So you decided on Maui….

Let’s start with Ka’anapali.  Ka’anapali was the first master planned destination resort in the world so it is completely set up for tourism.  There are a lot of condo and hotel rooms and a lot of the package deals you’ll find are for stays here.  It’s not a bad place to start for your first visit here.  The beach is very nice and there are turtles and whales off shore and lots of ways to play.  But you would do yourself a dis-service if you only saw this part of the Island.

Just south of Ka’anapali is Lahaina, an old whaling town.  If you want to shop, this is where you come.  It’s fun to stroll the streets looking in all the shops and there are a ton of restaurants here.  Again it is a tourist town and there are lots of ways to spend your money in Lahaina, especially with water activities.

South of Lahaina is Maalaea.  This a small harbor for locals and some charters.  The Maui Ocean Center is also here.  There are quite a few condos and time shares and it is a convenient location to stay.

Working your way south you will come to Kihei.  This is where we like to stay.  Kihei is where the locals live and it’s less touristy, though not by much.  We just prefer the “feel” of this area where not everyone is a tourist. 

South of Kihei you have Wailea and Makena this is more for residents and island regulars but it has some big, super nice hotels including The Grand Wailea.  I recommend just walking the grounds and the Grand Wailea, it’s gorgeous and there is a very nice ocean walk that will take you past several hotels and condos.  It’s a great place to catch sunset.  For a real treat, book a treatment at Spa Grande and spend a day trying the specialty baths.  Yes, if you book a treatment they will let you hang out at the spa all day.  Trust me, you won’t want to leave.  If you plan on visiting the spa go the first day or later in your trip.  You don’t want to have a sunburn!

There is one other little delight tucked away in the south-west of the island.  Little Beach is the island’s nude beach.  If you have never swam in the ocean butt naked, do yourself a favor and do it.  You only live once!  It’s a little bit of a hike north of Big Beach and over a small lava hill (just follow everyone else) but it’s worth it.  Big Beach and Little Beach were taken over in the 60’s by a bunch of hippies and on Sundays Little Beach returns to these roots with a fabulous drum circle, dancing, free-for-alls fueled by a variety of mood altering substances.  It’s an unique Maui experience.

Oprah has a home on the mountain above this part of the island.  I heard she built a private road down to this area so she can walk her dogs on the beach, so you just might see her walking around, though I don’t think you’ll find her at Little Beach.

Heading back north through the saddle of the island, (Maui is made of two volcanos joined through this strip of land) there are a lot of fields.  This used to be big time sugar cane land and some is still grown here.  You’ll find the Iao Valley off of highway 30.  This is iconic Maui and a must see for a first timer.  They've set up a nice park with examples of how the hawaiian ancestors lived but the real draw is the view of the Iao Needle.  The locals come here to play in the stream so bring a swim suit.

Now for Kahului.  It’s the big city in these parts and where your plane will land.  This is where your will find the mall, movies, Costco and other big retailers.  It doesn’t look like a great place to stay.  It’s mostly locals here.

It’s time for the north coast….The famous road to Hana.  Ok, this is something you really have to do at least once.  What’s a trip to Maui without being able to say you “survived the road to Hana”?  In reality the road is not that bad.  It is nothing but twists and turns and it’s narrow but they’ve made a lot of improvements to it since the old days so it’s not that big of deal to survive it.  But you still want to see it because it’s gorgeous here, Hawaii at it’s best.  Lush greenery, waterfalls, gorgeous ocean views.  Plan on taking your time and stopping a lot to get the most out of the trip.  The driver has to really focus on the road so plan on switching off this duty or maybe book yourselves on a tour bus.  If your drive yourself, pick up audio tour cd for the trip.  You’ll find them at just about every store you stop in after Kahului and they are inexpensive and can really enhance your experience.  Some resorts and time shares have copies available for you to  use.  You can continue on the road after Hana if you choose.  Rental car companies don’t want you to because the road is sometimes very rough and help is far away.  My experience is that the southern part of the island is not that pretty.  I’m glad that I saw it but I never have to do it again.

There isn’t much to do in Hana but it is a cute little town.  This is where the old adage “it’s not the destination but the journey” really applies.  A lot of celebrities have homes on the mountain on this side of the island.  You never know you may run into Pat Benatar or Kris Kristofferson.  Even if you don’t choose to do the road to Hana, do go to the town of Pa’ia.  It’s a nice little tourist town with a very funky edge.  You never know what you will see in Pa’ia.  There are also some great little places to eat here.  It’s one of my must go day trips when i’m on the island. 

Sunrise on Mt. Haleakala is supposed to be absolutely amazing but I have yet to experience it.  You have to get up in the middle of the night for the trip and it is very cold up there so you need to be prepared.  You can also visit the Haleakala Crater which last erupted around 1790.  There is a tour that will take you to the top and give you a bike to ride down the mountain.

I didn’t mention the north-west knob of the island.  This is the area north of Ka-anapali.  This is a very pretty drive with great views and snorkeling opportunities but the road gets narrow and bumpy past the northern most point and can be dicey.  It ends with a short one-way section as you get to Kahului Bay.  The problem is you are going the wrong way!  However we did find a little stand that sold amazing chocolate chip banana bread on this drive, so it was worth it.

Activities I can recommend on Maui are..

1. Water play!  You can rent snorkeling gear and find great spots to explore all over the island.  Same goes for boogie boards.  Take a surfing lesson.  Learn to scuba, sail board, paddle board, windsurf, kiteboard…. you get the idea.  You can do it all here.  One really cool excursion is to take a tour to Molokini Crater.  This crescent shaped island is a fish and bird preserve between  Maui and the island of Kaho’olawe.
   

2. Parasail!  On our last trip I got to try this for the first time and it was so fun!  I would happily do it again.  My wife, who was afraid,  even enjoyed it once I got her to look down to see all the fish in the water.
   

3. Ziplining!  Zipping is our new passion.  There are three zip locations on Maui.  We’ve been on Slyline Eco Adventure’s Haleakala tour and loved it!
   

4. Whale watching from the shore or boat excursion.  Humpback whales come here to have their babies from December through March and are an awesome sight to see.  You can hear them singing when you swim underwater in the ocean.
   

5. Experience Swimming in the nude at Little Beach.   Yeah, I know.  I felt the same way, until I tried it.   Life is too short to limit yourself!
   

    Spa Day at the Grand Wailea.  It’s a splurge but worth it.  Ask your concierge,                 sometimes you can get a deal if you book through them.  End your spa day with a stroll down the ocean front walk to watch the sunset.

On my list for our next visit….

    Ziplining at Piiholo Ranch Zipline

1. Horseback riding on Haleakala
   

2. Jet Skiing
   

3. Another snorkeling visit to Molkini
   

My favorite beaches on Maui…..

1. Little Beach and
   

2. Big Beach, both south of Makena
   

3. Kama’ole Beaches in Kihei
   

4. Ka’anapali Beach
   

My favorite places to eat….

Restaurants tend to change fast on the islands but here’s few I really like.  These are must-go’s for us, and we usually go several times during our stay.

1. Coconuts in Kihei.  Fresh fast and delicious!  I try to avoid gluten and dairy so I love that I found a place to get a quick delicious and healthy meal.  My fav is the taco mountain with brown rice.
   

2. Maui Tacos  My son’s favorite, it’s the local fast food Mexican.
   

3. Ululani’s Shave Ice! Shave Ice is an island favorite and one of my passions.  Apparently a good shave ice is more difficult than it looks because i have had some mediocre experiences on the islands.  Ululani’s is my fav, and it is always good.  There are several locations, so check their Facebook to find the one closest to you.  Don’t be intimidated by the flavor choices.  Be bold and try something crazy, and do try it with a scoop of ice cream on the bottom!  My current favorite combo is mango and tiger blood.
   

4. Julie’s Stand way up on the 30.  Really good banana bread.
   

5. Kihei Cafe in Kihei  A great locals place for breakfast.
   

6. Five Palms in Kihei  A great date night place, especially for sunset.
   

7. Hula’s Cookies next to the Aquarium in Ma’alaea.  Coconut ice cream with chocolate coconut cookie.  Enough said.
   

For more info:     http://www.gohawaii.com/maui