I posted this message earlier but it was only appearing under the United States forum and not the Hawaii one, so I'm trying it again. Hope this works. Please excuse the double post.

Just returned from a week on Maui (March 4-11). Stayed in a 2 br condo at the Royal Kahana which we rented directly from the owners www.mauialohacondos.com just recently remodeled, very comfortable. The only downside is the beach in Kahana is not the best but that wasn't a big issue for us.

Activities:
We purchased an AOA Gold card www.maui.org before leaving which saved us about $300.00 on our activities for our party of 4. The card costs $30.00 and is good for one year.

Paragon Molokini www.sailmaui.com - we loved being able to actually sail to and from Molokini. They also limit the number of passengers to 38 which is nice. Molokini is crowded but the visibility was the best.

Atlantis Submarine - somewhat disappointing, the underwater topography where they do the dives is not that interesting. Lots of fish but you can see just as many snorkeling. If you dive or snorkel, skip this one.

Day trip to Big Island - we used ff miles for 4 interisland tickets on Hawaiian Air and rented a car at Hilo airport. The volcano is fascinating, definitely worth the trip. Park service has a good map that points out all of the interesting stops.

Expeditions Ferry to Lanai - we took the 9:15am morning ferry over and rented a Jeep. Drove to Shipwreck beach and Garden of the Gods. Spent some time on Hulopoe beach which is gorgeous. Didn't have time to do any snorkeling there. We had to catch the 4:30pm ferry back. If we had to do it over, I would reserve an earlier departure or later return as we were really pressed for time. The Jeep was expensive $129.00 a day but is a must if you're going to do any exploring on Lanai. Also unless you want everything to be covered in red dust, get the hard top Jeep. Pele's Other Garden had good sandwiches for lunch.

Haleakala - the afternoon that we drove up the summit was fogged in so we couldn't see much. I had read in some guidebooks that it is usually clear at the summit even if it's cloudy on the lower part of the mountain. This was not true the day we went, so check the weather before you go up. It was freezing and windy even in the afternoon.

Pacific Whale Foundation whale watch www.pacificwhale.org - took a 2 hour trip out of Lahaina harbor. There were whales everywhere. Saw lots of humpbacks and had bottlenose dolphin and false killer whales follow our boat.

Warren and Annabelles magic show www.warrenandannabelles.com - I just have one thing to say GO SEE THIS. It was so much fun. I didn't even want to go at first when I heard "magic show", but he had us laughing non-stop for 2 hours. Two evening shows daily. If you go to the later one, you can stay after the show and chat with Warren. He'll perform some tricks right in front of you.

Dining:
Hula Grill - nice atmosphere, had a great dinner and a so-so lunch
Pacific'O and I'O (same chef)- both excellent for fresh seafood
Sansei - wonderful sushi and small dishes, order a bunch of different appetizers to share
Roy's Kahana - service not as good as one on Oahu but great food
Mama's Fish House - must go there for the atmosphere alone, good food too, expect to pay a lot
Haliimaile General Store - some dishes were excellent, others so-so. For the price, I thought it was too hit or miss.
Plantation House and Seawatch - had breakfasts here, gorgeous views

We did not go to luau, but while we dined at I'O, we could hear the music and see the dancers as they were preparing to go on stage at the Feast at Lele next door. I think we'll give that a try next time. If anyone has done this, let me know how you liked it.

That's all I can think of for now, feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Hi Patty,

Thanks for the post. I'm going to Maui in a couple months and i've read a couple of postings here and elsewhere that are pretty complimentary of Warren and Annabelle's magic show. This strikes me as kind of odd because i've usually found magic shows to be kind of corny. Was it really that great? Also, would you recommend or not recommend doing Haleakela? I've heard so many differing opinions. Thanks.

Hi Jennifer,

Forget what you think of magic shows in general (corny was my first thought too). This was all close up, slight of hand tricks, no rabbits or sawing people in half. And Warren's humor was what really made the show.

When you first arrive at the show, you are given a key to find your way into the parlor. There is a cocktail/hors d'oeurve hour in the parlor where you are entertained by a piano playing "ghost". Then you proceed into a small 78 seat theater for the 2 hour magic show which is audience participatory. If you don't want to participate, sit toward the back of the theater. We loved the whole event.

Haleakala - I would like to go up there again, but on a clear day. We knew it would be cloudy/foggy that day, but went anyway after reading what some of the guidebooks had said. From the little that we could see, it should be quite stunning on a nice day. Plan on stopping at some of the interesting towns on the way too, such as Paia and Makawao. I thought the whole upcountry area was really beautiful.

Hope this helps.

Hi Travel Agent,

Go post your trolls somewhere else.

Thanks for the input Patty. I appreciate it!

So Patty, was Hulopoe really THAT beautiful? It's hard to tell from the photos I've seen! "They" claim it's white sand but from what I can see it definitely looks more like BROWN! I'm definitely a beach freak so please tell me more about it, i.e., the condition, texture of the sand, clarity and calmness of the water, etc.! Thanks!

Edward, I was much more impressed with the general condition of Hulopoe beach vs the beaches around Kaanapali (I didn't check out the beaches in S. Maui). The water is blue and calm and it has a fine sandy bottom unlike some other places. And best of all, there are no crowds like on Maui. The Trilogy passengers use this beach but they tend to stay in the one area to the left. The hotel guest use the area to the right where the chaise lounges are. Other than that, it's just a few locals and ferry passengers. Hope this helps.

Thanks Patty! I, too, agree with you about the Kaanapali beaches -- nothing to write home about!! Since we see eye to eye on that, then perhaps I WILL really enjoy Hulopoe Beach after all (and the Manele Bay Hotel as well)!!