If your top-performing employees deserve a big reward after a great year of hard work, you can’t do any better than Maui. Our golden sands, warm blue waters, endless sunshine, and towering volcanoes all offer the incentive trip adventure of a lifetime. As the head of your employee appreciation trip, you want to reward your group with fun activities that everyone will enjoy and that will help build teamwork and cohesion. What activities should you pick? Your less-active employees may not be enthused about taking a five-mile hike up a volcano, while more motivated employees will get bored to tears lazing on the beach for endless hours. Here are five Maui team building activities that can appeal to employees of almost every stripe:
1. Snorkeling
Snorkeling requires little experience or practice and can be done in relatively shallow water for any of those who may feel uncertain about their swimming skills. It is also active without being physically exhausting. Oh, and it is an amazing and unforgettable experience! Imagine your employees peering through our crystal-clear waters to watch black triggerfish, yellow tang, parrotfish, and even big manta rays glide by. There are many amazing snorkeling spots throughout Maui where you can gaze upon tea turtles, moray eels, colorful coral, and maybe even a white tip reef shark! Our favorite snorkeling spots are Molokini Crater, Turtle Town, and Ahihi Kinau Reserve.
2. Drive the Hana Highway
Nothing helps build team spirit like a road trip, and there is no road trip quite like a long drive down the Hana Highway. This 64-mile road meanders through some of Maui’s most beautiful foliage, giving you breathtaking views and even some jolts of adrenaline as you bounce down the narrow, winding road complete with 59 bridges (most only one way). This is the perfect time to re-tell old stories, catch up, and fill smart phones with gorgeous images. You can also pull off the road at several amazing natural parks to go on small group hikes and discover hidden waterfalls!
3. Play a Round of Golf
They say that many of the best business relationships are cemented on the golf course. If that’s true, then Maui won’t disappoint. Even though our island is small, we have some of the world’s best golf courses, including the Plantation Course at Kapalua Bay, the Gold Course at Wailea Golf Club, and the Royal Ka’anapali Golf Course at the Ka’anapali Resort. All of these courses will challenge the golf skills of your employees while giving you beautiful views of oceans, volcanoes, and distant islands.
4. Whale Watching
If your employee appreciation trip occurs between November and May, then you must say hello to our favorite friends, the North Pacific Humpback Whales that swim all the way from Alaska to winter in our warm, safe waters. These gentle giants are amazing to behold, and you can find plenty of whale watching tours that will let your employees catch these huge creatures breaching from the water or slapping down their big tales. You really can’t appreciate how big these whales are until you see them in person.
5. Go to a Luau
Technically, you can leave Maui without attending a Luau, but why would you want to miss this incredible opportunity? A Luau is fun and exciting, and it gives your employees a chance to appreciate the ancient traditions of Hawaii. At a luau, your group will watch skilled performers sing ancient songs and sway their hips in traditional dances. You’ll also enjoy delicious traditional foods. This is a great experience for your employees to share and a way to get in touch with the Aloha Spirit of the islands. The Old Lahaina Luau is the oldest and most popular Luau option on Maui.
Before you start booking activities on your employee retreat to Maui, don’t forget to book your accommodation first! Help create a spirit of teamwork and camaraderie by renting vacation condos rather than an isolated resort room. At Ali’i Resorts, we can offer you great group rates on condos within blocks to the beach.
