# Maui planning, tips, and trip reports



## cgattis

Hi all! I know it’s not specifically Aulani, but lots of us do a combo with another island. Plus I just find I get the most descriptive reviews from DIS’ers!! So starting a Maui planning thread!! We’ll be there summer 2022. Would love to hear others’ plans and also learn from those going between now and then. Maui no ka oi!


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## happymommy

Are you on Tripadvisor?   I always try to go to their travel forums for info.

Happy planning!


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## cgattis

Oh yes, I’ve spent many hours on there plus every travel guide known to man! We’ve been to Maui once, but only for two days—Haleakala/upcountry and to Hana and back. I just like to get all the first-person feedback I can!


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## cgattis

I’m just shamelessly bumping this up….

My #1 must-do for our return trip to Maui was snorkeling Molokini; have always heard fabulous stories. However, from reading current reviews, and a firsthand account from a friend who goes most every year, it sounds like it’s so crowded now that it really doesn’t outweigh all the great free from-shore snorkeling spots.

Anybody with recent experience or friends who’ve been lately with thoughts on this? It really looks to me like plenty of great free places in south Maui alone (like Malauka and Ulua).


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## abdgeek

cgattis said:


> I’m just shamelessly bumping this up….
> 
> My #1 must-do for our return trip to Maui was snorkeling Molokini; have always heard fabulous stories. However, from reading current reviews, and a firsthand account from a friend who goes most every year, it sounds like it’s so crowded now that it really doesn’t outweigh all the great free from-shore snorkeling spots.
> 
> Anybody with recent experience or friends who’ve been lately with thoughts on this? It really looks to me like plenty of great free places in south Maui alone (like Malauka and Ulua).



Snorkeling Molokini was on my bucket list the last time I was in Maui.  I went in December, so was able to do whale watching too.  I did Molokini snorkeling with Sail Trilogy and really loved them.  I actually did two snorkeling trips with them, Molokini and Kaanapali, and did snuba at Molokini.  Sail Trilogy leaves about 7am for Molokini, so we were the 2nd boat there. It wasn’t that crowded and we snorkeled about 45 minutes before going to a 2nd snorkel spot.  I did whale watching with PacWhale, but they also do snorkeling.  I plan to use Sail Trilogy again this year when I go to Maui to snorkel Lanai and whale watch.


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## abdgeek

cgattis said:


> Oh yes, I’ve spent many hours on there plus every travel guide known to man! We’ve been to Maui once, but only for two days—Haleakala/upcountry and to Hana and back. I just like to get all the first-person feedback I can!



So far, I’ve been to Maui two times and I’m headed back for a third later this year.  I always island hop when I go to Hawaii and combine a week on Oahu with a week on another island.  The first visit, I stayed on the Kihei side and did things mainly on that side.  Since I travel solo, I usually book tours to visit anywhere I don’t want to drive to or want to see the scenery (Mt. Haleakala, Road to Hana).  I also did Iao Valley, Wailea, Lahaina, Maui Tropical Plantation, Old Lahaina Luau, Drums of the Pacific Luau, Kepaniwai Park, etc. on my own. For my last and upcoming visit I’ve stayed on Kaanapali side, which I think I prefer just for proximity to everything on that side without having to drive one hour to get to it.  So far, Maui is my favorite island; however, I do plan to return to the Big Island and visit Kaui and Lanai.


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## corgi_monster

If you like scenic drives, check out the road that goes up north by Kapalua and back down the east side of the island to Wailuku.  It's literally the road less traveled.  There aren't a lot of tourists (or even locals) who take this route so you're not stuck in that awful road-to-Hana traffic.  There are a couple of little local shops (don't miss the banana bread stand) and areas to pull off and enjoy hiking/beach/nature.  You can "drive" the entire route on Google maps to see if it's something that interests you.


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## Anna Chassereau

Following! Spending 10 nights at Aulani in July 2022...then heading to Maui for 4 or 5 nights. The only thing I’ve figured out so far for our Maui portion of the trip is I definitely want to book the Hyatt on Kanaapali when our dates become available. Looking for advice on the best things to do with a 10 year old in tow!


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## cgattis

Anna Chassereau said:


> Following! Spending 10 nights at Aulani in July 2022...then heading to Maui for 4 or 5 nights. The only thing I’ve figured out so far for our Maui portion of the trip is I definitely want to book the Hyatt on Kanaapali when our dates become available. Looking for advice on the best things to do with a 10 year old in tow!


Well idk if a 10YO would be interested, but there is a guy In Ka’anapali who does glass-blowing sessions and I’m SO tempted to go do it!! I feel like we need to at least spend one day there anyway.


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## cgattis

corgi_monster said:


> If you like scenic drives, check out the road that goes up north by Kapalua and back down the east side of the island to Wailuku.  It's literally the road less traveled.  There aren't a lot of tourists (or even locals) who take this route so you're not stuck in that awful road-to-Hana traffic.  There are a couple of little local shops (don't miss the banana bread stand) and areas to pull off and enjoy hiking/beach/nature.  You can "drive" the entire route on Google maps to see if it's something that interests you.


Well…we’ve already decided to do the awful road to Hana traffic again  We’re going to stay there a couple of nights, though, so we can spend more time doing some favorites over there (Wai’anapanapa, Hamoa beaches) plus the things we missed (Pipiwai trails and pools at O’heo). The bamboo forest sounds soooo cool but man it’s gonna be tough to convince DH to hike that far. Why can’t there be a taco truck AT the falls as a reward??!? LOl


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## alohamom

Anna Chassereau said:


> Following! Spending 10 nights at Aulani in July 2022...then heading to Maui for 4 or 5 nights. The only thing I’ve figured out so far for our Maui portion of the trip is I definitely want to book the H*yatt on Kanaapali *when our dates become available. Looking for advice on the best things to do with a 10 year old in tow!



We stayed there about 12 years ago and my kids still talk about the pool. We have been to many resorts throughout the islands, the most with great pools including Aulani a few times but that one Hyatt pool is the one they talk about. There is a "secret" second cave by the grotto pool bar. You can swim up and under into it, it is so cool!


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## Anna Chassereau

alohamom said:


> We stayed there about 12 years ago and my kids still talk about the pool. We have been to many resorts throughout the islands, the most with great pools including Aulani a few times but that one Hyatt pool is the one they talk about. There is a "secret" second cave by the grotto pool bar. You can swim up and under into it, it is so cool!



Oh wow that’s awesome!!! Funny the pool is actually one of the major selling points for us! It looks amazing and I love the swim up bar in the cave/grotto!! That’s so great glad to hear your kids loved it so much and I hope my son will feel the same! It’s pricey but looks worth it


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## Anna Chassereau

cgattis said:


> Well idk if a 10YO would be interested, but there is a guy In Ka’anapali who does glass-blowing sessions and I’m SO tempted to go do it!! I feel like we need to at least spend one day there anyway.



Oh that sounds neat!!! I will definitely check that out thank you for the suggestion!


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## jerseygal

alohamom said:


> We stayed there about 12 years ago and my kids still talk about the pool. We have been to many resorts throughout the islands, the most with great pools including Aulani a few times but that one Hyatt pool is the one they talk about. There is a "secret" second cave by the grotto pool bar. You can swim up and under into it, it is so cool!


We will be doing Aulani for 7 nights, awhile from now, hopefully May of 2023Followed by Maui fir about 3 or 4 nights..That Hyatt sounds amazing!


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## RamblingMad

The temperatures vary a lot across this island.

What I do recommend is the food trucks. Lots of good food trucks on this island. It’s also a more high end island. I’d take a boat to the Oracle guy’s island while here. It’s a great little trip. Staying there, however, is not cheap.


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## FoodieFriend

As you can tell from my user name, I'm all about the food so any info I have about Maui is mostly food advice. I'm an Oahu resident that visits Maui every so many years, but my mom & sister go annually. PP mentioned food trucks so here's a few that we visit: Ogo, Thai Mee Up, Maui Fresh Streatery, Peace Love Shave Ice, Gus Hawaiian Shave Ice. Restaurants: Pita Paradise, 808 Deli, Humble Market Kitchin, Poi By the Pound, Tin Roof Maui, Paia Fish Market, Cafe O'Lei, Leoda's, Ulupalakua Ranch Store & Grill. Favorite snacks/take home goodies: Tasaka Guri Guri, Stillwell's Bakery (cream horns!!), Hula Cookies & Ice Cream, Maui Pie, Maui Bread, Surfing Goat Dairy, Maui Specialty Chocolates, Sweet Paradise Chocolatier.
I also feel that Maui Ocean Center is the best aquarium in the state.
We also enjoy the Maui Swap Meet on Saturdays that is scheduled to restart on June 12, per their FB page. Lots of vendors featuring locally made products.
We'll be there in July & hopefully have more info.


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## cgattis

FoodieFriend said:


> As you can tell from my user name, I'm all about the food so any info I have about Maui is mostly food advice. I'm an Oahu resident that visits Maui every so many years, but my mom & sister go annually. PP mentioned food trucks so here's a few that we visit: Ogo, Thai Mee Up, Maui Fresh Streatery, Peace Love Shave Ice, Gus Hawaiian Shave Ice. Restaurants: Pita Paradise, 808 Deli, Humble Market Kitchin, Poi By the Pound, Tin Roof Maui, Paia Fish Market, Cafe O'Lei, Leoda's, Ulupalakua Ranch Store & Grill. Favorite snacks/take home goodies: Tasaka Guri Guri, Stillwell's Bakery (cream horns!!), Hula Cookies & Ice Cream, Maui Pie, Maui Bread, Surfing Goat Dairy, Maui Specialty Chocolates, Sweet Paradise Chocolatier.
> I also feel that Maui Ocean Center is the best aquarium in the state.
> We also enjoy the Maui Swap Meet on Saturdays that is scheduled to restart on June 12, per their FB page. Lots of vendors featuring locally made products.
> We'll be there in July & hopefully have more info.


Annnnd now I’m starving!! 

Has Tin Roof made it through covid?? I found their website when thinking about plans for our arrival night and it sounded awesome!! But for some reason I thought I’d read they closed? Hopefully that was temporary? We did Ukupalakua Ranch last time because DH is a cattle farmer too; acid deer burger was superb. Kind of thought about just swinging by the store this time but maybe eating at Bullys Burgers instead. Should we rethink that? Glad to hear Humble Market Kitchin made the list; it’s in the plan too! I’ve also heard great things about 808 deli.

What do you think about any of these: Pint and Cork, Maui Brewing (although it won’t be my beloved Kona Brewing, I know ), Miso Phat Sushi? What’s your fave in Paia (casual—not Mama’s)? And what about Hana?

Thanks for the info!! We love to eat too!!


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## kungaloosh22

cgattis said:


> Well…we’ve already decided to do the awful road to Hana traffic again  We’re going to stay there a couple of nights, though, so we can spend more time doing some favorites over there (Wai’anapanapa, Hamoa beaches) plus the things we missed (Pipiwai trails and pools at O’heo). The bamboo forest sounds soooo cool but man it’s gonna be tough to convince DH to hike that far. Why can’t there be a taco truck AT the falls as a reward??!? LOl



Definitely no taco truck. 

I hope you can convince him to go. Pipiwai is my favorite hike anywhere!


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## jerseygal

After reading these threads, getting the “bug” to return to Aulani after 7 years.. will celebrate our “40th” in ‘23! it’s in July but will travel in mid May, hopefully less crowded before kiddies get out of school! Looking at combining  with Maui Sheraton Kaanapoli Beach, looks really nice


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## BigTex71

We did an Aulani/Oahu and Maui trip in 2019 (Trip Report in my signature.) I did TONS of research before we went and it turned out to be our best family vacation yet! SO we are planning on going back in the summer of 2022 (like you.)
This time we will fly to Maui first, so we can do the sunrise from Haleakala (our first full day) without too much strain because of the time difference. Makena Beach down in South Maui (Wailea area) is awesome, as is the Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott - that is where we will be staying (already booked our room.) The Wailea area is VERY similar to the Ko Olina area on Oahu where Aulani is. Upscale and beautifully manicured areas.
I am starting up my further research for that trip - so I will be following this thread for ideas.


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## braysmommy

We have a 2 week Hawaii trip starting next Monday. Flying from Boston to Maui next week for first week before flying to Oahu and have a split stay 3 nights Aulani/4 nights Waikiki. It is myself and my 15 yr old son traveling and it will be our first time to Hawaii. On Maui we booked a snorkeling tour, will hike on Haleakala, road to Hana, snorkel from beaches and hike. Our 3 nights at Aulani we will do the North Shore but besides that probably just enjoy the resort. I have booked Pearl Harbor and a kayaking tour during our stay in Waikiki. Getting excited as this is a make up vacation for when our Hawaii DCL cruise was canceled.


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## cgattis

BigTex71 said:


> We did an Aulani/Oahu and Maui trip in 2019 (Trip Report in my signature.) I did TONS of research before we went and it turned out to be our best family vacation yet! SO we are planning on going back in the summer of 2022 (like you.)
> This time we will fly to Maui first, so we can do the sunrise from Haleakala (our first full day) without too much strain because of the time difference. Makena Beach down in South Maui (Wailea area) is awesome, as is the Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott - that is where we will be staying (already booked our room.) The Wailea area is VERY similar to the Ko Olina area on Oahu where Aulani is. Upscale and beautifully manicured areas.
> I am starting up my further research for that trip - so I will be following this thread for ideas.


We did Haleakala last trip, but not for sunrise. Just couldn’t convince the fan it’d be worth it. Not sure if we’ll try this time or not, but it was still awesome to see even in full daylight. Like being on Mars!!

We’re seriously staying at the same hotel…..!! You must be going a little before us because my dates aren’t open yet. You can be the guinea pig!! . Have you stayed there before? Would love some specific feedback on pools and such if you have; kind of hard to tell what’s what/where from the pics online. (If I can’t get all my nights on points, we may stay at that Residence Inn.)

I’ve got this Maui snorkel guide book that talks very specifically about pros and cons of each beach. Definitely Makena seems great. Any other faves you have? Probably will check out all the ones on the beach path but want to check out Malauka too; we saw zero turtles in 14 days last time (but several seals!!) so really hoping to see some! Was even thinking of kayaking there; have you?

Also, both Snorkel Bob’s and the Snorkel Store rent stuff at great rates and both have cute newsletters/snorkel reports you can sign up for. I’ll probably carry my own snorkels, but considering renting belts.

And since you’re a Texan, I’ll mention we plan to go ride horses one day, but can’t really decide where. Makena Stables takes you to the beach, but another one (forget the name) is on the edge of Ulupalakua Ranch (which we visited last time) and DH loves to see the cattle farms (he has black angus too). Any experience with riding there?

Happy to share anything I learned last time and look forward to planning alongside you here!!


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## cgattis

braysmommy said:


> We have a 2 week Hawaii trip starting next Monday. Flying from Boston to Maui next week for first week before flying to Oahu and have a split stay 3 nights Aulani/4 nights Waikiki. It is myself and my 15 yr old son traveling and it will be our first time to Hawaii. On Maui we booked a snorkeling tour, will hike on Haleakala, road to Hana, snorkel from beaches and hike. Our 3 nights at Aulani we will do the North Shore but besides that probably just enjoy the resort. I have booked Pearl Harbor and a kayaking tour during our stay in Waikiki. Getting excited as this is a make up vacation for when our Hawaii DCL cruise was canceled.


Have you driven to Hana before? I’m happy to share our personal opinions on it.  We’re spending a couple of nights in Hana this time so we don’t have to rush so much.

Have you snorkeled from the beaches there before? Would love to hear your opinions of each. Is your snorkeling tour to Molokini?


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## braysmommy

cgattis said:


> Have you driven to Hana before? I’m happy to share our personal opinions on it.  We’re spending a couple of nights in Hana this time so we don’t have to rush so much.
> 
> Have you snorkeled from the beaches there before? Would love to hear your opinions of each. Is your snorkeling tour to Molokini?



Would love your recommendation for Hana! This will be our first time on Maui and booked snorkeling tour with Sail Trilogy  - Discover Kaanapali. Will be sure to keep notes and report back after our vacation. Just booked our Walgreens ID Now test for Friday afternoon!


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## cgattis

braysmommy said:


> Would love your recommendation for Hana! This will be our first time on Maui and booked snorkeling tour with Sail Trilogy  - Discover Kaanapali. Will be sure to keep notes and report back after our vacation. Just booked our Walgreens ID Now test for Friday afternoon!


I’ve definitely got my thoughts on the road to Hana! First, if you’ve got folks who get carsick, I’d highly recommend taking whatever they normally take (Dramamine or whatever); I’d definitely have needed it if I had been in the back seat.  I recommend the Shaka Guide or Gypsy app to help narrate along the way and help you not miss some of the pull-offs. Work of warning, though—my kids hated the music in between and wanted the radio LOL Heed the stop directions at the one-way bridges for sure!! Don’t leave anything in your car you can’t stand to lose. All we took was a cooler and a clear beach bag so anyone could see it just had sunscreen and crap in it. Whether because of that or just luck, nothing was bothered. (And I took a roll of paper “shop towels” to clean muddy feet if needeeAnd definitely leave as early as you can stand—the stops are tiny and get crowded.

I’m gonna attempt to go in order but forgive me if I mess some up! (Disclaimer: this is not a navigational aid!! LOL) In Paia, Ho’okipa lookout is THE place for kite surfers, but I recommend stopping on the way BACK instead, because (now I read…) that lots of turtles like to sun there in the afternoon. We stopped in the morning :/ Gorgeous views though.

Three Bears Falls is super popular to swim, but it was pretty wet when we went and the trail looked a little iffy for us. If you want a pic, stop at the first pull-off (in the curve), but the trailhead is at the next stop. Again, there are just a few spots at each place, so you’ll have to be patient and maybe stop on the way back. There aren’t many places to “turn around and see if anyone left.”

I just couldn’t justify paying for four of us to go to a botanical garden when I knew three of us (I.e. everybody but me!) would be complaining and rushing. So we stopped at Ke’anae Arboretum;it’s the only free place not in private property that I think you can easily see rainbow eucalyptus. Parking is just past it on the opposite side of the road and definitely take bug spray!! You can easily stroll through in 20 minutes or so; the fam tolerated that!

Kaumahina state wayside has some of the only really bathrooms along the way, but frankly we found them as nasty as most porta-potties. I highly recommend bringing some good hand wipes. There are some lovely views from there though.

You must stop for banana bread somewhere along the way; I think you get ticketed if you don’t LOL We stopped at Halfway to Hana because it’s right on the road. It was fine but not life-altering. Kids got shave ice too. We may try Aunty Sandys this time since it gets all the raves, but it’s a little off the road and frankly I never saw the turnoff.

But I do highly recommend Coconut Glens! He makes ice cream from coconut milk and it was delish; I had the lilikoi flavor. My son got a drinking coconut carved open with a machete (worth the cost just to see that!) and daughter got a thrill of chunking it out the roof of the jeep and off a cliff when he was finished. It’s the little things….

A word of wisdom/warning about food. Bring some. Seriously, I highly recommend heavy snacks and plenty of water. You’ll find 100 little food stands on TripAdvisor and such, but we went in June (2017, pre-covid) and a good many of them were either nowhere to be found or closed at the moment. We ate at Nahiku Marketplace and whatever we had was fine (I know I had tacos) but DH was pretty skeeved out by the nasty tables and bugs running around. YMMV, but I’d have something on hand just in case you don’t find anything you want when you want to eat.

We stopped at several other waterfalls and pull-outs and the views are just amazing. I’d say just don’t get too hung up on any certain spot in case you can’t park. You might have to skip it anytry on your way back.

But the reason I’m planning to stay two nights in Hana this trip…..first, the Seven Pools we’re closed due to a mudslide, and somehow I didn’t even know about the Pipiwai Trail, so need to see those. But the gorrrrrrgeous beaches……omg. Koki Beach is fabulous (bones of Pele), not for swimming, but definitely go see the red sand.  Hamoa Beach literally looks like a travel ad for Hawaii; we didn’t have time for more than a peek, and next time I intend to park my butt there for a few hours! Gorgeous.

We also didn’t do any of the food trucks or restaurants IN Hana because we stopped on the way, and some of them sound really good.  Looking forward to those.

And my favorite spot in all of Hawaii (with the possible exception of Kilauea, cuz LAVA…) was Wai’anapanapa state park!! By afternoon, it was kinda crowded and really HOT. I fully intend to spend two full mornings here. If you go, you have to make reservations online now, at least one day prior (and no more than 14 days). We totally missed the freshwater caves, too. It literally took my breath when I came to the first lookout and I MUST return 

I hope that gives you a few things to think about and I’m happy to answer any specific questions if I can! It’s quite an adventure!!


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## braysmommy

Cgattis thank you so much for taking the time to share info on Road to Hana! We plan to head out very early on our second full day on Maui while still somewhat on EST. I have a reservation for Wai'anapanapa already and Pipiwai Trail is also a must do for us. Thanks again for all the great info!!


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## abdgeek

braysmommy said:


> This will be our first time on Maui and booked snorkeling tour with Sail Trilogy  - Discover Kaanapali.



You will love Sail Trilogy!  I used them the last time I was in Maui for my snorkel trips. I did Discover Kaanapali and Molokini.  I did snuba at Molokini and it was great.  If the weather isn’t good, the captain will adjust where you snorkel which was what happened to us on the Kaanapali snorkel.  Weather was bad on the other side of the island, so I wound up snorkeling Turtle Town twice— once for Molokini and once for Kaanapali.  I found the food to be pretty good and the workers serve you everything. The staff is very friendly and genuinely enjoy their jobs.

I’ve already booked them for my trip later this year and will be snorkeling Lanai and whale watching.  Enjoy!


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## FoodieFriend

cgattis said:


> Annnnd now I’m starving!!
> 
> Has Tin Roof made it through covid?? I found their website when thinking about plans for our arrival night and it sounded awesome!! But for some reason I thought I’d read they closed? Hopefully that was temporary? We did Ukupalakua Ranch last time because DH is a cattle farmer too; acid deer burger was superb. Kind of thought about just swinging by the store this time but maybe eating at Bullys Burgers instead. Should we rethink that? Glad to hear Humble Market Kitchin made the list; it’s in the plan too! I’ve also heard great things about 808 deli.
> 
> What do you think about any of these: Pint and Cork, Maui Brewing (although it won’t be my beloved Kona Brewing, I know ), Miso Phat Sushi? What’s your fave in Paia (casual—not Mama’s)? And what about Hana?
> 
> Thanks for the info!! We love to eat too!!



My sister & mom went to Tin Roof last March during covid (work did not allow travel for me last year, so I had to cancel the night before we were supposed to fly out). They were still working out the kinks in their online ordering system at that time, but she did say the food was delish. I think they might have temporarily closed for remodel, but I swear on their Instagram it was reopened. 
They enjoyed Humble Market Kitchin as well & I hope to try it in July since I usually love Roy Yamaguchi's restaurants. 
808 Deli was my Yelp find for them to try & they really enjoyed it. Again, this is another place I hope to get to in July.

Our family is prone to motion sickness, so we have never gone to or desire to go to Hana. I have done Haleakala sunrise & while it's beautiful, it wipes out your whole morning because the wait is exhausting. I've only done it a couple times & I wouldn't do it again unless I was traveling with first time visitors. My mom also doesn't enjoy driving to Lahaina so she won't go to Leoda's unless I'm driving. It's my absolute favorite on the island because I. Love. Bread. 
We're also don't drink alcohol, so I have no idea how Pint & Cork or Maui Brewing measures up. I've always wanted to try something in the Paia area, but we've never ventured out there, yet.

Because I missed last year's Maui trip, there's a lot I need to try plus a lot of old favorites. I may not have the tummy space to eat everything in 4 days!


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## BigTex71

cgattis said:


> We’re seriously staying at the same hotel…..!! You must be going a little before us because my dates aren’t open yet. You can be the guinea pig!! . Have you stayed there before? Would love some specific feedback on pools and such if you have; kind of hard to tell what’s what/where from the pics online. (If I can’t get all my nights on points, we may stay at that Residence Inn.)
> ...
> I’ve got this Maui snorkel guide book that talks very specifically about pros and cons of each beach. Definitely Makena seems great. Any other faves you have? Probably will check out all the ones on the beach path but want to check out Malauka too; we saw zero turtles in 14 days last time (but several seals!!) so really hoping to see some! Was even thinking of kayaking there; have you?
> ...
> Happy to share anything I learned last time and look forward to planning alongside you here!!



Check out the trip report in my sig - it has lots of pictures. We didn't originally plan on staying at Wailea Beach Resort, but ended up there (see the trip report for the gory details LOL.) We instantly fell in love with the resort. They have great pools, though they may seem more 'sterile' or 'corporate' than some of the Hawaiian grotto-type pools at some resorts (or Aulani.) The hotel just has a nice, upscale vibe. It reminds me of a Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton in that regard.

Even though we already booked a sun deck room at that resort for next year, we may change it to a 2 or 3 bedroom condo at Kaanapali Ali'i resort for a few reasons:
1. More easily walkable places to visit at Kaanapali beach area (you need to hop in the car to get to just about anywhere from WBC.)
2. Closer to The Gazebo Restaurant for the world's greatest pancakes (see trip report.)
3. We stayed at Wailea last trip and the two best areas to stay - according to my research- are Wailea and Kaanapali. So we could check off that on the list.
4. Full kitchen - save some $$$ by making several meals at the condo - since eating out is very expensive in Hawaii.

But I am torn - because Wailea Beach Resort was so nice!

About some of the beaches we visited:
Makena - a great beach to sit in the sand and relax. It is not as swimmable as some of the other beaches due to harsher waves and some rocky areas - but the rocky areas make for good snorkeling.
Kamaole Beach Park III - good for swimming, body board, relaxing
Ho'Okipa Beach Park - Sea Turtles! 'Nuf said. Surfing. Bigger waves, so not super swimmable.
Wai’anapanapa State Park (Black Sand Beach) - nice, but small. Cool lava tube to explore. Very photogenic beach.

Beaches on my list for next trip:
Kapalua Bay
Kaanapali Beach
Ho'Okipa Beach Park
Makena
Kam III
Wai’anapanapa State Park

We kayaked for the first time a few years ago when we were in Broken Bow, OK. We loved it, so we would be VERY interested in a beach area that would be calm enough for some kayaking. Please share what you find.

Our favorite beach we visited between Maui and Oahu was Lanikai Beach on the east side of Oahu (next to Kailua Beach.) That is the main reason we are going to fit in several days on Oahu again (and for Aulani!)

I, too, look forward to planning alongside you. Planning is half the fun!


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## jerseygal

@Bigtex71…If we make it back to Aulani will have to check out Lanikai Beach, thanks!


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## BigTex71

jerseygal said:


> @Bigtex71…If we make it back to Aulani will have to check out Lanikai Beach, thanks!


That beach is the reason we starting seriously looking into the feasibility of moving to Hawaii one day.


----------



## EllinK

cgattis said:


> We’re seriously staying at the same hotel…..!! You must be going a little before us because my dates aren’t open yet. You can be the guinea pig!! . Have you stayed there before?



We have stayed at the Marriott in Wailea several times and love it.


----------



## corgi_monster

FoodieFriend said:


> Tasaka Guri Guri



This right here is quite possibly the best advice I've seen on Disboards lol!


----------



## nascargirl

Following and Enjoying all this information


----------



## Grumpy by Birth

No current plans, but we hope to get back to Maui in the next few years.

Some of our favorite (simple) pleasures (admittedly some are tourist traps) were:

Snorkeling in Kapalua Bay
Driving the Road to Hana
Getting lunch at Teddy's Bigger Burgers and then dessert at Island Cream Company across the parking lot
Souvenir shopping at Kihei Kalama Village


----------



## cgattis

Grumpy by Birth said:


> No current plans, but we hope to get back to Maui in the next few years.
> 
> Some of our favorite (simple) pleasures (admittedly some are tourist traps) were:
> 
> Snorkeling in Kapalua Bay
> Driving the Road to Hana
> Getting lunch at Teddy's Bigger Burgers and then dessert at Island Cream Company across the parking lot
> Souvenir shopping at Kihei Kalama Village


Yeah, we will definitely have to hit Teddy’s again; those were really good burgers, and we’re kinda burger snobs.

What were your favorite stops along the road to Hana?


----------



## Grumpy by Birth

cgattis said:


> Yeah, we will definitely have to hit Teddy’s again; those were really good burgers, and we’re kinda burger snobs.
> 
> What were your favorite stops along the road to Hana?


Our favorites (in no particular order):
Garden of Eden Arboretum
Basically ALL the waterfalls
Stopping for lunch at Nahiku Marketplace (also got some banana bread to go)
Waianapanapa State Park


----------



## cgattis

Grumpy by Birth said:


> Our favorites (in no particular order):
> Garden of Eden Arboretum
> Basically ALL the waterfalls
> Stopping for lunch at Nahiku Marketplace (also got some banana bread to go)
> Waianapanapa State Park


I think we took the same trip LOL except I got my banana bread at Halfway to Hana.  Did you make it to the pools? They were closed for a mudslide when we were there.


----------



## natebenma

abdgeek said:


> Snorkeling Molokini was on my bucket list the last time I was in Maui.  I went in December, so was able to do whale watching too.  I did Molokini snorkeling with Sail Trilogy and really loved them.  I actually did two snorkeling trips with them, Molokini and Kaanapali, and did snuba at Molokini.  Sail Trilogy leaves about 7am for Molokini, so we were the 2nd boat there. It wasn’t that crowded and we snorkeled about 45 minutes before going to a 2nd snorkel spot.  I did whale watching with PacWhale, but they also do snorkeling.  I plan to use Sail Trilogy again this year when I go to Maui to snorkel Lanai and whale watch.



Second, Third and Fourth vote for Trilogy!

We used them for a Molokini trip in July 2014, then for Molokini and 2 whale watches in February 2020.  They are fantastic!


----------



## natebenma

Duplicate post


----------



## cgattis

natebenma said:


> Second, Third and Fourth vote for Trilogy!
> 
> We used them for a Molokini trip in July 2014, then for Molokini and 2 whale watches in February 2020.  They are fantastic!


Well a friend we met at Aulani last trip also recommended them!! I guess I need to rethink taking Molokini off my list… but I know DH won’t get on that boat and I really hate leaving him alone for the day.


----------



## DVC Doc

Does anyone have experience booking the Haleakala sunrise on Maui?  It seems like it requires the same level of sophistication as getting a ROTR boarding group


----------



## twodogs

Can anyone recommend a private sailing company?  We like to book a private boat (with captain; we don’t want to operate the boat!) to take us snorkeling etc.  I see several online but am looking for a recommendation if anyone has one.  I looked at Trilogy, which looks great but I think they generally take out 30+ people.


----------



## cgattis

DVC Doc said:


> Does anyone have experience booking the Haleakala sunrise on Maui?  It seems like it requires the same level of sophistication as getting a ROTR boarding group


I didn’t have any issue booking it when we went, but it had just started and frankly I think a lot of people didn’t know about it yet.


----------



## twodogs

Also any zip lining recommendations on Maui or scuba diving recommendations on Maui?  We zip lined with Climb Works in Oahu and loved it a few years ago!


----------



## China Expat

I have been to Maui 19 times since the 80s! Our favorite experiences include Molokini snorkeling, winter whale watching, parasailing, eating at Mama's Fish House, IOA Needle hiking, snorkeling anywhere along the coast between Lahaina and Napili, Haleakala CRater at sunrise, the Hana Highway, and that time we drove all the way around the island in our rental car!  Took 12 hours.


----------



## BigTex71

Just to chime in again about our upcoming trip for 2022:
We decided to rent a condo at Kaanapali Shores Resort up in north Kaanapali rather than stay at the Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott. We really loved that resort in Wailea, but we decided to branch out a bit and stay in Kaanapali. The full kitchen in the condo will be better on our budget for some meals at the resort (and my wife does a special WFPB diet, so limited options eating out.) We pushed our dates to July 2-6 in Maui. Also, some friends may be joining us for the trip and they have never been to Hawaii - so they wouldn't know what they are missing from Wailea Beach Resort. LOL

We enjoyed the Oahu Private Tours 2-day tour of Oahu so much on our last trip - does anyone have recommendations for any island tours on Maui? Also, we will get family portraits done in Maui, so we are looking for recommendations for that also.

TIA!


----------



## abdgeek

BigTex71 said:


> We enjoyed the Oahu Private Tours 2-day tour of Oahu so much on our last trip - does anyone have recommendations for any island tours on Maui? Also, we will get family portraits done in Maui, so we are looking for recommendations for that also.
> 
> TIA!



I used Valley Isle Excursions for my Road to Hana and Haleakala Sunrise tours.  I liked that they limited their tour groups to 12 people.  You can also check Robert’s Hawaii.  For snorkeling or whale watching, check out Sail Trilogy or Pacific Whale (PacWhale).  Everything else on Maui you can pretty much do on your own.  You can also snorkel on your own, you just have to know where to do it from.


----------



## cgattis

BigTex71 said:


> Also, we will get family portraits done in Maui, so we are looking for recommendations for that also.


We’re looking too. I haven’t used any of these, and  haven’t even contacted them coming out of covid—some may not even be around now. But here’s what I found online and my thoughts about them. Now I didn’t even include the ones whose style I didn’t like or who I found much too expensive (and some of these still are!). And of course these prices are it’s what was on their website when I looked; they could’ve changed by now:

-LeLuxe Hawaii in Kihei starts at $415 (1.25 hr/50 pics) looked like maybe the beat overall value to me
-Anna Kim was very nice but starts at $750, so I was out
-Maui Family Photography starts at $375 (30 min/40 pics) but very minimal post-processing
-Maui Family Photography starts at $375 (30 min/40 pics) but very minimal post-processing
-Scott Drexler is really professional looking but starts at $650 (cuz he’s a professional LOL)
-Love and Water in Wailea has this super dreamy pastel style, starts at $550
-A Place in Time in Makena is also pretty basic, starting at $349 (30 min/15 pics), but 15 pics wouldn’t be enough for me, so I’d be spending more right off the bat
-Capture Aloha had a super crisp look and starts at $395 (30 min/25 pics). I noted that they’ll travel for a fee, so they may be more west Maui area; can’t remember.

Hope this helps some. I was focusing on south Maui mostly, but this gives you an idea what kind of pricing to expect anyway.


----------



## tlh

This has great info!  We went to Oahu in 2015 for our third anniversary I believe (obviously been too long) and now I want to surprise my husband for our next anniversary. He always says that was his favorite trip so far.

With regards to the tours on Maui which are really worth it or would it be better for us to just do the stuff on our own in our rental.  We don’t mind driving but I’m just not sure.

I would definitely like to do the Road to Hana and Mt. Haleakala at sunrise. Are these tours worth it or could it be done on our own? Pros/cons?

What about the IOA Needle hike I saw someone mention? Any tips for that?

We are looking at 4 nights in Maui and then 4-5 on Oahu.


----------



## abdgeek

tlh said:


> I would definitely like to do the Road to Hana and Mt. Haleakala at sunrise. Are these tours worth it or could it be done on our own? Pros/cons?
> 
> What about the IOA Needle hike I saw someone mention? Any tips for that?
> 
> We are looking at 4 nights in Maui and then 4-5 on Oahu.



IMO both tours are worth it, but can also be done on your own. Unfortunately, the person driving can’t appreciate the scenery on the Road to Hana until they stop. There are audio tours and apps you can download for the tour. This website lists the stops.  If you go all the way around, it will take about 10-12 hours depending on traffic.  Think two lane country roads and dirt roads in places.

My Haleakala Sunrise tour picked me up at 3am from the hotel.  After we met up with the other people on the tour, we went up to Haleakala.  We arrived around 30-45 minutes early so we could get a good spot and see the small museum.  It is cold at the top, so bring a winter coat or layer really well.

I wouldn’t classify the path to the viewing platform for the Iao Needle as a hike.  It is only 0.6 mile long and is paved.  It’s been a couple of years since I went there, but the parking fee had to be paid in cash.  You may want to double check to see if that is still true.  Here’s the website for the park.

Only you can decide what works best for your family.  Most sites in Maui can be done on your own, it just depends on whether that’s what you want to do.


----------



## cgattis

abdgeek said:


> It is cold at the top, so bring a winter coat or layer really well.


He’s serious here. Do NOT haul 4 hoodies all the way to Hawaii and leave them in your room. Because the tiny gift shop may only have two hoodies left that are 2Xl and $65 each. Because then you may wind up with exactly ONE selfie of your whole family before they literally run back to the car. Hypothetically speaking, of course 

The drive to Hana is tiring because it’s so tedious—you have to pay attention the whole time. No cruising and checking out scenery. I’d say it might be worth doing if you don’t have your heart set on spending more time at any particular stop; with a tour, you won’t get to choose that.  We enjoyed going at our own pace, but I can definitely see the appeal of not having to watch for turnoffs, navigating the bridges, and finding parking spots.


----------



## keishashadow

we split time at Waikiki/embassy suites (used for home base for touring most of island Via a rental car).  

last few days on the island, drove over to Aulani and didn’t leave until time to board cruise ship

on Maui for 2 days, we used valley Isle tours & did the full loop/road to Hana.  

Next am they picked us up for sunrise at Haleakala.  Seriously, an awesome experience!


----------



## Peis2167

Black rock at Ka’anapali beach was my daughters favorite snorkel spot.. she’s a beginner and it was perfect for her to go out and explore. There are turtles there and super close.. it seemed like there were more later in the day (around 4-5pm) but they would literally swim by you when you were standing in knee high water.


----------



## braysmommy

We just returned home from 2 weeks in Hawaii. Spent 7 nights at Maui Ka'anapali Villas before 3 nights at Alunai/4 nights in Waikiki. It was me and my 15 yr old son and we had a great vacation! On Maui we loved hiking Sliding Sands Trail at Haleakala, Road to Hana and Pipiwai Trail, snorkel trip with Trilogy, beach at MKV, shave ice and more shave ice at Uluani's. 
Bought the Gypsy Guide for both islands are really enjoyed getting some history of the islands as we drove. Highly recommend Trilogy and the photographer we had took great shots in and out of water and photo package for the 2 of us was $69.


----------



## nkereina

Just wanted to chime in with my own Maui experience! My full trip report is in my signature. We stayed at the Westin Maui in the Kaanapaali beach region and it was probably my favorite resort out of the 4 we stayed at during our trip, including Aulani! Its on the small side, amazing pool, next door to Whaler's Village for easy shopping and dining, and at the time they also offered a free shuttle to Front Street Lahaina. I'd recommend it to anyone.

We were there in late September and one thing we noticed that for almost our entire stay there, it was incredibly windy. From the first moment we stepped outside the airport, we were smacked in the face by the wind. We found it difficult to lay on the beach because of sand blowing in our faces. The wind did keep humidity at bay and temperatures were mild, which was great for touring. We also found the waves to be large and rough and that kept me out of the ocean, as someone who is not a strong swimmer. It didn't rain at all during our stay so I'm not sure if this weather is par for the course this time of year, or if we had a bout with inclement weather. Just something we noted.

During my research, I found that the two of the highest rated luaus were in Maui - Old Lahaina Luau and Feast at Lele. OLL is a traditional Hawaiian luau. Pre-covid, they sat you at communal tables and it was buffet style; however, I believe they are now serving you. There's also lawn seating on a cushion if you prefer. There's no fire dancing, since that's native to other South Pacific cultures. Feast was a little different as it incorporated around 5 or 6 different South Pacific cultures (and had fire dancing), and they coordinated the meal course with the country being presented during the show. They had servers and seating was at your own table, assigned in the order in which you booked. Both included alcohol. We chose Feast because we were on our honeymoon and wanted our own table. Loved the show and even though some of the food was not to my taste, I was impressed with the amount of food - we did not leave hungry even though we left a lot of food on our plates at each course!


----------



## cgattis

braysmommy said:


> shave ice and more shave ice at Uluani's.


That’s on my list! Here’s my dirty little secret….in 14 days on our last trip, I didn’t try shave ice once! In my defense, I have sensitive teeth so frozen stuff is not my favorite thing….but I did go to Matsumoto’s to try it, but refused to stand in a 100-deep line for sometime didn’t really want. Kids had it several times and enjoyed it.


----------



## cgattis

nkereina said:


> During my research, I found that the two of the highest rated luaus were in Maui - Old Lahaina Luau and Feast at Lele.


The menu for Feast at Lele sounds amazing!! And definitely a fantastic choice for a honeymoon for sure. But we compared menus for several, and DD really likes the Te au Moana menu best and it’s much closer to where we’ll be staying, so I guess we’ll do it. Anyone here been to that one? It’s the one at the Marriott Wailea Beach.


----------



## braysmommy

cgattis said:


> That’s on my list! Here’s my dirty little secret….in 14 days on our last trip, I didn’t try shave ice once! In my defense, I have sensitive teeth so frozen stuff is not my favorite thing….but I did go to Matsumoto’s to try it, but refused to stand in a 100-deep line for sometime didn’t really want. Kids had it several times and enjoyed it.


The longest line we waited in was in Waikiki at Vintage Island Shave Ice. At one point my son said mom this is like waiting for 7 dwarfs without a FP


----------



## tlh

I haven’t decided on which Luau yet but trying to decide between doing one on Oahu or Maui. We haven’t been to Maui so I don’t know if I would rather venture more there and do a luau on Oahu?

I also saw some people mention photographers on Maui. Pros/ cons for photos on Maui versus Oahu?  Like I said previously we have never been to Maui and have Oahu  so unless there’s a specific reason for Maui I think I rather explore the island rather than worry about pictures there. 

I appreciate all the feedback!


----------



## cgattis

tlh said:


> I haven’t decided on which Luau yet but trying to decide between doing one on Oahu or Maui. We haven’t been to Maui so I don’t know if I would rather venture more there and do a luau on Oahu?
> 
> I also saw some people mention photographers on Maui. Pros/ cons for photos on Maui versus Oahu?  Like I said previously we have never been to Maui and have Oahu  so unless there’s a specific reason for Maui I think I rather explore the island rather than worry about pictures there.
> 
> I appreciate all the feedback!


The only photos we had made on Oahu were at Aulani, so unfortunately I didn’t do any research there; sorry! But at least we’ve got a good start on Maui research if you don’t see any on Oahu that suit your needs!

We did Paradise Cove luau on Oahu again, mostly because it was walkable from Aulani. But we really enjoyed it—great preshow activities, serviceable (and plentiful) food, and great show in our opinion.


----------



## monsterkitty

DVC Doc said:


> Does anyone have experience booking the Haleakala sunrise on Maui?  It seems like it requires the same level of sophistication as getting a ROTR boarding group



So true! If you're staying at a resort, call the concierge desk and see if they have tours. We did that when we stayed at the Marriott Ocean Club and my sister did the same at the Westin.

Good luck!

ETA, we wore our hoodies we brought from home as well as wrapped ourselves in beach towels. There were a lot of people who'd take the blankets off their hotel room beds, lol.


----------



## greenkai3000

May I ask if anyone knows whether or not advance reservations on the Ferry to Lanai are  a must, or if one can simply wait just until travel day to purchase tickets?


----------



## cgattis

twodogs said:


> Also any zip lining recommendations on Maui or scuba diving recommendations on Maui?  We zip lined with Climb Works in Oahu and loved it a few years ago!


My friend did this one—nearly a mile long!
https://www.flyinhawaiianzipline.com/


----------



## twodogs

Any spa recommendations in Maui?  We are staying at the Hyatt in Ka'anapali, so somewhere in that area is preferred.  Thank you!


----------



## FoodieFriend

Here's my food report from my weekend trip to Maui. We were unable to eat everything we wanted due to my sister feeling ill for a couple days. 
We had lunch plates from Ogo Maui & Dope BBQ food trucks in Kahului. Ogo's menu changes from day to day, so I advise following them on Instagram. They were very busy at lunch time, so calling them to place your order might result in less of a wait for your food. Dope BBQ is moving to a new spot so follow him on Instagram for the location & hours of operation. We really enjoyed his brisket & street corn. Since these were food trucks, there's no eating area so we ate our lunch in the car.
We tried Cafe O'Lei at the Dunes Golf Course in Maui Lani which features prime rib on weeknights. So good & huge! I called for reservations about a week in advance. Many Maui restaurants on OpenTable were full about 2 or more weeks before our trip, so booking early if you know you want to eat is wise (Humble Market Kitchin, Lineage, Haliimaile General Store, Ko at Farimont Kea Lani were completely unavailable). 
Our family friend told us to try Havens in Kihei for smashburgers & chow fun, so we called in our order, picked up & ate in our condo. We had the umami burger (mushrooms, jalapenos, blue cheese aioli) & wagyu chow fun (wide rice noodles stir fried with veggies & wagyu shortrib chunks). Very delicious! I hope we get to try more burgers next time.
We also tried to visit Kula Country Farms for fresh produce but we were there 30 minutes after they closed. On their website, they advertised U-Pick Strawberry season from Feb-June on Wednesday & Saturday for $5/lb and Pumpkin Patch thru the whole month of October with $3 admission per person over 2 years old. I hope we get to visit them next time.
We tried to dine in at Kula Bistro, but the wait for a table was about an hour, so we went with takeout instead. Large portions & very delicious! We had the risotto, ribeye, shrimp scampi & lasagna with a lot of leftovers! They also have a huge dessert case with both frozen & chilled desserts so save room!!!
We tried Maui Thai Bistro-Kihei which has reservations on both OpenTable & Yelp. We had their macadamia nut panang curry with shortribs, pad thai noodles & mango sticky rice.
We also had shave ice from Peace Love Shave Ice at Kihei Marketplace. While I appreciated their natural syrups, i felt they were a bit light on flavor where only the black cherry had real cherry taste. I liked the texture of their ice & the use of Roselani ice cream (vanilla, mac nut, haupia). We didn't get to try Gus Hawaiian Shave Ice this time, but I'll make it a priority next time. I'm told Ululani (various locations around the island) is a sure winner when it comes to shave ice. 
On our way to the airport, we picked up sandwiches from 808 Deli & they were great! Toasted Italian, Reuben & Shiitake Beef Melt plus pistachio pudding. Always get their pudding!!
As usual, we took frozen mini cream horns from Stillwell's Bakery, chocolate filled mochi from Maui Specialty Chocolates & pretzels from Maui Bread Company back to Oahu to share with family & friends. Maui Bread has changed their menu from last year to feature German style breads along with their Hawaiian specialties which I really loved. We were able to pre-order from Stillwell's & MSC when we arrived on Maui for pick up on our departure day. 
I was sad we didn't get to Leoda's or Maui Pie. Hopefully we'll get to more places next year.


----------



## trixie08

braysmommy said:


> We just returned home from 2 weeks in Hawaii. Spent 7 nights at Maui Ka'anapali Villas before 3 nights at Alunai/4 nights in Waikiki. It was me and my 15 yr old son and we had a great vacation! On Maui we loved hiking Sliding Sands Trail at Haleakala, Road to Hana and Pipiwai Trail, snorkel trip with Trilogy, beach at MKV, shave ice and more shave ice at Uluani's.
> Bought the Gypsy Guide for both islands are really enjoyed getting some history of the islands as we drove. Highly recommend Trilogy and the photographer we had took great shots in and out of water and photo package for the 2 of us was $69.


braysmommy, how was the RTH? I have been following the chatter on the Trip Advisor forum and the current situation with over crowding and behavior sounds like a headache.


----------



## DVC Doc

monsterkitty said:


> So true! If you're staying at a resort, call the concierge desk and see if they have tours. We did that when we stayed at the Marriott Ocean Club and my sister did the same at the Westin.
> 
> Good luck!
> 
> ETA, we wore our hoodies we brought from home as well as wrapped ourselves in beach towels. There were a lot of people who'd take the blankets off their hotel room beds, lol.



Ok so I successfully booked Haleakala sunrise and wanted to report back for anyone who may be attempting this!  Currently, the booking window opens 60 days prior to the date you want to go at 7am HST (1pm for those of us on the east coast).  There are 75 spaces each day, of which 50 are available at the 60-day mark.  First of all, go to the national parks site https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/253731 and create an account well in advance of your booking window.  Make sure you are logged in and  *exactly* 7am HST click on the date you want to go and quickly click "add to cart."  You then have 5 minutes to confirm and pay the $1.00 reservation fee.  On most days the tickets are gone within a minute.

I recommend doing a dry run a day or two in advance so you get the hang of it.  Glad I could put my Disney booking skills to good use to get this!


----------



## cgattis

WOW @FoodieFriend, you should be a competitive eater!! 

Really appreciate hearing about all these great places! Can’t wait to see how many I can try!!

Have you eaten at Halimaile General Store before? Just ran across it recently and was interested. Also, have you tried Miso Phat sushi? I remember seeing it on Guy Fieri and he said he’d eat their food out of an old shoe LOL


----------



## braysmommy

trixie08 said:


> braysmommy, how was the RTH? I have been following the chatter on the Trip Advisor forum and the current situation with over crowding and behavior sounds like a headache.
> 
> Our day was great! We left early from Lahaina and stopped a few places on the way to Pipiwai trail taking our time and listened to the Gypsy guide. We had reservations at Waiʻānapana State Park but most cars didn't realize reservations were needed and had to turn around. I have been seeing increased complaints on TA forum so not sure if crowds have gotten worse since we went. I did make sure to pull over for any car that came up behind me.  On our way back there was more traffic but still not to the capacity I feared. Good luck with your planning!


----------



## FoodieFriend

cgattis said:


> WOW @FoodieFriend, you should be a competitive eater!!
> 
> Really appreciate hearing about all these great places! Can’t wait to see how many I can try!!
> 
> Have you eaten at Halimaile General Store before? Just ran across it recently and was interested. Also, have you tried Miso Phat sushi? I remember seeing it on Guy Fieri and he said he’d eat their food out of an old shoe LOL



I've heard good things about the food at Haliimaile General Store but the service is S L O W. We'd rather try other places instead. For us, my mom doesn't eat raw stuff so sushi isn't always at the top of our list. My sister & I love sushi tho, so I'll put it on the list for next time. Thank you for the info. My actual Maui foodie list is HUGE so we always have to pick & choose to fit in what we can. I'm willing to share it if you're comfortable PMing me your email. 
My mom's friend lives on Maui, so she suggested Havens & Kula Bistro which we never heard of before. So much food, so little time!! We're starting to use our WDW strategy of splitting entrees so we have less leftovers & don't get over stuffed.

Have a look at the menus, read Yelp reviews & consider sharing items.


----------



## cgattis

Ooh you can’t just leave us hanging like that!  How did you like Wai’anapanapa state park?? Some friends of ours went with their son who was about 12 at the time, and he called it “NAPA Know How” beach LOL (That’s from an auto parts store commercial for those who haven’t heard it.) It’s on the very top of my list for next trip. LOVED it but didn’t do the freshwater caves or hike around, so gotta do that this time. Any faves/tips?


----------



## twodogs

We are staying in the Ka’anapali area.  We have done the Road to Hana years ago when it was just DH and I, but this time we are going with our teens, and I think that will be too much winding roads for their stomachs.  We want to do a waterfall type hike that is not super far from our resort area.  We are all fit and can handle a fairly difficult hike.  Are there any suggestions out there for a beautiful waterfall hike that is not across the island from our resort?  Considered the sunrise crater hike but we have a few that get car sick, so that is out just like Road to Hana…


----------



## braysmommy

cgattis said:


> Ooh you can’t just leave us hanging like that!  How did you like Wai’anapanapa state park?? Some friends of ours went with their son who was about 12 at the time, and he called it “NAPA Know How” beach LOL (That’s from an auto parts store commercial for those who haven’t heard it.) It’s on the very top of my list for next trip. LOVED it but didn’t do the freshwater caves or hike around, so gotta do that this time. Any faves/tips?



With the reservation system we got there a bit late so we hiked around some on both sides of beach before walking down to the beach to wade since we really didn't have time to swim. I would love to go back and spend significant time exploring and swimming here. So my tip is if reservation system is still in place make sure to get there at start of your booking window. I had read on TA forum that the people are non to nice if you overstay your reservation.


----------



## cgattis

twodogs said:


> We are staying in the Ka’anapali area.  We have done the Road to Hana years ago when it was just DH and I, but this time we are going with our teens, and I think that will be too much winding roads for their stomachs.  We want to do a waterfall type hike that is not super far from our resort area.  We are all fit and can handle a fairly difficult hike.  Are there any suggestions out there for a beautiful waterfall hike that is not across the island from our resort?  Considered the sunrise crater hike but we have a few that get car sick, so that is out just like Road to Hana…


Just my opinion, but we didn’t find the road up Haleakala to be bad as far as car sickness. DD and I both get a touch of it but weren’t bothered. Definitely not like going to Hana, but if they’re super-prone, it could still be a problem I guess. The road is in very good condition and feels more like highway driving, but at low speeds. Just wanted to throw this out in case you really decide you want to head up there.

But I personally don’t like hiking out on just barren flats, so a lush waterfall closer to your resort sounds awesome to me. There are bound to be some; hope you get some suggestions here.


----------



## cgattis

braysmommy said:


> With the reservation system we got there a bit late so we hiked around some on both sides of beach before walking down to the beach to wade since we really didn't have time to swim. I would love to go back and spend significant time exploring and swimming here. So my tip is if reservation system is still in place make sure to get there at start of your booking window. I had read on TA forum that the people are non to nice if you overstay your reservation.


Yes I’ve read that too! I’ll be there waiting for them to open! (Which they may not love either LOL)


----------



## cgattis

Ran across this article last night. It’s very well written and I appreciate the insight. Hoping things continue to improve.

https://www.mauiaccommodations.com/blog/visiting-maui-during-covid-what-you-need-to-know/


----------



## MsOnceUponATime

twodogs said:


> Any spa recommendations in Maui?  We are staying at the Hyatt in Ka'anapali, so somewhere in that area is preferred.  Thank you!



The Spa at Black Rock!!


----------



## MsOnceUponATime

[/QUOTE]


cgattis said:


> Hi all! I know it’s not specifically Aulani, but lots of us do a combo with another island. Plus I just find I get the most descriptive reviews from DIS’ers!! So starting a Maui planning thread!! We’ll be there summer 2022. Would love to hear others’ plans and also learn from those going between now and then. Maui no ka oi!



I spent two weeks in Maui in May and returned just last Thursday from two weeks in Kauai. I'm happy to try to help answer any questions that anyone has.


----------



## twodogs

Any tips for the rental car pick up at the airport?  We rented through Budget.  I remember in HNL, I did the registration ahead of time and then used the kiosk at the rental car location instead of waiting in the long line.  Is this possible for rentals in Maui?  Thanks! Can't believe we leave on Friday!!


----------



## twodogs

Just back form 7 nights at the Hyatt Maui Ka’anapali.  I appreciate all of the tips on here!!  I will add a few:
-did private chartered snorkeling trip with Kainani Sails.  We sailed with Austin and Phil, who gave us a great history and tour of the island from the water as we motored from the Whaler’s Village area to our snorkeling spot at Honalua.  Phil snorkeled with us, pointing out all the different species of fish and turtles!
-did Discovery Dive trip with Extended Horizons Diving.  Gu (Gustavo) was our wonderful dive master.  Our teens have never been diving, and he was an amazing teacher for them.  We had just our family of 4 on the dive with him, and we did the extra tank so we got to do two dives with him.  Super safety oriented and very good with first time divers.  Great equipment and very organized.  Shop is just in Lahaina, and we dove off  the beach at Airport Beach (just north of Black Rock).
-Kapalua zip lining which was so fun!  Very safe and the ATV ride up was a lot of fun!!
-Hiked the Kapalua coastal trail, gorgeous and WINDY but so fun. Did this prior to zip lining since we were right there.

Breaking this up because the site keeps refreshing and eating my work.


----------



## twodogs

-Parasailing with UFO at Whaler’s village, tried to book with West Maui but could not get enough times; UFO were very nice and had a great view.  Did this instead of Trilogy Sunset Sail because we had a sea sick kid.
-Spa at Westin.  No rooms open like steam room, etc, but the private lanai and pool for the spa overlooking Whaler’s village beach was divine!


----------



## twodogs

-Ate at Monkeypod once for dinner and once for late lunch.  Did NOT disappoint; everything was wonderful and drinks were great.  They aren’t taking reservations, and the dinner wait list needs to be signed up for by 4:30pm if you want to eat any time prior to 7pm.  They close the sign up at 4:45, and then reopen the list for sign ups at 6:30pm.  By then the line may be 40 minutes just to get on the list, then 1+ hour on the list, so you would not be eating until well after 8pm.  You have to be within 5 minutes when they text you that the table is ready, so we got on the list at 430pm, shopped at Whaler’s for an hour and then got our table a little before 6pm.  Late lunch was just walk in at 1:45pm yesterday.


----------



## twodogs

-Dinner at Roy’s was somewhat disappointing, just did not WOW us like the Roy’s at Aulani area that we had about 4 years ago.   Service was good but food was just so so.
-Maui Brewing Tour in Kihei was a lot of fun, with lots of samples after the tour.  We stayed there and ate dinner as well that night.  We also visited their location north of Ka’anapali (smaller location, no brewing done here), and the menu was completely different and cocktails also different.  This was a fun lunch spot after our diving morning.
_Kohola brewing one evening where our dive master, Gu, was the live musical entertainment!  So fun!  They have pretzels and cookies to buy at the bar, as well as a full bar (a little limited but since I don’t drink beer, I was happy to have options!).  There are food trucks nearby but you will need to stop on the way to the brewery to pick up food.


----------



## twodogs

-rented a Jeep ultimately from Costco.  The price eventually dropped by over 50% by the date of our trip, but then started to go back up about a week prior to trip.  Discount Hawaii car rental could never beat Costco any time I checked.  Process to rent from Budget was super easy.  We are part of Fast Break (the free program), and we ”checked in” on the Budget app before leaving Dallas that morning, and when we got to Budget, we skipped the huge line at the counter, went straight downstairs and they handed us the rental agreement and we went right to Jeep and right on our way.  Super easy and saved a lot of time.


----------



## twodogs

-we really enjoyed the Hyatt Maui.  We chose it somewhat because my DH is Globalist (highest status) so we got waived resort fees, free Club Level access and other benefits.  Had an Ocean Front room and it was gorgeous.  Wonderful daily housekeeping that was amazing!  Beach had waves and pretty good snorkeling right at the beach.  Rented covered beach bed on our resort days; well worth it.  Great access to everything we wanted to do, and we could walk about 10-15 minute to Whaler’s Village.  It was nice being close to it but not in the hustle and bustle.


----------



## Jellybean9

Here for this thread! My extended family (group of 11) will be doing a week in Maui in early August followed by 4 nights at Aulani.
We were originally considering a vrbo/Airbnb house/condo situation for Maui but am now thinking getting 3-4 rooms at either the Hyatt Regency resort or the Marriott Wailea Beach resort.


----------



## cgattis

@twodogs that sounds like an amazing trip!!!

I missed out on the Kona Brewing Company tour on my last trip (my second instance that trip of “no brah, no need to make a ressie” only to show up and they’re full —no outrigger canoe trip for the same reason). So we’ll definitely try the Maui Brewing tour! Could the kids go too, just obviously not sample? Hoping we can catch some live music there too.

Also, I didn’t realize there was a “jump worthy” Rick at Airport Beach, so we’ll have to check that out. May stop there on our arrival evening.

Thanks for all the great info!!


----------



## cgattis

https://hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/6860/hta-maui-action-plan.pdf
There is an Oahu version too, for those interested.


----------



## cgattis

The mayor apparently has Covid. I feel like we’ll definitely see new requirements for boosters for travel now, just hope they’re specific enough to not allow any room for interpretation.

https://www.mauicounty.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=11415


----------



## Lew

We're currently at Aston at The Whaler on Kaanapali Beach until February 23rd.  The resort is beautiful and our view is fantastic!!

For foodies, we've found the coconut shrimp is best at Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar on Front Street in Lahaina and Leilani's on the Beach at The Whaler.  Fish tacos at Leilani's are over the top...see below.


----------



## cgattis

Lew said:


> We're currently at Aston at The Whaler on Kaanapali Beach until February 23rd.  The resort is beautiful and our view is fantastic!!
> 
> For foodies, we've found the coconut shrimp is best at Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar on Front Street in Lahaina and Leilani's on the Beach at The Whaler.  Fish tacos at Leilani's are over the top...see below.
> 
> View attachment 642479


We need a full food report!! I mean, trip report….(sorry not sorry) 

We’re considering spending a day in Lahaina. Interested in your recommendation for best evening plan to include seeing the ceremony at Black Rock, dinner, and seeing the banyan tree lit up.


----------



## DLgeeks

If you get up towards Paia (cute little town with lots of fun shops) - don't miss eating at the Paia Fish Market, some of the best fish I've ever eaten (and a casual, inexpensive place).


----------



## cgattis

DLgeeks said:


> If you get up towards Paia (cute little town with lots of fun shops) - don't miss eating at the Paia Fish Market, some of the best fish I've ever eaten (and a casual, inexpensive place).


We’re passing thru Paia on the way to Hana, but probably at breakfast time. Had considered going there on arrival night but our flight got moved two hours later……with no compensation of course


----------



## Lew

cgattis said:


> We’re considering spending a day in Lahaina. Interested in your recommendation for best evening plan to include seeing the ceremony at Black Rock, dinner, and seeing the banyan tree lit up.



Are you thinking of visiting Lahaina on a day trip from Hana?  Google Maps shows its a 2:45 drive each way of which you're likely aware.  5½ hours out of your day doesn't leave much time in Lahaina.

Have you given any thought of doing Lahaina for a couple of days before or after Hana?  That way you could comfortably do all you mentioned above.


----------



## cgattis

Lew said:


> Are you thinking of visiting Lahaina on a day trip from Hana?  Google Maps shows its a 2:45 drive each way of which you're likely aware.  5½ hours out of your day doesn't leave much time in Lahaina.
> 
> Have you given any thought of doing Lahaina for a couple of days before or after Hana?  That way you could comfortably do all you mentioned above.


Oh no. It would be a day trip from Wailea.  We’re splitting our stay between Hana and Wailea. I’m not dead-set on even going to Lahaina but I think my son kinda wants to jump off Black Rock but doesn’t want to make a big deal about it in case he chickens out!


----------



## GenGen22

FoodieFriend said:


> As you can tell from my user name, I'm all about the food so any info I have about Maui is mostly food advice. I'm an Oahu resident that visits Maui every so many years, but my mom & sister go annually. PP mentioned food trucks so here's a few that we visit: Ogo, Thai Mee Up, Maui Fresh Streatery, Peace Love Shave Ice, Gus Hawaiian Shave Ice. Restaurants: Pita Paradise, 808 Deli, Humble Market Kitchin, Poi By the Pound, Tin Roof Maui, Paia Fish Market, Cafe O'Lei, Leoda's, Ulupalakua Ranch Store & Grill. Favorite snacks/take home goodies: Tasaka Guri Guri, Stillwell's Bakery (cream horns!!), Hula Cookies & Ice Cream, Maui Pie, Maui Bread, Surfing Goat Dairy, Maui Specialty Chocolates, Sweet Paradise Chocolatier.
> I also feel that Maui Ocean Center is the best aquarium in the state.
> We also enjoy the Maui Swap Meet on Saturdays that is scheduled to restart on June 12, per their FB page. Lots of vendors featuring locally made products.
> We'll be there in July & hopefully have more info.


Any recommendations for Easter brunch on Oahu?  We're leaving Oahu to go to Maui on Easter and would like to go to a Easter brunch.


----------



## GenGen22

Thanks for this post.  I booked my snorkeling tour with Trilogy and I'm still deciding on which Luau to book.  I can't wait for spring break!


----------



## princesscinderella

GenGen22 said:


> Thanks for this post.  I booked my snorkeling tour with Trilogy and I'm still deciding on which Luau to book.  I can't wait for spring break!


Thanks for all the great information so far!  We are going to Hawaii in July with stays at Aulani, Kauai and Maui.  I just booked the Old Lahaina Lu'au and the floor seats were already sold out for our dates in July.  I loved how the “theater” looked like it had good view from wherever you were seated.  It also had a lot of GF options for us.  I have also booked the Road to Hana with a tour driver (temptation tours) because I want to be able to relax and see everything not white knuckle drive it.  It’s flat in Florida so we don’t have experience mountain driving and it’s way to winding for my comfort.  I’m also going to try to get the sunrise tickets for the volcano crater peak when my window opens.  I booked the residence inn Maui because it was rated well and it’s free with my Marriott points.  We are a family of 5 and besides aulani and a few of the timeshare resorts most of the hotel have only double occupancy with king beds (honeymooners paradise I guess) so I struggled to find rooms that were less than $2k a night or they are all sold out.  We were originally booked on the NCL Pride of America but decided we didn’t want to take our chances to get denied boarding due to pcr testing and be stuck in Hawaii with no place to go with their strict quarantine rules.  We are all vaxed so and land vacation will be so much easier and way cheaper too .


----------



## cgattis

princesscinderella said:


> Thanks for all the great information so far!  We are going to Hawaii in July with stays at Aulani, Kauai and Maui.  I just booked the Old Lahaina Lu'au and the floor seats were already sold out for our dates in July.  I loved how the “theater” looked like it had good view from wherever you were seated.  It also had a lot of GF options for us.  I have also booked the Road to Hana with a tour driver (temptation tours) because I want to be able to relax and see everything not white knuckle drive it.  It’s flat in Florida so we don’t have experience mountain driving and it’s way to winding for my comfort.  I’m also going to try to get the sunrise tickets for the volcano crater peak when my window opens.  I booked the residence inn Maui because it was rated well and it’s free with my Marriott points.  We are a family of 5 and besides aulani and a few of the timeshare resorts most of the hotel have only double occupancy with king beds (honeymooners paradise I guess) so I struggled to find rooms that were less than $2k a night or they are all sold out.  We were originally booked on the NCL Pride of America but decided we didn’t want to take our chances to get denied boarding due to pcr testing and be stuck in Hawaii with no place to go with their strict quarantine rules.  We are all vaxed so and land vacation will be so much easier and way cheaper too .


We’re staying at the Residence in June so I’ll let you know! You can’t beat FREE nights—same here!! I really liked the seating and the looks of the food at Old Lahaina, but I think we’re going to do Te Au Moana just because a) it’s right there and b) the fire life dancers are my fave. The food looks kinda meh but we’ll be fine.  If anything goes south with your tour, the drive to Hana is a little hairy but (cue my Waterboy impression) “you can do it!” But having a driver definitely has its pros. Also don’t forget Wai’anapanapa now requires reservations too…… I can’t wait!


----------



## FoodieFriend

GenGen22 said:


> Any recommendations for Easter brunch on Oahu?  We're leaving Oahu to go to Maui on Easter and would like to go to a Easter brunch.



I'm unsure if you want a Easter Brunch Buffet or just a plated Easter meal? Not too many buffets have reopened in this time of covid. I know Pagoda, 100 Sails, Plumeria Beach House & possibly Sunday Club at the Alohilani Resort would be buffets & their websites may not have info about it right now because of Valentine's Day. Other brunch places that aren't buffets would be Over Easy, Moke's & Cinnamon's in Kailua, Mac 24/7, Cinnamon's Ilikai, Beachhouse at the Moana, Orchids, Koko Head Cafe, Basalt, Sweet E's Cafe, Cafe Kaila in the Waikiki area.


----------



## GenGen22

FoodieFriend said:


> I'm unsure if you want a Easter Brunch Buffet or just a plated Easter meal? Not too many buffets have reopened in this time of covid. I know Pagoda, 100 Sails, Plumeria Beach House & possibly Sunday Club at the Alohilani Resort would be buffets & their websites may not have info about it right now because of Valentine's Day. Other brunch places that aren't buffets would be Over Easy, Moke's & Cinnamon's in Kailua, Mac 24/7, Cinnamon's Ilikai, Beachhouse at the Moana, Orchids, Koko Head Cafe, Basalt, Sweet E's Cafe, Cafe Kaila in the Waikiki area.


Thank you!  This gives me a lot of places to look into.  I appreciate it!


----------



## cgattis

Ok, I’ve got a Maui food question! We’re trying to pick a restaurant for our anniversary dinner, maybe Wailea area but that’s not mandatory. So we want somewhere a little “nice” because we’ll already be (mildly) dressed up from family pics. And I want someplace that will actually acknowledge our celebration (yes, I want something written on my plate in chocolate or eel sauce or something LOL).  Also, we have one who doesn’t eat seafood (DH) and one (DD) who is quite picky but wants to start trying more things (and who loves cooking shows).

I’ve looked at Humble Market, Morimoto, and HumuHumu, and we’ve got menu options for everyone at all of them. However I’m not sure I want to take out a second mortgage for any of them! (We are doing a luau one night too…) Lineage sounds pretty darn good, but only one thing each I think DH and DD can eat, so we’d be hosed if they didn’t have that thing for some reason. I’ve also looked at Mama’s but not sure we really want to drive that far for dinner. All the Dukes properties in Ka’anapali have some pretty good looking menus for a lot less. Anybody here have any thoughts on any of these? Or any other suggestions for a special meal? Bonus points for one that might not break the bank!

@FoodieFriend, jump in here!


----------



## FoodieFriend

cgattis said:


> Ok, I’ve got a Maui food question! We’re trying to pick a restaurant for our anniversary dinner, maybe Wailea area but that’s not mandatory. So we want somewhere a little “nice” because we’ll already be (mildly) dressed up from family pics. And I want someplace that will actually acknowledge our celebration (yes, I want something written on my plate in chocolate or eel sauce or something LOL).  Also, we have one who doesn’t eat seafood (DH) and one (DD) who is quite picky but wants to start trying more things (and who loves cooking shows).
> 
> I’ve looked at Humble Market, Morimoto, and HumuHumu, and we’ve got menu options for everyone at all of them. However I’m not sure I want to take out a second mortgage for any of them! (We are doing a luau one night too…) Lineage sounds pretty darn good, but only one thing each I think DH and DD can eat, so we’d be hosed if they didn’t have that thing for some reason. I’ve also looked at Mama’s but not sure we really want to drive that far for dinner. All the Dukes properties in Ka’anapali have some pretty good looking menus for a lot less. Anybody here have any thoughts on any of these? Or any other suggestions for a special meal? Bonus points for one that might not break the bank!
> 
> @FoodieFriend, jump in here!



I'm a huge fan of Morimoto Asia in Honolulu, so I'd hope his Maui location is as good BUT it's definitely on the pricey side. I see he has his sticky ribs on the Maui menu & that's a MUST if you decide to go there. We've enjoyed his sushi (I guess that would be for you, not DH or DD) & the pictures on his website look good, but yeah, still expensive. I'd stay away from the bao because his dim sum style items in Honolulu were not to our tastes. I'm unsure if they will do writing on your plate for celebrations but I'd ask for it instead of waiting to see if they do it. We're not huge celebratory people, so I can't speak on that for Maui.

I don't know how "fancy" you want to go, but Cafe O'Lei is a family run local business that has pretty good food in Kihei at good prices. They have multiple locations that border on fancy/casual. Again, I don't know how they would handle celebrations, so I advise you ask them. We've been most recently to their location at the Dunes Golf Course because their prime rib was recommended to me & we enjoyed it. We also saw their Mill House location but we were there on a Monday & their locations are usually closed on Mondays, but it did look nice, but I'm unsure what the standard attire is there.

My sister really enjoyed Lineage in 2020 (I was unable to join them that year) but I haven't been there myself. I have no idea if they are having similar supply issue for product as Oahu restaurants, so if their choices are limited, I'd say skip it. For

Another restaurant I haven't been to, but was considering was Gannon's at the Wailea Golf Club. I'm familiar with Bev Gannon's original restaurant, Haliimaile General Store so I had hoped her second location is just as good. Since I haven't been there yet, I don't know how fancy/dressy it is and her online menu is a bit more pricey that Cafe OLei, but your family might find her options more appealing?

We've been to Ko at Fairmon Kea Lani & while it was good, it was super uber expensive. We only went because they were offering a deal for locals that was buy one, get one entree. I don't think they are offering that anymore. We were also looking at DUO at Four Seasons but their menu on Yelp from January looks pretty pricey too. 

sorry I couldn't be a greater help & I didn't reply in a timely manner. I hope you can find something terrific to celebrate your anniversary!!! (and I'd like to hear how it went for you if I haven't replied too late)


----------



## FoodieFriend

@cgattis I read back on your old posts & see you'll be in Maui in June, we'll be there June 2-5. Would that coincide with your Maui dates?


----------



## cgattis

FoodieFriend said:


> I'm a huge fan of Morimoto Asia in Honolulu, so I'd hope his Maui location is as good BUT it's definitely on the pricey side. I see he has his sticky ribs on the Maui menu & that's a MUST if you decide to go there. We've enjoyed his sushi (I guess that would be for you, not DH or DD) & the pictures on his website look good, but yeah, still expensive. I'd stay away from the bao because his dim sum style items in Honolulu were not to our tastes. I'm unsure if they will do writing on your plate for celebrations but I'd ask for it instead of waiting to see if they do it. We're not huge celebratory people, so I can't speak on that for Maui.
> 
> I don't know how "fancy" you want to go, but Cafe O'Lei is a family run local business that has pretty good food in Kihei at good prices. They have multiple locations that border on fancy/casual. Again, I don't know how they would handle celebrations, so I advise you ask them. We've been most recently to their location at the Dunes Golf Course because their prime rib was recommended to me & we enjoyed it. We also saw their Mill House location but we were there on a Monday & their locations are usually closed on Mondays, but it did look nice, but I'm unsure what the standard attire is there.
> 
> My sister really enjoyed Lineage in 2020 (I was unable to join them that year) but I haven't been there myself. I have no idea if they are having similar supply issue for product as Oahu restaurants, so if their choices are limited, I'd say skip it. For
> 
> Another restaurant I haven't been to, but was considering was Gannon's at the Wailea Golf Club. I'm familiar with Bev Gannon's original restaurant, Haliimaile General Store so I had hoped her second location is just as good. Since I haven't been there yet, I don't know how fancy/dressy it is and her online menu is a bit more pricey that Cafe OLei, but your family might find her options more appealing?
> 
> We've been to Ko at Fairmon Kea Lani & while it was good, it was super uber expensive. We only went because they were offering a deal for locals that was buy one, get one entree. I don't think they are offering that anymore. We were also looking at DUO at Four Seasons but their menu on Yelp from January looks pretty pricey too.
> 
> sorry I couldn't be a greater help & I didn't reply in a timely manner. I hope you can find something terrific to celebrate your anniversary!!! (and I'd like to hear how it went for you if I haven't replied too late)


Morimoto is definitely pricey, but less than Humble Market Kitchin! That was my first choice, but when DD saw Morimoto there, she lost it! So that’s now #1. I liked the looks of Humuhumu but for some reason they have zero availability on our anniversary date but lots around it; must be a special event or something. We may try it another night.

I showed DD the Lineage menu and she was not thrilled. We might leave the kids in the room to order Dominos and go without them!

I had just heard great things about Cafe O’Lei at Mill House on a podcast, so I had added that to my list for a last dinner before we head to the airport!

Have you tried Nalu’s in Kihei? Heard good things there too and great prices for Hawaii!!


----------



## Lew

One tip I'm giving to myself and others who may be visiting O'ahu and any other Hawai'ian island is to visit O'ahu first.

I can't tell you how depressing it was after being in Maui for five weeks to be driving from HNL to Aulani on the six-lane H1.  Heavy traffic and big city Honolulu will be on the front end of any multi-island travel that includes O'ahu in our future.


----------



## FoodieFriend

Lew said:


> One tip I'm giving to myself and others who may be visiting O'ahu and any other Hawai'ian island is to visit O'ahu first.
> 
> I can't tell you how depressing it was after being in Maui for five weeks to be driving from HNL to Aulani on the six-lane H1.  Heavy traffic and big city Honolulu will be on the front end of any multi-island travel that includes O'ahu in our future.



The secret would be to drive when there's less traffic. Going to Aulani from the airport during evening rush hour (called Pau Hana Time) from 3pm-6pm Mon-Fri is THE WORST! The only exception may be a weekday holiday. If you are going from Aulani to the airport, the worst time would be morning rush hour from around 5am-8am but may be less during summer or public school holidays like spring break. Neighbor island can have rush hour traffic as well, but it's never as bad as Oahu's traffic.


----------



## FoodieFriend

cgattis said:


> Morimoto is definitely pricey, but less than Humble Market Kitchin! That was my first choice, but when DD saw Morimoto there, she lost it! So that’s now #1. I liked the looks of Humuhumu but for some reason they have zero availability on our anniversary date but lots around it; must be a special event or something. We may try it another night.
> 
> I showed DD the Lineage menu and she was not thrilled. We might leave the kids in the room to order Dominos and go without them!
> 
> I had just heard great things about Cafe O’Lei at Mill House on a podcast, so I had added that to my list for a last dinner before we head to the airport!
> 
> Have you tried Nalu’s in Kihei? Heard good things there too and great prices for Hawaii!!



I'm glad she's excited for Morimoto! I love both the Waikiki & Orlando locations!! We were actually there for their grand opening at the Waikiki location & my mom got to take pics with Chef Morimoto. We've also seen him from a distance at the Orlando location twice. 

LOL about Lineage, if you like their menu, make it work any way you can. Thanks for informing me about Nalu's. Their menu looks amazing & recent Yelp reviews are good. I don't know if we'll be able to fit it in but we'll see!


----------



## BecBennett

We're using Hawaii as a stop over between Australia and the US in October, so we're doing October 4th - 11th at Eldorado Maui and October 26th - 29th at Aulani


----------



## nycdisneygal

so overwhelmed with planning but so excited! Anyone recommend a company for a private road to Hana tour?


----------



## MFMHil

Anyone with advice on resorts that compare to Aulani (the slides, lazy river, pool specifically) but on other islands?  Like Grand Wailea?


----------



## JLemaire7

MFMHil said:


> Anyone with advice on resorts that compare to Aulani (the slides, lazy river, pool specifically) but on other islands?  Like Grand Wailea?


Yes, Grand Hyatt on Kauai. They have a lazy river and large pool complex similar to Aulani and GW on Maui. We last stayed there in 2019 but have plans to stay again next time we are in Kauai.


----------



## cgattis

MFMHil said:


> Anyone with advice on resorts that compare to Aulani (the slides, lazy river, pool specifically) but on other islands?  Like Grand Wailea?


Even the Wailea Beach Marriott looks comparable in terms of slides. (The real winner of Aulani to be was the detailing in the lazy River.) I can report back on that later this summer!  But yes the Grand Wailea looks great.  And it should for those prices! (I’m staying on points!)


----------



## cgattis

JLemaire7 said:


> Yes, Grand Hyatt on Kauai. They have a lazy river and large pool complex similar to Aulani and GW on Maui. We last stayed there in 2019 but have plans to stay again next time we are in Kauai.


I want to do Kauai again on my next trip! Do you have any experience with any of the Marriott properties there? Looks like they are mostly timeshares, but from the app it seems like they rent some to non-owners. Would love any feedback. We saw Kauai from our cruise ship so have no hotel experience.


----------



## JLemaire7

cgattis said:


> I want to do Kauai again on my next trip! Do you have any experience with any of the Marriott properties there? Looks like they are mostly timeshares, but from the app it seems like they rent some to non-owners. Would love any feedback. We saw Kauai from our cruise ship so have no hotel experience.


There is a Marriott resort in Poipu just down the road from the Hyatt. I think its called the Waiohai Beach Club. We had breakfast there at their restaurant one day on our way to Waimea Canyon. It looked nice and like it had a lot of pools but we didn't stay there so I can't comment on the rooms. It did seem like it might be a timeshare/condo property and I think you can pay cash on the Marriott website. The only bummer is that the beaches in Poipu where the Grand Hyatt and Marriott are located are not swimmable beaches but the pools more than make up for that. And there is Poipu Beach State Park which is right down the road too.

There is also a Marriott resort in Lihue. We stopped there to kill some time on the way to the airport. That is on a swimmable beach and looked like it had lots of pools and activities. It's definitely an older property and could use a refresh. There is also a Sheraton resort in Poipu and one in Kapa'a. I have heard that the property in Poipu is nicer.

We are usually Marriott people and tend to stay at Marriott properties but we had heard such good things about the Grand Hyatt that we had to stay there.


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## cgattis

JLemaire7 said:


> There is a Marriott resort in Poipu just down the road from the Hyatt. I think its called the Waiohai Beach Club. We had breakfast there at their restaurant one day on our way to Waimea Canyon. It looked nice and like it had a lot of pools but we didn't stay there so I can't comment on the rooms. It did seem like it might be a timeshare/condo property and I think you can pay cash on the Marriott website. The only bummer is that the beaches in Poipu where the Grand Hyatt and Marriott are located are not swimmable beaches but the pools more than make up for that. And there is Poipu Beach State Park which is right down the road too.
> 
> There is also a Marriott resort in Lihue. We stopped there to kill some time on the way to the airport. That is on a swimmable beach and looked like it had lots of pools and activities. It's definitely an older property and could use a refresh. There is also a Sheraton resort in Poipu and one in Kapa'a. I have heard that the property in Poipu is nicer.
> 
> We are usually Marriott people and tend to stay at Marriott properties but we had heard such good things about the Grand Hyatt that we had to stay there.


I’d love to use my points for a stay, so I’ll probably target a Marriott even if it’s not THE most amazing option. Was there a swimmable/snorkelable (I’m just making up words today! Lol) beach within walking distance of the Grand Hyatt & that Marriott in Poipu? Or I guess I should ask, are there appropriate paths/sidewalks for that? We drove to Poipu State park and there seemed to be a good amount of parking, but I’d like to have at least one beach in walking distance. Hard to tell that stuff from google maps. The Marriott in Wailea (Maui) is also not ON a sand beach, but there is one on each side with a nice paved path between. I’ll accept a lot more on a free stay than a paid one! LOL Thanks for the info!!


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## JLemaire7

cgattis said:


> I’d love to use my points for a stay, so I’ll probably target a Marriott even if it’s not THE most amazing option. Was there a swimmable/snorkelable (I’m just making up words today! Lol) beach within walking distance of the Grand Hyatt & that Marriott in Poipu? Or I guess I should ask, are there appropriate paths/sidewalks for that? We drove to Poipu State park and there seemed to be a good amount of parking, but I’d like to have at least one beach in walking distance. Hard to tell that stuff from google maps. The Marriott in Wailea (Maui) is also not ON a sand beach, but there is one on each side with a nice paved path between. I’ll accept a lot more on a free stay than a paid one! LOL Thanks for the info!!



I don’t recall any swimmable beach that was walkable. But it may depend on what your definiton of walkable is. There were some sidewalks around but not near the Grand Hyatt. The Grand Hyatt was kind of at the end of a cul-de-sac like road with the other resorts. You could definitely sit on the beach where the Grand Hyatt was but the water was very rough. I have heard that it may be calmer in winter but not 100% sure. We were there in July 2019.


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## JLemaire7

cgattis said:


> I’d love to use my points for a stay, so I’ll probably target a Marriott even if it’s not THE most amazing option. Was there a swimmable/snorkelable (I’m just making up words today! Lol) beach within walking distance of the Grand Hyatt & that Marriott in Poipu? Or I guess I should ask, are there appropriate paths/sidewalks for that? We drove to Poipu State park and there seemed to be a good amount of parking, but I’d like to have at least one beach in walking distance. Hard to tell that stuff from google maps. The Marriott in Wailea (Maui) is also not ON a sand beach, but there is one on each side with a nice paved path between. I’ll accept a lot more on a free stay than a paid one! LOL Thanks for the info!!



Also meant to add too that Sheraton is part of the Bonvoy/Marriott brand of hotels so your points will be good there too for more options.


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## GenGen22

We just came back from our split stay at Aulani on Oahu & The West Inn Maui Resort & Spa in Maui.  It was my first time.  I liked all the pools, lazy river but especially enjoyed the adults only infinity hot tubs.  So much fun!  Drinks were good, food was good, all was good accept I didn't like the man made beach at Aulani as the sand was gritty and not soft like a real beach.  I also enjoyed The West inn.  They had adult pools & hot tubs, good drinks & food but the food cost so much more in Maui than at Aulani.  I was actually surprised at the good prices on food at Aulani.  This was our honeymoon trip so adults only and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and it was very relaxing.  We went to Pearl Harbor, the Dole Plantation, snorkeling & did a luau all in 6 days/6 nights.  I loved the rainbow pancakes with my new favorite coconut syrup at eggs & things.  I hope you all enjoy your trip as we did.


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## cgattis

GenGen22 said:


> We just came back from our split stay at Aulani on Oahu & The West Inn Maui Resort & Spa in Maui.  It was my first time.  I liked all the pools, lazy river but especially enjoyed the adults only infinity hot tubs.  So much fun!  Drinks were good, food was good, all was good accept I didn't like the man made beach at Aulani as the sand was gritty and not soft like a real beach.  I also enjoyed The West inn.  They had adult pools & hot tubs, good drinks & food but the food cost so much more in Maui than at Aulani.  I was actually surprised at the good prices on food at Aulani.  This was our honeymoon trip so adults only and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and it was very relaxing.  We went to Pearl Harbor, the Dole Plantation, snorkeling & did a luau all in 6 days/6 nights.  I loved the rainbow pancakes with my new favorite coconut syrup at eggs & things.  I hope you all enjoy your trip as we did.


Coconut syrup is amazing!! After I had it on the red velvet Iron Man waffles at Aulani, I bought a bottle to bring home. Talk about gambling with your luggage!! (I did have a Ziploc bag but still)

Glad you had a great honeymoon trip  Tell us where you went on Maui and of course which luau you did. That’s always a hot topic.


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## GenGen22

cgattis said:


> Coconut syrup is amazing!! After I had it on the red velvet Iron Man waffles at Aulani, I bought a bottle to bring home. Talk about gambling with your luggage!! (I did have a Ziploc bag but still)
> 
> Glad you had a great honeymoon trip  Tell us where you went on Maui and of course which luau you did. That’s always a hot topic.


I also bought a bottle of coconut syrup.  I had to!  I went to the Luau at my resort at the West inn.  The Luau was called Wailele Luau.  It was really good.  The food was ok.  The show was awesome.  It was pretty expensive as it was on Easter but the convenience made it totally worth it.  The only other place we went on Maui was snorkeling.  We took a trip with Trology tours.  I highly recommend them.  Our tour included a continental breakfast & a chicken salad and rice lunch.  I also liked that you could walk to the shopping center Whalers Village next door from my resort.  There were restaurants in the shopping center there also.  They had everything right there so there was no need to leave.  You could even take snorkeling or other tours right there also.  At the West Inn they had entertainment just like Aulani did.  They had where you could feed the koi fish in the mornings, make a Lei training class, and hula dancing, live music in the evenings at the resort. All free with your stay there which was nice.  They have animals like flamingos & parrots too.  The ocean view from my room was amazing!  So worth looking into.


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## Lew

GenGen22 said:


> We just came back from our split stay at Aulani on Oahu & The West Inn Maui Resort & Spa in Maui.



Are you referring to the _Westin_ Maui Resort & Spa on Kaanapali Beach?



GenGen22 said:


> I didn't like the man made beach at Aulani as the sand was gritty and not soft like a real beach.



We did five weeks at The Whaler on Kaanapali Beach, very close to the Westin, and four at Aulani and thought the sand on both beaches was pretty comparable.  The sand for the lagoons is from the island of Lanai.


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## GenGen22

Lew said:


> Are you referring to the _Westin_ Maui Resort & Spa on Kaanapali Beach?
> 
> 
> 
> We did five weeks at The Whaler on Kaanapali Beach, very close to the Westin, and four at Aulani and thought the sand on both beaches was pretty comparable.  The sand for the lagoons is from the island of Lanai.


Yes it was the West inn at Kaanapali. 

It may have been the lagoon I went to it was the beach right outside of the pool areas at Aulani and the sand was very coarse not like regular beaches.


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## cgattis

Starting today, Wai’anapanapa beach reservations can be made 30 days in advance instead of 14. Just don’t reserve all my days!!


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## taaren

Just wanted to say hi to this thread and invite anyone to PM me questions if they'd like. I'm a third-generation born & raised Maui native, live in California now but visit the family at home at least once a year. 

A lot of the restaurants changed after COVID, was disappointed there aren't as many locations of Da Kitchen as before, but there have been some fabulous new eateries that have opened up. 

Some weird things that you might want to try when you visit there that friends whom I've taken have loved: McDonald's Fruit Punch. Get some if you like sweet drinks. It's special. We used to have gallons of the stuff brought to the sports games when we were kids. (They also serve Spam, saimin, and Portugese sausage at McDonald's there but those versions are meh.) If you're a pet lover, the Maui Humane Society is a really different experience from shelters on the mainland as there is no rabies on the island, you can essentially walk in and sit in a large room and have cats wander all over you, it is relaxing (also visit the tortoise, etc). Guri guri in the Maui Mall (not far from the airport) is also a unique treat, its sort of a cross between sorbet and ice cream.


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## Monykalyn

Love all the tips. Our first time this summer with week on Maui then week on Oahu 
Staying in condos as TS owners get huge discounts to rent an extra week-money saved in accommodations means more money to play with lol!
For Maui so far-have Haleakala sunrise reservations made, RTH private/small group tour booked with Temptation tours (drive up, helicopter back), Feast at Lele luau. We have friends and family on Maui we want to see so not packing every day full.
Oahu-condo is near Diamond Head in Waikiki-will get reservations there, and Pearl Harbor when window opens. Looking at a tour at Kualoa Ranch and sunset catamaran cruise. We will be there over July 4th so expect it’s gonna be crazy. Have dinner reservations July 4 for Hula Grill at 6:30.

so many things to choose to do it’s hard to not overschedule!


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## nycdisneygal

GenGen22 said:


> I also bought a bottle of coconut syrup.  I had to!  I went to the Luau at my resort at the West inn.  The Luau was called Wailele Luau.  It was really good.  The food was ok.  The show was awesome.  It was pretty expensive as it was on Easter but the convenience made it totally worth it.  The only other place we went on Maui was snorkeling.  We took a trip with Trology tours.  I highly recommend them.  Our tour included a continental breakfast & a chicken salad and rice lunch.  I also liked that you could walk to the shopping center Whalers Village next door from my resort.  There were restaurants in the shopping center there also.  They had everything right there so there was no need to leave.  You could even take snorkeling or other tours right there also.  At the West Inn they had entertainment just like Aulani did.  They had where you could feed the koi fish in the mornings, make a Lei training class, and hula dancing, live music in the evenings at the resort. All free with your stay there which was nice.  They have animals like flamingos & parrots too.  The ocean view from my room was amazing!  So worth looking into.


Assuming you mean Westin Resort. Happy to hear about the activities as we are staying there too!!


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## cgattis

Part of the Hana Highway is closed for a landslide:

https://www.mauicounty.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=11654

Hope it’s passable before our trip. We missed the Pools of O’heo last time due to a mudslide also.


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## GenGen22

nycdisneygal said:


> Assuming you mean Westin Resort. Happy to hear about the activities as we are staying there too!!


Yes that is where we stayed.  There is an entertainment schedule on what is going on day to day.


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## cgattis

For anyone stalking Wai’anapanapa beach reservations, they are dropping them at midnight Hawaii time for the 30 days out. So at midnight last night, June 11 became available. I believe all the Maui county parks moving to reservations are on that same time schedule. 

Also, all my Disney ADR stalking paid off and I got my slots. I was stalking this thing like it was Dine with Shirtless Chris Pratt at Space 220 LOL


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## kmc33

We enjoyed a stay at the Kaanapali Alii. It is between the Westin and Marriott resorts on Kaanapali beach. The property falls under the Hyatt family and the units are condos with full kitchens. Our 1 BR unit has a king bed and there is a small ”den” off the living room with a double bed. This was nice for the third person to have a bed instead of sleeping on a sofa bed. The pool is not as elaborate as some of the big hotels nearby, but it is very nice and it is not crowded.


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## cgattis

If you’re looking for free and/or local things yo do on Maui, CalendarMaui.com has a day-by-day list of all the free hula shows, farmers markets, craft fairs, and other community events (group runs, cruise-ins, etc). From the time I’ve been watching it, it seems to be kept up-to-date too. Happy planning!!


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## cgattis

Aloha from Maui!! Some random tidbits as I go along this week…happy to check on anything if anyone has specific questions, too!

-Be prepared for a major deja Vu when you step out and see the new rental car team station! I swear I thought I was at Disney!!! Dark and tired so didn’t get a pic. The new rental car area is awesome and was in and out super fast. I highly recommend Enterprise. I’ve used them on four islands and they are the nicest folks.
-The haupia pie from McDs was good—but I still like the guava better! I think I prefer my haupia cold.


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## alohamom

Have a fantastic time @cgattis


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## cgattis

alohamom said:


> Have a fantastic time @cgattis


I woke up at 3:30 local (after only 4 hours sleep the night before we left) and finally just gave up at 5 and got up! I can sleep when I’m dead!!


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## cgattis

Our last trip to Maui was via the Pride of America, so in our two days on Maui we went to Haleakala one day and Hana one day. I fell in love with the black sand beach at Wai’anapanapa state park, so I really wanted to spend more time there this trip, and the best way to do that was to stay in Hana a couple of nights. I don’t like the variability that can come with condos, so I’m usually a hotel-stayer. However, that’s not really an option in Hana. But I’m very pleased to say that Hana Kai Maui has been a delight! Fully stocked with everything we have needed, plus a vase of fresh tropical flowers—such a lovely touch. And the view from the bed of Keanini #3 is pretty okay


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## cgattis

I like flying but I was always hesitant to take my kids in a small aircraft or helicopter (I know the odds, but I also know enough about aircraft to be leery). But now that they’re adults (legally anyway LOL), I decided it was time. Fly Maui is a flight school based in Kahului, run by a couple originally from Arkansas. They also do a really fun Hawaii planning podcast called Aloha 360. Based on my experience, I highly recommend them!!

This flight was an awesome way to see what the topography of Maui really looks like—you just can’t see it like this from the ground. We took off from Kahului heading south, saw Oprah’s estate, saw the Kihei/Wailea coast, La Perouse lava flow, peeked over into Haleakala crater, touched down in Hana (3600 foot runway), switched student pilots, and continued on W/NW to Kahului. In total, that was right at a 1.5 hour flight. I can’t describe how gorgeous it was and it was an awesome opportunity to let my kids get a taste of actually flying a plane. Here’s my favorite pic (from my phone, anyway)—on approach to Hana airport with Wai’anapanapa at left. LOVE.


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## alohamom

WOW-that is so cool! 
Your updates are making me want to go back to Maui


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## gdrj

greenkai3000 said:


> May I ask if anyone knows whether or not advance reservations on the Ferry to Lanai are  a must, or if one can simply wait just until travel day to purchase tickets?


We did this last year.  We booked a day or 2 before. Mai reason is we wanted to make sure we could get on ferry when we wanted to  945 AM.  
Below is the link to book.  Whats nice is you see live availability. Wasnt a problem but we were there in July and if I recall some times booked up.  Looks like currently only 2 AM runs and 2 PM runs. 

If you have a car its no problem to get to Lahaina Harbor.  We’re staying in Kaanapali and most resort shuttles dont start that early.  We took the local bus into town,  Beach at Lanai was beautiful. We went in to the town, took a shuttle that brings you into town and to car/Jeep rental.  Shuttle no Resv was needed. 
https://go-lanai.com/


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## gdrj

twodogs said:


> -we really enjoyed the Hyatt Maui.  We chose it somewhat because my DH is Globalist (highest status) so we got waived resort fees, free Club Level access and other benefits.  Had an Ocean Front room and it was gorgeous.  Wonderful daily housekeeping that was amazing!  Beach had waves and pretty good snorkeling right at the beach.  Rented covered beach bed on our resort days; well worth it.  Great access to everything we wanted to do, and we could walk about 10-15 minute to Whaler’s Village.  It was nice being close to it but not in the hustle and bustle.


Hyatt is very nice.  My only negative on Hyatt is because it also does corporate events it seemed extremely crowded, especially pool area.  Now i know all of the resorts pool areas fill up, but it just felt very tight and congested.  Our favorite hotel is the Westin which is next to Whalers Village. Pools definitely get crowded but the adult pool we always found seats and pool was good.  Not that I would stay at the Hyatt if someone offered me a stay.


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## gdrj

cgattis said:


> Hi all! I know it’s not specifically Aulani, but lots of us do a combo with another island. Plus I just find I get the most descriptive reviews from DIS’ers!! So starting a Maui planning thread!! We’ll be there summer 2022. Would love to hear others’ plans and also learn from those going between now and then. Maui no ka oi!


Two great resources that we used.
1- “The ultimate Maui guidebook”. I just bought the Kauai book for a potential trip.
2- On youtube  The Hawaii vacation Guide . They have a website as well.  Its a husband and wife who live there.  We have learned a lot but really like videos with them and their little guy (2 year old).  Its our Sat morning Coffee show.  

Since 2017 we have gone 5 time with 6th trip in July. 

We have stayed in Ka’anapali area each time. Its a resort area that you can do without a car, unless you are going to road trip.  You can rent a car at OGG where you will fly into and drop off at JHM which is just North of Ka’anapali. It can save you some dollars if you keep the car for just part of the trip, especially since parking fees at resorts can be $45 bucks a day plus resort fees.  You can take snorkel, or sunset cruises right from beach.   

We did zip line the pickup was in Kaanapali.   I thought it was Eco tours but not 100% sure as a different company is at the location.  While there is a jungle zip line, we selected one that the zip lines are up the Mountain in Lahaina I think it had 11 lines.  You could see the Ocean or turn towards to Mountain,  It was breath taking.


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## cgattis

If you want an amazingly beautiful spot on Maui for some special pics, I highly recommend this one! It’s Pa’ako Beach, also known as Secret Beach (or Makena Cove, or Secret Cove, or….).   Just trust google maps directions to Pa’ako Beach; it’s just south of Big Beach. There is street parking only, and the access is through a door-sized opening in a big rock wall (that you can’t see over). The “beach access” sign is totally covered with stickers. It’s not really suitable for snorkeling or swimming, except for experts, but for just photo-taking and relaxing, it’s superb. There’s a lot of shade too, if you really just want to chill for a while. Like everything else on Maui, go early before the crowds roll in. (And pardon that lady in the pic; she just wouldnt leave but I’ll take care of that soon…LOL)


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## cgattis

If you’re the guy at the Kapa Bar wearing the Aulani shirt, stop by Ohi Cabana 4 and say aloha!!


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## cgattis

If you’re looking for a short diversion or two, say after checkout but before your flight, I’ve got a couple of recommendations.

First is the Iao Needle. It’s $10 to park and $5 per person to enter, but it’s a lovely view. Lots of folks were there just sitting in the creek on a toasty afternoon. There is an easy paved incline up to the first small viewing area—nice view of the needle, the creek, and the garden. So if you have someone with mobility issues, they can still see some nice things. Then there are about 120 concrete steps up to the main overlook. This is the view from there, and you can see all the way to the ocean. Recommend reading the history before you go, because the signage was oddly vague for a historical site. Anyway, it’s gorgeous for a 30 minute investment. Right now the main restrooms are closed (like many in Maui—get) but they have several portables.


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## cgattis

Second is Ka’a Point kite beach. It’s right by the harbor (like 5 minutes from the airport too), across from Kanaha Pond bird sanctuary. Unfortunately the sanctuary is closed until August due to circumstances I declined to finish reading on the sign LOL. In looking for a place to turn around, I stumbled on this point. My jaw literally dropped when I topped the path walking out to it. The photo just can’t capture how intensely aqua the water is there!! It’s amazing! And there were tons of kitesurfers there to watch. And there is plenty of dry sand viewing area, so you can easily just brush your feet off before you take your rental car directly to turn in LOL Sorry for the cell phone pic but if you zoom in to the right of the dead tree, you can see a bunch of the kites. I’d seen them at Ho’okipa Beach before, but you can really get a better feel for how fast they’re moving here, I guess because you’re closer to them. Nice little diversion.


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## cgattis

I just can’t go to Hawaii without doing a luau! After Covid, most of the luaus bade done changes, so I basically looked in detail at all of them. First of all, the prices increased dramatically, so expect this to be a major expense. Most of the pre-luau activities (tattoos, lei-making, etc) were eliminated from most luaus so that was a bummer for me, as we really enjoyed that stuff. I have a couple of picky eaters, so the menus were important (and sadly ruled out Feast at Lele, which sounds amazing).  I also have a very short DD who adores the show, so upfront seating is important. The cool upfront mat seating and the perennial great reviews pushed me toward Old Lahaina luau, but the lack of a fire knife dance is a dealbreaker for me. MUST HAVE!

And I really wanted one in the Wailea area so we could walk or take the hotel shuttle, so that narrowed it down. The menu for the Andaz luau sounded great, but it turned out to be the most expensive one on all of Maui. So we actually ended up choosing the Te Au Moana luau at the Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott (the night before we checked in there, actually). I knew I wanted premium seating ($275 each—ouch!!) and tables are assigned in order of booking. So I watch that thing every day until it opened; they open the bookings a month at a time, about two months in advance. Evidently my Disney ressie stalking training paid off, because we were literally front row center, and the other four from our 8-person table had double-booked and cancelled. So that worked out amazing, because we had food for 8  Not that we needed it, but you can bet we ate all the poke and pineapple LOL Out server said the leftovers go to the pig farm where they purchase the pigs for the luau, so I thought that was a fantastic use of all that uneaten food.

In short, we thought the food ranged from ok (Italian dressing on the salad??) to good (they were grilling the steaks right there by the bar!) to quite tasty (grilled mahi with pineapple salsa, the poke, and the purple sweet potatoes all stood out). But the entertainment was amazing. It was a small group (like 10), plus a four person band and the hostess, and they killed it. First off, props to the band who did indeed perform Tiny Bubbles in the pre-show. Bold move and they pulled it off LOL Our seats were so close that we could smell the flowers in the hostesses haku lei (and all their flowers were actually real). As part of the “warm up” show, while we ate, they did onstage all of the demonstrations that you’d normally watch at different stations before being seated. So we saw coconut husking, kapa cloth making, etc. from our comfortable seats; it was actually better that way. And then when we got to the actual main show, the dancing was just AMAZING. And a couple of those girls could let out some blood-curdling screeches—I mean, they had the Māori intimidation thing down to an art! I just can’t say enough about how good the performance was. Coupled with really good food overall and amazing spot right on the beach, I’d highly recommend this luau, even at that price. Couple of shots here from my phone; I’ll try to remember to edit and update with actual camera pics.


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## JessLCH

I also love the Te Au Moana luau because the ocean is behind the stage making for an incredible backdrop especially in winter when whales are breaching! Many of the other luaus aren't set up with the ocean behind the stage.


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## havoc315

Just photos as I switch from Aulani to Maui…


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## havoc315




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## Iceman93

That luau at the Wailea Marriott is my favorite on the islands.  You perfectly described why I like it so much--really good across the board (maybe not the BEST food or the BEST drinks or the BEST entertainment, but anyplace that beats it in one of those areas is significantly deficient in the others).


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## cgattis

@havoc315 great shot of the lava tube at Wai’anapanapa! You’re very talented. Is that the Andaz luau? Great shots there too. Hope you’re having a great visit! Come back and give us some details later—I’m in serious withdrawal!


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## havoc315

cgattis said:


> @havoc315 great shot of the lava tube at Wai’anapanapa! You’re very talented. Is that the Andaz luau? Great shots there too. Hope you’re having a great visit! Come back and give us some details later—I’m in serious withdrawal!



yes and yes…. Full trip report coming.


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## havoc315

Andaz at night.


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## havoc315




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## cgattis

havoc315 said:


> View attachment 681499
> Andaz at night.


Oh man…the Andaz is gorgeous! I said if we hit the lottery we’re going back and staying there the whole time! Enjoy!! We really enjoyed Morimioto if you get a chance to check it out. The Wagyu filet was delicious—as was everything else.


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## havoc315

cgattis said:


> Oh man…the Andaz is gorgeous! I said if we hit the lottery we’re going back and staying there the whole time! Enjoy!! We really enjoyed Morimioto if you get a chance to check it out. The Wagyu filet was delicious—as was everything else.



Didn’t love Morimoto’s to be honest.


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## cgattis

havoc315 said:


> Didn’t love Morimoto’s to be honest.


Aw, I’m sorry. It was our 25th anniversary so we might’ve been looking through rose-colored glasses. That fabulous location didn’t hurt. The Andaz is just awesome.


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## nycdisneygal

Just  back from oahu and maui! had a great time. did not get to do everything that we planned and although I had saved many recommendations from this thread did not get to try that many places mentioned here! We did a tour for the road to Hana and it was so worth it! Kids loved it. Oh my the bathrooms though on the road are so gross I am glad I brought potty toppers and cottonelle wipes.  Our fancy dinner in maui was spago at the four seasons. Gorgeous hotel - my kids were asking why we didnt stay there. haha.  overall liked the food better in Oahu. Picked up some maui gold pineapples from whole foods on the way to airport - got a good price!


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## cgattis

nycdisneygal said:


> Just  back from oahu and maui! had a great time. did not get to do everything that we planned and although I had saved many recommendations from this thread did not get to try that many places mentioned here! We did a tour for the road to Hana and it was so worth it! Kids loved it. Oh my the bathrooms though on the road are so gross I am glad I brought potty toppers and cottonelle wipes.  Our fancy dinner in maui was spago at the four seasons. Gorgeous hotel - my kids were asking why we didnt stay there. haha.  overall liked the food better in Oahu. Picked up some maui gold pineapples from whole foods on the way to airport - got a good price!


Glad you had a great trip!! Yes, the potties can be tough; we go prepared too LOL And had trouble with lots of places not letting you use theirs, even as a customer.

We didn’t get to do everything  we’d planned either (STILL didn’t get to paddle a canoe!)…but that just leaves stuff to do next time!! Come back and give us all the details once you figure out what time zone you’re in! LOL


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