Maui The Valley Isle

If you have one shot at Maui these are the do's and don'ts of what to see and do. Try to get a snorkling tour to Molokini it was the one thing we didn't get to do that everyone raved about. DON'T- do a sunset cruise it is a waste of money, the food is awful and the drinks are watered down.

Quick Tips:

DO- take a Helicopter Tour of the island. Remember to bring your dramamine it is bumpy! DO- go to a Lu'au- the one we did was very good DO- get up at 3am to see the sunrise at the top of Haleakala! DO- take the road to Hana, a truely stunning excursion. DO- rent snorkel gear, almost all the beaches have fish teaming near reefs close to shore.

Best Way To Get Around:

You must rent a car! There are so many wonderful things that are best done without a group tour and at your own leisure.

Best Things Nearby:
Kihei is a great location to visit all of the wonderful beaches that run from Makena up through Wailea to the three main beaches in Kihei. A number of them offer shallow water reef sites that you can snorkel right off the beach.

Best Things About the Resort:


Resort Experience:
I've never stayed in a timeshare before, and being that this was a first I was pleasantly surprised. We arrived at 10:30 pm and were greeted by a very nice person and a minor check-in glitch (a reversed name), which was quickly fixed and we were off to our building.

It was very clean, you could still see the vacuum tracks in the carpet! The unit was a spacious sprawl for 2 people with a living room that comfortably seated 6 with TV, VCR, CD player, and a kitchen that you could cook in while holding a conversation with someone in the living room without bumping into any appliances. Call me a newbie, but I was thrilled to find all of the utensils and soaps for cooking and cleaning up right in the drawers. Eureka! I was not so happy to find that this timeshare enclave did not have maid service since I was here on my honeymoon and didn't really want to spend my time cleaning up and making beds. Some timeshares offer this amenity, but this one doesn't.

The bedroom was furnished with a king-size bed, large closet, and a TV & VCR for those evenings when the only thing you wish to do is watch a movie. Loved the in-unit washer and dryer--if you go hiking or swimming during your stay like we did, you'll be so thankful that you have it!

While we did love having the porch to lounge on, the urban landscape of a drainage ditch leading up to the lovely view of mountain & ocean was a bit of a letdown. The pool was best in the morning to avoid the crowd and grilling "Ahi" on the grills provided was delish!

There were tons of families with kids of all ages enjoying their time together, which was nice to see. Even with minor things like the color scheme in the room being a bit loud for our taste, and wishing we were on the beach instead of it being across the street, we enjoyed every moment of our stay here and recommend it as a great place to stay as a jump-off point to start your adventures and unwind.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Whatever else you do on Maui make sure you don't miss this spectacular sight. The sunrise on Haleakala is one of the most stirring and spiritual things I've witnessed in nature.

We rolled out of bed at 3am and groaned as we threw on jeans, t-shirts, fleece & sneakers. I proceeded to strip the blanket off our bed and stuffed it into our backpack. My new husband wasn't so sure that he hadn't just married a crazy woman but I was told that we would really be happy to have it. We were out the door at 3:30am. Definately leave early if you want a parking spot at the top. It took about 2hrs of mostly nerve wracking driving up switchbacks to the top in complete darkness, no street lamps here. We were so glad that we couldn't see over the edge, but you could feel that it was a long way down. Finally we reached the top, parked our little car and staked out a spot on the wall facing east. It is colder than anything up there; we huddled together in the blanket and pitied the people who didn't read their tour guides and showed up in shorts and t-shirts. Everyone whispered when they talked as they watched the clouds below slowly turn from dusty grey to a soft blush. When the blush grew and the sun cracked through the cloud bank illuminating the sky in fire orange, there were the sharp intakes of breath and sighs of contentment along with camera clicks. It was extraordinarily beautiful to be above everything and to witness the break of day on the aptly named Temple of the Sun.

We made our way down to the car hoping that something of the moment was captured on our film. Now that we could see how steep and narrow the descent was, we were really glad that we didn't book the downhill bike tour. The idea of little sleep, cold temperature and not enought coffee seemed like a recipe for many scrapes and bruises. Maybe next time....

This was one of the best things we did on this trip. Don't miss the chance to do it. It is truely awesome!

We chose to do a full island 60 minute tour via helicopter since we were told 90% of Maui is only accessible by helicopter.

We flew Sunshine Helicopters (www.sunshinehelicopters.com) which took us into see Honokohau Falls, Maui's tallest waterfall, awesome views of the Haleakala Crater on down to the Seven Pools & the Hana Rainforest.

I loved the scenery in the first part of the flight, but I warn everyone who is susceptible to getting motion sickness to take Dramamine before take off; otherwise you WILL get sick. As was my unfortunate experience. I kept wishing the damn thing would land but my husband, who was not afflicted, liked the tour thoroughly.

It is definitely worth the money to take the tour and see all the amazing waterfalls, the lunar landscape of Haleakakla and the lush contrast of Hana. My minor complaint about this particular tour was the piped-in music and the cheesy comments by the pilot, but, all-in-all, after I felt better, I had a good time.

HINT: If you want to get good pictures from inside the cockpit, wear black because it generates no reflective glare.

This is something that first time visitors to Hawai'i should do. This traditional feast gives a first rate look into the traditions and beliefs of Hawaiians throughout the years. Expressed through song, chant and of course, hula.

We were ushered into the compound by a cheerful woman who offered ladies a flower for behind their ear. A waiter asked for your drink order and you had it in your hand a few minutes later. After an orchid lei and a Mai Tai you are left to wander the waterfront where there are blankets covered in jewelry, carvings and plumeria leis for sale.

You can watch poi being made and taste the results. FYI: Hand ground poi is a lot better than the regularly served stuff. Or you can watch the pig unearthed, I skipped that one. I opted to watch the sunset over the bay, which I think is one of the loveliest places to see a sunset on Maui.

Dinner was surprisingly good and we sat at a communal table, which fortunately had some fun people at it. Our server was very cool and the entertainment was top notch. If you must do a Lu’au this is the one to do.

Old Lahaina Lu'au 800-248-5828 www.oldlahainaluau.com