My fiance and I are planning our honeymoon in Maui. We're looking for a beautiful place to stay with good access to activities--hiking, snorkeling, horseback riding, etc. We're debating between Wailea and Hana. You don't hear a lot about staying in Hana--which may be a good thing! We'd like something a little less touristy. The Wailea resorts like the Kealani and Four Seasons look beautiful too, though. Any advice would be appreciated!

Depends on how much solitude you want or need. Hana has peace and quiet by the truckload. I think one reason you read little about Hana as a home base destination is that it has too many downsides compared to, for instance, Kauai. What's unique about Hana? It's quiet, unspoiled, lush, etc, and it lacks the comercialized presence of Wailea/Kaanapali and even Kapalua (to some extent...big chain-owned resorts).

Well, if that's what you seek, why not just go to Kauai and have the best of both worlds? You get even more beauty and lushness than in Hana, you have the option of quieter lodgings or bigger resorts which blend in with the island better than on Maui, and it takes a lot less time to fly to Kauai from Honolulu than it does to drive from OGG airport to Hana.

Everyone knows about Hana. It's no secret gem hidden from the public eye. I believe it's not a favorite simply because it's a pain to get to and it offers nothing which is superior to Kauai. The Hotel Hana is not so nice (by current standards) that it's worth a special sacrifice to stay there IMO.

Probably wouldn't recommend Hana. I know you're looking for something a little less touristy, but Hana is very, very, very low-key (I'd add a couple of more very's but I think you got the point). There's also very little dining options in the area.

But even it that sounds good to you, more importantly is that Hana is very isolated from the rest of the island. Assuming you want to explore the rest of Maui, it takes a good 2 hours to get from Hana to any other major area of the island, whether it be Wailea, Lahaina, etc.

My wife & I stayed at the 4S in Wailea this past February on our honeymoon and would highly recommend it. It's definitely a 1st class resort and they've perfected the art of catering. And as far as Wailea goes, it has some of the island's best beaches and snorkeling spots as well as some great restaurants.

How about splitting your time between the two? We rented a house in Wailea (really the Makena area south of Wailea) and then stayed two nights in Hana at the most romantic Balinese house I've ever dreamed about, called Hamoa Bay House (and Bungalow - either would be great, we rented the House). Check it out at www.hamoabay.com. I'd stay 3 nights, so you get 2 full days at Hana. We loved Hana, you can get a good dinner at the Hana Hotel if you don't want to cook. Or you could stay there -- have to disagree with RWilliams -- friends just returned from Hotel Hana Maui, and although it's very expensive, said it's heaven on earth. RECENT reviews on this site confirm that.

Congratulations!

What is heaven on earth to one person can be hell on earth to another person - and I can confirm that !! The worst advise in the world is "We loved it, so you will love it too!!" Not so !!

I'm not contributing any useful info here, but I have to say Rusty makes a really good point.
One of my MAJOR pet peeves is when people ASSUME that since they like something, everyone else will.
Always better to say why you like something and leave it at that, or to use polls which summarize many opinions.

To Rusty and travleis: I'm not trying to imply that Hana is heaven on earth (although I happen to think that it is pretty darn close). The point I was making was that the Hotel Hana Maui has gotten a bad reputation slowly over the years, and they have just completed a renovation, and I've read recent reviews here, have good friends who stayed last month, and it is apparently in terrific shape - really gorgeous.

That said, I think Jonesey will get the accurate idea that Hana is remote, and not for everyone. I wanted to offset the "too remote" advice with my own opinion. The fact that (most?) people will find it too isolated makes it more attractive to some...

I second the recommendation to consider Kauai. We honeymooned there and split our time between the north side (which has similarities to Hana, except you also have Napali cliffs, which nothing can compare to) and Poipu beach for sun and sand.

If you want sun and proximity to restaurants, I'd choose Wailea. It's not quite as crowded as the northwest end of Maui. If you're up for Four Seasons prices, it does look beautful, but keep in mind that the resorts are all in a row - it's not as private as some of the hotels on the Big Island or Kauai.

Hana is beautiful, and you truly feel like you're in another country, but one of my favorite things about Hawaii is exploring the islands, and Hana would be a difficult base from which to drive to the volcano and other parts of the island.

If you do get out and explore, be sure to take the drive around the north side of the island. The car rental companies say you can't (I think), but it's not a big deal - and it's so beautiful and remote, sort of like the high country on the Big Island.

Have a wonderful honeymoon!

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I'm still undecided though I enjoy resorts such as the Fairmont Kealani, but my fiance would rather have something more rustic, like the small inns in Hana, or the Hotel Hana-Maui. So we're not sure what to do! Would it be too hectic to spend 3 nights in Wailea and 2 in Hana? Would we be bored spending 5 nights in Hana? It looks like it's close to Haleakala and a state park, which we would enjoy . . .

The entrance to Haleakala is on the complete other side of the crater to where Hana is....a good 60-75 minutes away.

Hana is rustic and rural and ISOLATED! If the that's what you're looking for, then you'll love it.

Splitting your time between Hana and Wailea might be a good idea, especially since you'll want to do things on other parts of the island.

Hi Jonesey,

Congratulations! Here's my two cents. Although Hana is lovely, peaceful and quiet, the one consideration is how much time you want to spend driving.

The Hana area has excellent hiking, however, the "safe" snorkeling as well as horseback riding you are also looking for would be a minimum of 2 hours driving back into "mainstream" maui.

If your heart is set on Maui, I would suggest Wailea area.....if you want a lot of solitude, perhaps you might want to look into staying at the Maui Prince (in Makena - at the end of the "road") just past Wailea area. It's a bit more secluded, yet you won't be doing the curvy, hilly, bridge-y drive thing. (Although the Maui Prince is not luxurious as 4S or Kealani)...another alternative is to go Northwest.....Kapalua and the Ritz Carleton....

Staying in Hana will make it very difficult to explore other areas of Maui and probably most of the activities you've mentioned will not be available in Hana. The point you make about "good access to activities" means that you probably don't want to stay in Hana. You could stay in a more central but still off the beaten track in Maui - e.g. Paia, near Mt. Haleakala (up-country), etc. - which will make it easier for you to explore the island but not leave you so isolated that you can't have some selection of restaurants for dinner, etc. There are many many B&Bs on Maui that might offer just what you want without putting you a 3+ hour drive away from everything else. (And if the weather is bad getting in and out of Hana can be a real problem.)

Jonesey, I just returned from 6 nights in Hana and one in Wailea at the Four Seasons Wailea. This is the deal. Hana is absolutely beautiful, and is the real Hawaii. The Hotel Hana Maui is very peaceful and romantic and everything you could want for a honeymoon destination. Rooms were just renovated and upgraded and the Sea Ranch cottages are very private. There is a daily horseback trip that goes either along the coast or to the mountains. There is also a spa and a nearby beach called Hamoa Beach that is lovely. As you stated it is near Haleakala National Park. But this is not the crater area. Instead there is a four mile hike, which I did, through a bamboo forest and to a giant Waterfall called Waimoku Falls. The scenery is breathtaking at every turn and it is a definite must. As other readers have said, there is no action in Hana other than the nature stuff, however the hotel does offer entertainment by local musicians most nights. Wailea is completely different with wall to wall people, cell phones and tanned bodies. The Four Seasons is nice and had excellent service, but we wanted a getaway from everything, which the Four Seasons is not. I definitely think you should do both, so you can see both parts of the Island. I would start in Wailea and then go on to Hana. Three/four nights in Hana would be fine.

Good luck and take care.

We just got back from the 4seasons and it was beautiful. Unfortunately, Wailea isn't that pretty. It's very dry and desert like. It was my second time to Maui and I was surprised at how different Kihei area was compared to Lahaina. I've never been to Hana, so I can't give you any advice there. The 4season is a wonderful resort though.

My suggestion: Three to five nights at a Sea Ranch Cottage with hot tub at Hotel Hana Maui and 5 nights or so at either Maui Prince in Makena or the Four Seasons. Opinions are like...everyone has one. Have a great time!