Ritz-Carlton Kapalua Turns Focus From Golf to Eco, Adventure Travel

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The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, which reopened last year after a major renovation, was once a haven for golfers. Although golf is still on the agenda, the property has much more to offer, which we learned about when representatives from the hotel stopped by our New York offices.

Positioned on Kapalua, Maui, The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua might be considered a laid-back destination for pampering and everything golf. The hotel is surrounded by 36 holes of championship golf and plays host to the PGA Tour’s Mercedes-Benz Championship tournament. On the pampering side, the Ritz-Carlton Spa, Kapalua, which opened in June 2008, is the place to go for Hawaiian massages. Cool touches include treatment rooms with private outdoor shower gardens, couples cabanas, relaxation lounges with volcanic stone grotto areas and a coed relaxation area.

Although golf and spa getaways will probably always remain synonymous with a Hawaiian vacation, The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua is adding eco tourism to the agenda with a partnership with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment Program. The son of explorer and ecologist Jacques Cousteau, Jean-Michel Cousteau’s program gives both hotel guests and the community a chance to experience several nature-friendly activities, include a hike through the Hawaiian rainforest and underwater photography sessions. The program, where sessions last from three hours to a full day, also gives youngsters a chance to work on a public service announcement project. Kids can write it, film it, and then work on editing the video, which they can then take back to show their friends and classmates.

In the adventure arena, Kapalua Adventures is a new offering at Kapalua Resort that has eco-adventure experiences. Open to Ritz-Carlton guests, as well as the public, guests can choose from such adventures as Mountain Outpost, which is the company’s first offering and features one of the largest zipline systems in the country with eight dual-track ziplines, two suspension bridges, a ropes challenge course, a four-station climbing tower and giant swing.

Visit www.ritzcarlton.com.

This just in: The hotel is offering a fifth night free during the Christmas holidays. Click here.