Aloha, thanks for discovering the mysteries of Hana with Temptation Tours.
Kathy and I have made this video as our way of personally saying thanks to you
for selecting Temptation Tours.
Day's been to Hana more than a thousand times and can ensure you a quality experience.
What's uniquely different about Temptation Tours is our custom built
six and eight passenger limo vans along with experienced and knowledgeable driver guides.
Now, let's revisit the many marvels of Hana's tropical forest.
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If ever there was a place where gods and goddesses mingled on earth,
it would certainly be Maui, a breathless blend of beauty, mystery and legend.
Maui's physical charms intertwined with a timeless lifestyle all its own,
a place that has been described as one where the hand of man rests lately.
This melding of beauty and spirit is most evident on and around the Hana coast
under the majestic sentinel of Haleakala, Maui's symbol of power and history.
Twenty-five million years ago, giant cracks in the seafloor spewed volcanic material
some five miles beneath the surface of the ocean creating the Hawaiian Islands.
Maui is among the most recent of the islands
and Haleakala has erupted as recently as 1790 making it an inactive but hardly extinct volcano.
Man is a relative newcomer here.
It is widely believed that Polynesian seafarers from the Marquesas Islands
some 2400 miles to the southwest set sail some 1500 to 2000 years ago.
For the next 800 years, these intrepid explorers went back and forth
between their new home in Hawaii and their native Marquesas as well as Tahiti.
Around 1300, these journeys came to an abrupt halt
and the islands settled into a routine that centered around developing a thriving economy and culture.
History and genealogy were important to Hawaiians
and they recorded their history through chants or mele that were handed down through the generations.
From this oral history, we learned that Hana was among the first settlements on Maui.
It was home to many ali'i or royalty for generations.
Many great battles were waged over control of the lush and fertile land surrounding Hana
and its bountiful supply of fresh, sweet water.
Most of the battles fought over Hana took place between 1200 and 1500 AD.
It wasn't until 1780 that King Kahikili finally annihilated the interlopers from the Big Island
who had seized Hana and held it for some 20 years.
The arrival of Captain James Cook in 1778
signaled the end of the Hawaiian lifestyle as it had been practiced for a thousand years or more.
Ever-increasing Western contexts, especially the arrival of New England missionaries early in the 19th century,
began to erode the ancient ways and ancient beliefs.
Most tragically, Western diseases decimated the Hawaiian population.
Today, we struggle to hold on to what was,
to honor the values and lifestyles that tied the people of these lovely islands to the land, the aina.
There is no better route back in time than to take the road to Hana and beyond,
a path through a forest of wonder to a place whose timeless legacy of history and tradition is serene and secure.
Getting there, however, is not an easy task.
While offering spectacular vistas, the road, only completed in 1922 and not even fully paved until 1982,
is a sometimes arduous task.
It involves crossing 54 single-lane bridges and negotiating 617 curves.
It is a formidable endeavor, to say the least.
Ironically, the difficult drive has actually helped Hana retain its isolation
and therefore its inherent charm and mystique.
Fortunately, Temptation Tours takes the hassle out of the highway.
We begin our trek in Paia, the last of the great sugar plantation camp towns from the 1800s.
People here once provided labor for the giant sugar plantations that once dominated Maui.
While sugar still plays a major role in the economy of Maui, Paia today plays host
to a colorful group of artists and craftspeople and has maintained its original charm.
Just a few minutes from town is one of the best windsurfing beaches in the world, Ho'okipa,
skirted by large stands of year-round hibiscus plants,
this beach is the scene for some of the most important windsurfing tournaments in the world.
Even the most experienced surfers know to practice extreme caution when entering these waters
as conditions, currents and wavesets can vary rapidly and without warning.
Moving away from Ho'okipa, the semi-arid weather of Paia begins to get cooler, yet more humid.
You're approaching Haiku, pineapple country.
Although only a few miles from Paia, Haiku receives almost twice the rainfall.
Passing by the Philippine ground orchids that ring ancient pasture lands,
one begins to notice the seemingly infinite shades of green that create a mosaic of forest.
Curiously enough, almost all the vegetation here is less than 60 years old.
Virtually everything on the Hana coast was cut down to build one of the great engineering wonders of the world,
the East Maui Irrigation Company's elaborate aqueduct.
Considering it takes a ton of water to produce a pound of sugar,
the vision in 1876 of Samuel Alexander and Henry Baldwin
to move vast amounts of water across rugged terrain to a spot where it would do the most good is truly remarkable.
The two made a deal with King Kalakaua.
The king would lease the land he owned to allow construction,
but Alexander and Baldwin had to complete the project in two years,
or the land reverted to the king and the deal was off.
So began a furious effort by 200 workers to achieve the feat.
The enterprise was further complicated when Henry Baldwin lost an arm in a mill accident.
Undaunted, he led by example and was always the first to scamper down ropes
in the most precarious locations to show his determination.
Sixty million gallons a day now serpent-tying their way through 50 miles of tunnels
and 23 miles of ditches to irrigate the cane fields of central Maui.
Today, the headquarters of EMI is in Kailua, and many workers who tend the vast system live here.
Once a prison camp, Kailua now features many neatly trimmed gardens and guava trees.
Also prevalent in this area are mountain apples, wild hibiscus, and yellow, white, and kahili gingers.
Past the nine mile marker is vegetation that comes as close to tropical jungle as Hawaii has to offer.
This is Waikomoe, where stands of bamboo and eucalyptus trees guard one of the few public trails available.
The Waikomoe Ridge Trail shows off a marvelous bamboo forest
which claims roots deep within the realms of Hawaiian mythology.
Helekonyas and lobster claws also abound.
At mile marker 11 is the Puohokamoa stream and waterfall.
Here you can picnic near waterfalls and steep cliffs.
A nearby path leads to vegetation that displays the tremendous diversity of Maui.
Also visible from this vantage point is Keopukarok, about half a mile away.
It is home to many birds, but is generally considered inaccessible to humans.
Just over a mile down the road is Kaumahina State Park, where fresh tap water and other facilities await.
A spectacular view of historic Keanai Peninsula is also to be found here.
As you walk around this area, you can see the wide variety of ginger plants, lilies, white birds of paradise,
all prospering under a canopy of eucalyptus and Formosan koa trees.
A few meandering miles away lies Honomanu Bay, or Sharktooth Bay as the local people call it.
Here the cliffs climb to 300 feet, the highest along the entire route.
In less than a mile, you are adjacent to a paddling pool at the end of Honomanu Stream's estuary.
As you look into the wildly rugged valley, the second largest on Maui,
you can see the oldest exposed rocks on all of Haleakalau.
African tulip trees contrast beautifully with the countless shades of green that inhabit this place.
Now over halfway to Hana, the journey brings you to one of the most interesting places in all of Maui, the Keanai Peninsula.
Keanai has been populated continuously since the first Polynesian settlers discovered Maui.
Its huge valley stretches all the way to the crater of Haleakalau.
According to Hawaiian legend, there was no water here until Kani, the creator,
thrust his walking stick into solid rock and drew a gush of fresh water.
It is this abundant supply of water that has kept Keanai such an interesting place for nearly two centuries.
Geologically, Keanai is the site of a rather recent and very substantial lava flow from Haleakalau
that gives the coastline a rugged, spectacular, and somewhat lunar appearance.
The population here took its modern-day appearance around the turn of the century.
At that time, Chinese men who had come to work on sugar contracts married local women upon the completion of their contracts
and sought lands and lives of their own.
Keanai is an extremely close-knit community where everyone is, one way or another, related to everyone else.
It is also a spiritual place where Hawaiian traditions still thrive.
Taro is cultivated here where rice once was, bathed in the frequent downpour associated with the unique weather pattern.
The wealth of moisture produces huge hanging lobster claws, red gingers, breadfruit, and parrot's beak heliconias.
Well-tended gardens are everywhere to be found here in Keanai Village.
The Keanai School, one of the smallest in all of Hawaii,
was the first to have a kupuna, or elder, teach the children the chants and folkways of their ancestors.
Now many other schools are providing an increasing amount of Hawaiian studies.
In Wailua is Kopiliula Falls, one of many different cascades that dominate this section of the Hana Highway.
Water plunges over and into more diverse geologic formations than anywhere else on the island.
It should come as no surprise that there are so many waterfalls here.
The average rainfall in nearby Pua'aka'a can reach 500 inches.
Wailua Overlook offers an excellent view of Haleakala and, at 1,200 feet, represents the highest elevation on the Hana Highway.
Wai'anapanapa State Park is the largest facility on the highway, incorporating 120 acres of beach area and historical significance.
Here are the remnants of many he'iaos, or temples, that the early Hawaiians used for prayer and burial sites.
The largest of the he'iaos is Piilanihale, a stone platform 340 feet by 415 feet.
There is also the Wai'anapanapa Coastal Trail, an easy three-mile path along the rugged, picturesque coastline.
This fantasia of color and aroma ships exotic wonders to people all over the world.
The only tour company allowed to enter is Temptation Tours.
Now approaching Hana, you have crossed all 57 bridges, each with its own name, and negotiated all 614 curves, on a road that was only completed in 1922, and are entering one of the most historic settlements in all of Hawai'i.
Hana Bay is guarded by a natural fort, protected on all sides by high volcanic cliffs.
It was called Kauiki, and in the late 18th century, it was held by Chief Kalani'opu'u of the Big Island.
The great Maui chief, Kahikili, fought his way to the foot of the fortress, but was stalemated.
He prevailed, however, when he was able to cut off the water supply. Chief Kahikili took no prisoners, and the 20-year reign over Hana by Chief Kalani'opu'u ended rather abruptly.
Life in Hana has always been to the beat of a different drummer, a much slower drummer.
Local residents have always referred to any place else on Earth as out there. Whether it's Lahaina or Louisiana, it's still out there.
From the time of the Alii centuries ago, to the modern times of an airstrip and thousands of visitors per week, the local people still epitomize the laid-back lifestyle.
In addition to being a source of Hawaiian mythology, royalty, and military darings due, Hana was part of the great Maui sugar industry until the end of World War II.
But changes in the sugar industry meant that small, low-volume plantations like Hana's couldn't compete.
With hundreds of residents facing the loss of their livelihoods, Paul Fagan, a transplanted San Francisco entrepreneur, took center stage.
Although he owned the sugar company that was about to go under, he took the time and effort to relocate many of his workers to other jobs and transform the rolling sugar fields into a working cattle ranch.
Seeing Hana in a new light, he and his wife Helene transformed Hana from a plantation town to a destination town, and together they built the Hana Maui Resort, the first of its kind outside Waikiki.
To generate interest in the new property, he imported his minor league baseball team.
It was one of the sports writers covering the team who was generally given credit for coining the phrase, Heavenly Hana.
Today, it provides upscale lodging for a steady stream of world-weary visitors and a sumptuous lunch for Temptation Tour's guests.
We've just finished lunch at the Hotel Hana Maui. We hope that you've enjoyed this ultimate experience.
In addition to our Hana Ultimate, we offer another all-day package, the Hana Picnic Tour, featuring a lovely alfresco lunch served at one of the black sand beaches.
For the more adventurous, we offer two spectacular air-land tour combinations. Now let's take a look at the Hana SkyTrek.
The Hana SkyTrek is truly the best of both worlds. Combine the Heavenly Hana Limo Van Tour with a 40-minute Hana Haleakala helicopter flight for one fun-filled package.
You'll enjoy a bountiful and scrumptious lunch at one of Hana's scenic black sand beaches.
This picnic experience combines fine dining with a relaxing setting.
Following lunch, you'll board a helicopter at the quaint Hana Airport and fly the reverse leg in A-star style, soaring above Haleakala Crater and darting into remote rainforest valleys punctuated with dramatic waterfalls.
Another Temptation Tour's exclusive is the Jungle Express, a one-of-a-kind air and land safari to Hana and beyond.
This unique adventure flies you to and from Hana in Paragon Air's twin-engine executive aircraft.
The round-trip flight allows you hours of quality time to explore Hana and beyond. Plus, you'll be able to enjoy a fresh-made, delicious lunch at your leisure.
Your fully guided luxury limo van tour will start with scenic Hana Bay.
From there, it continues on to the world-famous Hasegawa's General Store, renowned for its extensive and eclectic inventory.
Above the store sits the expansive Hana Ranch.
From Hana Town, you'll travel along the beautiful, rugged and ever-changing coastline to the secluded, black-sand Hamoa Beach, where the gentle surf presents a refreshing opportunity to swim or wade through the warm waters.
From Hamoa, the safari continues on to the majestic Wailua Falls.
And then to the famous Seven Pools, another spot to enjoy the waters of this tropical paradise.
Frequently but erroneously referred to as the Seven Sacred Pools, that name was actually coined by a publicist for the Hotel Hanamawi, seeking to attract visitors to Hana.
In fact, there's no evidence that the pools are actually sacred, and there are many more than seven.
The last stop on our safari is Ho'omao Church, site of Charles Lindbergh's grave.
The famous aviator spent his final years in Hana, the place he considered as the most beautiful in the world.
Your adventure concludes as you soar from the jungle with magical memories of Native Hawaii.
Temptation Tours now offers three exciting trips to Maui's magnificent Haleakala Crater.
The Haleakala Sunrise Tour takes you on a journey to the House of the Sun and the most spectacular sunrise imaginable, then on a leisurely trip down the mountain for breakfast at the charming Kula Lodge.
The Summit Safari offers a continental breakfast, a trip up the mountain to the crater, then horseback riding on the slopes of Haleakala, and a sumptuous cowboy lunch.
And lastly, there is the Haleakala Day Trip, a continental breakfast, trip to the crater, then lunch and shopping in historic Makawal Town.
All three tours allow you to see and feel the beauty of the mountain and its surroundings, and offer the safety and comfort of our limo vans.
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