West Maui mountains takes my breath away and makes me feel so alive and yet peaceful at the same time.
Taken from Ho'okipa Beach Park on Maui's North Shore, where one can experience this breathtaking sunset over the West Maui Mountains from the ocean cliffs or from one of my favorite restaurants, Mama's Fish House, which sits on a private cove on the point in this photo.
4. Golfing on Maui We have 17 Golf Courses here on Maui, and they are all open to the public. Not only do we have some very challenging world class courses, the views and weather aren't too shabby either. :)
For an inexperienced golfer like myself, the Makena North Course (above) is quite challenging. But with views like this abounding, the guys and I had a great day regardless.
5. Keawakapu Beach Located in South Maui on the border of Kihei and Wailea, Keawekapu is one the most enjoyable beaches on which to take a romantic afternoon or moonlit evening stroll, or upon which to take the kids out and enjoy some very protected and pristine water.
Here are some exceptional properties on Keawakapu Beach.
6. Maui Restaurants Per capita, I think Maui must have the highest concentration of excellent food, service, and locations in which to enjoy them. We have a plethora of places to get $6 plate lunches (BBQ Kal-Bi ribs being my favorite), as well as some exceptional high end restaurants which are predominantly located in the resort areas of both South and West Maui.
The Beach House at Duke's located within the Honua Kai Resort is one of my favorite places to eat with friends or clients while in West Maui. The restaurant has great Pacific Rim cuisine, an excellent beachfront location on Ka'anapali North Beach, and service with Aloha. After you're done eating, consider checking out some of the hot deals at Honua Kai.
7. Fishing in Makena Some of my buddies are pretty serious about their Ulua fishing in various spots of the island. I for one, am a little more inclined to enjoy a relaxing day enjoying the sunshine, views, and if something bites then great. If not, "no worries" as we say here on Maui.
If you are more interested in looking at Makena real estate, rather than fishing, may I recommend these spectacular Makena Homes? Don't see anything you like here? Why not build a custom home on an exeptional oceanfront lot in Makena?
8. Sunrise at Haleakala (House of the Sun) With me being the grumpy bear that I am in the morning, it really takes something exceptional for me to get up at 2 in the morning and drive a couple hours. Now that I have seen the sunrise at Haleakala National Park, I am very pleased to have overcome my grumpiness and made the trip up the mountain.
I wasn't able to find the photos from my actual trip up to Haleakala but this is one my buddy took from his recent trip. Not only is Haleakala a great place to view the sunrise, it is also an amazing place to hike, camp, and learn about the history of the Hawaiiian islands. This crater is the size of Manhattan Island and has the feel of a completely different planet; I highly recommend a trip here.
9. Watching the kiteboarders and windsurfers Instead of watching fireworks this past 4th of July, I decided to enjoy a relaxing day at Kahana Beach Park in Central Maui.
Who said there aren't nice beaches in Kahului? Kite Beach/Kanaha Beach Park is literally one minute away from Maui's main airport in Kahului. This long white sandy beach is a great place to walk, swim, surf, play beach volleyball, or play spectator like I did.
10. The people Being a "haole" raised on Maui wasn't always the easiest thing to deal with growing up. I was often teased because of my light skin tone and old english middle name "Townsend." However, I wouldn't trade this experience for anything because I have found that unfortunately prejudice exists all over the world, and its how we deal with this adversity and learn to treat all people with respect that we truly become citizens of the world. In my book, being "Haole" has everything to do with your attitude, and nothing about where you come from or what you look like. I have many people ask me, "Is it is safe for me to live in Maui?" " Will I be an outsider?" The truth of the matter is that one of the things that makes Maui so special is the amazing mix of people we have here. No one is an outsider. Our doors are always open to those who exhibit the Aloha spirit, and who respect the people, respect the culture, and respect the land. I firmly believe and have seen that those who treat others with respect and how they wanted to be treated will have the same returned to them. Please let me know if you have any questions or are interested in another 10 reasons why Maui No Ka Oi. Aloooooooha :)
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