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Big Beach in Makena Big Beach in Makena was my favorite beach on Maui. It is located in the southwestern corner of the island. Big Beach is a long sandy beach with gorgeous turquoise water. It is also, relatively speaking, off the beaten path and not all that crowded. Its nice to get out on the sand and feel like there is nothing behind you instead of the condo littered beaches of Ka'Anapali. The waves can get a little strong here because the beach faces the open ocean but when we went it was perfect. This was the last beach we went to, and I literally had to shower the sand off in a restroom up the road before going to the airport.
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Helicopter Ride A couple days into our trip, we decided to see the island by air. A helicopter tour is a great way to see the island up close. A lot of the mountains on the islands are inaccessible by land, so the helicopter was a perfect way to cover every inch of the island. We started out over the coast and then went inland into the Io Valley and the steep mountains of the northern part of the island. After that we hovered over Haleakala Volcano crater which dominates the southern side of the island. Finally we caught the many waterfalls around Hana. While there were a few bumps on the ride, I would recommend a helicopter tour of the island in a heartbeat.
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Iao Valley The Iao Valley is a state park in the mountains of western Maui. Driving up into the park, you find yourself entering a lush tropical rainforest that is a few degrees cooler than the beach. The Iao Needle is a famous natural outcropping that served as a natural altar for Hawaiians for hundreds of years. In addition to its beauty, the Iao Valley is also a historical site. King Kamehameha defeated the Maui army in this valley in 1790 on his was towards uniting the Hawaiian islands. At the bottom of the valley is a heritage park that contains buildings and monuments from the immigrant communities that have come to Hawaii over the years.
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