My husband and I are taking our first trip to Maui in February for our honeymoon. We are staying at a condo in Kihei for 10 days. I had a couple questions about things to do in the area. The biggest debate is do we take the trip to Pearl Harbor for the day? I have looked at the self guided fly/drive option. This is a most likely a once in a lifetime trip to Hawaii. Some other touring we have thought about are a rafting trip to the molokini crater and of course the Road to Hana one day. The rest of the days we were hoping to be beach bums. Anything you think we are missing. Is it working doing day to Haleakala National Park and skipping a day at the beach or substituting this instead of snorkeling? My husband is a beach bum but I love hiking have been to Sawtooths, Glacier National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park and Yellowstone hiking. Does the hiking in Maui compare?

Thank you for all your help and advice!

It's hard to say without knowing how important the visit to Pearl Harbor is to you personally. Have you already purchased plane tickets. IF you strongly do want to go, maybe fly first to Oahu, do Pearl Harbor, then on to Maui? Instead of trying to do it as a "day trip" from Maui.

I would absolutely go see Haleakala but it doesn't need to take all day. No comment on Road to Hana as too many in our group get car sick and no one was interested in spending the time doing that one. But Haleakala was spectacular... no way would I want to have missed seeing that once in my life!

There should be humpbacks at that time of year. Listen for them when you snorkel.

second the thought on stopping in Oahu first for a day or two if Pearl Harbor is high on your to do list. Much easier. and possibly cheaper. and the hiking is MUCH better on Oahu IMO. never seen a "rafting" trip to Molokini but plenty of Catamaran/Tour Boat trips to choose from. Great spot. and Haleakala is a must do if you can get a sunrise opportunity. The road to hana IMO is best done in your own car at your own pace-not on a tour. And if your stomach can handle it. Many outstanding stops for views, waterfalls, trail walks, and getting in the freshwater.

I think you might like a hike in the Haleakala crater. It's not a long drive from the Kihei area, and it wouldn't take all day to do it. On the way up and down, you get great views of Maui.
If you are not locked into flights, agree with the others on flying first to Oahu for the Pearl Harbor visit. Oahu has a much more urban feel overall and when you get to Maui, you'll appreciate the somewhat slower pace.

You now need to make reservations for sunrise at Haleakala, which I preferred over Road to Hana. We went mid morning (and yes, it is COLD) and stopped for lunch afterward. You'll be there during the height of whale season so you might want to take a whale watching tour.

It's a honeymoon! You wouldn't have too much time on Maui if you were there for a month. Hawaii will still be there when you are able to return. I do not recommend a daytrip to HNL; you *might* stay one night on Waikiki at one end of your trip -- to do 'historic' and 'city. BTW, Pearl is incomplete without paying respects at Punchbowl.

February is the height of Whale Season, best observed from Maui. The small boat launch in Kihei is immediately south of Kamaole III beach park. There are raft-type snorkeling boats going out of there to Molokini and along the shore. You can book a larger boat out of the marina at Maalaea. There are also snorkeling excursions to Lanai out of Lahaina in West Maui. You would see whales, but these are not dedicated Whale Watches -- searching for whales and stopping to observe them. If you want Molokini, I'd only take the FIRST boat out; it's overused.

Ten nights is a bit short to spend the car time on both Road to Hana (12 hour day) and Haleakala. You can do Haleakala, Upcountry, Paia Town, and Iao Valley in one day. (You start both adventures from Kahului, home to OGG, which is 25 minutes from Kihei in good traffic.) You can hike within the crater. You need reservations from the Park Service for dawn -- may be a wait list already.

Are you staying South Kihei? On or across from the Kamaole beach parks or on Keawakapu beach?

Do you want to attend a luau? Wailea has two, one at the Grand Wailea (Costco has coupons) and on at the Marriott Beach Resort. I would not book one in Lahaina and have to drive 'home' through the pali in the dark. Take a day to drive up to Kapalua, stopping to browse Lahaina Town. Drive south past Makena to see the vast lava deposits from Halekala's last eruption in the late 1700's where it meets the blue ocean. (You need sun protection, water, sturdy shoes.) Walk the beach path in front of Wailea's five posh hotels -- fairyland at night. Shops At Wailea has restaurants. We like Gannon's restaurant above Wailea for good food and the panoramic view. Try Five Palms in the Mana Kai on Keawakapu Beach. Try Coconut's or Paia Fish Market (Kihei Branch) for fish tacos and plates. (Big servings.)

"By ear" is best for Maui. You don't need a lot of paid activities.

Not going to go into major detail here since it looks like you already got some great advice from the other posts. Maui for a 10 day honeymoon? You made a fantastic choice and you will not regret it. There are many beautiful places in the world, but Hawaii is so unique and surreal. You will absolutely love Maui. I would say make sure that you do the Haleakala sunrise and the Road to Hana, on separate days of course. You will see awe inspiring views that will leave you speechless. I know that some speak about getting car sick on the Road to Hana. I wouldn't read too much into that. This is a road where you have no choice but to take your time and go slow. You will not regret this. You will see spectacular views that you just can't see anywhere else. Make sure you get started early in the morning, maybe 7 or 8AM. It is an all day experience. There are spots to stop and hike, swim in natural pools, and just simply stare at the views. Congratulations....hope you have an amazing trip and safe travels to you both.

My DW and I also stayed at one of the condos in Kehei across the street from a small public beach. Our Son in Law is friends with a year round local who got the permit to drive up for the sunrise on the day we left Maui. I had my lifetime pass with me so it only cost about $1.50 for the carload of us to go up for a Haleakala sunrise. In May we had to be up to the House of the Sun parking lot by 5:15AM. It was quite cold up there before sunrise but it was worth it on that day.. You can enter the NP after 7AM any day without the permit. You might want to drive up for the sunset instead of the sunrise.
The permits are available 60 days in advance on recreation.gov/tickets/facility/253731 Getting the ticket is a lot better than the tour buses that charge about $160+ per person.
We did not drive the road to Hana but did get on a narrow road on the NW part of Maui. There is a great hike down to see a pair of blowholes from Lipoa Point.
The other place to hike on Maui is inside the "crater" of Haleakala if you don't mind the "moonscape terrain".
The luau that we went to was the "feast of Lele" in Lahaina. If you are looking for a mumu, visit Hilo Hatties in Lahaina. Also be sure to see the big Banyan tree and the lighthouse in Lahaina. As a geocacher, I used the virtual at the lighthouse as my 1900th find. There is also a geocache on a shelf in the library which was easy for #1901.

We didn't understand, on our first trip (also thought to be a "once in a lifetime" as well...turned out to be the first of 10 in a row until we ended up buying a place on the Big Island, another story altogether) about inter island travel and the amount of hassle and time involved. If you want to tackle two islands on a short trip, best to fly into one - go inter island and then depart for home from the other.

A day trip to Oahu would feel like losing two days of your trip - already short enough when travel to and from the mainland is considered - and you would feel cheated twice: first by the hassle involved and shorting yourself of your time and experiences on Maui and second in failing to be able to absorb and be able to pay appropriate respect and attention to Pearl Harbor memorial. IMO, you would be doing things simply to check the "done" box and when you looked back later, wish you had done things differently.

If you can't re-arrange your itinerary to arrive in Maui, depart from Oahu (to go back home) strongly discourage you from trying to go to Oahu for a day. You'll have more time tied up in transportation to and from airports, flying and getting around in Oahu traffic than anything you'd see or do combined. And my grandfather was a Pearl Harbor attack survivor - so this is something I wish every American could see and understand.

As ChiSue so wisely says: "Hawaii will still be there when you are able to return."

Have a wonderful trip, congratulations and I hope - as it is for so many people - your trip of a lifetime is the first of many.

A friend who lives on Maui took me to Haleakala for sunset -- not sunrise. She's done it many times and feels it's just as beautiful -- without having to wake at 3 AM. I can't comment about sunrise at Haleakala, but sunset was one of the most spectacular, memorable experiences of my life!

I liked the road to Hana. I did not find it difficult to drive. I've driven MUCH more challenging roads in Ireland. I guess it depends on what you're comfortable with. I enjoyed the sights along the road, but having traveled extensively through Hawaii (and I now live on Kauai) it wasn't my favorite. I liked Iao Valley State Park very much. I also liked Dragon's Teeth. Very unique formations.

Enjoy!

Re: Maui.

Hilo Hatties folded some years back. Look beyond the Made In China offerings you'll see everywhere for things actually made in Hawaii.

You will void your rental car insurance if you drive the 'backside' (western flank) of Haealaka or drive over the 'top' of Maui and down the eastern side of the West Maui Mountains. These routes are partially on unimproved road without guard rails. Rescuers risk their lives to aid tourists who go off the cliffs here.

Road to Hana is a 12-hour drive if you stop to explore the most popular areas, That's the whole point. The 'town' is just a wide spot in the road. Plan to be off the Road before dusk. Be aware that the combination of hundreds of curves at slow speeds cab provoke motion sickness.

Be cautious when going out onto lava -- especially at blowholes. Do not walk where you see that the lava is *wet* unless you want to risk being swept out to sea by the *next* big wave -- which you won't see until it rolls in faster than you can run across the sharp lava.

Hawaii has no continental shelf to slow powerful waves as they roll across the Pacific Ocean. The shore break will break arms, legs and necks of people standing knee deep in the ocean. Face the ocean to spot the next big wave rolling in.

You know not to stand on the living coral, right? You know to stay well away from any sea turtles or monk seals? You'll use reef-safe sunblocks? You will only swim/snorkel *with a buddy*?

You will realize you are in 'a paradise', not THE Paradise, and not leave your Street Smarts at home?

My wife bought several things including a mumu in May of this year in the Lahaina store. There are Hilo Hattie's on several islands but not on the island that Hilo is on (Hawai'i).
The only thing that I would go past Hana for would be to see the Lindburgh gravesite.

Thanks, tomfuller. That's news to me.The former Hilo Hatties in Kihei is now a Ross store after being vacant for several years. I thought the whole chain had gone under.

Now I'm trying to remember if the bamboo forest is past Hana, but yes, no one needs to go past the church and grave. Most rental car contracts prohibit driving on sub-par roads. If you get stuck, it will cost hundreds of dollars (and precious vacation time) to get help. You end up back near Kahului again anyway, just as you would if you retraced the route back up the SE side of the island. Something people can do to their advantage is to drive all the way to the end, then turn around and make stops on the way back. Some visitors double book, leaving most luggage in another condo and taking just a few things with them for an overnight in Hana. RTH has spawned a 'cottage industry' of thieves who steal from unattended cars.

Hilo Hatties is back on Big Island in Kailua-Kona with an ABC-like retail store plus have always had web/ mail order. Smaller, less inventory and nothing at all like the huge stores of the past. I think they did a strategic re-organization as opposed to an outright going out of business. Not that it matters as the mix and quality of the merchandise is about the same, if not a little cheaper. Just FYI.



https://www.hilohattie.com/pages/store-locations

Thanks for the update and the link for Hatties. When we are on Maui this winter I might browse...and get my parking validated. There are so few places anywhere on Maui that you have to 'pay to park and spend money with us'. Shops At Wailea started to charge for parking a couple years ago. The 'story' was people would park and enjoy the beaches, not shop Tiffany's (or ABC). Maybe. Now I see people are paying to park at the West Maui beaches because there is so little free parking space there. I haven't seen that in South Maui...yet. Who knows, with visitor totals rising?

Apologies, travelers. Maybe too much 'inside baseball'?

The bamboo forest and (sorry, I can't recall the Hawaiian name) the area with the 7 sacred pools are past Hana -- and were among the highlights of my trip.

I think it depends on the rental car company as to whether the policy is void, if you do the backside of the Road to Hana. We upgraded by the rental company and they said it was fine to do the round trip, so we did. Loved it. Sunset at Haleakala was incredible. We didn't get any permits before we left, we may have paid for one on the way to the top.

I would agree when doing the road to Hana that you should drive all the way around at least once. It was some of the most amazing views we have ever seen. Just my opinion, but the back side of Haleakala is beautiful and it looks like you're the only people on the entire island.