Maui Suggestions

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

I am going to Hawaii for the first time in May. We will be spending 3 days in Honolulu and 7 Days on Maui. Do you have suggestions on tours or activites that we may not want to miss? We plan on snorkleing and going to a Luau.

Dale

[hliw Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close hliw]

Maui

We LOVED Big Mama's Fish House - it is on the North Shore (I think), not too far from the airport. Great view, FANTASTIC FOOD -a must do.

Also, the Maui acquarium was really nice - we had our then 5 month-old with us and she was thrilled to be parked in front of the acquarium wall to watch the show.

We thoroughly enjoyed Maui and would like to return. Enjoy!
HLIW

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

You might try to book right now the original old Luau in Maui. Must see but bring warm cloths is the sunset on the volcano , just start out early like 4 am. Of coarse if you can handle the curves do the road to Hana. Again start out early or leave from the volcano.
Eat at Roy's steak house if you can, I missed it and felt bad about not going till this day.

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

I went to Hawaii for the first time in November. My husband and I went to 2 luau's (one in Kauai, one in Maui). We decided that we would rather have skipped them - [We went to the Feast at Lele on Maui]... if you want some good evening entertainment, I would suggest Warren and Annabelle's magic show in Lahaina - food is excellent for dinner and the show is really great (comdey/magic).

I agree about the Road to Hana - it is very pretty, but a lot of twists and turns...

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

Spent 12 wonderful honeymoon days on Maui.

The road to Hana was great but can be trying waiting for the one lane bridges..so be patient. You can stop along the way and visit out of the way waterfalls....beautiful. If you have a 4WD vehicle and continue the route around the island, the beaches are amazing (and private).
We went horse back riding....bring jeans if you plan this.
Helicopter ride was amazing. It took us over the volcano, waterfalls and basically alot of the island.
A dinner cruise which was all inclusive out of Lahaina, but the drinks were kind of watered down (can't remember the name of the boat).
A snorkeling trip out of Lahaina that was great. Captain Chris's boat. It was a large catamaran.
My favorite was the sunrise / bike trip down Mt Haleakela. It was spectacular!
We did the Luau at the Marriott(we didn't stay there but had heard it was good). It wasn't bad but not an original and was pretty crowded....again watered down drinks and the food was so so..
Hope this info helps.
Kathleen

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

Thanks for the suggestions. Keep them coming!

Dale

[SDSunshine Member Find all posts View Profile Close SDSunshine]

I would definitely do the Luau. It's a very memorable experience, but some are better than others! We spent most of our trip in the water (snorkeling). My kids should have been born fish.

K

[randkb Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close randkb]

Definitely do the road to Hana.

[eagle7304 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close eagle7304]

We were in Maui in February and spent most of our time in the Ka'anapali area. The whales were everywhere and the catamaran trip was wonderful. You are going to be there in May, so whales are out, but I'd still do the catamaran. We did go on a pineapple plantation tour out of Kapalua that we thought was interesting. The tour guide gives a lot of history of the plantation system in Maui. It's not for everyone, but we liked it. Got to pick Maui Gold pineapples fresh from the field. Ate fresh pineapple until our mouths hurt. Lahaina is fun to shop in and the Banyon Tree is huge. There is a craft fair near Ka'anapali on Saturdays that we bought several pieces of jewelry and wood bowls. They charge $2.00 to get in but it is huge with lots of vendors. We also did go up to Makawao which is in the up country. It's an artist town and we bought some prints there. Ate at the Paia Fish Market in Paia. Lots of atmosphere and good food. Went to The Grand Wailea Resort for coctails and stroll around the grounds. Wow...Lots of cash spent there.
Next trip we'll do the Hana trip, but since we couldn't give it more than a quick trip we said we'll do it next trip.

Greg/Sacramento

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

We did the entire Hana road - the full loop around south Maui in 2003 with an ordinary compact size rental car. We had another couple with us who lived on Maui - they said "no problem" and they were right.

The road was a bit washboardy and bumpy in a few spots, but nothing that I wasn't familiar with from driving on gravel country roads in Minnesota in my younger days. A few places might be unsettling for a person with vertigo.

If you're interested in doing the entire loop I would go for it unless you see some something official that says the road is closed to all but 4-WD. By "official" I mean something posted by the County of Maui about the road., I certainly would not trust anything said by a hotel concierge or anyone associated with tourist activities. They will all simply parrot back a standard line about how the road is impassable/impossible and you shouldn't do it unguided.

During the week we were there we heard activity people telling people that the road was closed to all but 4-WD vehicles, and even most of those vehicles couldn't get through. This was right before and right after we traveled it in our compact car. If we listened to what people were telling us we would have missed one of the most enjoyable parts of our trip.

[terrazoon Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close terrazoon]

I've been to several luaus on Maui and the big island.

The Old Lahaina Luau is not for everyone, but if it is the sort of thing you would like, then it's a must-see.

Most luaus shoot for the low-brow side. So there will an MC cracking jokes, some silly audience participation stunts, and then a mix of flashy dances that are mostly from other island chains (Tahiti, New Zealand, etc.) and not from Hawaii. There's nothing wrong with that and if well done, it can be a lot of fun. Too many luaus don't do a great job of it, though.

On the other hand, Old Lahaina Luau goes high-brow. Everything is authentic Hawaiian. That means no fire dancing. They take a fairly serious tone too. But it is beautiful to watch and you can really get mesmerized. Additionally, they have a fantastic setting outside and basically right on the beach. If you are able to, sit on the tatami mats in front and not the chairs in the back.

They also have strong drinks and open bar for the duration of the show.

[Meatsss Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Meatsss]

We like to hit the beaches and play golf. The beach at the state park next to the Westin is nice. It's part of Kaanapali Beach. I doubt the whales are around in May, but the Lanai snorkel trip is nice. We like Mama's Fish House, but expect $125 per person for drinks and dinner. We also like Sea House Restaurant at Napili Kai resort. Looks out over Napili beach and some of the best sunsets. Other good restaurants are Leilani's in Whalers Village, Kimos in Lahaina, and Lahaina Fish Co.

[pcgirl54 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pcgirl54]

Just visited this May for the first time. Big Frank Roys was ok , no views at either Roys,service was stellar but Mama's Fish House in Paia wins hands down no contest. View,service and food. About $50pp go during the day for the view. A real dream!

Blue Hawaiian complete island tour. Wow!

Zipline in Ka anapali-wear dark clothes and old sneakers. Lots of fun.

Old Lahaina Luau

IAO Needle- worth the view. Spend 30-45 minutes there. In central Maui past the science center.

Almost missed this-Walk around Old Lahaina Town-little localshops and plenty of eateries. Kimos is one of them and the Hula Pie is great.

Eat lunch at Hula Grill at the tables that have a sand floor and face Lanai and Molokai in Whalers Village.

Don't do the submarine rides or the Reef Dancer rides-read internet reviews


Did not get to ride up to Haleakala. I would not miss this.


Maui is incredible and every area is different. Kihei is very nice and we ate at ALexanders Fish N CHips. Wailea is gorgeous and upscale and there is a beach path that runs along the ocean at Grand Wailiea Hotel to Kea Lanai. Park on the side street and sit at the beach. Spagos is there.

Safeway Supermarket is open 24/7. Best prices.

Aloha Mixed Plate next to old Lahaina Luau. About $10pp.


You'll need to book the Luau and zipline before you go. At least a month ahead.


Buy Maui Revealed. Ebay or half.com.

The Road to Hana (Hell). You can only drive 15mph. It takes 3 times as long as you think between the speed limit and the stops. It is beautiful. It is a test of marriage. We went all the way to the Oheo Gulch/7 Sacred pools. On that last leg past the cow fields in Hana the road is the most narrow and the speed limit is 5mph for a reason. It is breathtaking for the beauty and the road and that waterfall. You can swim at the Oheo Gulch. The rocks are slippery so wear shoes that are non skid. There is an incredible Black Sand beach at a State Park off the main road but a real short drive. It is true black sand and you can swim there. Do not miss it ,it's right out of the Travel Channel. Waianapanapa State Park-go down the path past the lava arches to the left down the steps to the cave and beach. There are rest rooms there. Skip the Botanical Garden of Eden $10 pp and instead spend time at the other places. It gets dark at 7pm so leave your resort really early to do this drive. We left West Maui at 8 and that was too late. We should have left much earlier.

[Thorson Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Thorson]

While 3 visits to Maui do not make me an expert by any means, I have several comments. I have ambivolent feelings about the road to Hana. Some great scenery and beaches to stop off at (the beauty of having a car) for sure but the traffic is terrible. Having served as the designated driver, the only way I would do it again would be in a bus, a boat or on foot.

Haleakala is much nicer at sunset. Less people, less traffic and much warmer.

Our favorites:
walking the Kings Highway as far as we can, which starts where the actual highway ends, southeast of Makena. Take sturdy shoes because you cross a number of lava flows between the stunning beaches.

The whale watching in March.

The lavender farm (name escapes me). A must do.

and the winery. Great views, great picnicing and suprisingly good wines. We purchase sandwiches up the road, tour the winery, buy some of best tasting wines and enjoy.

Enjoy! Thorson

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

Drive up to Haleakala, stop at a flower farm and/or for lunch on the way up or back.

We spent an overnight in Hana, that's the only way I would do it again. We were able to take our time at the stops we wanted to (don't do the Road to Hana without Maui Revealed). Then spent the night in a cottage and went power hang gliding the next morning, a major thrill. Hang Gliding Maui,Powered Hang glider flights above beautiful Maui, Hawaii-. We were able to take our time heading back (hitting a couple of big stops on the way) , stopping for dinner at Mama's (not for everyone, we had to change out of our bathing suits in the parking lot). You could also stop at Mama's on the way back from Haleakala, you're less likely to be in bathing suits for that trip...