Lahaina

Lahaina needs 2 days: sailing at sunset off the coast of Maui, with a chance to spot humpback whales between December and April, on one, and touring the Front Street waterfront, still rebuilding after the August 2023 wildfire that devastated much of the historic downtown, on the other. April-May and September-October avoid both the rainy season and the summer tourist peak. It's expensive, like the rest of Hawaii. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii until 1845 and a key 19th-century whaling port, and its community continues rebuilding the historic downtown -including the historic 1873 banyan tree- after the deadliest US wildfire in over a century.