purple

Hi. My husband and I will be on Maui next Feb. Has anyone done the Meal on the Beach? The horseback riding to the Crater? Is the helicopter tour really worth the bucks? Have you done the all day Paragon Snorkeling tour? Or is the Trilogy one better. I have Maui Revealed, but want to know from someone who has recently done these? Mahalo

kikahead

We did the Paragon snorkeling tour to Molokini and LOVED it. We only had 12 or so people on the boat and we loved our captain. It was the highlight of our trip!

Meeko72

We drove up Haleakala (crater) and enjoyed the beautiful sunrise. If you want to see the sunrise which it is so famous for, you have to get up at about 3:30 - 4:00am. I'm not sure if you would want to do horseback at that hour. I'd say save the helicopter tour for Kauai if you are ever planning on visiting it. I did the helicopter tour on Maui, but hearing other's comments after the fact, I would have rather done it on Kauai. When you do the snorkeling on Molokini, make sure you take the early trip out. The water is calmer in the early morning. Hope this helps... enjoy your trip!

bogart

depending on where you are staying you may need to get up earlier for sunrise on Haleakala. from Kapalua we got up at 2:30 left by 3:00 and reached the summitt around 5:15 and it was already pretty crowded, sunrise was around 5:45.

Doug

Hey purple,

For a prime viewing spot, general rule is to get to the Haleakala summit an hour or so before the official sunrise.

And I agree with meeko72 in that if you are going to Kauai, I'd save the helicopter trip for there. If not, it's still a thrilling experience and a great way to see the island from above.

Finally, I was scheduled to do the Dinner on the Beach this past Valentine's Day but 5 inches of rain later, it was cancelled. Let me know how it is if you end up doing it.

panhandle

We went on a snorkel trip with the Fourwinds (recommended by Maui Revealed. The staff and the trip was great. DOlphins....Turtles....sunburn! Dont forget the sunscreen. We did the sunrise at Haleakala and would do it again. We did it on a saturday morning and when we came back we stopped in at the Saturday market in Kahuli (directions also in Maui revealed. The market was really neat and only 50 cents admission! Helicopter tours on maui are not worth the $$ (much better on Kauai)

tigerhawk

I didn't do the sunrise but did do the horseback ride on Haleakala, and since you specifically mentioned that, I thought I'd chime in.

The operation is called Pony Express. I did the half day ride which started at about 9AM [gets the sunrisers and the bikers pretty well off the summit before they bring the horses up]. As you drive up you will see the corral about 2/3rds the way up the mountain. If you buy trail rides or ranch rides [can't remember what the specific term is] get off here. If you buy the crater rides go up to the main parking lot at the visitors center and wait there. They bring up the horses then you trail ride down into the crater, have a box lunch on the crater floor [about 3000 feet lower than the summit] then ride back out. In 1996 this trip cost $150 per person but went from 9 AM to around 2 PM. There was a full day ride too. It is not strenous riding, just trail riding in a line, but it is gorgeous and something you can't do anywhere else. Pack a sweatshirt or a jacket and jeans - at 9500+ feet elevation in the morning, it can be in the 40s, particularly in Feb. Take a camera and hope for a clear day.

For a real splurge treat, eat at either Mama's Fish House in Kahalui or at the Hailemaile General Store low on the slope of Haleakala.

jmg

We also snorkeled with the Four Winds (from Maui revealed) . Great trip-just remember to take Dramamine if you get motion sick as it takes a while to get to Molokini. Don't miss "Warren and Annabelles" and "Old Lahaina Luau". Be sure to make reservations for these things months in advance if you can.