nccmk11

My husband and two daughters (21 and 13)and I will be visiting Maui very shortly. We are not good about planning. I was hoping to do the sunrise bike of H. Crater. Is this something we can do on our own as it is very $$ for a family of four. We really don't know what to expect. Should we book tours? One of my daughter wanted to try surfing lessons. Any suggestions? What about dive trips??. We will only be in Maui for 8 days and be staying at the Marriot-Outrigger (conference/anniv. trip). Does anyone have any experience with the Sunrise tours or day bike tours. Are you able to stop and see the Nat'l Park?? I would appreciate any suggestions for seeing/doing the best of Maui. Thanks

DawnCt

When we went to Haleakala, we chose to drive up in our car and drive down in our car. We enjoyed the sunrise and wrapped ourselves in the blankets that the hotel gave us. It is very cold. We saw the bikers ride down behind the van that brought them up. We saw several of them bail out, load the bikes and ride down. For the price of gas, I think we enjoyed our ride up, in the dark and our ride down just as much. We were on our own schedule and had time to visit the museum/book store, the crater, etc. and when we reached the bottom, we had a wonderful breakfast at the Kula Lodge. I would suggest going on the first morning you arrive, if you are from the east coast. It's the easiest day to get up at 3 a.m.

nccmk11

Thank you so much for the reply. We were a lttle concerned about the biking thing. We are not really into hiking and stuff like that. Are the roads safe? I really have no idea what to expect. We are travling from Florida and will arrive at 3pm Maui time and (9 pm our time). I was thinking about doing the sunrise trip the next day. We are staying at the Wailea Marriot. Would you happen to know how long the ride is from the hotel to the Volcano. Are we able to ride in the car all the way up?

Ingenieur

From what I could remember, driving really fast, it took me about 2 hours. Get there early to be sure you get a parking space.

divediva

aloha....
as a former concierge at a major hotel, i have been asked your same questions and
yes...you should start your planning now.
summer is the busiest season on maui due to families like your own travelling together.
biking haleakala is not for everyone...riding a bike from 10,000 ft elevation to sea level in 38 miles averaging 20+ mph... do not book at your hotel...there are discount booking (expedia just bought out activity world) that will save you $$$. hotel bike ride $120...discount as low as $89 per person.
its a blast, just bring warm clothes to dress in layers so you dont freeze. also shoes are required.

Nancy03

What happens if you drive to the top and there is no parking spot? Do you have to drive all the way back down?

bonniebroad

Nancy03, there is an upper level, and lower level, parking area. I have NEVER heard of it being so crowded that someone didn't get a parking spot. There are people coming and going all the time, so I really wouldn't worry about that.

here_today_gone2Maui

Check out Haleakala Bike Company. They do unescorted bike tours. I have ridden with them three times and would do it again today if I have the time! DH is a mountain biker, but I don't share his thrill of riding on gravel, in mud and up steep inclines. So every few months we compromise and do a downhill. We are due again soon.

I have written here about the virtues of unescorted vs. escorted tours before. The escorted groups are herded down, and most of the accidents we hear about are a result of the bikers riding too close together. An unescorted trip allows you to take all day if you wish, to stop when you want to take in a view, to eat breakfast on your own, to shop and explore in Makawao. Escorted trips do not allow for any of this, as you are told when you can stop for a photograph and they include your meal in the trip. At least one of the trips has breakfast at the Protea Flower Farm--not too impressive. Unescorted you can stop at the Flower farm and then continue on to eat at the Kula Lodge with sweeping views of the whole island.

You can really take the time to experience the changes in the scenery, going from alpine forest to pineapple plantations. The temperature changes, the vegetation changes, even the smells change as you ride down. And being able to go at your own pace makes it a spiritual experience, as opposed to being in the group followed by a van.

HBC has a sunrise tour that you can book online for around $72. They take you up to the summit for sunrise and they have a preferred parking spot by an overlook, and then they do a tour of the park before gearing you up for the bike ride. Their express tour is $45 and skips the ride to the summit.

Spokaneman

My older daughter (15 at the time) and I did the Haleakala bike ride and we thoroughly enjoyed most of it. At a small town at the bottom of the hill, we stopped for breakfast then had to ride another 30 minutes or so to the pickup point. My daughter and I as well as others we talked to would have just a soon had the trip end at breakfast. But, the ride down is fun. Cold, but fun. Then guided tours really don't stop so to see the rest of Haleakala, you would need to go back up.

Lots of dive trips available, at a wide range of prices. I don't think the molokini trips are worth the $$. I did a shore dive a few years ago that took us into some lava tubes which I found quite interesting. Not for the claustrophobic. Again, no need to pre-book if you can be a bit flexable when you get there.

Also, I think the Old Lahina Luau is worth the money (once). Its pricy and touristy, but hey, I'm a tourist.

A teenaged boy from where I live was killed on a bike riding down solo, missed a curve and hit an uphill vehicle. The tour operators are very careful.

Several places in Lahina give surfing lessons, group lessons are relatively inexpensive and kids seem to learn very quickly, adults less so. Most of the surfing is done at the south end of the seawall by the harbor, and in my experience, no reservations or pre-booking is required.

dcespedes

Spokaneman--we did the Old Lahina Luau, too, and I agree with you 100%. I actually read, in a Fodors travel guide if memory serves me right, that if you're going to attend a luau that the Old Lahina is the one. We took some great sun-set pictures on the beach there--it was a fun night.

here_today_gone2Maui

Spokaneman, there have also been people killed with eccorted groups, people have died driving the road in cars, people who are killed riding bicycles in front of their homes. Having an escort is no guarantee of safety. It is incumbent upon each rider to practice common sense and caution, whether escorted ot not. The most recent Haleakala bike fatality of which I am aware happened two years ago to a gentleman on an escorted tour. The first part of the ride has many switchbacks but if you pay attention and stay on the right side of the road there should be no problem. There is plenty of room for both cars and riders. Most problems seem to occur when a bicyclist wanders across the center line on the road.

I have been told more than once, both by those operating the tours and by others in the know here on Maui that overall more accidents happen within the escorted groups because they tend to ride too closely and when one goes down, he takes others with him in a domino effect. But, for the most part accidents involve scrapes, bumps, sprains, etc. The bike companies all provide protective gear, but I still marvel at the riders who come down wearing only shorts and tank top. If you go down in shorts, expect some serious road rash.

DawnCt

It took us a couple of hours from Kaanapali. The road up is very paved, smooth and very well marked with reflective lights in the center. There were also altitude markers along the side of the road to indicate how high you have gone. It was really neat going up in total darkness. You knew you were climbing but the vistas that revealed themselves on the way down were even more astounding,having not seen them on the way up. While there may be "bargains" of $89 pp, that still comes out to $360 for the morning. We are going to Hawaii with five of us this summer, we have gone with six. I can certainly understand the need to economize. You won't feel cheated if you go up in your car and come down in your car. In fact, you will feel like you can splurge for breakfast and enjoy those banana mac nut pancakes with coconut syrup at the Kula Lodge.

mcglinda

My daughters, 14 & 16 last summer, took surfing lessons in Lahaina and had a blast. I believe the name included the Goofy surf school--got the name out of a 'must have' guide book called Maui Revealed. Other than the restaurant reviews(many were accurate but sometimes the restaurants went out of business-so we didn't find them)everything we experienced was accurate. we did several offshore snorkeling adventures mentioned in the book that were outrageously fun and since we brought our own equipment(you can rent them ) meant they were free. We did our paid excursion on the Big Island. Do yourself a favor and invest in the book-you won't be disappointed

nccmk11

Thank you very much. all the responses have been very helpful. I did get the much recommended Maui Revealed. Will have to read it on the airplane and since our trip takes 12 hours. I should have a good idea what we will like to try. I had just read about the "Goofy" place--do they provide the wet suit to avoid scraps and keeping warm? Thanks so much.

nccmk11

Yes, I heard the same on the Travel channel about the Lahina Luau. Also that it was the most authentic. Our trip came about fairly quickly and they are already booked 45 days in advance.So those of you planning to visit Maui make sure you make reservation well in advance when possible.

here_today_gone2Maui

You are thinking of Goofy Foot Surf School at 505 Front Street. (Goofy foot referring to surfing with your right foot forward, as opposed to regular footed, with the left forward.) They provide rash guards, I sugggest you wear board shorts. You do not need wet suits here; the water is plenty warm. They hire a lot of instructors and I have spendt some time eatching some of them. Some are really good, others are just OK. It is the location aloing the breakwall that makes this a good experience. The waves are vary small and consistant so that virtually anyone can get up on a board here.