Beautiful Kula, Maui
While we may be a small island, there are small villages and towns, all offering a unique flavor for you visit to Hawaii. Let’s make it easier and break it a bit, from the Summit to sea level. Here, we will get to know a bit about Kula. While you explore, you will find yourself privy to sweeping views of Maui and the Pacific.
Haleakala National Park: Haleakala National Park is home to Maui’s highest summit, at 10,023 feet above sea level. Literally translated from Hawaiian, “Haleakala” means “House of the Sun” in English.
This National Park is open twenty four hours a day and is home to rustic cabins for camping and a variety of hiking trails with various degrees of dificulty. You will notice her gentle slopes from anywhere on the island you happen to be.
Sunrise at the crater is famous and many tour operators offer guided van and downhill bike tours. Another way to see the beauty of the crater is to go for a Sunset or even Star-gazing trip. Whatever time you choose to go, don’t miss this majestic and awe-inspring Island attraction!
Kula, Maui: Upcountry Maui’s rustic town of Kula is known for its produce farms and botanical gardens. Found in the Upcountry region of Maui, Kula is a quaint, rustic area on the slopes of Haleakala. Located in the central part of the island, Kula is also at the center of its culinary resurgence, with much of the exotic produce served at Maui’s best Hawaii Regional Cuisine restaurants grown right here in the rich, volcanic soil.
What better way to work up the appetite while learning a little about the island you are visiting? Just outside the entrance to Haleakala, you will find the Ali’i Lavender Farm. Meanander on your own or join a guided tour complete with luncheon. Make sure you visit their gift and sundry shop for treats too numerous to mention!
A truly unique island experience begins in the misting forest of Waipoli in Upcountry Maui where you will find O’o Farms and enjoy a real farm to table experience, including freshly roasted coffee, on a gourmet scale after your tour.
Join them for an informational, interactive tour of the farm that includes harvesting your meal followed by a gourmet lunch prepared by Chef JJ Johnson.
Ranked 3rd best Kula coffee, the Shim Coffee and Protea Farm is a one-man working coffee, protea, and botanical farm in the upcountry of Maui. It is located in the “heart of Kula’s rustic Chinatown” area with a million dollar view of the island from 3,500 feet above sea level”. With a bit of everything, from Aromatheraty sessions to historical tours, this is sure to enhance your Upcountry Maui experience!
No visit to Kula would be complete without a stop at the Surfing Goat Dairy! Located on the beautiful slopes of Maui’s Haleakala Crater in lower Kula and has been producing award winning Maui Gourmet Goat Cheeses for over 9 years. Take a tour of one of the Islands top Agricultural Tourism venues and learn more about the goats, cheeses and what they have to offer. Their motto is “Da’ Feta Mo’ Betta!” and is this ever true!
While making your rounds, be sure to stop by one of Kula’s most notable landmarks, the Holy Ghost Church. This brilliant white, octagonal sanctuary was It was designed by Father James Beissel and built by his Portuguese parishioners who had come to work on the local sugar plantation. The first mass was celebrated in it in 1895. Funding was a gift from the King and Queen of Portugal to in 1894 and a complete restoration was completed in 1991. Most of the modern day funding comes from the sale of decadent, home-made breads, baked on site. Mass is still regularly held here if you wish to attend.
So now we have a great start on our day Upcountry! Whether you choose to start your day at the crater or to enjoy the sights along the way and end the evening watching the stars (just imagine, NO light pollution at over 10,000 feet in the middle of the Pacific), you can’t go wrong. Happy trails!