There's a lot to do outdoors on the Valley Isle

When I first visited Maui over two decades ago, I was told that I "might enjoy the area of the island known as Hana. There are waterfalls, it's very pretty..."

What an unbelievable understatement that turned out to be!

In all my world travels I have yet to see a spot that rivals Hana in sheer beauty and power of nature. Each bend of the narrow, winding road carved along the Hana coastline curves into a valley of waterfalls and fresh water pools. Dense jungle and rainforest are so thick in places you wonder how anyone could have made the trek before the Hana Highway.

The forest appears in layer upon layer of higher and higher canopies of overgrowth and spreading trees. The African Tulip tree stands out against the emerald green as beautiful plumes of brilliant orange high above the forest dome. The pale green of Kukui trees, which produce the Kukui nut used in ancient Hawaii as a source of oil for night lanterns, softens the dark forests of Koa and mahogany. The air is fragrant with the sweet aroma of ginger blossoms and everywhere you look are tropical flowers of all colors and shapes. Tropical fruit trees line the road - and sometimes cover the road - with mango, papaya, guava, passion fruit, mountain apple, breadfruit and wild berries.