1. Take a road trip

Hire the obligatory red Mustang, unfold the map and see where Hawaii’s roads take you. Maui’s road to Hana tightly hugs the island’s coastline, with ancient tree-lined cliffs towering on one side and sharp drops into the vast Pacific Ocean on the other. There are plenty of hidden stops to seek out, with multi-coloured sand beaches, walks up to secluded fresh water pools and paths to mist-shrouded waterfalls.

2. Climb a banyan tree

There aren’t many activities as innocent as climbing a tree. But the challenge of climbing one of Hawaii’s many Banyan trees is an experience you won’t soon forget.

Sacred in many cultures around the world, the sheer complexity of the Banyan tree can entertain an observant eye, or photographer, for hours. On the island of Maui, a banyan tree has grown to cover almost two acres in Lahaina’s Banyan Court Park. Lovers have carved their names in hearts on many of the roots that have replanted into the earth. The trees also provide shelter from Maui’s hot days; a perfect place to sit in the shade and people watch. Sometimes difficult to spot, the original trunk of the tree has been outgrown by thousands of roots, dangling from the canopy. 

Walking through reserves on Oahu’s North Shore, you are sure to stumble across some ancient banyan trees to explore. The dangling roots also make for a decent Tarzan vine, if you’re game.

3. Snorkel a lava finger

Lava fingers surrounding Maui have transformed sandy beaches into thriving underwater ecosystems. And it is safe to say that snorkelling over these solidified lava fingers spread out over the ocean floor is an out of body experience.

Running along the ocean floor, the lava formations are now the basis for reefs housing a vast array of fish and turtles. Pride of Maui’s Molokini Snorkel Tour stops off at one of these magical spots. Dubbed Turtle Town by the locals, it is one of Maui’s best snorkelling spots.

4. Go kayaking

This is not just any old kayaking, it’s kayaking North Shore style. This means glass bottom kayaks, waves and turtles.

Shaka Kayaks runs eco-guided kayak tours in Kawela Bay, which is surrounded by expansive plantation homes, rainforest, and densely inhabited by green sea turtles.

Departing from the Hele Huli Adventure Centre at Turtle Bay Resort, the two hour adventure lets you get up close and personal with tropical fish and is a chance to explore this otherwise secluded part of the island.

5. Snuba what?

Snuba is tipped to be one of the next big trends in scuba diving and snorkelling adventures. Taking a step beyond snorkelling, Snuba allows inexperienced divers and kids to get in on the scuba diving action, experiencing an underwater world from the seabed floor. Open to ages four and up, Sheraton Maui runs Snuba adventures around the landmark Black Rock which is home to green sea turtles, tropical fish and rays.

Swimmers are equipped with flippers, mask, and a weight belt, just like scuba diving, but the air supply instead flows down to a mouth piece while tanks float safely on the surface in a raft. The simplicity of Snuba allows whole families to explore underwater worlds together.

6. Zip line through ancient rainforest

Taking a running leap over towering trees and plunging gorges in up-country Maui, with the smell of eucalyptus trees and salt air completes a sensory zip lining experience. 

Skyline Eco-Adventure teaches eager zip liners about the breathtaking countryside, before throwing them into the air to experience it first-hand. By the end of the adventure even the most timid of participants are subjecting their bodies to the whims of gravity and posing for the cameras.

7. Watch the sun rise over a towering volcano

This one isn’t for the faint hearted, or for those who like to sleep. That said, watching the sun rise at 2970 metres over an ancient volcano crater is not an experience every country can offer.

Maui’s Haleakala is where the pre-dawn action goes down, or up for that matter. The conditions vary so be prepared for gusting winds or below freezing temperatures, even when it’s a balmy 25 degrees at the bottom of the mountain. But the moment the sun rises and begins to expose the massive crater, its boulders and amber ground, is magical.

The Haleakala Bike Company runs sunrise tours, driving sleepy passengers up to the summit, with windbreakers supplied. And then as the sun climbs into the sky they’ll lead you down the mountain road to the base and even give you a hot breakfast – all before 9am.

8. Take a thrilling Segway tour

A Segway tour can sound a little cheesy to some but these two wheeled gizmos offer a memorable ride. Allowing you to cover a lot of ground and go off piste, Turtle Bay Resort runs guided off road Segway rides on the North Shore of Oahu. 

Touring the resort’s grounds, which cover almost eight kilometres of beachfront, lucky Segwayers can spot turtles, elusive Hawaiian monk seals, and movie locations. 

Scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean, Lost, The Hunger Games, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall were all filmed around the resort. Segway racing is also the perfect way to sort out who is buying the first round of cocktails.

9. Tour the stars

Hawaii’s clear skies and warm nights are the perfect conditions for star gazing. And America’s Air Force and astronomers agree, building the Haleakala observatory on the island of Maui.

But if pointing out the Milky Way and searching for a shooting star sounds like a been there, done that moment, The Hyatt Regency is taking star gazing to the next level with it’s nightly Tour of the Stars. Setting up powerful telescopes on the hotel’s rooftop, the star gazing session is hosted by an ex-NASA employee.

The hotel’s director of astronomy shows you the wonders of the universe, including Saturn, a close up of the moon in all its glory, and galaxies light years away.

10. Cocktails and a cliff dive

The tradition of sunset cliff diving is alive and well at the Sheraton Kanapali Resort. In Hawaiian tradition Pu‘u Keka‘a, or the hill of rolling stones is a sacred site with a history dating back hundreds of years.

While the kids attempt to jump from Black Rock time and time again during sunlight hours, the pros show you how it’s really done every evening at sunset. Lighting torches that line the cliff face, the nightly ritual re-enacts an ancient Maui legend of how the island’s last chief proved his spiritual strength by leaping into the Pacific Ocean.

A young cliff diver honours the legend every sunset, throwing a glowing torch and lei into the ocean before plunging confidently head first into the waters below.