posted 08-02-2001 18:34            

I've never gone wind-surfing, but my BIL did when they came with us one year. He was able to do that in Wailea at one of the big hotels (unfortunately can't remember which one).

Probably the best place to snorkel is Molokini, but you need to take a snorkel cruise to do this. The only snorkel cruise I've taken was out of Lahaina to Lanai with Trilogy. I highly recommend this trip.

Other things you may want to NOT miss is the drive to Hana, a trip up to Haleakala (another trip I've never done personally).

Our favorite beach is the one in front of the Maui Prince down towards Makena. We've been going there since before the Maui Prince was built.

Have a great time!

------------------
Luanne

posted 08-02-2001 18:59            

Just returned from our 4th trip to Maui not more than 7 days ago and we're freezing here in our location.

Things to consider doing: Four Winds II for snorkeling at Molokini Crater (others are available)...Maui dive shops might be able to help you with diving programs...travel to Paia for some of the best winds for wind-sailing...must visit Lahaina and take in the touristy side of the island--many things to do and excellent places to dine...golfing can be accomplished at the Wailea courses on your side and Kapalua courses on the west side...different types of cruises from Ma'aleea Harbor(sp)...if you venture to do the Road to Hana use a tour program(Valley Isle is very good)...luau--best is Old Lahaina Luau but must reserve at least a month ahead to guarantee a reservation.

There are many things to do on Maui. Use your computer to look up Maui Activites and you will be surprised at all the things one can undertake. From those sites you can probably even reserve some of the activites you wish to do. Tom Barefoot Discounts is one of the best www.tombarefoot.com

Have an absolutely great trip!!!

posted 08-02-2001 19:40            

Eat at Mama's in Paia, on the north shore.

We took a snorkling cruise to Molokini many years ago and it was well done.

If you go to the far NE corner of Maui, either from the Kahana area, or from the Kahalui area, you will be able to see the BIG Island across the ocean! The Maui shoreline there has wonderful huge rocks and vast meadows.

posted 08-02-2001 20:30            

------------------
Luanne

The book is only $15 and extremely worth it for first time visitors: You can find it at Borders and Barnes & Noble, as well as Amazon.com (which also contains many positive reviews: see its "Reader Comments" about this book. "Maui Revealed" is also listed in the TUG Hawaii "Tips and FAQ" Section, and is frequently recommended by TUGers in this Forum.

Buy the book and read it well before you land on the Valley Isle, deciding which of the many sights and activities appeal to you the most, and then try to do them all....before you become totally exhausted and finally relax on some beach.

Bob Cohen

posted 08-02-2001 22:38         

We saw great waves near Pa'ia at Ho'okipa Beach. MAUI REVEALED (p172) says that it is known as the best place in the world to windsurf, but for experts only. The drive to Hana is great if you are into water falls and lots of greenery and scenery. It's tough on the driver though. Done right it takes most of a day. Start early in the day. You should be able to find a tape or CD tour guide to explain the sights along the way.

We enjoyed the Maui Ocean Center in Ma'alaea. In addition to great exhibits it also has a good gift shop. The ABC stores are great places to stock up on inexpensive, touristy souvenirs. I was able to bring home shell necklaces for 24 second graders for about $6.00! Can't beat that.

Lahaina has a number of art galleries that are interesting to look through, if that's something that would interest you. There are also many, many restaurants on Lahaina's Front Street. Street parking there is at a premium, but there are free lots available if you know where to look. The Whaler's Village in Ka'anapali is an upscale shopping center, but I was able to find a couple of pieces of jewelery that I could afford to bring home.

posted 08-03-2001 09:42            

Molokini is the most popular snorkeling spot, but is also the most crowded. The water is usually very clear with good visibility. Every morning six or eight (at least) tour boats drop off 30 to 50 people each. Many ask that you stay right around the boat (so they can keep track of you), so if your boat doesn't anchor in the best place, what you see might be limited. It's a good spot, but it seemed somewhat overrated to me, a victim of over-promotion.

I would highly recommend one of the Trilogy tours out of Lahaina harbor to the island of Lana'i. They are more expensive than some other tour operators, but you get first-class service and they are the only operator allowed access the beach at Manele Bay. This is a very good snorkeling spot as well, and an optional excursion while you're on Lana'i can take you dolphin watching. For some reason, the MAUI REVEALED guidebook didn't seem to like Trilogy, but speaking from experience, it was one of the highlights of our 5 trips to Maui. Their food is good and the crewmembers friendly and first-rate. They offer scuba as an option as well.

Other places to snorkel include Black Rock at the Sheraton on Kaanapali Beach (just north of Lahaina) and Kapalua Bay beach on the far northwest corner in the Kapalua resort. This later location had some of the best snorkeling we've done on Maui (even better than Molokini - and less crowded) when we were there in Dec 99/Jan 00. On our last trip in March 2001, however, a strong northerly current had churned up the water there, making visibility poor. Snorkel Bob's in Napili can usually tell you how the conditions will be based on the surf conditions.

As far as restaurants, we are most familiar with the Lahaina area, but I think that Lahaina does tend to have more top notch restaurants than Kihei, which is one of the reasons we like West Maui better than Kihei. The downside to Lahaina for you, is it is a 30-45 minute drive from Kihei. Kihei will probably have more moderate-priced restaurants and chains. Most of the finer restaurants in Wailea (south of Kihei) are in the hotels. There are several restaurants in Lahaina that are worth the drive.

In Lahaina, our favorite is Longhi's. It is a world-renowned restaurant, and the last time we ate there, Carlos Santana was at the next table. The menu there is unique because it is delivered verbally by the waiter. It is seafood, steaks, and just about anything else, served with an Italian flair. Longhi's has a second location now in Wailea (just south of Kihei) at a new upscale shopping plaza, but the original in Lahaina is the most famous and a Maui institution. Reservations are taken and generally needed. Of the places I've eaten, the original Longhi's is my favorite in the WORLD.

We also like Kimos in Lahaina (their Hula Pie is one of the best desserts I've ever had). The focus is fresh fish and seafood, but they have steaks, chicken, and other dishes as well. They take a limited number of reservations, but most people are seated through a waitlist. They have a great waterfront location overlooking Lahaina harbor.

In Kaanapali, The Hula Grill and Leilani's on the Beach are owned by the same group that owns Kimos and are equally good. The menu at Leilani's is similar to Kimos (including Hula Pie), but Hula Grill has a totally different menu and presentation.

I concur with the recommendation of the Old Lahaina Luau ( www.oldlahainaluau.com ). It may be the best in Hawaii, not just Maui. Go ahead and make your reservations now, or they may be none when you get there. We failed to make advance reservations in March and couldn't get anything. We did the Hyatt Luau instead, and while it's good, the Old Lahaina Luau has a much more authentic atmosphere.

The road to Hana and Haleakala volcano (the sunrises atop the 10,000 ft crater can be spectacular, and cold)are two other things you should not miss if you have time. You will quickly find that Maui has more to see and do than you could ever do in a week, even if you took no time for relaxation.

[This message has been edited by Jimmy (edited 08-03-2001).]

posted 08-04-2001 09:06            

For beach side snorkeling, go south beyond Kea Lani resorts. When the road (it is not paved at this point) no longer continues, you will discover a beach that is protected and great snorkeling. We discovered this when we took a kayak tour. This was the start area and of course the end area. Could not believe the marine life (including many, many sea turtles). You will also discover that you are one of the few on the beach.

posted 08-04-2001 12:00            

They did a superb job! They have rolls and juice while they are taking care of paperwork in the parking lot. They took us to the pinnacle for our first dive. It's off shore only 10 minutes by boat. It's an 80' dive. We saw some tiger sharks and heard whales nearby. After we got back in the boat and pulled up anchor, a whale breached right where we had dived. It was amazing! The week prior, the dive masters said they saw a juvenile whale during their dive which was very unusual.

Then they took us to Molokini for a 60' dive. They arrive as most of the snorkel boats are leaving. Since you're diving, they anchor farther out so we didn't run into any other groups. It was a beautiful dive. Our favorite diving is Cozumel, but this was a very interesting contrast. The different types of coral are various shades of off-white and the many diverse fish contrasted beautifully against the coral.

You can visit Ed Robinson's website for more info. Here are a couple of links with comments from other people who have dived with them. We dove with Fish, Kim and Byrd.
http://www.maui-scuba.com/guestbook/gb_2000.htm
http://www.epinions.com/otdr-review-1F97-6B52BB3-38607578-prod2

Sorry, I couldn't make them links. [That's okay. Our bbs software automatically linked them for you. See the bbs faq for more information on this. -- mg]

The other highly rated dive operations operating out of Kehei is Mike Severns. They were booked so we can't comment on their operation. Their boat is very similar to Robinsons and they left the ramp about 5 minutes after we did.

Send me an email if you have more questions.

Coz

posted 08-04-2001 22:47         

I have reviewed many guide books, we are alsways looking for new thing to do on Maui. The best book, without a doubt, is Maui Revealed as already mentioned in this posting.

I would highly agree with the Maui Ocean Center, it is a wonderful look at sea life, not only do our kids really enjoy it but I do too!

Our favorite restaurants are Sensei (Sushi) in the Kapalua Bay hotel, I'O and Pacifico on Front Street.

posted 08-05-2001 21:26            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Janette:
No one under 21 is allowed in Warren and Annabelle's. I suppose it is because of the drinks. He never uses 4 letter words and the show would be wonderful for children.

---

Good news: during the summer, Warren and Annabelle do have some family performances. So ask about them as soon as you get there, to see if they are still happening. The only difference is that they don't serve drinks or food on those evenings.

posted 08-06-2001 08:52            

In March, the Owner Services Concierge at the Embassy Maui got us a babysitter through a group called the Nanny Connection. I don't recall the cost, but we felt it was resonable and the sitter was very nice.