IIRC, Kiehi to Hana was around 1/2 day to 3/4 day, but it was a while ago.
I second Mama’s Fish House, but be advised that it is very pricey. We are going back to Maui in March (it’s been almost 10 years) and we’re sending my parents to Mama’s for their 40th anniversary dinner!
If you drive to Hana, be sure and check out Lindberg’s grave, the pools, etc. It’s not the most fun drive, and if you miss something you may never go back. The big draw about the road to Hana in the 1970’s & 1980’s was the myth that driving there would void your insurance and rental car agreement because it was so dangerous. Oooh. IIRC it is now fully paved, but it is a scary, twisty two-lane road and the local delivery trucks are downright insane. In 1994, we were sure we were going to die- not because of the road, but because of the trucks on it. They have no qualms about driving over into your lane as they come around a turn heading straight for you. But if you are a photog, damn near every turn opens out to a beautiful waterfall or valley. Stop often.
Kihei is lovely, and not as bustling as Lahaina. Charley Young Beach is a highlight.
If you drive with no stops, and encounter no traffic, it would probably be about 3.5 hours. But traffic can be very significant (especially if you don’t get an early start) and stops are why you’re there. So it’s definitely an all-day affair. If you make an appointment for a Lahina luau in the evening, I suspect you’ll feel too rushed to enjoy things.
The Maui Revealed guidebook recommends spending the night in Hana, to do away with the time pressure. Hana is a slightly funky area that’s a bit weak in places to eat. We stayed in a house not too far from the Hana airfield, and found a number of good beaches and other interesting spots.
I didn’t make it to Mama’s Fish House, but this seems to be the place most recommended by the locals. Like essentially all the “name” restaurants, it ain’t cheap - I was told it can push $75/person if you order drinks with your meal. Unlike a number of the pricey places, this one appears to have food of a quality that may justify the price.
I’ve done the mountain biking twice, and had a create time both times. In both cases, we didn’t do the sunset tour, but did the later tour, which meant that we actually got a night’s sleep, plus it was much less crowded. I think that’s definitely the way to go.
I also highly recommend a magic show that is in Lahaina. I don’t remember the name off the top of my head, but its name involves the name of the “ghost” piano player, so it’s “(magician’s name) and (girl’s name)”. It was AMAZING.
Oh, and I also recommend that you go there for the wedding of my friends Rich and Michelle. Of course, that will involve travelling back in time, but believe me, it will be (was?) worth it.
It’s Warren and Annabelle’s. The normally laid-back authors of Maui Revealed go nuts about this show: “… the single most amazing show in all Hawai’i… Every person we’ve sent to this show has come back raving.” So you should probably go. But get your tickets early - they were sold out when I was there.
No it’s not! You can easily rent prescription facemasks all over Hawaii! One fine purveyor on Oahu is Snorkel Bob, and I’m pretty sure they’re in Maui as well. MrsB loved her mask to bits when we were in Hawaii 2 years ago.
I just saw that in Maui Revealed, so I am going to see what they can do about my sight. I doubt they can do anything about the astigmatism, but if the myopia can be fixed it will be worth trying. I am not much of a water person, but it I think I can force myself to give it a try.
