Maui, what should I know?

[guide]

First time. Accommodations taken care of (Lahaina). One dinner booked at Mama's Fish House. Everything else is up in the air. Biking, hiking, fishing, snorkeling, scenic must-do's, tourist shit, food, etc?

[AK47bp]

Don't rent a convertible and drive around shirtless.

[iceman]

I coulda sworn it said "maul"

[guroo270]

For one of the best meals of your life... Mamas fish house.
If you snorkel, bring some tortillas in a ziplock bag to feed the feeeshies. All the beauty will come to you.
Don't touch a turtle.

[BmillsSkier]

I've stayed at the villas at Fairmont Kea Lani several times and always enjoyed it.

If you enjoy golf the courses at Wailea are close and very good. Of course there's Kappalua

Mama's is really good

I did a helicopter tour on I think Blue Hawaiian Helicopters the first trip there which was great for views and getting a feel for the island with a few stops along the way just me and my family in the chopper, no blue-hair touristy shit.

Saw the sun rise at the top of Haleakala - which was sweet it looked like the surface of the moon. Then downhill biked down.

Hana was cool and I enjoyed stopping along the road to swim in waterfall pools.

Did a lot of sailing there which was nice to see whales and snorkeling

Took a helicopter to Lana'i which was very relaxing and beautiful - the whole place is like a private botanical garden

Went to Moloka'i for a day and rented a jeep and drove around the National Park and Forest Preserve, lots of light off-roading.

[flatlander#2]

I coulda sworn it said "maul"

fuck that's the funeh.

[summit]

Paging SheRa...

Guide:

Drive ALL the way around Maui (the SE circle on the Hana Highway). Get out along the way constantly. There's a guide book that tells you where to stop. Make it an overnighter and stay in Hana. Don't listen to anyone who says the road is too rough. That's total BS. Their perception is skewed because most HI roads look like they were paved yesterday. Driving around the NE circle is a separate partial day trip and less worth it. Hike up to the falls in the National Park.

Drive your rental car up the Volcano EARLY to watch the sunrise. Don't pay to bike down the volcano, waste. Your ticket from the park after Hana will get you in.

What time of year you go determines what the ocean is doing, what direction the trades kick up from, etc.

Fly/Helo/Ferry to Lanai stay one night rent a jeep and go EVERYWHERE. Do tea at the plantation. Watch the sunrise at lovers rock. Do breakfast at the really fancy hotel. Dinner should be shit tons of cheap Poke from Lanai City. Drive to Shipreck Beach. Drive to Garden of the Gods. Drive on down to the beach there and watch the sunset.

Fly (do NOT take the ferry) to Molokai. Dive there. Drive around there to the end of all roads, then hike.

I coulda sworn it said "maul"

I read it that way too... I originally came here to page you.

[The AD]

If you snorkel, bring some tortillas in a ziplock bag to feed the feeeshies. All the beauty will come to you.

I believe this is universally frowned upon. So, no, don't do that. You'll see plenty of fish without needing to introduce an external food source into their delicate environment.

[TBS]

Agree with Summit on a lot of this...

Stay out of Lahaina as much as you can, unless you love Tshirt shops.

Do drive around east side of island and allow two days. Paia is a fun little town. Hana makes me think of Appalachia - I would personally camp on the beach south of town or in the park rather than stay in Hana itself. Last trip back from Maui I sat next to a woman returning to college - she was the only girl in her senior class at Hana HS who wasn't pregnant at commencement ceremonies.

The drive around the west side of the island is pretty but damn narrow & treacherous in a lot of places.

Do not take a rented jeep out on the beach. See my post in the rental car trashing thread.

Agreed that sunrise on Haleakala is da bomb, and the guided bike trips down are a waste. There are bike rental and shuttle services that will take you up and let you ride down on your own - gotta bring your own peddles, shoes, helmet, etc. I hit 70+ mph on one trip. It is usually damp during the descent so dress accordingly if you do go.

For snorkeling from the shore, there's a lot of great beaches on the west side. Black Rock has a lot of turtles - you can rent sit-on-tops to get out a ways and then snorkel with a leash tied to the boat. Honolu'a is great if the weather has been calm and the tide is not flooding - otherwise its easy to get dashed into some nasty coral and volcanic rock. Kapalua beach is very nice and easy access - scene of my only moray bite. Olowalu tends to get crowded and the water clouds up easily. East of Kihei, Maluaka is great for turtles.

I encourage a guided trip to LaPerouse Bay - you can swim/snorkel with dophins. The first time my daughter went there with me (14YO), she jumped back in the boat and yelled "Screw College - I want to become a Mermaid!". I wouldn't bother with a snorkel trip to Molokini - it's a long boat trip to crowded shitshow. PM me if you want SCUBA beta.

If you are hell bent on a luau, Old Lahaina is probably the best. Do Not go to a hotel luau.

[The AD]

I wouldn't bother with a snorkel trip to Molokini - it's a long boat trip to crowded shitshow.

I went to Molokini and loved it, however I was staying at the Makena Hotel and took the boat that departs from right behind the hotel AND took the trip that leaves early in the morning. We were the first boat out there. It's a long way for someone staying in Lahaina, though.

[jfost]

I believe this is universally frowned upon. So, no, don't do that. You'll see plenty of fish without needing to introduce an external food source into their delicate environment.

does that mean they are tired of the 1,000,000,000,000 frozen peas I gave them in 1988?

[shera]

If you are hell bent on a luau, Old Lahaina is probably the best. Do Not go to a hotel luau.

I would suggest Royal Lahaina because they have the fire dancers there. I lived just a couple of blocks from old lahaina luau and I know they roast a fine pig in the emu cause I was there at dawn to see it interred and snarfed it up at sunset a few times.

If you think Lahaina is t shirt shops, then you don't get it. My four months there were very intentionally NOT touristy, so if you want to know about farming upcountry or surfing and kayaking with tongans, shoot me a pm.

As far as regular tourist "activities" I would trust anything Summit has to say.

Don't miss a Lahaina sunset, ever.

[BmillsSkier]

If you snorkel, bring some tortillas in a ziplock bag to feed the feeeshies. All the beauty will come to you.

Saw some J.O. off some tourist snorkel boat do this (and ruin our nice quiet snorkel) - he took his Doritos or whatever the fuck they were and stuffed them down his girlfriend's bikini bottoms. Her cooch was instantly mauraded by reef fish in what looked like a terrifying event.

[Big Snowballs]

The drive around the west side of the island is pretty but damn narrow & treacherous in a lot of places.

I found this out the hard way but I wasn't prepared which made it all that more of an experience and test of grit. My advice to you is pull over to side when the 2 lanes turn into one and wait for another car to lead the way if you are nervous diver. The drive is worth it !

Most car rental companies now will not permit the drive to Hana. Rent from Maui Dive Shop and you'll have no worries. The Jeeps are older but just fine. Hana should be an all day trip and don't miss out on the roadside stands. They have great food and local treats. Lots of waterfalls along the way as well. Video tape the drive.

Last but not least just drive around every possible area and explore.
You'll end up finding some hidden gems as we did.

Enjoy and take lots of pics !!!!!!

[splat]

Haleakala, mushrooms, full moon. nuff sed.

[Tippster]

Honest question: can you rent an Enduro motorcycle and just cruise around on that?

[-Devin-]

I went to Molokini and loved it, however I was staying at the Makena Hotel and took the boat that departs from right behind the hotel AND took the trip that leaves early in the morning. We were the first boat out there. It's a long way for someone staying in Lahaina, though.

Yes. Big catamaran pics you up right on the beach. You do not need to be a guest at this hotel. Quick/early trip to Molokini and off to other spots to snorkel on the way back.

[Dhelihiker]

I hucked pretty much every waterfall on the road to Hana and it was a very memorable day.

There is one in particular that you had to hike across a rickety flood control structure to get to, me and a buddy in an effort to get on top of the falls and jump found a second fall just above it. All hidden and shit, it was romantic.

[myles long]

Yes, I think eagle riders rents vstroms and ktm 990's...had plans to rent one but the surf was too good all week i was there!

Honest question: can you rent an Enduro motorcycle and just cruise around on that?

[bennymac]

My humble opinion: going to the summit for sunrise is overrated. Yes we got there plenty early and had a prime unobstructed view. There were lots of clouds to make the sunrise really stunning. But I've seen plenty of sunrises and getting up that early and making the mission to the top was not worth it. I'd rather see the sunset from there at the end of the day.

If you like hiking there is a cool hike at the summit you can do by leaving your car at a parking lot on the way up and then hitching to the top (very easy to get rides according to the park staff). You then hike from the summit down into the "crater" and do a route that heads back towards your car. You can make this as long as you want (we backpacked to the other side of the crater and camped out overnight). Talk to the park staff at the summit about how to do the hitchhike/day hike route.

Like all Hawaiian island trips the guidebook from wizard publications is well worth buying.

Wal mart near the airport has cheap and expensive snorkel gear. The burrito place across the road is a delicious spot for lunch (google it for directions).

Get an early start on the road to Hana if you're gonna do the whole loop in a day - we did the backside mainly in the dark as we spent too much time hiking around the pools.