i am looking for a place for 2 couples to stay on the beach, villa or something like that. we are looking for a quiet beach, white sand clear waters, snorkeling, local restaurants and bars, away from resorts and golf courses. Is this possible in Maui?
maui - beauty away from the resorts
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3 responses; most recent on May 21, 13 at 12:34 PM
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In my opinion, the only part of Maui (other than the beaches themselves) that is physically beautiful that isn't within a resort is upcountry, and that's not on the beach. Cthere are beautiful beaches all over Maui but most are not quiet and with private housing (villas).
There are a few small rental homes/cottages in the Makena area that are ocean front and do have snorkeling access. The homes I have stayed at or are aware of are not on a beach, but you can access the water and the snorekling can be good. The nearest beach is a few minute walk down a small lane. This is a generally quiet and mellow area as the road these house are on is a dead end road and is not that heavily traveled.
The closest places to eat are at the Makena Beach Resort, a few minutes walk, but for most everything else you need to drive to Wailea and Kihei or beyond.
Look on Homeaway and vrbo.com in Makena to see what is available. Maybe something will speak to you.
The two 'ends' of Maui are quieter: Napili/Kapalua in West Maui; Wailea/Makena in South Maui. Neither of these areas is like the original destination resort area of Kaanapali/Lahaina, with tall buildings. Hana is very quiet -- but nearly zero bars or restaurants and limited lodgings.
We enjoy a low-rise, low-density condo in South Kihei. It's very 'home away from home'.
People establish bars and restaurants where there is clientele -- not on deserted beaches. If you are talking about spending time with the 'locals', that's not happening. Many local people work in tourist-oriented fields; they want to get away from tourists in their time off!
Hawaii doesn't have 'white sand' like the Caribbean -- but there are lovely, sandy beaches and good snorkeling off Maui. The oceans are calmer south in winter; reverse in summer.
Perhaps Kahana, Napili or Kapalua might offer what you are seeking. Although there is lots of "oceanfront" the shoreline is rocky in many areas and for snorkeling there are some great places to go, but you drive there.
We had criteria very similar to yours, and ended up booking at Kahana Village. http://www.kahanavillage.com/ Reviews are overall pretty good, but I don't know how many options we'll have nearby for restaurants and bars.
When we were on Maui a few weeks ago, I took a long walk on the beach path that fronts the hotels and condos on Kaanapali Beach and on North Kaanapali Beach (now accessible by walking through the Sheraton and around Black Rock). When I got to the end of Honua Kai, I was surprised to see a chain link fence preventing walking further along the ocean (Kahana and Napili), but it was enough to convince me that I would not stay any further north than Honua Kai -- I like my ocean walk! Later, we drove up to Napili, which is a lovely "neighborhood", and I convinced myself that if I could find the right property, I might stay up there, knowing I'd have to drive to restaurants, Lahaina, etc.