anybody ever been to Maui?

the flight is brutal!! we had a really tough time because we had delays...it was pretty bad. the funny thing was, after we landed in honolulu, the pilot said, "for those of you staying with us to australia, it will be another 8 hours." (or something like that). my dad looked at me and said, "I don't think i'll ever be going to australia!" we couldn't stand another minute on that plane.

i went to maui back during the summer the pistons swept the lakers in the nba finals...88 i think. it's my favorite trip so far. we stayed at an embassy suites...they had an omelette bar downstairs...i would eat my omelette, read the paper, and sit outside looking at the beautiful beach and ocean with another island rising up out in the distance. spent a ton of time just relaxing. would love to go back.

 

never been to maui, but i went to oahu and the big island last year.

if you manage to fly between the islands do this:

oahu: stay at the hilton waikoloa village, chill on the beaches at waikiki, go to honolulu, do a helicopter tour of the island, visit pearl harbor.

hawaii: stay at the hilton hawaiian village (coolest hotel i've been in... ever!), visit hilo, do a helicopter tour of a volcano, and they have a place called sea rim park (the equivalent of sea world). DO NOT ride on saddle road.... it's the crappiest and longest road in hawaii. i don't think the rent-a-car people will let you take the cars there anyway.

 

I've been to Hawaii twice when I was around 10 and 12. I'm trying to remember exactly where we were....we were on Oahu in Honolulu and Waikiki and also spent some time on Kauai. Man I wish I was older when i was there, but I still LOVED it. The absolute most beautiful beaches you'll ever see. My only regret is that I didn't try surfing, but I was pretty young for that. We saw several volcanos and went to the Dole pineapple factory....but no grown-up "hot spots" as I was pretty young. We spent most of the time on the beach, just relaxing and hanging out. My two "must-do's" for Hawaii are as follows: 1) Spend at least one day doing nothing but playing and relaxing on the beach and 2) Go see a volcano. They're wicked cool. If you're lucky, you'll get to see lava flow, which is just awesome in itself to see the power of Mother Nature in that capacity.

Edit:
God, I feel so un-American. How could I forget Pearl Harbor? You simply must go there. It was one of the most moving experiences of my entire life. If you go to Hawaii and do only one thing, Pearl Harbor must be it.

 

My wife (who is from Kauai) and I really like Maui and eventually want to live there. We spent a few days there after we got married in '99 and absolutely loved it. The two things you must not miss...

1. Snorkle Molokini - I had never been snorkling before and loved it. The fish and sea life was incredible. It is also relatively kid friendly.
<edit> Molokini is a partially blown out volcanic crater that is just off the coast of Maui. You'll need to take one of the charters to get there...pick up the Spotlight Maui books in the airport or check out their website for pricing (Maui Gold )

2. See the sun rise at Haleakala...you will have to wake up at about three in the morning to make the trek up the volcano, but it is stunning...take a camera and take lots of photos and bring coats or hotel blankets...it is very cold up there!!!

I'll add on a third one, although it's not as great as people make it out to be...
3. Drive the road to Hana - bring plenty of dramamine (sp?) if any of your family members get road/sea sick. There are countless curves and turns. Once you're in Hana, keep going to the east/southeast side of the island to see the Seven Sacred Pools in the Oheo Gulch. Make sure the water is OK to swim in if you're inclined (ask one of the park rangers).

Otherwise...Maui is the perfect Hawaiian island...it has portions that give you a big city feel (shops and office buildings) but manages to keep a small town atmosphere. If you get an opportunity, try to fly to another island...Kauai would be my suggestion...Oahu (Honolulu/Waikiki) is like any other large metropolitan area (except it's located in paradise ).

Hope this helps...and if you see any nice homes for sell in Kula, let me know (and a good programming job would be helpful too!)

 

Go to Roy's Nicolina restaurant in Kahana. Easily one of the 5 best dining experiences I've ever had.

Lahaina is a pretty cool little town.

 

And don't forget:
Due to everything having to be imported, Hawaii is incredibly expensive. I assume that you know that, but just in case. I remember McDonald's having prices closer to European McD's than the American ones.

 

went to maui a couple of years ago for a friends wedding. absolutly beautiful. i recommend going on a whale watching cruise. the dole plantation is there and they have crop maze. it was closed when we drove by it. enjoy.

 

1. How many people in your family?
2. How long you staying?
3. What do all of you like to do?
4. Where are you staying?

The ride to Hana and all its attractions is worth it only if you spend the night on that side. Renting a house on that side for a night is suprisingly affordable.

Two musts: sun rise at Haleakala and Old Lahaina Luau. (Golfing is a third if you play.)

 

Isn't it the other way around? Isn't the Waikoloa Village on the Big Island while the Hilton Hawaiian Village is in Waikiki/Oahu? I am just curious to know which one of the two you liked better, the one in Oahu or the Waikoloa (that is the one that should be a little bit more quiet, with their own lagoon).

I'm interested to know which one you liked better because I am going there in September and have some Hilton certificates for 6 nights I will have to redeem at either one of them.

Thanks!

 

No you're right....the one on Waikiki with the 2 towers is the Hawaiian Village. I think it is the best hotel on the Waikiki strip, but I haven't been to the Big Island. I stayed 2 nights there and really liked it. The Kalia tower was completely renovated and is the nicer of the 2. Its pricey but very clean and with lots of luxury. It has a Benihana resturaunt and a large outdoor bar that is right next to the beach. There is a garden and water falls sytem that runs in and around the hotel. Plus there is a regular fireworks show in the evenings and since its located at the far western end of Waikiki its not as packed. Its actually acouple blocks down from Kalakaua Ave so less traffic and pedestrians. Walking distance to some really good seafood resturaunts that are off the beaten path even for Waikiki.

woops there are 6 towers but the I think the largest are the Rainbow and the Kalia towers. There is a new one called the Lagoon tower.

Hilton Hawaiian Village

 

Snorkeling at Kapalua Bay is also excellent.

Definitely agree with this one. Many people bicycle down (van takes you up), but you have to reserve in advance. It was full when we tried, so we ended up hiking on the rim of the crater. One of the best hikes of my life. In places, the rim is very narrow (about six feet). You look down one side into the crater, which looks kind of like a lunar landscape. You turn your head to the other side, and you see tropical jungle unfolding to the ocean. The closest I have ever felt to being on the edge of the world.

P.S. It is unbelievably cold up at the top of the volcano. Be prepared.

 

I've been to Maui recently and these are my suggestions.

1. Go to Hana. The roads are winding but the sceneries and specially the falls are absolutely gorgeous. On our way to Hana, we stopped at one of this beach, and the sand is black. Then we stopped to another beach and the color of the sand is reddish.

2. Go to Haleakeala mountain.

3. Visit Lahaina and see the Banyan trees. If you have kids they will enjoy this.

4. Go to Molokai, the snorkelling experience is just so great even for the non strong swimmers.

Lastly, I bought this book called Maui Revealed before going to Maui. It was a tremendous help to me where to dine, where not to go and where to shop. I suggest that you check it out.

 

I will strongly support the recommendation to snorkle at Molokini. Went a few years ago and found good rates and a lot of fun with Frogman out of Lahaina. Nothing fancy, but the crew was friendly and the trip out and back was great. If you go, be sure to buy an underwater camera, because there are lots of colorful fish. They also stop and let you boogie board out to see the turtles. Again, you can get some neat pics.

You can snorkle pretty much anywhere up and down the coast, but it's not like Molokini. You can also rent Harley's and ride up the volcano or anywhere else you want to.