OFF THE BEATEN PINEAPPLE PATH
Unplug in Hawaii on an uncrowded Uncruise Adventures small ship
Under a star-filled January sky, six wetsuit-clad adventurers cling to handholds drilled into an improvised surfboard bobbing on the choppy surface of the Pacific Ocean just offshore Hawaii Island. A guide instructs us to lay flat and not to kick while peering through a mask into the inky sea. Lights suspended from the surfboard eerily probe the depths, drawing milky streams of tiny creatures.
Within moments, a vague shape glides out of the darkness far below. Flapping its fins, it gracefully rises, looming larger and larger, a silky black diamond the size of a compact car. Mere inches from us, its toothless oval mouth gapes so wide I could slide my whole arm in. Brushing my husband, it somersaults and descends to rise time and again, feeding on the microscopic plankton illuminated by the spotlights.
It’s a giant Pacific manta ray, one of the ocean’s largest fish, and this is one of the world’s best places to see them.
I would shout with delight if my mouth didn’t have a snorkel jammed into it. This up-close experience with feasting manta rays is just one highlight of a weeklong, all-inclusive cruise aboard Uncruise Adventures’ Safari Explorer. The 36-passenger, three-deck yacht transports guests on an offthe-beaten-pineapple-path voyage to two popular and two lesser-known Hawaiian islands.
Sailing from Molokai — the undeveloped Hawaii of old — to the Big Island (or reverse), the voyage also includes visits to tiny Lanai and to West Maui, with a focus on rich cultural experiences, nature and outdoor adventures. Each island is distinct from the others, with its own vibe and pace.
The comfortable small ship is equipped for activity with an aft swim step, kayaks, paddleboards, snorkelling equipment and Zodiacs for whale watching and going ashore. Onboard naturalists join land and sea excursions, providing guests with lively interpretation, as often do locals.
The first full day finds us immersed in the verdant deep folds of Molokai’s isolated Halawa Valley preparing poi, a Hawaiian staple made from fresh taro root that we’ve just dug up, and “talking story” with “Uncle” Pilipo, who is charged with retaining the ancestral traditions of this sacred land.
Later, we are honoured guests at a pa’ina — a traditional feast hosted by “Auntie” Moi, where we savour squid luau, kalua pig and lomi-lomi salmon while tapping our toes to jamming Hawaiian musicians and sashaying kumu hula dancers.
Setting sail, the days to come include anchoring in secluded bays on the archipelago’s craggy volcanic coastlines and lots of time in the water. A national marine sanctuary between Molokai, Lanai and Maui is a breeding ground for humpback whales, dolphins and green sea turtles. We squeal with delight each time we see them on zippy Zodiac tours or from the decks of the Explorer.
Donning snorkel gear, we glide above coral gardens filled with bright coral and sponges and teeming tropical fish, like endemic silvery Hawaiian flagtails and humuhumunukunukuapua’a, the state’s official fish.
On the privately owned island of Lanai, the one-time king of Hawaii’s pineapple industry, we visit the Lanai Culture and Heritage Center to learn about the plantation era. On a stroll to Sweetheart Rock, a sea stack jutting 25 metres above the surf, our guide shares the tragic legend of Princess Puu Pehe.
Back aboard, happy hour sees us sipping the day’s feature cocktail while mingling with other guests and the enthusiastic American crew, sometimes joined by local entertainers. Laughter peals over delicious a-la-carte dinners, always including a fresh-from-thesea grilled fish.
In Maui’s historic oceanside town of Lahaina, we visit a boatbuilding shed where Maui’s Voyaging Society is hand-building a 19-metre replica of a transoceanic voyaging canoe, like those used by the Polynesians who once paddled (unimaginably) to Hawaii. Plans are for a crew to sail to Tahiti navigating by the stars, just like their ancestors did.
While the South Pacific is a bit lofty for us amateurs, the time arrives to put our biceps to the test.
We clamber into two traditional outrigger canoes for an impromptu paddling race, rife with jeers and childish splashing of opponents.
After a free day where Captain Rod chooses the best places to go, followed by the night manta snorkel, the final stop of our journey is the Big Island. In a Zodiac tour of the rugged black coastline, we peer into sea caves and lava tubes formed by the island’s still active volcanoes, before jumping into kayaks for a last guided paddle.
In a fitting finale, a pod of humpback whales appears, frolicking with their young. The show-off who leaps high into the air, revealing its entire body, save its tail, is yet another highlight of our Uncruise Adventure and Hawaii’s vast nature. It whets our appetite for more.