Maui
In the 1820s, when Maui had become a premier port for carousing sailors, Protestant missionaries attempted to curtail the debauchery by outlawing prostitution. The sailors rioted and, in one incident, fired a cannon at the home of a prominent churchman.
Today, were modern visitors denied their pristine beaches and stunning mountain vistas, they—like the whalers of old—might take up arms to win them back. It's a land worth fighting for, with gorgeous white sand, sugarcane fields, highland ranches, waterfall-fed pools and twisting mountain roads.
But Maui is no hidden gem—it's the second most popular Hawaiian island, and you'll have to do some work to find your tropical solitude. Still, Maui's beauty and the mix of different areas make it a good choice. Regardless of where you're staying, the entire island can be seen in a series of day trips.
GEOGRAPHY
Maui's shape is said to resemble a woman's head and torso. A valley cleaves the island, giving Maui its nickname—the "Valley Isle," and there are mountainous regions on either side of this central divide. The dormant volcano Haleakala (10,000 ft/3,000 m tall) and the rolling
hills of Upcountry Maui are to the east. On the opposite side are the dramatic mountains of the West Maui Range (with peaks rising more than 5,000 ft/1,500 m). The island's major roads and towns follow the coastline and run along the central valley.