SOUTH MAUI - Maui: Including Molokai and Lanai - page 271

been to Molokini once before and are looking for an adventure snorkel, Blue Water Rafting
has a trip to the Kanaio Coast where you can snorkel along a rugged volcanic coastline
most visitors will never get to see. This forgotten southwestern coastline is pockmarked
with thundering sea caves and jagged lava formations, and there are multiple places where
you can see the remnants of ancient fishing villages. The captains are geologists, histori-
ans, and marine naturalists all rolled into one. They're skilled enough to hug the coast so
closely you could almost reach out and touch it. The waters in this area can often be rough,
however, so this isn't the best trip if you're prone to motion sickness. You can either book
the four-hour Kanaio Coastline tour from $100/adult and $79/child, or you can combine
it with an 11am excursion to Molokini for $125/adult and $100/child. If you only want
to book a two-hour tour to Molokini, the cost is $50/adult and $39/child and it departs at
11:30am, which can sometimes be too late to beat the afternoon trade winds. For anyone
doing the math, however, this is one of the most affordable options for visiting the crater
if all you're looking for is a ride there and back. There is no breakfast, coffee, or bathroom
on board.
The other primary snorkeling option out of Kihei Boat Ramp is Redline Rafting (808/
757-9211, www.redlinerafting.com ), which also offers tours to Molokini and the Kanaio
Coast. Tours meet at 6:30am, and at $140/adult and $100/child the cost is a little high-
er than Blue Water Rafting, but they also include breakfast and coffee and have a (small)
bathroom on board. Although they are still one of the only boats that traverses the Kanaio
Coast, they don't go as far down the coast as Blue Water, spending more time in Makena
and Molokini.
If you've always wanted to look like you're in the U.S. Coast Guard, Seafire (808/
879-2201, www.molokinisnorkeling.com ) offers a trip at 7:30am on its orange and silver
jet-drive raft that not only looks like a Coast Guard boat, but is driven by a member of the
Coast Guard Reserve. Trips last for three hours. At $55 it's one of the best budget options
for reaching Molokini Crater.
WAILEA
MM Ulua Beach and Mokapu Beach
The best two locations for snorkeling in Wailea are Ulua Beach and Mokapu Beach,
which are listed together because the rocky point that separates them is where you'll find
the most marine life and coral. Ulua (the southernmost of the two) is more protected and
offers a gentle, sandy entry. This is the perfect spot for beginning snorkelers. Morning
hours are calm and the best time for finding turtles. As at neighboring Kihei, winter is