Ka'anapali Beach Club - First Time on Maui.. Advice?

[Amanda Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Amanda]

Hello,

I just received a call from SFX on Friday for the second week of my request in Hawaii (first week at Fairfield Waikiki). We were offered the Ka'anapali Beach Club on Maui. I looked at the websites and reviews, etc. and I think the resort looks great!! And, people seem pleased with their vacations there.

This will be my our honeymoon vacation, and we like to go out to dinner, sightsee, beach activities, relax, etc.

Please let me know if you have ever stayed at this resort before (or own here) and what not to miss while we are there! Also, if you have any tips on how to save $$ on tours or excursions, please let me know...


Thanks

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Hello,

I just received a call from SFX on Friday for the second week of my request in Hawaii (first week at Fairfield Waikiki). We were offered the Ka'anapali Beach Club on Maui. I looked at the websites and reviews, etc. and I think the resort looks great!! And, people seem pleased with their vacations there.

This will be my our honeymoon vacation, and we like to go out to dinner, sightsee, beach activities, relax, etc.

Please let me know if you have ever stayed at this resort before (or own here) and what not to miss while we are there! Also, if you have any tips on how to save $$ on tours or excursions, please let me know...


Thanks

Amanda,

I am in a rush right now, but keep the exchange, it is a great resort and perfect for your honeymoon. We stayed there last summer, the rooms have all been beautifully redone and are very luxurious and roomy for a couple.

Congratulations on finalizing your two week honeymoon plans, that's great!

Oh, go buy Maui Revealed and start reading... more later on stuff to do

G

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

I second the opinion....definitely keep the exchange! The location is great, the pool is great, the beach is great, no matter where you are in the resort, the views are great, and if you get an oceanview you will love it! The resort is close to other big names, I think, like the Hyatt and Marriott, and there are great shows and restaurants nearby, as well as a drive into Lahaina for local events, easy! Happy honeymoon!

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

A few things I would do, especially if it were my honeymoon:

1. Dinner at Mama's Fish House. Make reservations, get there early, take pics on the pretty beach out front. Tell them it's your honeymoon when making reservation, and ask for a table near the window facing out to the beach. Definitely save room for dessert.

2. Explore Haleakala. There are a number of ways to do this, depending on your interests. Maui Revealed goes into detail about several options, but we enjoyed just driving up at our leisure and hiking a ways down into the crater. Mama's Fish House would be a good dinner stop on the way back, but be prepared to change into nice clothing in the parking lot Another nice stop depending on the time of day would be lunch or dinner at the Kula Lodge... great views from there.

3. Hana... you sound like you want more 'action' than Hana itself has to offer, but an overnight in Hana would be very romantic and the area is beautiful and serene, with lots of fun things to do, and a beautiful ride, along the way. For a little adventure, I highly recommend power hang gliding out of Hana Airport with Armin; also addressed in Maui Revealed. Try to plan your night when there is entertainment at the Hotel Hana Maui, that will be a fun evening diversion.

4. Lahaina: fun to walk around at night; shopping, restaurants, bars, etc... a short drive from your hotel.

5. Drive north of Kapalua; the ride is beautiful, and the hike to the blowhole (I forget the name) is a fun sidetrip.

6. If you like sushi, Sensei restaurant was excellent.

7. Wailea: There are some big, beautiful hotels and nice beaches here. Lunch at the Grand Wailea could be fun. If you are golfers, there is good golf in the area, or so I've heard...

8. Don't miss the sunset from your hotel; have a drink at the pool bar and enjoy the view.

9. We had an awesome day on the Trilogy Discover Lanai trip...

[Amanda Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Amanda]

Wow! Thank you so much for the advice! I am a big planner (although not adverse to changing plans on a whim, I like to have it setup ahead of time just to make things easier), so I will most certainly look into each of these ideas and make reservations ahead of time, etc.

I heard from a friend that there is a luau in Lahaina - I think it's called Lele - that was very good. Any advice on luau's?

Hana sounds amazing, do you know if the only way to get there is to drive yourself? or are there tours, etc.?

I was going to call the resort and tell them it was our honeymoon and ask if we could have a nice room with a great view.. I know they won't promise anything, but it's always worth a shot. Are there any specific buildings or room locations that you know of that I should ask for?

OK, one last question (for now ) - is Aloha airlines the best way to fly inter-island? We will be in Oahu for a week and a half before Maui; and I see a lot of talk about Aloha Airlines on this site..


Thanks again - I really appreciate all of the advice !!!!!!!!

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

There's only one building, ask for Ocean Front, though you likely won't get it unless it's slow season. Ocean View will also overlook the pool, good view. Even the mountain view is fine, though, so don't sweat it.

There are tours to Hana, but I recommend you rent a convertible and drive yoruselves. You can use Maui Revealed as a guidebook for stops, or you can even get "tours on CD" once you get to Maui. There are a lot of fun stops along the way, it is nicer to go at your pace, imho. If you are feeling more adventuresome, rent a 4wd and take one or two of the 'off road' detours described in Maui Revealed. We never made it to Blue Pool because we had a convertible instead of a 4 wd. But if you are prone to carsickness, stick with the convertible. If you like the idea of a tour better, maybe someone else can help with one, but there are a few around.

We used HawaiianAir for interisland; best to check on schedules/fares, look at Go! (iflygo.com), Aloha, Island Air, and Hawaiian Airlines. If you're lucky, you might find a $39 fare... Also, I'm not sure where you're coming from, but you might get a flight home right from Maui to the mainland rather than have to go through HNL on your return. And if you find any flights into Kapalua, rather than OGG, from HNL, it is closer to Ka'anapali, and a much smaller airport.

[Luanne Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Luanne]

I also recommend the Trilogy trip to Lanai. It's been years since I've done it, but I've recommended it to several people and no one has been disappointed.

One of our favorite places to eat in Lahaina is Kimo's. We always liked it best for the location and atmosphere (especially if you can get a table by the railing), but when we were there last March we had one of the best dinners of our trip at Kimo's. And I think Mama's has been mentioned already. Truly a wonderful (expensive) restaurant.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

When is your trip planned for? If it is during whale season, make sure you do a whale watching trip too. Most tours go from December through April.

Enjoy your honeymoon trip. You got many great recommendations already.

[Amanda Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Amanda]

Yes, I agree! Thanks to all for the reccommendations, I am going to take a look through websites to find more info about them (and read the Maui Revealed book) as soon as work gives me a chance... (I am in NY and it's difficult to even work today with the beautiful weather).

I will be in Oahu from Nov 13 - Nov 23 and Maui from Nov 23 - Nov 30 so I might just miss those whales, unless a few come around early!

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Last year, we went a second time the week before Thanksgiving. Believe it or not, we saw a few whales but only twice. The weather was beautiful.

We will be there again next Wednesday and I can hardly wait. Once you have been to the Hawaiian islands, you want to go back again and again.

[shopgirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shopgirl]

You will love the resort! We toured it last July and loved the units. They are really nice.

Congratulations on your marriage and be sure to spend some time walking down the streets of downtown Lahaina. We love the shops and even like Bubba Gump's for lunch and Hard Rock Cafe is also a fun place.

Have a wonderful time! We are going to Fairfield Waikiki Beach Walk next month as well. It may be our last time on Oahu. I just want to see some sights there. Kauai will always be our favorite island.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Take the ferry to Moloka`i, then arrange to do the mule ride to Kalaupapa (the leper colony). The concierge should be able to set it up for you. May involve getting up early, though.

[Amanda Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Amanda]

Thanks again to everyone!

Steve, that sounds like an interesting excursion! Thanks.

Emmy - have a great time on your trip! It would be amazing if we do get to see a few whales.. I'll keep my eye out.

Shopgirl, have a great time on Oahu! Our first week will be at the Fairfield Waikiki, please let me know how it is when you get back

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Thanks again to everyone!

Steve, that sounds like an interesting excursion! Thanks.

Here's a pic from the mule ride:



The trail goes down the face of that cliff; 29 switchbacks as you descend about 1500 feet. The sea cliffs on the north side of Moloka'i are the tallest in the world, and the best way to see them is the ride to Kalaupapa.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Steve, are you trying to encourage or discourage her?