First trip to Maui

Some people go to Hawaii to sit by the pool or to hike into a volcano. We went for the pool factor, but mostly for the scenic drives available there. Maui has the most varied drives in Hawaii. We did the following ones: - Circle the west Maui area
- Visit the IAO Valley
- Brave the road to Hana
- Drive to south Maui and admire the resorts
- Wind our way to the top of Haleakala

Quick Tips:

Despite what the car rental companies say, all roads on Maui are reasonable. The road past the Seven pools on the Hana road is very bumpy, but otherwise fine. The road at the top of the west Maui road is narrow, but ok. Do not expect that the food will cost the same as on the mainland. It is maybe 30% higher. A lunch is the norm. There are fast food places throughout the main areas.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you want to see anything, either rent a car or take a tour. You can navigate any road with any car (except really large cars), so don't let the rental cars "upgrade" you. We had a Chevy Cavalier and it was fine. It managed to climb every mountain.

Best Things Nearby:
Reasonably close to Lahaina which is where all the action is. Not located on the beach, nor within view of it. The beach is about a block away, but is blocked by other buildings. There are no ocean views.

Best Things About the Resort:
If you get two rooms, you're okay. If you only get Room A or Room B, you're not going to like it. One room has a bedroom and bath. That's it. The other has a living room, dining room, bath, and kitchen. It's better, but the living room doubles as a bedroom. Really, the best thing about the facility is that it's on Maui.

Resort Experience:
This is an older facility. The small pool is shoehorned between buildings. There are two small outdoor hot tubs. King beds were not available. Little bugs common in room. The resort is surrounded by hotels of a similar vintage. The parking lot is designed for mini-cars. Staff is very nice. Concierge is great. This would definitely not be a Gold Crown timeshare anywhere else but in Maui.

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

We're not adventurers when it comes to eating. Keep it simple and recognizable and we're fine. This review is likely to be boring for many. Note that most meals were in the $40-$60 range. Food is really expensive in Maui. Want to hit the $$$ places? Expect to pay three digits.

Kimo: Nice restaurant overlooking the water on the main drag in Lahaina. The food is very good. Very pretty as the sun sets over Lanai.

Cheeseburgers in Paradise: Everyone stops here for lunch. The food is just like at home except it costs more. Lots of cool stuff all over the walls.

Outback Steakhouse: Again, the same as at home except it costs about 30% more.

Hula Hula Cafe is no longer there. An equally good restaurant has taken its place. If you're using Maui Revealed as your tour book, see p. 251.

We didn't find a bad restaurant. All had lots of fish if you're inclined that way. Try something besides the Mahi-Mahi. While it's great, there are other fish on the menu that are equally good if not better. Expect to pay about $40-60 for two with one drink at most restaurants.

During much of 2002, the volcano was erupting on Hawaii (the Big Island). After September 12, it had passed the road and was heading towards the cliffs about 1/2 mile away and then into the water. As of mid-November (when we went), all you could see was two clouds of steam rising from the ocean in the distance where the lava was entering. There was no view of the lava itself. If you're going to the Big Island to see lava flowing, you're going to be disappointed. Unless there's another eruption, the lava is not in sight from ground level. Perhaps it is from a helicopter, but that is unconfirmed. And now for the good stuff. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is fascinating. Take the crater rim drive. Take the chain of craters road. It now dead ends into a pile of lava. Don't worry. There's a sign that tells you not to continue on the road. As if you could if you wanted to. If you're staying on Maui, it's probably easier to take a tour. We took the Polynesian tour and it was great. Go to a macadamia nut farm. Go to an orchid farm. The tour takes you there. All sights are in the SE part of the Big Island so they're convenient.

The attraction of the road to Hana is the road itself. It has been improved over the past few years, but it's still an adventure. Going clockwise, it is twisty and windy (and also windy), but nicely paved. Narrow, but manageable. Very scenic.

After Hana and the Seven Pools (swim there), the roads turn to gravel, but is still ok. After that it turns to a grossly patched road and is very bumpy, but still ok. While it's boring in this stretch, it's still better than returning on the same road you came on. Besides, it goes by the winery, which is nice. Stop and sample some wine - it's tasty. This description could go on and on about the trip, but it's been done to death in virtually all travel books. One addition: take your lunch with you and stop in Wianapanapa state park just before Hana. There's a great beach there as well as caves. Lots of picnic tables, too. The food in Hana is problematical. There is a nice general store for souvenirs.

So the car rental companies say you shouldn't drive this road. They pretty much take all the fun out of driving around Maui. The road is fine except for a five mile stretch of one lane road. The scenery is fantastic - blowhole, shoreline, mountain views, ocean views, and banana bread. Take it slow and easy. At the end (travel clockwise) visit the Iao Valley. It's pretty and serene. The road starts just past the Ritz-Carlton in NW Maui. It follows the shore and has so many scenic areas that it's difficult to pick just one. The blowhole can be missed. There are two parking lots with round boulders. The first one is not the one. Go to the second one and look down.

This is a must if you visit Maui. They say to visit it at sunrise, but that means getting up at about 4 a.m. if you're staying near Lahaina. The real reason to visit it early in the day is because if there are clouds, they will settle into the crater about 10 a.m. and stay for several hours. If you have the time (two plus hours) and guts, ride a bike down the volcano. It's mostly downhill (98%?) and quite a rush. Most of the view areas near the top are great! The one near the Visitor's Center is particularly nice in that you can use the panarama setting on your digital camera to photograph the crater of the volcano. It takes maybe 3-5 photos to get it all in. The crater is colorful in person, but not when you see your photos. It is relatively drab. It's likely that a polarizer will help some, but making the photo more colorful is tricky. Take it early enough in the day when the sun doesn't wash it out. The sun faces you directly from most view points which is a problem. Perhaps use the bulb setting before the sun is over the rim. If you arrive on a day when it's snowed on top, expect to visit the scene with thousands of your best friends. It's a rare wonder so I hear.

There are three primary luaus on Maui. There is one at the Hyatt, one at the Marriott, and Old Lahaina Luau. The Old Lahaina luau is the most authentic as far as luaus go. After spending lots of time in Mexico, we decided that authentic luaus are probably like authentic Mexican food...not as romantic as it sounds. We opted for the Hyatt.

You are seated with 300 of your closest friends, and if you get there early enough you can sit near the stage. This is a good thing. There are long tables with a waiter assigned to each table. She/He brings you free drinks (alcoholic or not). The food is served as a buffet and is very good. The ambience is better after the sun goes down.

The show is the star of the evening. It's a high energy show featuring scenes from various Polynesian cultures. It's very interesting. Is it authentic? Who knows! But it's fun. The entire production lasts no longer than three hours at the most which is just about right.

Also, they uncovered the roasted pig, climbed a palm tree, split a coconut, taught a hula dance to volunteers, and just generally had a good time. The show was written up in the Hawaiian Airlines magazine.

If you've never been to a luau, forget about 20 friends sitting around a circle eating. Go to one of the luaus in Maui and have a good time. It's just fun.

Most of the snorkeling trips leave from Ma'alaea which looks like a long way from Molokini. If you leave from south Maui, say from Wailea, it's a lot closer, but then you have to drive a long way from Lahaina to get there. The old trade-off.

So they take off from Ma'alaea and take you out to Molokini which is a submerged volcano. Only the top of the volcano is still above water and even then only part of it. One side is totally submerged. This allows the boats to anchor in the middle or near the inside of the part remaining above water.

First you do the snorkeling for a while. Then you try the snuba. With snuba, you have a 20' air line connected to the boat. You can see much more since you're not relegated to the length of your snorkel.

If you are certified you can also scuba. Snuba does not require certification.

After an hour or so, you lift anchor and head for Turtle Town. If you see turtles, which we did, it's definitely worth it. The turtles are large (maybe 6' across). Don't miss it. Take a tour that goes to Turtle Town.