Maui advice

[normtwofinger]

If your kids are prone to getting car sick, do not do the drive to Hana.

[Stillman16]

Ululani's Hawaiian Shaved ice in Lahiana is great, we went there almost every day!!!

The Luau in Lahiana was great too, if you go on your first day(s) might not be too late for kids with time change.....

Halelakela was very cold in the morning for sunrise....with kids you might just want to go mid day, could try a hike (if you think your 3 year old could manage).

We rented a GPS locally called Gypsy GPS, it was loaded with tours that guide you around the island and give history as you drive (had Haleakela, road to Hanna, south by Kihei, and North of Kaanapali too I think). If you rent a car, this can give you the tours at a low price.

[The Goon]

If you climb over the rocks from Big Beach to Little Beach, there are a lot of naked people there.

[djdragan]

Originally Posted by fotze

Just booked a trip to Maui for the first 2 weeks of December after years and years of dithering and frustration with booking tickets. Was able to actually use my aeroplan points. I have never been there and it seems like I am the only person on earth to do so.

Really have no idea where to stay even after reading all these threads and online stuff. That Maui revealed app is pretty good.

Kaanapali seems alright, expensive. Kihei seems kind of retro and not much around it other than condos.

Thinking of doing 1 week at one are and another week somewhere else. Thinking or renting a car the entire time, but not sure if necessary. VRBO has a billion places at a billion prices.

Would prefer oceanfront so you could walk from the beach to the condo to take a dump or whatever. Have 2 kids aged 3 and 7.

Checked Honua Kai and its pretty pricy and am not sure I want a giant Mexican style all-inclusive resort, but maybe I do. The Westin villas look like they will cost >$8000, which just seems ######ed.

Stayed at the 2 adjacent properties to Honua Kai the last couple of years (Maui Kai and Mahana - and really enjoyed both). Beach in that area is decent but better in the Kanaapali area. Pool at Honua Kai looks fantastic, and I really think your kids would enjoy it. All three are quite close to the beach, although Honua Kai is set back a bit behind Dukes and the pool area. I believe all rooms in Mahana and Maui Kai would be ocean view as well. IIRC, the units in all three properties are individually owned, so finishings/furnishings will vary by room. Honua Kai is fairly new, so I would think most rooms would be fairly updated.

I would say a car is a must for your entire trip. Haven't tried the bus there, but I heard it can be a pain to use. We've gotten good rates through costcotravel.com (if you have membership). Will compare all the major rental companies, and allows you to reserve without a deposit. I would reserve cheapest right now and keep checking up until you leave and rebook if you find a lower rate. Last year we ended up with a mid-size suv for $18/day from Alamo.

Would recommend Road to Hana, rented a little GPS unit call Gypsy from a kiosk near Front St in Lahaina. It provides info along the way pointing out secninc stops and also provides some history on the island and state.

Halealaka was also good, didn't make it up there for sunrise, but still an impressive view if it is a clear day. Make sure to bring jackets and pants as it can be quite windy and cold up there.

[darklord700]

I'm in Maui right now, Lahaina this week and Kehei next week.

For Lahaina/Kaanapali:
Eating out isn't great, it's either Big Teddy's Burger or $100 dinner for two kind of thing.
Tons of beaches, so far we've done Kaanapali, Kahana and Napili, will do Kapalua next. Napili and Kaanapali are both great for snorkeling and all beaches are good for swimming.
Did the Road to Hana trip and it wasn't that hard to drive. We didn't do the pools or falls becasue we have kids. The two main attractions were Keane pennisular and the Black Sand Beach.

Next to do are probably some snorkel trip, the Haleakala Crater and just relax and sleep.

By the way, anyone knows how to get served drinks on the beach?

[GirlySports]

go to kihei cafe, excellent little breakfast/lunch place

http://www.kiheicaffe.net/

[fundmark19]

My wife and baby and myself are staying on Kahana beach for 7 nights but have 2 nights when we arrive that we don't know where to stay. Is there somewhere that we absolutely have to visit or you wasted a trip when in Maui? I should also mention best places to stay for that must see area!

[darklord700]

I would say the Haleakala Crater is a must see follow by the trip to Hana.

[Ace]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

My wife and baby and myself are staying on Kahana beach for 7 nights but have 2 nights when we arrive that we don't know where to stay. Is there somewhere that we absolutely have to visit or you wasted a trip when in Maui? I should also mention best places to stay for that must see area!

You should probably stay in Hanna for those two days. You see it all the time in the guidebooks about how a person really should plan a couple days in the area to enjoy it...but usually you're trying to get back to west maui so you blow right past it. In your case since you have nothing booked, might as well try this...

[FLAMESRULE]

Originally Posted by darklord700

I'm in Maui right now, Lahaina this week and Kehei next week.

For Lahaina/Kaanapali:
Eating out isn't great, it's either Big Teddy's Burger or $100 dinner for two kind of thing.
Tons of beaches, so far we've done Kaanapali, Kahana and Napili, will do Kapalua next. Napili and Kaanapali are both great for snorkeling and all beaches are good for swimming.
Did the Road to Hana trip and it wasn't that hard to drive. We didn't do the pools or falls becasue we have kids. The two main attractions were Keane pennisular and the Black Sand Beach.

Next to do are probably some snorkel trip, the Haleakala Crater and just relax and sleep.

By the way, anyone knows how to get served drinks on the beach?

Go to Honolua Beach...~15minutes north of Kaanapali. Go snorkeling / boogey boarding...it's awesome there.

[Lanny's Stache]

Slightly off topic, but I am looking into Maui or Honolulu this year. Any experiences with the direct Westjet flights out of Calgary? Are the Thomas Cook planes just like the standard Westjet planes?

[darklord700]

The WJ direct flight we took to Honolulu was on a fair size plane.

[Bigtime]

WestJet leases two Thomas Cook 757-200 aircraft to operate the YYC/YEG-OGG/HNL flights over the winter.

I'm not sure if they offer the "premium economy" or not.

Here is the seat map from seatguru for the aircraft:

http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Tho..._757-200_B.php

The only thing that has kept me from booking with WestJet on these non-stop flights is if an issue comes up (aircraft goes mechanical) you could get stuck and lose time from your vacation waiting for a plane. I'm still sticking with Air Canada and their seasonal non-stops for this reason. Plane goes mechanical? Fly me to YVR, SFO, LAX or others to connect to flights to Maui (or they can get some spare metal faster than WS to replace the bird).

[GGG]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

My wife and baby and myself are staying on Kahana beach for 7 nights but have 2 nights when we arrive that we don't know where to stay. Is there somewhere that we absolutely have to visit or you wasted a trip when in Maui? I should also mention best places to stay for that must see area!

How old would your baby be when you go? I ask becasue Haleakala is over 10000ft above sea-level so some infants have problems at that elevation. Being from Calgary we are at 4000ft so usually it isn't bad but something to run by your doctor before going.

If you like to hike an early morning hike down into the crater is pretty neat and different from the hiking we have around here. You can rent baby carriers online and they can be shipped to your hotel.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by fotze

Just booked a trip to Maui for the first 2 weeks of December after years and years of dithering and frustration with booking tickets. Was able to actually use my aeroplan points. I have never been there and it seems like I am the only person on earth to do so.

Really have no idea where to stay even after reading all these threads and online stuff. That Maui revealed app is pretty good.

Kaanapali seems alright, expensive. Kihei seems kind of retro and not much around it other than condos.

Thinking of doing 1 week at one are and another week somewhere else. Thinking or renting a car the entire time, but not sure if necessary. VRBO has a billion places at a billion prices.

Would prefer oceanfront so you could walk from the beach to the condo to take a dump or whatever. Have 2 kids aged 3 and 7.

Checked Honua Kai and its pretty pricy and am not sure I want a giant Mexican style all-inclusive resort, but maybe I do. The Westin villas look like they will cost >$8000, which just seems ######ed.

The Kaanapali beach is not good for 3 year olds for playing in the water. It has a really steep dropoff into the water so 4 feet into the water the waves are able to knock over a 3 year old. Kapalua and Keihi were both better. The snorkling at Kaanapali is fantastic though.

[fundmark19]

Originally Posted by GGG

How old would your baby be when you go? I ask becasue Haleakala is over 10000ft above sea-level so some infants have problems at that elevation. Being from Calgary we are at 4000ft so usually it isn't bad but something to run by your doctor before going.

If you like to hike an early morning hike down into the crater is pretty neat and different from the hiking we have around here. You can rent baby carriers online and they can be shipped to your hotel.

She will be 7 months old when we get there. We already have one of those fancy ergo baby carriers that all the hip mom and dad's own so that front is covered. Is it a hard hike? My wife isn't the biggest hiking fan but I am sure she can be convinced for something epic

[GGG]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

She will be 7 months old when we get there. We already have one of those fancy ergo baby carriers that all the hip mom and dad's own so that front is covered. Is it a hard hike? My wife isn't the biggest hiking fan but I am sure she can be convinced for something epic

Depends how far in you go. I think we did about 3 miles and 300m of elevation one way. If she is not a hiker and would only be willing to do one hike the to Waimoku Falls past Hanna on the road to Hanna would be my choice. It is a 400 ft waterfall and along the way you pass through a bamboo forest which is really neat. It is a pretty easy hike although it is pretty muddy. Its quite the drive to do that Waimoku falls if you don't spend a night in Hanna though.

[Jing]

I am not sure how much it is to rent the Gypsy GPS, but I bought the Gypsy (for Maui) app for Android for $10, and just used my Nexus 7 as my tour guide. Pretty sure that this app is available for Apple iPhones as well. This app also doesn't require any data or cellular connection.

As for food suggestions, Honu and Star Noodles were pretty good (both in Lahaina). Star Noodles gets pretty busy so it is best to make a reservation if possible.

[Suave]

Originally Posted by fotze

We booked honua kai for the first week at the same time as friends then we go off on our own. Thinking of doing 2 days in hana then the 5 remaining days in Kihei somewhere.

Is hana pretty boring for the kids? Any comments since I have never been to hawaii at all.

Luau a good thing to do for the kids birth day? Molokini worth it?

Good choice with Honua Kai, as I'm there right now. Great for families. Lots of pools and the deepest any of them get is 5ft, most are around 3.5ft. The room we have is huge, a lot bigger then the pictures looked.

Can't really help you out on the other places but any questions on this area or resort I can do my best.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by fotze

Is hana pretty boring for the kids? Any comments since I have never been to hawaii at all.

I've only been to Hana once, but it was definitely the most laid back and quiet spot in Maui I've been to. We spent one night there and saw very few kids around the place.