During the winter months, you’re more likely to encounter rain on Maui. Per Weather.com, Maui averages 2.46 inches of rain per month from October through March. In summer months (April through September), Maui averages 0.68 inches of rain per month. So by doing the math, you’ll discover that Maui gets 3.6 times more rain in the winter months as compared to the summer months. With that said, I’ve been to Hawaii plenty of times in the winter and encountered much more sun that than rain. In fact, I’ve rarely had rain interfere with my Hawaii vacation plans.
However, rain does happen. (Hey, if it didn’t, you wouldn’t find the lush tropical rain forests, rainbows, and incredible waterfalls that make Hawaii so beautiful!) So, what are you to do on a rainy day in Maui? Here are some fun ideas:
- Visit the Maui Ocean Center. This aquarium does a great job of introducing you to the fishes of Hawaii. They have some great exhibits on the humpback whales that visit Hawaii’s waters each winter. (Admission fee is required.)
- Visit the Maui Historical Museum to learn about Hawaiian culture and artifacts.
- Tour the Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum. (Modest admission fee required.)
- Learn about Maui’s whaling history at Whalers Village Museum in Kaanapali. (Modest admission fee.)
- Shop at the Lahaina Cannery Mall, Kaanapali’s Whalers Village, or Wailea’s Shops at Wailea where you can stay relatively dry as you move from store to store.
- Tour the historic Baldwin House Museum in Lahaina. Admission fee required
- Admire 100% locally made crafts at the Maui Crafts Guild in lovely Paia. (Free)
- Schedule some pampering time at a spa. Maui has an abundance of top rated spas. (Be sure to check out our popular suggestions for maximizing your Hawaii spa treatments.)
- Play a round of golf. That may sound like a crazy idea, but at TravelGolf.com, Maui’s rainy day golf comes highly rated.
Bonus ideas:
– Enjoy some pool time, but without the crowds. You’re going to get wet anyway, so why not have some fun in the rain?
– Learn to play the ukulele, dance hula or the art of lei making. Many resorts offer these classes for free or low cost.
Sheila Beal
11 comments
Another tip: jump in your rental car and drive. When it rains, there’s usually still a part of the island–usually Wailea–that is nice and sunny.
Andy – Thanks for adding that. The Wailea area gets the least amount of rain on Maui. But, even in Wailea, it rains sometimes. 🙂
Aloha Sheila,
Thanks for the tips! Wanted to let you know that we’ve included a link from our blog: http://www.gomauicard.com/blog/2007/12/11/rainy-day-activities-on-maui/. Take care!
Susan
Rainy days = shopping. I’ll add Front Street in Lahaina to your list.
David
To Susan – Mahalo for sharing the list with your readers!
David – thanks for sharing the Lahaina shopping tip. There’s lots of great restaurants there, too. So, it’s a good area to stop in for a cocktail or mock cocktail.
As it’s raining right now cats and dogs in South Maui and probably all over the Island, this list would come in very helpful for some! Happy New Year!
Twelve years on Oahu and I STILL haven’t made it to Maui! Shame on me. And now I can’t even use rainy weather as an excuse, so I’ll just have to get it in gear and get myself over there. Great post!
Visiting for the Carnival of Aloha!
Hi Kuanyin and Happy New Year to you! I’ve been meaning to comment or e-mail you to tell you that I’m so glad to hear you are on the mend. I hope that the rain is helping to relieve some of the drought conditions on Maui.
Aloha skeet and thanks for visiting from the carnival. Here’s a crazy idea, as this is new year’s day, maybe you could make a resolution to visit Maui in 2008. 🙂 It really is a beautiful island.