One of the most popular activities for folks visiting Maui is the snorkel tour to Molokini crater. Unlike most activities on Maui, you need to hire a tour company to take you on a Molokini tour. We love snorkeling and had always wanted to go. But, with both of us having severe sea sickness we sadly had skipped out on this activity several times.
When it comes to choosing a tour company for a Molokini snorkel, there are many options. After a thorough analysis of all of them, we opted for the Sunrise Deluxe Snorkel with Kai Kanani. Not only are they one of the top-rated Molokini tour companies, but they also offer the shortest boat rides since they leave from the Makena area. It only takes about 20 minutes! A few Gin-Gin’s and this short ride is a piece of cake for even the most sea sickness prone people like us.
The Tour
This tour starts before sunrise, allowing you to watch the sun come up over Haleakalā as you make our way to the crater. One of the pluses with this tour is that you are the first boat to arrive and get almost unobstructed access to the entire crater.
As you hop aboard, you are given a snorkel, a mask and some fins. There is no need to rent any or bring your own. They also provide a breakfast with frittatas, yogurt parfaits with granola and fresh berries, muffins and breads, along with fresh tropical fruit. Drinks include hot coffee, tea, hot chocolate and a variety of juices.
Once you are anchored at Molokini, you will be given plenty of time to explore. You are free to hop on and off the boat as you please. They also have some floating devices available to assist those that need it.
As other boats start arriving at the crater, you pull up anchor and sail to “Turtle Town” where you will be able to swim with turtles and reef sharks. On our trip we saw multiple turtles and a small reef shark. Since other tours will also go to both Molokini and Turtle Town, once again you are there ahead of other boats.
Another plus with this tour is that you are back on land before 10 am. This leaves you the whole day to do other great activities on Maui or grab the best salad on Maui for lunch. This tour does fill up fast, so book well in advance. It is easy to do on their website.
Wary Traveler Tip
Book your Molokini Tour during the first few days on Maui. If you’re coming from North or South America, the time change will have you up early. Why not take advantage of it?
Finally, if you are reading this because you are planning your first trip to Maui, make sure to check out our other Maui post:
Perfect For Surfing, Swimming, Paddle Sports, Boating, And Beach Days
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Aloha Bars
DeAnne williams
Curious if it was cold?
WaryTraveler
The morning the wind is a bit chilly heading out on the boat, but nothing a lite jacket or long sleeve shirt can’t solve. Once the sun comes out its warm! As for the water, it is really quite warm. There may be a bit of a shock to the system when you first jump in, but it is refreshing! You won’t need a wetsuit or anything to keep you warm in there.