Haleakala Sunrise Tour – Start your day off by feeling you are on top of the world!
Getting up especially early in the morning is usually associated with a major event taking place later in the day. Memories of Christmas when you were a child, setting off for the airport when jetting off on holiday, or simply because you couldn’t sleep the night before your wedding. Well, now you can add one more truly memorable occasion to that list of early morning starts – going on a Haleakala sunrise tour.
What’s so special about the Haleakala sunrise tour?
Where do we begin when answering this question? This isn’t your ordinary, everyday view of the sunrise – for a start you will be able to witness it through crystal-clear air and not a haze of smog that suspends itself above every city, wherever you live.
Second, you’re not watching the sunrise when at sea level. So many of us have either seen at first hand or seen images of sunrise on the horizon of the sea. Sure, it’s a beautiful sight, but multiply that by ten when viewing the sun rising when high up on Haleakala.
The true beauty of the Haleakala sunrise tour is that you get to watch the sun rise when you are up above the clouds, and the effect is nothing short of magical.
For once, “having your head in the clouds” is a good thing!
We use the expression “head in the clouds” to imply that your thoughts are a million miles away and that you are not concentrating on the “here and now”. It’s more a form of glorified daydreaming. Well, we can assure you that you won’t be doing any dreaming when 9,740 ft up Haleakala, a (thankfully) dormant volcano. From the viewing station you will actually be above the level of the clouds, looking down on them in the same way you do when in an airplane, only here you are also free to walk around and enjoy the beautiful flora surrounding you.
A far-reaching panoramic view to take your breath away
There is no doubt that the sight of the sun rising through the clouds is mesmerizing, but there is so much more to see and enjoy once the sun has risen – there is no ‘anti-climax’ after the main event but instead more ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ as your eyes take in the wonderful landscapes that are laid out before you. There are magnificent views of Kula, home to early Chinese and Portuguese immigrant workers, as well as glimpses of the verdant, misty mountains of Maui.
A lot more to a Haleakala sunrise tour than you might expect
With a trip up Haleakala organized by Polynesian Adventure Tours, you get a lot more than just a ‘there and back’ trip. Not only is this a tour organizer which is an authorized concessioner with a special arrangement with the National Park Service, but these guys will also go that extra mile for you.
First you will be picked up from your hotel in a very comfortable minivan and, though the experience includes a bumpy journey over rough tracks when climbing Haleakala, you will be driven up to the best vantage point on the volcano to witness the magnificent sunrise. Beyond that you will also be able to visit the Ranger Station at an altitude of 7,000 ft, as well as the Haleakala Visitor Center, located on the edge of a cliff!
Last, but not least, you will also get treated to a well-earned and delicious breakfast at Kula Lodge, probably the best place on the island for breakfast, before being driven back along the 38-mile route back to town. Of course, the return journey will be twice as enjoyable as the outward journey as you will now be able to see the stunning Hawaiian countryside that was previously shrouded in darkness.