We will be in Maui for 3 nights and need a central location to stay (homebase). It does not need to be beachfront nor does it need to be luxury, but I want it to be safe and clean.

Here are some of the things we will be doing:

Driving the Road to Hana
Hiking in Haleakala
Driving the lava fields
Snorkeling 'somewhere' if the weather permits
And anything else that sparks our interest

Aloha again ;-)

We chose Paia as our home base on Maui, and seem to be doing a lot of the same things as you. It's not exactly in the middle of the island, but it is central on the north shore. Try www.alternative-hawaii.com I seem to remember there being a lot of unique b&bs and other interesting accomodations. Remember seeing one or two that were part of a flower/fruit farm.

Good luck!

Paia does seem to be a good base if you are not expecting to walk out your door to snorkle. That is the windier side of the island, so the snorkeling is better on the South and West Maui beaches....reportedly the South is the best, however, we really enjoyed Honoalua Bay!
!
Drive there instead of spending $$on guided tours, as you can beat the tours there, if you want and save the $$ for elsewhere.

The beach consists of boulders, not sand, so wear tabis or water shoes.

The short hike was alittle 'adventuresome' to me and as much fun as the snorkle itself!

Belle

The bay can be very choppy in the winter, so make sure you check in the local snorkel shops for where to go for the best snorkeling at the time. You can drive through the lava fields on the road from Wailea to La Perrouse Bay--but that's the only place that I know of; Kihei could be a good option for you, pricewise.

Paia, Haiku, Makawao and Kula in Maui's upcountry are great. Many B&B's to choose from. And some B& B's have apartment like units/ cottages for extra privacy. We stayed in Haiku acouple of times and also spent time in Paia & Makawao in the markets, shops and restaurants.

We stayed in a studio apartment in Makawao. It's a private rental and it was very inexpensive. We stayed in the smallest budget accomodation but they have others ranging from budget to luxury. The apartment was located in a local neighborhood that we felt very safe in. In fact, one night, stupid me left the key in the door overnight and I noticed it the next morning.
Anyway, check out the link:
www.koolauvacations.com