When you think of Maui\u2019s most popular towns what names first come to mind?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Maybe it\u2019s the shop-lined streets of Lahaina, or blissfully laidback Pa\u2018ia, or maybe it\u2019s H\u0101na with its black sand beach and waterfall-laden road.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
While these towns have always been cornerstones of any visit to Maui, lately a new spot has started to emerge on savvy visitors\u2019 radars.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Despite its recent, newfound spark, Wailuku, ironically, is actually one of Maui\u2019s oldest towns. Ancient Hawaiians who lived in Wailuku built heiau, or temples, high on a hill that overlooked the sea and harnessed the wai, or fresh-flowing water, to irrigate orchards and fields. In the 1800s, after the royal capital moved from Lahaina to Honolulu, Wailuku gradually assumed the role of Maui\u2019s political hub, but when resort areas like K\u0101\u2018anapali and Wailea emerged on the scene, Wailuku slowly faded away into relative visitor obscurity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Within the last few years, however, the town has experienced a massive revival on a cultural and culinary front, which has somehow managed to slip by unnoticed by the visitor industry as a whole.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
That is, of course, until now.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
With no fewer than a dozen new eateries serving fresh, affordable cuisine, and a growing collection of shops selling goods that are designed, and made, here on Maui, Wailuku has suddenly transformed itself from a sleepy backwater of aging buildings to an energetic, progressive hub of dining, theater and shopping.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
What makes Wailuku unique, however, is how the town is \u201cmodernizing\u201d by staying true to its local roots and helping grow the culture. For an idea of this new-school, old-school fusion, take a look at the \u201cWai Side\u201d bowl served up at The Farmacy Health Bar. The burgeoning superfood, acai \u2014 which originally hails from Brazil \u2014 is mixed with organic, locally made poi that\u2019s made from Maui-grown taro. A couple of steps down Market Street, Ha Wahine is a clothing boutique selling modern women\u2019s clothing, that\u2019s not only designed and made here on Maui but features authentic, traditional designs with strong cultural roots.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Then there\u2019s the case of Native Intelligence \u2014 which is arguably Maui\u2019s best store \u2014 where exquisite Hawaiian cultural items are crafted by local, master artisans and then gathered here on the shelves. Unlike a traditional art gallery, however, the merchandise isn\u2019t meant to be sold to collectors or casual visitors, but rather practitioners of native culture who actively use the crafts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Aside from the food and shopping scene, Wailuku is also home to some of Maui\u2019s best local theater, with plays regularly taking place in historic Iao Theater. Built in a Spanish Mission style, this Market Street theater was originally built in 1928 and because of its style and architecture is listed on the National Register of Historic Places \u2014 though still being actively used.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When you think of Maui\u2019s most popular towns what names first come to mind? Maybe it\u2019s the shop-lined streets of Lahaina, or blissfully laidback Pa\u2018ia, or maybe it\u2019s H\u0101na with its black sand beach and waterfall-laden road. While these towns have always been cornerstones of any visit to Maui, lately a new spot has started…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3326],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-things-to-do-maui"],"yoast_head":"\n