CENTRAL MAUI - Maui: Including Molokai and Lanai - page 217

The most common mispronunciation of this word is “Eye-Ow,” as in “Ow, I hurt
my eye.” The first step toward wrapping your tongue around the proper pronunci-
ation is understanding that vowels are different in Hawaiian than they are in Eng-
lish. Instead of vowels being articulated “a, e, i, o, u” (as they are in English), in
Hawaiian they are “ah, eh, ee, oh, oo” (as they are in Spanish). Once you have this
vowel structure in mind, it's easy to see that 'Iao Needle is properly pronounced as
“Ee-ow.”
If all else fails, just remember what you would say if you sat on a 1,200-foot tall
needle...EE-OWWWW!
The longtime draw is the Tropical Express Tram Tour ($15 adults, $5 children), oth-
erwise known as “the train.” This 40-minute train ride makes a large loop through the ag-
ricultural fields narrated by a driver who is well versed on the crops. Trams run eight times
per day 10am-4pm, and while children will be excited to be on a train, adults will learn
something about the crops growing around them.
Kumu Farms (167 Honoapi'ilani Hwy., 808/244-4800, 10am-5pm Tues.-Fri.,
10am-3pm weekends), a certified-organic market where you can purchase crops grown
right on the property, opened in 2012. There isn't anywhere else in Central Maui where
you can buy organic produce that's going to be this fresh. The farm features everything
from cilantro to peppers to chard and carrots, as well as the famous sunrise papayas which
are grown at the sister store on Moloka'i. You can also purchase bags of their homemade
macadamia nut and basil pesto. If you're staying on the west side of the island and plan
on doing some cooking in your condo, there is no better place to pick up your produce on
your drive back from Central Maui.
MM Haleki'i and Pihana Heiau
Few island visitors ever stop at the Haleki'i and Pihana Heiau, which is a shame consid-
ering their historical importance. This site is officially classified as a Hawai'i State Park,
but the gate to the heiau is no longer open for vehicular access and the general condition
has fallen into disrepair. It's still easy to park on the residential street in front of the heiau
and make the five-minute walk to the top of the hill. The 360-degree view stretches from
'Iao Valley to the waters of Kahului Bay. It's one of the best vistas of Central Maui and a
powerful, dramatic, and empty place to watch the sunrise.