Where in Maui?

[tavish2]

So the very soon to be Mrs Tavish and I have decided go to Maui for our honeymoon. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do, where to stay, ect? Neither of us have ever been to Hawaii so its a totally new experiance for us. I was thinking of hiking through the Haliacula (sp?) crater one day. We were thinking of renting a condo for our stay instead of a hotel so we could go to some farmers markets and cook with some local food as well... any suggestions on any topics?

[Larkin W.]

Maui is awesome! When we went on our honeymoon 5 years ago, we staued at the Westin Maui Resort which was very nice, but also expensive. I hope you are seasoned hikers if you plan on hiking the crater. We went about a mile down a trail then turned around. Its a huge change in altitude getting up there, the ground is like walking in sand, and the winds are strong. I would highly recommend seeing Haleakala though as it is very cool and if you hike the whole thing you are truly a Mauuuuun!

Road to Hana is worth the trip if you have the time. There are many cool sights along the way and the hidden nudist black sand beach in Hana. Snorkeling is pretty good around Maui, another option is something like Zipcording through the rainforest.

We are heading to the Big Island in July for our 5 year aniversary and can't wait to go back to Hawaii.

[tavish2]

thanks for the tips larkin.

So does this mean that nobody else in the BN Army has been to maui???

[TheDarkSide]

Where the hell is Bill?

[San_Diego_Matt]

I went to Maui....uhh....18 years ago after graduating high school. We stayed at the Maui Sunset in Kihei. It was pretty cool. We were just south if Lahina and spent some time there. We ate at Cheeseburger in Paradise, We also went over to Hana one day and that was great. We spent some time on Big Beach just messing around as one does on the beach.

We also spent a LOT of time snorkeling all over the place. We had a condo and most of the time cooked our own meals there and that part was awesome. The availability of fresh fish and other local foods was incredible.

Maybe its because I live in San Diego, but I don't really think I'll be going back any time soon. We have the beach here so I don't feel the need to take a vacation to the beach.

[foomench]

A hike of the crater at Haleakala is definitely worth considering if you're up for it. We drove up the crater at o'dark-30 to watch the sunrise. After that, we drove down to the terminus of our intended hike, and hitchhiked back up to the top of the trail. Then we hiked down the crater, where down is about 80-90% of the journey, with a real steep part for that last 10 or so % that is pretty killer by then. I think we finished the hike around 7 p.m., which included some diversions around different cones and a hike in a lava tube.

Road to Hana is worthwhile, as are the Seven Sacred Pools, which aren't sacred and don't number seven, but are still worth seeing.

Drove around the north side to see a blow hole. Kind of a nice trip to get away from people.

We stayed at a number of different places on the island, in particular a B&B close to Haleakala the night before we drove up for the sunrise.

I don't recall snorkeling on Maui, but I've heard good things. The best snorkeling I've done in Hawaii is on the west side of the Big Island.

[bcmaui]

Was flying all day yesterday - got back from America last night and I am dragging today - thought I came down with a cold over the weekend, but it was allergies. I guess I'm allergic to Kansas.

When I vacation on Maui, we rent a small condo in Hana and bring several coolers and just relax on Hamoa Beach. I suggest 2 nights in Hana - one minimum. If you just go for the day the drive out and back will work you, especially if you are staying on the westside (Lahaina/ Kaanapali). If you are prone to getting car sick, skip Hana. Hana is "crowded" mid-day, morning and evenings you can really enjoy it.

The Haleakala crater summit is 10,000' above sea level. Hiking up there is not for the novice hiker. There are some trails a little lower down "Polipoli" - it was hit by a forest file a few years ago but has begun to recover. If you are into guided tours these folks have been around for a while, but I don't know them.

http://www.hikemaui.com/

If you like horses, you can do that. A few zip lines are here as well selling the "eco" angle. Not sure how driving tourists off road in SUV's to zip line areas is "eco", but that is the cynic in me.

Good idea to cook your own food - meals here are typically overpriced and under quality from what I have experienced in the big urban areas on the mainland. If you have a unit with a small kitchen area and save dining out for a few select occasions that is how we like to travel too.

PM me and I will give you my phone number and see what you are after and make suggestions.

The current administration has cracked down on "illegal" B&B's - so there is much less selection than just 2 years ago. Visitor numbers are beginning to recover from the tank last year, but condo prices are still lower than before - if you look around. Offseason (spring and fall) you can get great prices on airfare (we flew to Portland $300 each roundtrip early last month). Christmas and summer are busy and more expensive.

Summer time the waves come in from the southeast, so snorkling in the big wave winter spots is fun (Honolua Bay).

I'll give you some friends at Maui Brewing to talk to if you want to see them.

[Larkin W.]

From what I understand, Costco has the cheapest gas in Hawaii. Good thing I'm a member On the big Island, we are staying in Kona (we will have a full kitchen so we plan on cooking a bit too), but I'm still trying to figure out how many nights to book in Hilo or Volcano so that we can take our time and see lots of kilauea.