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Tell me about Maui!

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NOYFB

NOYFB

Ideal_Rock
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Nov 16, 2008
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DH and I are going to Maui in 2 weeks to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. This is the first trip to HI for both of us, so we were wondering if all of you wise PSers have any advice of what to make sure we include in our itinerary and if there's anything we should skip.

We are staying on the South Shore, in Kihei. We are planning to to go the Old Lahaina Luau and take the Road to Hana. Other than that, we are open to suggestions.

Thanks!
 
OMG - we are also going in two weeks. 2nd time :sun:
Whale Watch Tour
Snorkel at Black Rock
Jaws
Many stops on the road to Hana - beautiful waterfalls and beaches (according to my friend who has been there several times, we haven't driven the road to Hana but plan on at least part of it) The road to Hana will take you a full day.
Snuba or snorkel at molikini
Endless beauty to see - Enjoy!
 
lydia|1295727095|2829877 said:
OMG - we are also going in two weeks. 2nd time :sun:
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How awesome is that that we'll be there at the same time! :bigsmile:

Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately, I don't swim, so snorkeling/snuba is out of the question :((

We do plan on whale watching. It's supposed to be a great time of year for it. I got the Fodor's Maui 2011 guide and it says that there is an excellent spot to whale watch very close to where we are staying.

Hope you have a great time as well!
 
I have the world's worst memory, so I don't remember many details about our trip to Maui, but I do remember a couple of things.

-The Maui Revealed guide book was fantastic and spot on with almost everything. Also easy to read/well organized.
-Paying a little extra for a GPS unit in our rental car was very helpful.
-Mama's Fish House was amazing for a special occasion dinner...you may want to make reservations in advance.
-Big Beach was my favorite lounging beach. Super clean, turquoise waters, and powdery soft golden sand.
-I don't swim either, but I always go snorkeling on beach vacations. I just pay for a life jacket rental. I don't actually wear it, but I tuck it under my arms in front of my chest and just float. It may be worth trying in shallow waters, and if you feel comfortable enough...
 
I got engaged and then married in Maui. You MUST eat at Sarento's on the beach. Make sure you book your reservation for sunset. The views are so beautiful. Also, a luau is a must. We loved the one at the Marriot. We had our rehearsal dinner at the Spago's in the Four Seasons, and our meal was amazing. I've never stayed at the Four Seasons, but we went there after dinners most nights to hang out at their bars/lounges. It's truly a beautiful hotel.

The Road to Hana is fun; it's one of those things that I am happy to do once, and then after that, I'm done. It was highly entertaining to see people selling weed on the side of the road. The cd they recommend you buy to guide you along the way is so cheesy, but invaluable. My husband and I kept ours and sometimes still listen to it for some laughs.
 
We pretty much followed the Maui Revealed book as well. You'll especially love going whale watching this time of year...we saw more whales than I could count.

My favorite beach was Big Beach and we even trekked over to Little Beach, which is apparently a nude beach. We didn't spend much time over there as I wanted to keep my bathing suit on.

I would also highly recommend biking down Haleakala. We did the sunrise ride, which was absolutely beautiful. I would also second Mama's Fish House. It was one of the best meals of my life.
 
We did a sunrise ride into Haleakala Crater on horseback. If you like horses, I recommend this! We had a lot of fun, and the inside of the crater is really interesting. It feels like you're on another planet!

The Road to Hana is fun and interesting, too. We actually stayed for two nights at the Hotel Hana Maui, and we absolutely loved it. It's so peaceful there, and the hotel is amazing. On the way back, we went to Mama's Fish House, which is definitely a must if you're in the area. Definitely make reservations well in advance.

DH and I took a little day trip to Oahu while we were there as well. We went to Pearl Harbor (DH had never seen it), Hanauma Bay for great snorkeling, and then Sea Life Park to swim with dolphins. We just rented a car for the day there, and the flight between islands was very quick and easy. If you have the time and desire, I would suggest checking out another island for the day
 
I don't think they're doing the Haleakala bike ride thing anymore. Too many people were killed-lots of liability issues. I wouldn't do it again. The road to Hana is fun-you can see Lindbergh's grave. You must do a luau but skip the poi, it's paste.

I really think Maui is the most beautiful place I've been to.
 
I checked it out. They shut the bike rides down in 07 after three fatalities in a year. But they're back on.
 
The Old Lahani Laui is great as well as the road to Hana. If you're up for an adventure, go blue water rafting, but make sure you take something for motion sickness before hand :errrr:
 
Oh, I almost forgot, the sunrise at Mt. Haeleakala is beautiful but dress warm because it is freezing up there. Lonely Planet's Maui book is great and very imformative.
 
afreebird|1295730108|2829935 said:
I got engaged and then married in Maui. You MUST eat at Sarento's on the beach. Make sure you book your reservation for sunset.
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Thank you for this. I have booked us for dinner at 6:00pm on our anniversary. I am looking forward to the sunset. Thank youl
 
Have a wonderful time! We stayed in Kihei on our honeymoon 10 years ago, and just went again in June for our 10th anniversary and stayed near Kaanapali.

We ziplined this last time, spendy but it was a lot of fun if you want an adventure. :)

Road to Hana...agree with others. Just be prepared to spend an entire day on this. The CD really is helpful and will tell you places to stop along the way that you otherwise would not be aware of. I LOVED the black sand beach!!

Shopping in Lahaina. It is touristy but I really enjoy spending a few hours there. Cheap and really good eats at Moose McGillycuddys ....Their breakfasts are to die for! (macadamia nut pancakes...also the fresh fruit platter..IS a platter, enough to share) Maui Brewing company...great beers and food, and shopping/eating in Kaanapali is also fun...Hula Grill is great

Sunset cruise or whale watching cruise

I did want to add, that if you are just not a 'strong' swimmer but do want to try snorkeling...there are a lot of shallow places you can go, and also...the salt water keeps you buoyant.
 
Lil Misfit|1295817977|2830709 said:
afreebird|1295730108|2829935 said:
I got engaged and then married in Maui. You MUST eat at Sarento's on the beach. Make sure you book your reservation for sunset.
Click to expand...
Thank you for this. I have booked us for dinner at 6:00pm on our anniversary. I am looking forward to the sunset. Thank youl
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You're welcome! I'm so excited for you!

Definitely go whale-watching. We were in Maui this time of year last year for our wedding, and the whales were very active! It was such a beautiful, surreal experience to have. Whales were breeching (I think that's what you call it) right next to our boat, and giving us the "whale eye!" I can't remember the name of the boat we took, but it's right off the beach of the Makena Beach Resort (formerly the Maui Prince.) The captain and crew were a lot of fun.
 
I just went over New Year's and had the time of my life!

Another plug for the Maui Revealed Book. Get a current edition. My husband and I didn't book a single tour or excursion because we had a rental car and took our own tours using that book. It was so special and romantic, and I know we saw way more than if we had been on tours.

Mala Ocean Tavern in Lahaina had incredible service, food, and a view. We had a very nice dinner with friends.

Mama's Fish House near Kahalui lived up to the hype. We went for lunch, only waited ten minutes with no reservation, and I am glad we went for lunch instead of dinner because the view was incredible.

After you do the road to Hana, you will be really tired if you do all the adventuring like my husband and I did - taking hikes and finding hidden waterfalls along the say. After Hana, you either turn around and go back the way you came or you continue around the whole south side of the island. The first option is unappealing because you just came that way and maybe you're a little motion sick from all the windy narrow roads. The second option is unappealing because there are at least 15 miles on the trip around the south that are on an "improved" one lane road with room for one car only... not so much paved. We made that drive looking into the setting sun, and while I had the time of my life, my husband was NOT happy in the driver's seat as we wondered at every turn if we would meet a car that we couldn't see in the glare of the sun. I love that we saw the south side of the island though, and I recommend you go this way. It's a beautiful view! Just make sure you set out early enough in the day that you won't be hitting that part of the drive in the late afternoon. Also, pick ahead of time which things you are going to see if you're only doing one day. You can't see it all in one day if you're getting out and doing things, and you don't want to waste your time on the stuff at the beginning at the expense of other stops further along.

We went snorkeling in Napili Bay FOR FREE and it was the most incredible snorkeling I have had. I've snorkeled in Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Great Barrier Reef - and this blew everything else out of the water. I was surrounded by huge turtles, and the water was shallow enough that I could actually see all the colors of the crazy fish and seascape. There was no boat ride to get to this place. You just park in a nearby lot, walk fifty yards, and have the time of your life. Even if you can't swim AT ALL, as long as you don't have a phobia of the water or something, I highly recommend you get a life jacket and a snorkel and check this place out. The water was very calm and clear. If you don't like it, no money wasted!


have a wonderful time!!!
 
Thank you all so much for your wonderful suggestions! :appl: I will definitely look into getting the Maui Revealed book!

Brensmom - DH will love the Maui Brewery and I will love the shopping in Lahaina! :naughty:

Guilty Pleasure - thank for you the heads up on the sunset glare taking the south way back from Hana. It's definitely something we want to do, as we have rented a Jeep and we are both Jeep people (we own 3 ourselves) so we love that rugged stuff. We were planning to leave Kihei around 6:00am for Hana...do you think that's early enough to avoid getting blinded by the sun on the way back?

Afreebird: We definitely want to do some whale watching, so will look into that. Thanks!

Mahongany Jewel: Not sure I'd be up for the rafting :eek: but the sunrise at Mt. Haeleakala is something I've heard about from others, so will definitely be checking that out!

I am so excited! We leave in 11 days!!!!! (and I should have my new BGD ring before we leave!!) :tongue:
 
6 am is definitely early enough!
 
Guilty Pleasure|1296006096|2833085 said:
6 am is definitely early enough!
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Awesome! Thanks! =)
 
Hey Lil M,

I've been going to Kihei since I was born (really i promise :bigsmile: my parents have had a time share in Kihei for 35 years). And DH and I got married there about 2 1/2 yrs ago.

We'll be there in a few weeks as well :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

There are tons of great places to eat:

Kihei -all of these restaurants are on S. Kihei Road
Sansei - Sushi, amazing - if you like Ahi Tuna you HAVE to try the Ahi Carpaccio, OMG soooooo incredible!
5 Palms - awesome happy hour M- F (I think it goes from 3 - 6)
Sarento's on the Beach - right on the beach, great views, and awesome food (this is where we had our reception dinner, our guests raved about it)
Wok Star - great noodle house - super cheap and fun place, last year they didn't have their alcohol license so you could bring your own and eat on thier patio.

Paia - the best pizza ever - Flatbread's - about a 35 minute drive from Kihei - gotta try the Kulua Pork Pizza, yum!

Paia - Mama's Fish House - I saw other recommendations too - this place is amazing! Pricey but totally worth it!

Beaches -
We pretty much just go to Keawekapu since it's so close to the condo but it's a fav of all of our friends that live there.

And sometimes Kam I (there's Kam I, II, and III) - pretty beaches and super close to all of the restaurants in Kihei.

Surfing Goat Dairy in "Upcountry" is fun too

Horse back rinding in Upcountry - Haleakala area and there's a great Ziplining place up there too (there's one on the other side of the island but this one is much better).

Hope that helps, have a great time!
 
Thanks Asscher Girl!

I think between all of the suggestions on this thread we will be able to keep ourselves busy for a week! :wink2:
 
Just wanted to come back and thank you all for the wonderful suggestions. We had an absolute blast in Maui and were even trying to figure out how we could move there - LOL! We've decided that's not feasible, so we've made a pact to go back and visit every year. Luckily, some friends of ours are getting married there in May 2012, so we've already got our next trip planned.

I do think we will opt for a condo though, on our next trip. We stayed at the Maui Coast Hotel in Kihei and while it was a great hotel (we had a suite) with a pool bar, etc, I think we could save some $$ by staying at a condo and do some cooking on our own. Most of our $$ was spent on food. And sadly, DH got food poisoning on our last night from some poke he got at the Foodland grocery store :?

We did have our anniversary dinner at Sarento's and it was amazing. Unfortunately it was pretty cloudy that day, so we didn't get a really colorful sunset, but the food was amazing!!!! The only thing I didn't like about sitting right there on the beach was the bugs flying around. I think they need some citronella candles or something.

We never made it to Mama's Fish House, but did drive by it on our drive to Hana. We bought the cheesy CD and drove back on the south side of the island (actually I drove on the way back and OMG :o those one lane roads scared the bejeezus outta me! LOL ) The road to Hana was fun, but not something I'd ever want to do again. It's one of those "been there, done that" things. DH almost crashed us into the rock face because he was looking at all the beautiful scenery! I'm glad to have done it, but don't have any desire to ever do it again. Although, the hike through the bamboo forest leading to Waimoku falls was pretty amazing!

We saw some whales while walking along Kam I, II, and III, but never made it to a whale watching tour.

We did watch the sunrise at the top of Haleakala (got up at 3:00am to get there early!) and it was beautiful (but cold). We saw some people on bikes on the way down, but there's no way in hell I would ever do that! :nono: I rode a bike for the first time in 25 years 3 years ago and had a pretty bad accident where I went over the handlebars and landed face first on the pavement (got a nice scar as a result and almost lost a tooth), so yea, I was thinking those bikers were crazy! LOL

Again, thanks for all the suggestions. I can't wait to go back!!!! :mrgreen:
 
Sounds like you had a wonderful vacation! I was excited to see this thread - my SO and I are leaving for Maui on Thursday. We got a travel guide book, but it's nice to hear people's suggestions. I definitely wrote a few down!
 
joflier|1298327353|2856825 said:
Sounds like you had a wonderful vacation! I was excited to see this thread - my SO and I are leaving for Maui on Thursday. We got a travel guide book, but it's nice to hear people's suggestions. I definitely wrote a few down!
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You will LOVE it! What part of the island are you staying on? They sell the Maui Revealed Guide at the Foodland on S. Kihei Rd. in Kihei, if you are interested. We couldn't find it here before we left for our trip, but had 2 other books to help us. And the map we got at the rental car place was invaluable!

Have a blast. I am jealous. I want to go back SO bad!!!
 
We're staying in Wailea. We are going to rent a car, and bringing the GPS along. But yeah - good idea on getting an actual map! How as the weather for you? Is it humid there?
 
The weather was perfect when we were there. Not humid at all. There were a few very brief rain showers (maybe 10 minutes) but overall it was beautiful. It did rain a bit more the day we left (but we were in the airport by then).

Have a great time! And, check out the Shops at Wailea for some awesome shopping!
 
I will most certainly do that! ;)) Thanks!
 
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