The local currencyis the American dollar (USD). All major credit cards are accepted everywhere. There are plenty of ATMs and exchanging money is easy, however the rates at home in UK seem to be better than in the States, so do some research prior to travelling. You can exchange cash at one of the few money exchange shops in Lahaina, as well as most of the banks. Make sure you check the market rate and ask if there would be any commission charges and fees. Sales tax is normally added at the till and it’s 4% in Laihana. If you use your cards to draw cash from an ATM, make sure you have notified your bank you would be spending time abroad and you are aware of any transaction fees. More and more banks and financial companies now tend to offer cards with no additional fees when using abroad, so it might pay off for you to check if you can get such card before travelling.Opening hours and bank holidays. Opening times are quite standard in Lahaina. The malls and shops would be open 9 am to 6 pm. Some of them would close as late as 10pm, and there are a few grocery stores that are open 24/7. The parks and attractions are open 9 am to 9 or 10pm. Some of them are open for ‘extra hours’, some of them are open 24/7 and some of them would close at 4pm on Sunday. The banks and post offices would be open 8 am until 4.30 pm, and some of them are open until midday Saturday as well. Most of the outlets would be open at national holidays as well. The best thing to do would be to check particularly at the websites of the attractions you are looking to visit for their exact opening hours, as they could vary significantly, especially if your time is limited. Check the dates of national and state holidays as well, before you travel, because if open, the attractions may be very busy, or they might be closed.Tipping culture is the same as everywhere else in USA. As a general rule, you should tip any service staff. Many of them are paid low hourly rates and rely heavily on tips. Between 15 and 20% of the bill at a restaurant is considered normal but beware that some establishments include it in your bill, especially for larger groups. Hotel staff should also be tipped about a dollar per bag for the bellboy and about 2 USD per day for the housekeeper. Taxi drivers and spa saloon staff expects between 10% and 20% of the bill, if the service has been exceptional, feel free to leave more. Bartenders expect about a dollar per drink, more if the place is more upscale, and tour guides anything from 15 to 20%, depending on the length and the size of the group.The local time in Laihana is GMT-10 hours and the dialling code is +1 808.

Lahaina is mostly famous for its history – it was the first capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1820 to 1845, when the capital was moved to Honolulu. Most of the historic sites from those times and from 19th century can be seen and explored at the Lahaina Historical sites self-guided walk. There are as many as 28 sites, of which we are only going to mention a few – The Old Lahaina Courthouse from 1859 was a former customs administration building, a courthouse, a jail and the governor’s office– all in one.ports laihana banyan tree ahoy 200 Here is where, on August 12, 1898, the US annexation of Hawaii was signed. Lahaina Jodo Museumis the unusual site of a Japanese Buddhist Temple – established in 1912 to promote Buddhism in Lahaina, it features on of the biggest statues of Buddha outside of Asia. The Wo Hing Museum is a former Chinese community building, built also around 1912 as a gathering place for the growing Chinese population. Hale Pa’I Printing Museum is a small cottage on the grounds of a high school and is a former home to the first printing press in Hawaii. Although its mission was to make the Bible available to Hawaiians, it’s more famous for printing the first newspaper of Hawaii. The Brick Palace is a simple, two-storey building, built by two ex-convicts from Botany Bay, Australia, for King Kamehameha’s favourite wife, Queen Kaahumanu. This is the first western style, brick house in Hawaii. The Banyan Tree Park is home to the oldest and largest banyan tree in the United States. It was planted in 1873 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the first American Protestant mission.

Get to know the beautiful nature, flora and fauna of Maui at Kapalua Coastal Trail - a short and easy, 1.74 miles trail that offers a compact version of all things Hawaii– wonderful picturesque seascapes, sharp lava formations and gorgeous tropical beaches. Take a boat tour or go to Wailea to see the gentle giants – humpback whales that return to Hawaiian shores every winter to look after their calves. Go to Nakalele Blowhole in the morning to see the rainbow that forms in the mist of the explosion of seawater through a tyre-sized underwater lava tube.

Get to know the proud people of Maui by attending one of the Lahaina Second Fridaysparties – a unique project of the Maui County Office of Economic Development. You are welcome to celebrate the start of the weekend with the friendly and welcoming people of one of Maui’s historic small towns – Wailuku, Lahaina, Makawao, Kihei, Lana’I each Friday.ports lahaina kaanapali beachl ahoy 200 Stroll around Lahaina Front Street – the main thoroughfare of this small and full of charm city, with trendy restaurants and bars, great shopping, quirky art galleries and plenty of historical sites and street performances to see.Last, but not least on our list are the lovely beaches of Maui – Ka’anapali Beach is the favourite spot, similar to Waikiki, but far less crowded, Keawakapu Beach – smaller, secluded and best for swimming, Napili Beach – for swimming and snorkelling, enjoying the calm waters and the rich variety of reef fish, Kapalua Beach – a family beach where you can see sea creatures up close at the natural tide pools and Kahekili Beach for snorkelling and scuba diving.