We rented a mustang convertible, and drove around the perimeter of the island.The wife and I are gonna go to Maui next year the week of Thanksgiving. What are must things to do while there? Is there places to stay on the beach?
Thanks in advance!
Dennis
Is this something new? I did the road to Hana with a night stay in Hana. I stopped off at Black sand beach coming in to town with no reservations. I went the rest of the way around the island with a stop at the 7 sacred pools with no reservations. This was back in 2013.Already off to some good suggestions. If there is anything like Haleakala or seven sacred pools or the black sand beach in Hana you will need reservations. Besure to do it early as it is limited and you can’t just arrive that day. That being said we had a great time on the road to Hana and in Hana without any reservations.
Yes, it has been installed in the last year to limit the amount of people and congestion. Black sand for sure. not 100% on the others but worth checking into to be sure you get to see the attractions.Is this something new? I did the road to Hana with a night stay in Hana. I stopped off at Black sand beach coming in to town with no reservations. I went the rest of the way around the island with a stop at the 7 sacred pools with no reservations. This was back in 2013.
FOrgot about that. The wife has wanted to do this for years. If you don’t have reservations get there a half hour before it opens. Grab a seat at the roof top bar and it is as good as it gets.The top of Fleetwoods for dinner !
Poki....has a very different meaning than Poké..Make your first stop after arrival at Costco, and get some Poki, it’s right by the airport.
You could not pay me to ever get on a helicopter tour in HI. Hell the one that crashed in Kailua a few years ago happened like maybe 200 yards in front of us. At least 2 commercial tour helicopters crash in HI every year.....yea the odds are you'll be fine...but I'm not looking to the the sucker in the seat when it does happen. I did it one time back in college on a date...that was fun, but I'd never do it today lol.Another tip we got ~ call helicopter tour company day of to see if they have seats to fill. We flew for 1/3rd the price and got an extra long ride as the other folks were being picked up in Hilo.
Mama of Mamas fish house past away. Daughter took it over and stopped buying fish from the locals. She let the main cooks go and I believe she buys frozen fish now. That place is waaaay over priced.Make your reservation for Mamas Fish House now.
You are going to need to make reservations for the popular restaurants at least a week in advance.
Make reservations for the Black Sand Beach before you get there.
Rent a jeep and after you do the road to Hana, take the back way home. Make sure you get most of the way back before sunset. Get a time slot at the aforementioned beach that allows you to do so.
There are some nice free empty beaches along the road to Lahaina.
Make your first stop after arrival at Costco, and get some Poki, it’s right by the airport. There’s a big group of food trucks there too, in the same general area.
Decide if you want to see sunrise or sunset on the volcano, and if you do, make your reservations early. Otherwise, head up mid-day when it’s not as busy- and you might want a jacket.
David Ige killed over 40% of local restaurants with his actions. Lots of my childhood haunts are gonefriend just returned...
said Aloha Mixed plate closed...
I hope they return..
Good tips.Kihei Cafe for breakfast!
X100 on the Road to Hana. Do the entire loop. It’s like another world out there.
Yes, Maui Revealed is an absolute must! It gives an honest opinion and very specific details on just about everything.Good tips.
Kihei Cafe was a great find for local food.
My adds would be to do road to Hana backward. Drive to the end where the best spots are and work your way back to town. Most people who drive the standard way get frustrated with the crowd/traffic about halfway in and never make it to the pools.
Depending on available time, take an island hopper flight to Oahu to see Pearl Harbor. You can make it a day trip if necessary.
On a different note, two other things to consider. Take a bike ride tour down Haleakala after watching the sunrise at the top. It’s an early tour and can get pretty chilly at the top of the crater so dress accordingly.
You also might pick up the current version of Maui Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook by Andrew Doughty, available on Amazon or any book store. It is filled with excellent tips, discounts and was critical for our first trip to the island.
First stop, Costco for all the alcoholic beverages, king crab legs and lobster tail, lots of water and a couple pizzas to go to munch on in the morning. Second stop, Maui Built clothing for a couple board shorts. 3rd stop used to be Da Kitchen in Kahului right outside the airport but it closed and the other in Kihei, both gone. So if we're hungry we'll hit Marcos Grill & Deli right outside the airport on Hana & Dairy also right out of the airport. They closed Tokyo Tei during the whole pandemic but came back under new ownership. This was our go to place for excellent Tempura. Haven't tried the place since new ownership took over. 4th stop, Foodland Farms in Lahaina across the street from Safeway they have a Baseball cut beef. 5th stop, Takimiya Market in Happy Valley for some short ribs to bbq. Wife and I never go to the big box restaurants, we always search out the local places for the island food. Sea House Restaurant in Napili Bay. They have a prime rib special I believe on Tuesday, make reservations. We'll go to Kimo's, Leilani's or Hula Grill only for the Volcano Pie. We were there in April, half the shops in Lahaina are gone, the place used to have a crowd of people on both sides of the street, no more. SAD state of affairs, locals still struggling.David Ige killed over 40% of local restaurants with his actions. Lots of my childhood haunts are gone
Have you tried the backway from the other end? Much more adventursomeI may be in the minority here but the drive to Hana was painful. I will never do that again. I prefer the ocean views up past Kaanapali.
We were there in July, front street is definitely, slower, still enjoyed cocktails, views and food. I did get a front row parking spot at Kimos, that was nice!First stop, Costco for all the alcoholic beverages, king crab legs and lobster tail, lots of water and a couple pizzas to go to munch on in the morning. Second stop, Maui Built clothing for a couple board shorts. 3rd stop used to be Da Kitchen in Kahului right outside the airport but it closed and the other in Kihei, both gone. So if we're hungry we'll hit Marcos Grill & Deli right outside the airport on Hana & Dairy also right out of the airport. They closed Tokyo Tei during the whole pandemic but came back under new ownership. This was our go to place for excellent Tempura. Haven't tried the place since new ownership took over. 4th stop, Foodland Farms in Lahaina across the street from Safeway they have a Baseball cut beef. 5th stop, Takimiya Market in Happy Valley for some short ribs to bbq. Wife and I never go to the big box restaurants, we always search out the local places for the island food. Sea House Restaurant in Napili Bay. They have a prime rib special I believe on Tuesday, make reservations. We'll go to Kimo's, Leilani's or Hula Grill only for the Volcano Pie. We were there in April, half the shops in Lahaina are gone, the place used to have a crowd of people on both sides of the street, no more. SAD state of affairs, locals still struggling.
I may be in the minority here but the drive to Hana was painful. I will never do that again. I prefer the ocean views up past Kaanapali.
Mamas Fish house for sure
Road to Hana is nice but not life changing.... and you'll blow a day doing it. Save it for another trip.....
Mamas Fish house for sure
Road to Hana is nice but not life changing.... and you'll blow a day doing it. Save it for another trip.....
I spent 2 days doing it and don't regret it one bit. We went all the way around. We read all the warnings about how bad the road could get and did it anyway. Ended up laughing our asses off at the end as the road was in far better shape than many of the ones I traverse daily in the sunshine state.Mamas Fish house for sure
Road to Hana is nice but not life changing.... and you'll blow a day doing it. Save it for another trip.....
Yes!!! Did this in '18.... great trip. Boat takes you to sea caves and the captains of these boats get right on up there in the big surf...then to Molokini for a few hrs of snorkling...then to turtle bay to check out turtles.... great trip.... it books out in Kihei..... awesome town... like Hunting Beach of MauiOne thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is snorkling/snuba/scuba diving at Molokini....that was a lot of fun and lots of underwater life out there.