HALEAKALĀ NATIONAL PARK, MAUI, HAWAII
An extremely winding, but beautiful and well maintained road gradually takes you to more than 10,000 ft (3000m), and soon you see yourself driving above the clouds. Outcome of your visit will be determined by the vagaries of the weather. Just over 40 minutes SE of the Kahului Airport, this summit, which is an island atop a volcanic island, is not to be missed, unless you were doing deep sea diving in the last 48 hours. The landscape features colourful hills, called Pu’u, of the crater valley.
The park features birds, trails, scenic lookouts and an observatory (not within the park boundary though). Doesn’t matter how warm the weather is on the beach, make sure you bring with you warm clothes, so that you can enjoy the beautiful scenery comfortably in case the weather changes.
Chukar Partridge
A Dying Silversword
Another unique feature of the park is the silversword plant. It’s one of the rarest plants. The fact that it lives up to more than 50 years, bloom only once and then dies afterwards, makes it even more special. The bloom stalk can reach heights up to 6ft and have many flowers.