The first stop on this excursion is a visit to the Maui Tropical Plantation, a 60-acre working plantation where you can discover Hawaiiメs rich agricultural history. Enjoy a fully-narrated, 40-minute tram ride that takes you through breathtaking scenery and explores where many of the plantationメs crops are cultivated. Along the way there is a stop where you'll learn all about coconuts and witness a coconut husking demonstration. Youメll also see where sugarcane, coffee, Macadamia Nuts, pineapple, papaya, mango, guava and bananas are grown. There are plenty of samples for tasting and a gift shop selling a wide variety of Maui-grown goodies.
No tour of the Maui countryside would be complete without a visit to Iao Needle, the straight up pinnacle at the heart of the Valley Islandメs western range. This iconic, green-mantled rock outcropping is one of Mauiメs most recognizable landmarks. The Needle is located in the 4,000-acre Iao Valley State Park in Central Maui just west of Wailuku. There is a well-marked, paved pedestrian path leading from the parking lot to view Iao Needle and the ridge-top lookout provides incredible views of the valley.