Maui Journals

Maui for 10 days

A December 2000 trip to Maui by cat30

Quote: Laid-back, lots of natural beauty to see and things to do, great surfing, excellent food,especially seafood,natch.

Maui for 10 days

Overview

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Go to Hana, but take your time (get up early if going and coming in one day). Go "upcountry" and see the beautiful flower farms, rolling farms and pastureland. See the volcanoe/crater. Rent snorkel equipment and go right off the shore to see amazing diverse,colorful fish. Lahaina town--shopping, eating, etc.

Quick Tips:

Try to avoid Christmas if you hate traffic. Even though you can get away from people, to drive to the main places the two-lane roads are heavy with cars, and the sightseers are constantly slowing down or just going slowly all along.

Best Way To Get Around:

Must rent a car--unless you are staying at your resort the entire time.

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Makena Beach and Golf Resort

Hotel | "Maui Prince Hotel"

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Ocean view, 5th (top) floor, simple colors, baths are fine, but small and less fantastic compared to other hotels in this price category. Two great restaurants--Hakone, a top japanese, and The Prince Court--fine dining. Beach for this hotel only. Had free Pilates/yoga classes 2-3 days/week, water yoga/conditioning class 5 days/week, good fitness room,though small. Very nice concierge. Excellent but unobstrusive service, free valet parking, beautiful inner courtyard with trees, birds, koi ponds. Not overly ostentatious at all--really grew on you the longer you stayed.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 21, 2001

Makena Beach and Golf Resort
5400 Makena Alanui
Wailea-Makena, Hawaii 96753
(808) 874-1111

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Kapalua Bay Hotel

Hotel

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Very classy, deluxe accomodations, huge modern marble baths with separate shower and tub, two separate sinks and closets. The most spectacular setting on a beautiful promontory. Has a lot of spa/pampering services if you want that. Smallish beach for the number of people using it (we were there at Christmas, though). Rooms are decorated in stylish earth-tones--no gaudy Hawaiian prints here. Expensive, but only $10.00/night more than Maui Prince, with a more luxurious feel to it. One of the best Sushi restaurants on the island is in the shopping complex connected to it (Sansei).

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 21, 2001

Kapalua Bay Hotel
1 Fall Creek Drive Kapalua/northwest Side
Maui, Hawaii

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Sansei Seafood and Sushi

Restaurant | "Sansei"

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The best sushi/nigiri/sashimi place on Maui, and the locals drive from all over the island to go here. Creative dishes--best way to eat here is to get several small appetizer-sized selections to try a wide variety of the offerings on the very large menus. We didn't really have a single bad thing--too many good items to list. We loved this place the best, so came here for two dinners.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 21, 2001

Sansei Seafood and Sushi
115 Bay Drive
Kapalua, Hawaii 96761
+1 808 669 6286

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A Pacific Cafe

Restaurant

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This chef has a small but expanding empire on the hawaiian islands based on his excellent reputation which continues to grow. We ate at two of his restaurants on Kauai, excellent New Hawaiian/Fusion dishes. No two menus at his places are exactly alike. Always packed, with locals as well as tourists in the know.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 21, 2001

A Pacific Cafe
4-831 Kuhio Highway 220
Maui, Hawaii 96746
(808) 822-0013

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Roy's Nicolina

Restaurant

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Roy's are a favorite for a loud, people--meeting place for locals who want to see and be seen. This takes nothing away from the new-age Hawaiian fine dining that is presented here. We loved the Roy's on Oahu, which is why we ate here--a second Roy's right beside his first on Maui. This on has slightly spicier dishes featured, with things like a hot Thai-chili sauce accompanying wonderful meat and fish dishes (there's a selection of a few veggie entrees, also). Never disappointed. Most of his restaurants have an open-kitchen concept, but this one doesn't.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 21, 2001

Roy's Nicolina
Kahana/north of Lahaina
Maui, Hawaii

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Snorkeling and Diving (General)

Attraction | "Snorkeling"

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Incredible that there is coral reefs a few feet from shore. Warm water, clearer than I expected, tons of diverse, brightly colored fish I'd never seen before. This is an excellent beginner spot, calm water. Just watch that you don't go out too far or you do get into open ocean.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 21, 2001

Snorkeling and Diving (General)

Maui, Hawaii

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Road to Hana

Attraction | "Drive to Hana"

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We wondered if we should do this--as it seems like such a long, slow drive and possibly over-hyped?? But we did, and it was an amazing tropical rainforest with waterfalls, pools for dunking in, glimpes of history, old Hawaii, etc. I highly recommend laying out $20.00 and buying the Hana cassette or cd guide for your car or you may miss a lot of significant sights. We also read along out of three guide books, which had a sometimes different perspective on what we were seeing. We stopped and saw the black sand beach, and found the rare red sand beach and spent a fun two hours there, swimming and sunbathing nude! (Most people consider this a clothing-optional place, but since it is hard to find and most...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 21, 2001

Road to Hana
Hana Highway
Maui, Hawaii

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Nude beaches

Story/Tip

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Red sand beach--hard to get there, hard to find, but not crowded, no gawkers. See my entry on the Drive to Hana.

Little Beach--very well known, crowded at Christmas-time, but fun as everyone was very laid back and it didn't seem to have many gawker-types--most peaple came in couples (except the gays). Seemed to be at least 50% heterosexual, though, which surprised us. All ages, shapes and sizes, so you didn't have to feel intimidated about "perfect" bodies. We had a fun afternoon there. Southwest side, south of Makena.