What would you recommend doing while in Maui, staying in Wailea? We love to snorkel and will be traveling with our 13 year old son. What activities would you recommend? Thanks

The mountain bikedown is great for teens. Most hotels offer scuba lessons, my son loved it. Ocean Kayaking trips are available and depart from different locations in Wailea. The road to Hana is great.

Lori, try a snorkel trip to Molokini, a little island off Maui. Yes, it does get crowded there, but the fish are plentiful and gorgeous--I think it's well worth it. Also, don't miss Haleakala--you have to get up in the middle of the night to drive up there in time to see the sunrise, but I guarantee you'll never regret it OR forget the experience as long as you live. You're literally standing on top of a mountain, ABOVE the clouds, watching the sunrise--it's truly spectacular! Also, not to sound negative, but my husband and I weren't all that impressed by Hana. This is not typical of what people will tell you, so maybe it was just us, I don't know. It just seemed like a lot of work with little or nothing at the end to have made it worthwhile. I understand it's better if you buy a tape-recorded guided tour to play along the way that explains things to you, and we didn't know about that when we were there--maybe that was the problem. But we're heading back to Maui in September, and I can tell you that Hana is one trip we won't bother doing a second time. Have fun and enjoy your trip!

We had an audio tape for the Hana Hwy and without it, I don't think that the trip would be nearly as enjoyable. It points out various sights along the way with commentary. The land marks are the various mile markers so you know when to get out of the car and when to keep going.

Lori, check into www.gohawaii.com, which is the "official" website for the islands, you'll get tons of information. Along with the other suggestions above, we always enjoyed the Trilogy catamaran tours for a 1/2 day or full day trip, also, if the Pride of Maui is still runing, its fun for older kids to try "Snuba" (1/2 Scuba, 1/2 Snorkle). If you're staying at a hotel or condo with concierage service they will have lots of suggestions for activities and will do the booking for you. I've heard there are trips to go horseback riding to a waterfall somewhere on the island, but don't know about it personally - don't forget to bring jeans and closed-toe shoes if you want to do it. Don't advise the suger/pineapple train from Lahina, too young for your son, he' be bored, but he might enjoy the Atlantis submarine, although it's expensive. Also be sure to check that you're not booked onto a "japanese-speaking-only tour" unless you're fluent! Don't miss going to "Cheeseburgers in Paradise" with their great burgers and onion rings in Lahina!