Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Even though water sports dominate the recreation options on the island's West Side, there
are still a number of places where you can get a thrill either on the land or cruising over
the water.
The best ATV ride on the West Side of the island is with
Kahoma Ranch
(808/667-1978,
www.kahomaranch.com
)
, a company with whom you not only have the ability to get dirty
and rip across private dirt roads on your own ATV, but at the end when you're all hot and
sweaty you can also take a plunge down one of three different waterslides. Aside from the
fun of tooling around on ATVs and plunging at high speeds into a swimming reservoir,
tour participants are awarded with views looking out at the island of Lana'i and back in-
to Kahoma Valley. The area you tour is closed to the general public, so this is the only
way you will see these views. The waterslides themselves aren't at all what you'd expect.
When you first see them, you might be skeptical in that they look like little more than tarps
stretched over a hole in the ground. When it comes to slides, however, it isn't a beauty
contest, and the speeds you can get while careening down one are better than average. The
cost for adults riding their own vehicle is $199, whereas a shared ATV is $129. Children
are $65, and those as young as five years old can accompany a driver of legal age. Tours
take place at 8am, 11am, and 2pm, although the 8am tour doesn't involve the waterslide.
Despite the explosion in zipline operators on the island, the only zipline tour in West
Maui is
Skyline Eco-Adventures
(2580 Keka'a Dr., 808/878-8400,
www.zipline.com
,
7am-6pm daily), a company that was the first zipline operator on Maui and continues to be
a leader in the industry. When Skyline opened an Upcountry course in 2002, it was in fact
the first zipline company in the United States. Seizing upon the initial success, it opened
up a second course in the hills above Ka'anapali offering greater views and longer lines
than the sister course. Aside from there being eight ziplines crisscrossing the canyons, each
one has an historical, environmental, or cultural connection explained to you by the affable
guides. Skyline donates 1 percent of profits to environmental preservation and aims to be
a carbon-neutral company. The main draw of this trip—nearly more so than the ziplines
