It sounds very much like your trip to Haleakala (the volcano) will be on a bus with a large group of people! I love Maui and have visited on land vacations many times. My favourite part of the isand is what they call Upcountry. Your tour will pass very quickly through this area that I believe deserves much more time. Have you considered renting a car on Maui for just the day. You can easily drive yourself up to the summit of Haleakala and then stop and enjoy a number of different places on your way back down to sea level....and the bonus is that you can do it on your own time not on the schedule of a bus which may have you wasting a whole bunch of time as you wait for stragglers to rejoin your group.
Here is a short list of just some of the wonders that you can visit on an Upcountry tour!
1. Haleakala National Park and summit
2. Makawao ... a wonderful little "cowboy" town filled with interesting shops, galleries and eateries
3. Hui Noeau Visual Arts Centre
4. Enchanting Floral Gardens
5. Kula Botanical Gardens
6. Alii Kula Lavender
7. Ulupalakua Ranch and Tedeschi Winery
8. Surfing Goat Dairy ... and they have the very best cheese as well as the sweet goats!!!
9. Kula Lodge Marketplace and the Curtis Wilson Cost Gallery
10.Polipoli Springs Recreation area (4 wheel drive country)
Interesting and/or fun places to eat if you're there at lunch/dinner time
1. Polli's Mexican Restaurant (Makawao)
2. Kula Lodge open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
3. Hali'imaile General Store
4. Casanova's Italian restaurant and deli in Paia
5. Mama's Fish House (Paia)
6. Paia Fish Market...they have (IMO) the very best ono burgers!
These are just a few of the possibilities for a "do it yourself" trip Upcountry. You will not have the time to do all of them but you will see and do a whole lot more on your own than you will on a "tour".
Enjoy your trip to these beautiful islands. Aloha!
