Planning a September honeymoon in Maui (!) Got a book of places to go/ stuff to do. But I’m always up for a little person to person recommendation.
Also, where (geographically) would you recomend getting a hotel? I’ve read the Eastern and Southern coasts are best for lodging.
Any thoughts?
Lahaina’s real nice, nothing quite so wierd as looking across the short channel and seeing little cars driving around on Molokai. Watch out on the drive to Hana, which is beautiful and long but they are going to be repainging it soon and fo rlong periods of time it will be closed, so check into that. They offer bike rides down Haleakala which is awesome, and easy, 10,000 ft and all downhill, just don’t hit a bus. Defiantely see Iao needle. They usually offer helicopter tours, while they are not as spectacular as they use to be since there were crashes and people complained of noise, they are still awesome. Lonely Planet makes awesome books. I heard diving at Molokini island is amazing. Always bring an umbrella. Most places in Hawaii the sun can be beating down on you and within a few minutes it’ll be pouring on you, then a few minutes later back to sun beating down. Although Spetember is really before the rainy season starts.
have fun!
Been to Maui twice. Stayed at the Kea Lani hotel both times.
Hana was very, very nice. Seven pools, all connected via waterfalls… we had some fun cliffdiving there. However, it’s a long-ass drive… make sure you don’t mind your butt falling asleep.
The Molokini crater IS amazing… fish everywhere, water perfectly crystal clear. We went snuba diving around there, and saw all sorts of nifty stuff.
I loved just walking around to all the tourist shops… almost all of the postcard racks had pictures of topless babes :D.
My preferred activity was just walking around all day. Looking at the plants, the trees… listening to the funky-monkey animals… breathing non-toxic air… Heading down the the beach was cool, too. We rented snorkel gear half the time, and we went out and explored a small reef directly offshore from the hotel (not nearly as amazing as Molokini is, though).
I would also recommend getting reservations to a luau (sp?) somewhere on the island… they have some pretty amazing food and performances for ya. They bury a whole pig in hot coals and VERY-slow-roast it… mm-MM, that’s some great pork!
A marlin-fishing trip might be worth it, too… but, unfortunately, your odds of catching anything are slim. It’s fun being out on the water, but after a while, if you don’t catch anything, it’s just boring.
I was just there in January, and it was beatiful. The others have hit the high spots, so I can’t add much. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Resort on Kaanapali Beach, just north of Lahaina. The accommodations were first class all the way; the hotel has several good restaurants, and two pools outside connected by a swim-thru waterfall, with a smaller pool and a swim-up bar in between. It’s also connected with all the other resorts and hotels along Kaanapali by a beach walk that you can stroll down and visit all the shopping and restaurants.
One of the activities we did (this was a company sales meeting) was a great boat trip on a giant catamaran called the Maui Magic. Just putting in a plug – I’m not affiliated with them and don’t get any compensation – it’s a 70-passenger boat that takes you on a 4-hour tour around East Maui, and out to Molokini. They provide breakfast and lunch on the boat, and snorkeling gear, and stop for about an hour for snorkeling. A really great time. THey have a webpage here.
Be sure to try that Luau. Get the real one, it costs $65.00 a person. I forgot where it was & its booked a month in advance.
That island has every place name in Hawaiian so be sure to get a map. Bring tennis shoes if you are going to swim as there is a lot of sharp rocks.
Congratulations! Good choice on the honeymoon, it is so romantic there. It kinda depends on what you want to spend,
what is important to you (ocean view is NOT ocean front etc)
and what you plan on doing. I have stayed up in Kaanapali and had a great time, there are some nice luxury hotels or you can find a condo. Being close to Lahaina is nice for dining, shopping and night life. The traffic/parking situation can be hectic. I prefer the Kihei area, farther south (or is it east?). The weather is always great, there are tourist-y things to do (snorkeling Molokini, driving up Haleakala crater) and you can get away from that “Waikiki feeling”. There are some spectacular resorts at the end of the road, past Kihei, including the Kea Lani. We stay at the lowly Maui Lu in Kihei - townhouse type place with fridge, right on the water, usually about $100/night but tell them it’s your honeymoon, they will give you a break. I have had several “honeymoons” there. Don’t forget the monkey sex a-go-go Hawaiian style, nothing like some double Mai Tais to get you in the mood.
I used to live on Maui. If you are not interested in alot of nightclubs and just want to relax, snorkel, and play a little golf, stay somewhere in Wailea. If you are interested in the nightclub scene, stay up in Kaanapali and go to Lahaina.
Been to Maui. Don’t go to Maui. Go to another island, preferably one that hasn’t been completely redecorated for the tourists.
Kauai is a good choice if you want natural beauty and Oahu is good if you like a combination of beauty, civilization, and reality.
Oahu is cheaper, yeah, especially nice are those areas with no fallout.
Hawaii is nice too. Honolulu is special.
Also before I visited maui, I thought: lots of foliage, palm trees, blue ocean & white sand. Spent three days there didn’t see that. Our plane was late so we stayed in a hotel at 4am. So I woke up at 830, opened the curtains & there it was, foliage, palm trees, sand & blue ocean.
In my experience, Oahu isn’t nearly as good as Maui. The beaches are far better on Maui, with clearer water and better waves. Go visit Hana if you want to see some really natural nature…(hmmm…that didn’t sound quite right, I wonder why…?)