Aloha Horseback Ride

Are ATV tours too noisy for you? Saddle up with a quieter, friendlier all-terrain vehicle for a two-hour trail ride through the beautiful Maui countryside, with the option of a mouthwatering barbecue lunch!

"EX" marks the spot-or the cows, at least-at the Mendes Ranch in Wailuku. The Mendes family came to Maui from Portugal in the 1860s, settling on the current property in the 1940s. This is a real working ranch! The family has three hundred head of cattle and nearly a hundred horses on their 3,000 acres. There's electricity and running water at the ranch these days-there wasn't back when they first started-but the authentic, rustic beauty is still the same.

The horses at the ranch are suitable for all skill levels. The only thing you'll need is the desire to see some beautiful scenery at a pace slow enough to enjoy it. You'll take a spectacular narrated ride across the ranchlands, where you might catch family members honing their rodeo skills for the annual competition in Makawao. Paniolos-real Hawaiian cowboys-will send you off on your journey. Since this is Hawaii, you won't be surprised when the ranch's pastures give way to a tropical rain forest and the Eki Crater, where you can see some of the largest waterfalls on Maui. The trail then takes you down the mountain, past plantation houses and patches of taro. You'll amble on through the lovely Waihe'e Valley to the ocean. Forgot your camera? Your tour leader will be happy to snap a photo at any point along the way to commemorate your trip.

Tour Highlights

• Horses at the ranch are suitable for all skill levels
• Trip goes to some of the largest waterfalls in Maui