One of the original resorts on Kaanapali Beach, this rather understated property is set on 27 acres of prime oceanfront real estate. Comprised of the 12-story Lahaina Kai Tower and an assortment of beach cottage accommodations, the Royal Lahaina Resort welcomes a growing list of repeat guests year after year. Golfers can take advantage of two courses surrounding the grounds. Other amenities include two oceanfront pools, ocean view dining, fun filled tiki bars and a nightly luau that is considered one of the most authentic on the island. Complimentary shuttle service is provided throughout the Kaanapali Resort area, including Whaler's Village, seven days a week.
If it weren't for Black Rock, the promontory of black lava that fronts the Sheraton Maui, it would be possible to just follow the beach from the Royal Lahaina to Whaler's Village. Instead, head south on Kekaa Drive, past Kualapa Loop until you get to Kaanapali Parkway. Turn left on the Parkway and about a tenth of a mile from your turn you will find the Whaler's Village on your right. The address of the Whaler's Village is 2435 Kaanapali Parkway.
Whaler's Village is located near the middle of the Kaanapali Beachwalk. Whaler's Village is more than a mall. Its oceanfront setting means you can enjoy some beach time at the same time you explore its more than 90 stores. Designer boutiques include such names as Louis Vuitton and Tommy Bahama. Home-grown shops such as Crazy Shirts and Honolua Wahine entice you to bring home your own colorful shirts and skirts of island design. A center stage area is set aside for hula lessons, lei making classes and evening entertainment featuring music and dance from different Polynesian cultures and beyond.
Long before tourists discovered the delights of the Kaanapali area, the Town of Lahaina was an important whaling port from 1825 to 1860. It did have a rather rowdy reputation and clashes between sailors and the newly established missionaries were frequent and sometimes colorful. The Whaler's Village Museum takes you back to those times by recreating an example of the living space aboard a whaling ship. The museum also has an extensive collection of 19th century scrimshaw. Sailors would pass the time by carving beautiful art pieces out of whalebone and then rubbing them with ink. Though whale watching is the only whale oriented activity allowed in the area now, the museum gives insight into how this part of Hawaii came into being.
It seems the humpbacks have figured out that the whalers have retired. Each year they make the trip from their feeding grounds off the Alaskan coast to the warm waters of Hawaii to give birth and mate. The only boats that pursue them in the modern age are those carrying tourists and scientists who want to see these gentle giants up close. From late November until the beginning of April each year, the waters off of Lahaina are filled with these very active seasonal visitors. Humpback whales can even be seen from shore as they leap and splash in their Pacific Ocean winter home.
