A Perfect Day in Hawaii by Patricia Gajo
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We soar above the jagged volcanic summit of Haleakala, make a U-turn at Hana – the most easterly point of Maui – and then dip in and out of clouds as we backtrack over the rainforest.
With only a helicopter windshield between us and the morning sky, we hover near towering waterfalls, and I go a bit camera crazy. Our pilot, Gernot, makes a swift 180-degree turn and pulls up closer. “For a better shot,” he says, smiling.
Back on the ground, our appetites lead us to Old Lahaina Town, the Dirty Dancing side of Ka’anapali’s classy beach resorts. A quick scan of the crowd reveals lots of white linen, designer sunglasses and crisp J. Crew outfits. If Waikiki, on the neighbouring island of Oahu, is party central for the 20-something set, Maui attracts a more mature clientele.
Only a handful of pure Hawaiians remain, but the locals – including Filipinos and U.S. mainlanders escaping city life – embrace their South Pacific roots with Western-style panache. Plus, it’s a big sell for the tourists, what with the nightly luaus, hula dancers, orchid leis and Hawaiian print shirts.
Instead, we look for the quintessential Hawaii at the local hangout Aloha Mixed Plate, a faux-tiki hut that Maui Magazine recently voted “Most Maui-est.” I order coconut prawn pupus (Hawaiian appetizers), then the Ali’i (“chief” in Hawaiian): a Styrofoam plate piled high with pork made two ways.
I also order a salmon-and-tomato salsa, three kinds of starch (poi, macaroni salad and rice), and haupia: a coconut-flavoured gelatin. I wash it all down with my new favourite drink, POG, a sweet blend of passion fruit, orange and guava.
Later on, I meet Kurt Russell – the horse – at Ironwood Ranch (Goldie Hawn and Michelle Pfeiffer are also in the group). Our guide, Ra, cups his hands into an impromptu loud speaker: “You gotta show your horse whose boss. These fields are like a huge salad bar. If you let them stop and nibble, you won’t get very far.” But, Kurt is obedient and gentle, and I scratch his neck to let him know it.
At dusk, I am flying again, but this time lomi lomi-style with a traditional Hawaiian massage. In slow, rhythmic motion, my masseuse unkinks the knots in my back with her forearms and elbows. “It’s called flying, ’cause when you walk out of here, you’re gonna feel two inches off the ground,” she says.
After 60 minutes of bliss, I float out into the night, the Pacific salt air filling my lungs, a warm Polynesian breeze on my skin and, yes, two inches closer to heaven.
ITINERARY
Where to Eat
For Hawaiian comfort food, visit Aloha Mixed Plate. If you want something more refined, stop by David Paul’s Lahaina Grill, Aloha Mixed Plate at 1285 Front Street, Lahaina, or David Paul’s Lahaina Grill at 127 Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina.
What to Do
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, which filmed footage of Hawaii for Jurassic Park, offers the Cadillac of helicopter tours. Ask for the lomi lomi – which, loosely translated, means “mashed-up” – treatment at the Hina Mana Salon & Spa at The Whaler, Ka’anapali Beach.
Ride horseback through pineapple fields at Ironwood Ranch, nestled in the West Maui Mountains.