Panorama of Maui taken by Me from a Whale watching cruise

This is a new section that I thought of writing up while doing my Alaska trip bookings. Usually, to plan a trip one needs to research a lot into the place, its activities , its good hotels etc. I hope that this post will provide enough information to plan your simple trip ! Of course all this comes from my trip to Maui and the activities I did / did not do.

When to Go
I have been twice to Maui and both my trips have been during the Winter season (hardly the winter there !). December and January are both really good times to be in Maui - the weather is perfect - around 75F. Be prepared for a few really hot days - around 80F but those days are every day ! Maui also gets some rain around December and January - these rains are unpredictable ! I did miss my helicopter ride (scheduled for the last day of my trip) but that is the only day we had some showers !

Getting There
I flew Hawaiian Airlines on one trip whereas the other trip I flew ATA. Both, are mediocre but all I cared for was getting there and I found the best deals on these airlines. The flight timings were also good and I had a direct flight from San Francisco to Hawaii. The airport code for Maui is OGG, unless you want to land in another part of the Island (which I do not recommend).

Car Rental
Once at the the airport, there are several car rental agencies and you can get a shuttle from the terminal to the car rental service. I suggest that you make a reservation prior to your arrival - that way you are guaranteed your choice of vehicle. I would also suggest a convertible to enjoy the Maui Sun - though you may want to consult your wife in this care - You don’t want to end up not putting down the top just so that her hair doesn’t get all messed up ;). Some of the car rentals available are Avis, Alamo, Budget, Thrifty, Dollar.

Where to Stay
Thats an easy one - Ka’anapali / Lahaina. This is the South West shore of the island and most of the hotels are located here. There are some on the North East shore of the island as well but I would recommend Ka’anapali to the first time visitor. Ka’anapali is a convenient place where one can find all the resorts, activities, restaurants etc within a 8 mile radius.

Driving to Ka’anapali from the airport (OGG) is a short 40-50 minute drive of about 25 miles. Along the way there is a small vista point - I recommend you stopping at this Vista point - You can see whales on some days (though it is rare) from this point.I stayed at the Westin Maui and the service there was Excellent ! We were greeted with some nice Orchid garlands. The staff was very friendly, taking our luggage and getting it to the room while we could check in. Once in the room, we had a bottle of champagne greeting us with a little note thanking us ! The room itself was very nice - Very clean, good amenities, a good view (I had a partial Ocean view). The cleaning was done while we were out. The hotel also has an excellent pool, a very nice lobby and the minute you step out of the back of the hotel you are onto the beach ! The breakfast was good and Whalers Village (a mall) is at a walking distance !

The Westin Maui also has an American Express counter where you can book all your tours and activities. Though it is a good practice to book before you land there - there is no dirth in the amount of companies providing the same kind of activities - so you can always get a booking. What I did was - The minute I landed and checked in to my hotel, I went to the American Express counter and made my bookings for the next 2 days. The staff there helps you plan out your activities and will guide you if they cannot make a booking.

Tip : Mention if it is your Honeymoon while booking and you have some surprise chocolates etc. awaiting for you when you arrive at the hotel (in your room)

Other hotels that I would recommend are : Hyatt Regency, Sheraton, Royal Lahaina Resort,

What to Do

  • Luau
    Luaus are one of the most popular Maui activities ! Any Maui vacation should include at least one luau. Luau is a Hawaiian feast - It features traditional Hawaiian food (the Pineapple salsa makes my mouth water !!) and entertainment like the Hula. The most recommended Luau (in my opinion) is the Luau performed at the Hyatt Regency, Maui. It is called the “Drums of the Pacific” and it is amazing - the drums, the hula and the fire tricks are awesome. It is held on the beach front and with the sun set, the setting couldn’t be more beautiful. Since it is held outdoors, carry a shawl, pullover or a jacket. After the show, make a beeline towards the side of the stage - Here you can take photos with the hula girls and the men (for the women out there ;) ). Dinner is also served in this Luau - a lot of traditional Hawaiian food. Drinks are also on the house !
  • Whale Watching
    A humpback whale breaches off the coast of Maui during the 2006 season, as viewed from a Pacific Whale Foundation vessel. Whale watching is a good activity to do during the day - that is if you care much for them whales ! I love whales - they are such large creatures and yet so elegant and gentle !! To see these giants of the see is truly an experience ! The tours do not guarantee a whale sighting, however, if you see some photographs on the internet of these whale watching cruises, then you will certainly see the amazing possibilities ! Whale watching tours in Maui leave from Lahaina Harbour. There are a lot of companies that offer various boats / ships to go whale watch. We took the Princess Cruise and though that day we didn’t see too many whales, we did have our moments. On other trips, I have had some good whale sightings !
  • Bike down a mountain / Drive to Haleakala craters
    Haleakala Craters is a National Park that is about 2 and a half hour drive from Ka’anapali. It is a scenic drive and once you reach there and see the craters, the drive will definitely seem worthwhile ! The drive to Haleakala is a smooth winding road that climbs high into the mountains. Here the clouds engulf you and you feel that you are above the World - It is a nice feeling ! The craters here are huge and look surreal. You will feel like you have reached another planet. If you have some time and enthusiasm, I would also recommend you hiking down to one of the closer craters ! Haleakala is a dormant volcano (been dormant for a very long time now). You can bike down (in groups) this volcano, hence the name “Bike down the volcano” for the activity. These activities are conducted by several companies and if you plan to do this activity then you can reach Maui and make a reservation for one of the days.The Sunrise over Haleakala is supposed to be one of the best sunrises in the world. I haven’t seen it (Too lazy to get up at 3 in the morning on a holiday) but if you are enthusiastic enough, then that is the right time to take a trip to Haleakala.
  • Ulalena
    Ulalena is an amazing theatrical experience, presented in a small but very nice theatre in the heart of Lahaina ! Ulalena is the story of Hawaii and how its settlers came to be there. The actors, the stage and the acrobats are amazing. The music is beyond imagination - the person uses so many drums and other instruments from all over the world to create some inspiring music - He spoke to us after the show ! I took the “Producers package” (thats how I met the musician) and it is worth it - You get prime seating (the best seats in the house) and a special meeting with the cast after the show is over ! The cast members are very friendly and very down-to-Earth. I loved this show and saw it even when I went to Maui the second time ! This show is very popular so I suggest you reserve your tickets in advance.
  • The Road to Hana
     “I survived the Road to Hana” - You will countless number of shops selling T-shirts like these in Maui. You wonder why? Well - you need to take the Road to Hana to understand that. This drive is a treacherous, windy, long, winding drive through thick, luscious forests - And when I say winding I mean WINDING ! I am from a hill station so I really shouldn’t find too many roads winding and shouldn’t feel car sick, but the road to Hana made my head spin a tad bit as well ! So why go to Hana? They say it’s the journey, not the destination. There is only one word to describe Hana…magical. Imagine a green, ethereal fairyland - that is Hana ! During this drive, you will see absolutely amazing and beautiful scenes, from large waterfalls to lookouts that overlook the Pacific Ocean and parts of the Maui coastline. In some areas, it really looks as if you are driving through a tropical paradise, and in other areas, pineapple, banana, and papaya farms will surround you. This is a long drive so start early ! Expect some tropical afternoon showers on your way to Hana !
  • Helicopter Tour around the Island
    There are a lot of helicopter rides around the island (and even to Hana and Haleakala). Operators such as Blue Hawaiian Helicopters provide different routes and services such as a recorded version of your tour ! I have not taken the tour - the reason being that we actually had our tour canceled by the operator due to the rain. These tours are expensiv, but the people who have taken it have really enjoyed seeing Maui from the air. I saw Maui from the air when our aircraft took off from Maui airport, and that was an amazing site - I can just imagine what it would be to see it from a helicopter !

Where to Eat
A Big question all the time - especially if you are a vegetarian like me ! There are a lot of good places to eat in Hawaii. There is an excellent Thai restaurant in Lahaina (next to the Ulalena theatre). This used to be a favourite joint of mine ! Other nice places to eat in Maui are:

And then you have Quiznos, McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway, Taco Bell etc. etc. to eat in as well ! Other restaurants around Lahaina can be found here

Other Notes
I had also made my bookings via a travel site called Funjet vacations - I had booked a package from this website (flight tickets, car rental and hotel). Some times these websites have good deals for particular locations - Maui is a hot tourist spot and they usually have some deal for it most of the time. I have also used Pleasant Holidays in the past for Maui and they have some good packages at times. You can choose your hotel and the room while selecting your package.

For the gifts - don’t bother buying these from Lahaina. Instead go to the Walmart and the K-Mart near the airport - They have a lot of traditional Hawaiian gifts.

I may have not covered all the things to do or places to go to but that is only because I myself haven’t done much more than this. I have driven to some of the places around in Maui - Kahului for one ! These are nice places to go to as well if you have the time ! But on your first trip (which I think will be for about 5-7 days) this is a lot of bases to cover !