| If you prefer your workouts on terra firma, you're ideally placed here, too, for golf, tennis, horseback riding or a visit to the small but efficient 24-hour fitness center. Or combine the best of land and sea with Maui Eco-Adventures' easy three-mile hike through a private tropical rainforest sanctuary, the Maunalei Arboretum, followed by a two-hour ocean kayak tour along west Maui coves, including those around Kapalua Bay ($160 for six hours, including breakfast and lunch; 808-661-7720, ecomaui.com). Your total-body workout deserves a reward: Back at the hotel, try an oceanside Hawaiian-style lomi lomi massage in your own cabana ($95 for 60 minutes).
When you're ready to experience another beach with a livelier vibe, you won't have to merely make do: Just a few miles south is Ka'anapali Beach, last year's recipient of the No. 1 beach honors. A stay at the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel, famous for its "Hawaiianness," will stretch your dollar further (rooms start at $169 per night, a true bargain on the island) and still keep you near sand and surf with plenty to do; the hotel offers complimentary daily activities such as lei making, hula lessons and a cultural garden walk. On-site restaurants Tiki Terrace and Ka'anapali Mixed Plate feature healthful traditional Hawaiian dishes of fresh fish, taro root, papaya and sweet potato (for more information, 800-262-8450, kbhmaui.com).
And be sure to fit in a snorkeling trip by Trilogy Excursions to Molokini, a half-moon-shaped crater off the southwestern shore of Maui that's a beacon for divers and snorkelers alike; at the jagged reef you'll see electric yellow tang, silvery needlefish and multicolored parrotfish, among other native Hawaiian fauna. The trip's second stop will treat you to bevies of stoic, ancient-looking sea turtles cruising the calm waters ($95 for 6 1/2 hours, including snorkeling equipment and a breakfast of unforgettable homemade cinnamon rolls, as well as lunch, drinks and snacks; 888-MAUI-800, sailtrilogy.com).
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