{"id":125,"date":"2014-07-27T15:32:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-27T07:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gautamkhattak.wordpress.com\/?page_id=125"},"modified":"2016-07-25T09:29:04","modified_gmt":"2016-07-25T01:29:04","slug":"usa-hawaii-maui","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/nam\/usa-hawaii-maui\/","title":{"rendered":"Hawaii – Maui"},"content":{"rendered":"

Maui, Hawaii, USA\u00a0<\/strong>by Gautam Khattak<\/p>\n

Last updated:<\/strong> September 26, 2011<\/p>\n

Disclaimer:<\/strong> These are notes I\u2019ve written or gathered from various sources. I have not experienced all things in this document nor is it intended to be a definitive guide.<\/p>\n

General Tips<\/strong><\/p>\n

I HIGHLY recommend getting the book Maui Revealed<\/a><\/strong>. It is fantastic and full of great tips. You can get it almost everywhere on the island or in the airport. It\u2019s worth the buy!<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re staying on the west side of the island like Ka’anapali it takes about an hour (Unless they widened the road) to get to the main fork in the road where you would then go to somewhere else\u2026so it\u2019s good to have your day planned because at least 2 hours of it is driving to\/from the hotel, most likely more.<\/p>\n

Do not leave your valuables in the car! There are a lot of locals that break into vehicles and steal everything. So to avoid the broken glass and hassle with the car rental agency, leave your car unlocked and take all your valuables with you. Basically pack light and make sure everything you care about fits in a backpack.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re going to hike to some of the waterfalls, or get into any of the beautiful natural pools all along the island I strongly recommend investing in a pair of closed toed sandals or water shoes. I bought Teva Dozer’s<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 They have great tread, don\u2019t require socks and you won\u2019t stub your toes. They’re like Keens only cheaper and have much better treads than Crocs…very worth it!!<\/p>\n

Destinations and Excursions<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is a lot to do or not do to fill a week in Maui. Some days were packed with excursions and then they were offset them in between by just relaxing at the pool or beach. I\u00a0was\u00a0in bed most nights by 9pm because it was such a relaxing but exhausting trip.<\/p>\n

Drive to Nakalele<\/strong> Blowhole<\/strong> & Olivine Pools<\/strong>.\u00a0 These are on the west side of the island.\u00a0 The map says your rental agreement is void if you go here because it used to be a dirt road. In 2006 only 1 mile of it was dirt and it is very compacted and an easy drive so nothing to worry about to get here. The blowhole is cool and you can go swimming at the Olivine Pools.\u00a0 This stuff is just north of Ka’anapali, where I\u00a0was\u00a0staying.<\/p>\n

Road to Hana <\/strong>– Leave early and bring the Maui Unleashed book!\u00a0 It is a life saver for this trip. Along the way you can stop by the Garden of Eden<\/a><\/strong> which is a very nice arboretum that takes about an hour to explore. This road trip will take up your entire day because you stop a dozen times to take pictures or go hike to a waterfall.\u00a0 This is where the closed-toed sandals come in handy.<\/p>\n

The main ones I saw were, Black Sand Beach<\/strong>, Ching’s Pond<\/strong>, Honomanu Bay<\/strong>, Blue Pool<\/strong>, and of course Hana<\/strong>. Some people stay at Hana for the night because it\u2019s a long drive back (about 1-1.5 hours without the stops) but at night it\u2019s scary because the roads are windy and there are no guard rails.<\/p>\n

Some people recommend renting a convertible just for this one day because you can see the treetop canopy above the road. But it\u2019s bound to rain at some point on the trip (it\u2019s a rainforest) so I didn\u2019t bother.<\/p>\n

Sunrise on Haleakala<\/strong> – You have to get up really early so if you suspect you’ll have jetlag do this the first day. Basically you go up to the top of the volcano and see the sunrise. I\u2019m not a morning person AT ALL and I say this is really worth doing. If it\u2019s a cloudy morning do not be discouraged because the clouds become the canvas for the sun.\u00a0 I think I\u00a0left the hotel at 3:30am to get there by 4:30~5ish…There are tours that will take you up and you can ride bicycles back down…I was\u00a0originally going to do that but decided to just drive ourselves up (there is parking up on top but you have to walk a little) It\u2019s very cold in the morning so bring a sweatshirt and the hotel blanket. IF you are planning on doing any scuba diving make sure you plan accordingly because you don\u2019t want to dive and then go up the volcano the next day. The change in altitude is too much.<\/p>\n

Snorkeling at Black Rock<\/strong>. This beach is in front of the Sheraton in Ka\u2019anapali. It is very nice but gets very crowded. Grab a snorkel and mask and walk out onto the beach and swim around Black Rock. You\u2019re very close to the beach, in shallow water but you see a lot of fish. Great in the mornings and also for a night dive. At night there is a fire dance which you can witness from the beach. Ask any of the local shops or restaurants for the timing.<\/p>\n

Snorkel Cruise to Molokini<\/strong>. I\u00a0went on the Four Winds II<\/strong>. \u00a0I\u00a0really enjoyed this trip. You can also do a dive trip to Molokini. The snorkeling is great because the water is only 30 feet deep and crystal clear.\u00a0 Mornings are always better for either diving or snorkeling because there are more fish and less people.\u00a0 The Four Winds II was the recommended company from the book and they treated me\u00a0well.\u00a0 Free drinks on the way there and back and a burger or BBQ lunch on the way back.<\/p>\n

Sunset at the Ritz<\/strong> – Pretend you’re staying at this resort and just walk down the golf course to the very end. On the left (West) you’ll see the sun setting over Dragon’s Tooth<\/strong>.\u00a0 It\u2019s a great sunset viewpoint. You can hike to Dragon\u2019s Tooth itself but the grass on the golf course grass is much nicer to sit on the jagged rock at Dragon’s Tooth!<\/p>\n

Our last day I\u00a0went to the Upcountry<\/strong> near Haleakala to visit a Goat Cheese<\/strong> farm, Alii Kula Lavender Farm<\/a><\/strong>, and Tedeschi Winery<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 You’ll see all 3 things on one of those hotel pamphlets because they’re close together.\u00a0 It was our last day so I\u00a0took it easy it was nice and relaxing, nothing too exciting but beautiful and fun. You can take a tour but I\u00a0just drove ourselves to each destination.<\/p>\n

Drive to Lahina<\/strong> and do shopping (touristy shopping that is) and eat on the waterfront.<\/p>\n

Other than that, drove around the south side a little and saw the Lava fields, visited the various hotels (The Hyatt is really beautiful)<\/p>\n

There are also Zip-line things and other excursions but I\u00a0didn’t do any of those.<\/p>\n

Lodging<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve only stayed at the Westin Ka\u2019anapali Oceanside Resorts<\/a><\/strong>. This is not the Westin Hotel, which is nearby, but is the Westin timeshares (that are also available for rent). This place is very nice, comfortable and relaxing!<\/p>\n

The Hyatt Regency<\/a><\/strong> in Maui is beautiful and worth at least visiting.<\/p>\n

The Ritz Carlton<\/a><\/strong> is also really nice but doesn\u2019t have the kitchen like the Westin timeshare rooms do.<\/p>\n

Dining<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can go out to dinner in shorts, a golf shirt and flip-flops with no problem.\u00a0 The real nice restaurants don’t appreciate bathing suits and a T-shirt.<\/strong>\u00a0Reservations are recommended for the nicer, well-known restaurants. I have never been to nor have any interest in going to a Luau so ask a local or check the Maui Revealed book.<\/p>\n

I\u00a0had a condo and therefore a kitchen so I\u00a0picked up sandwich meat and food (there is a Costco & Wal-Mart near the airport) and cooked half of our meals and had sandwich lunches to reduce cost and give more time to wander rather than stopping for a full formal meal.<\/p>\n

All along the beach in Ka’anapali there are nifty places to eat.<\/p>\n

Hula Grill<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> \u2013 Right in Ka\u2019anapali\u2019s Whaler\u2019s Village. This comfortable and relaxed restaurant is right on the beach. Enjoy your dinner with your feet in the sand or dine inside in the restaurant.\u00a0Great for lunch or an easy\/casual dinner.<\/p>\n

Sansei Restaurant & Sushi Bar<\/strong><\/a>
\nLocated at the shops at Kapalua.\u00a0 A great seafood restaurant and sushi bar.\u00a0From Ka’anapali, it is about a 15 minute ride north to Kapalua.\u00a0Reservations are recommended.<\/p>\n

115 Bay Drive
\n5:30 PM – 11 PM Daily
\n(808) 669-6286<\/p>\n

The Maalaea Waterfront Restaurant<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>
\n<\/strong>The food is great and so is the view!\u00a0 It is located in a condo complex in Maalaea Bay.\u00a0 Ask the concierge at the Westin on how to get there. When making reservations, ask for the patio – it is a must because of the great view.\u00a0 The Cioppino is a favorite of a friend of mine.\u00a0All the fresh fish entrees are great.\u00a0Check out the menu on their website. They were closed for renovations but were supposed to open September 15th<\/sup> 2011, so make sure they\u2019re back in business.<\/p>\n

50 Hauoli St.<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Maalaea, Maui, Hawaii 96793<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>For Reservations or Information <\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Phone (808) 244-9028<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mama’s Fish House<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> in Paia is very famous. I didn\u2019t go but I heard the setting is beautiful and the food is good (not great).\u00a0 You might just want to try it once to see if you like it.\u00a0My friend says he enjoys the dinner there but it\u2019s nothing wow.<\/p>\n

There are a lot of nice restaurants in Lahina along Front Street<\/strong> – only a ten minute drive from your hotel to downtown.\u00a0 Just walk around and pick one.\u00a0 They have your classic tourist stops like is Cheeseburger in Paradise<\/strong> if that\u2019s your thing. It\u2019s not mine but one reason to check it out is that that the restaurant sits on the ocean side and it is nice sitting there having a brew and burger and watching the sun set.<\/p>\n

Diving<\/strong><\/p>\n