We're staying in Wailea. In order to go to dinner in Lahaina, do we need a car or should we just take a taxi?

About 30 miles or ~48 minutes from 4 seasons resort in Wailea to cheeseburger in paradise in Maui. (www.mapquest.com)

I can not imagine visiting Maui without a rental car to explore unless is in the , recommend a convertible (e.g. Chrysler-Sebring).

Allow at least an hour for the trip. The traffic in and out of Lahaina is horrible. You really need a rental car to enjoy Maui. A taxi to/from would cost you almost as much as an economy rental car for the week.

I was just wondering the same thing! A friend told me to allow upwards of an hour and a half because traffic through Kihei and around Lahaina. Is that true?

-Bill

Yes, thats correct. Another reason to not stay in Kaanapali and Lahaina.

Yes, that is correct. I prefer to stay in Wailea/Makena because of the beaches. If I have a desire to visit Lahaina, or go to dinner, shopping there, etc, I usually arrange it around a day spent in west Maui so that I can allow extra time to get to Lahaina and find parking ( generally a nightmare, too). I agree, it would not be unreasonable to allow an hour and a half to get to Lahaina and get parked from Wailea around dinnertime.

Thanks. We are staying at the Four Seasons. I think I will make our dinner reservations around there.We're in Maui 6 days. I am thinking, I'll only get a rental car for three. We'll probably spend most of our time at the beach and it looks like we'll be close to other resorts to find dinner places.
Can anyone suggest a good luau in Waliea?

The Maui Prince has a nice Luau. Not as nice as the Old Lahaina Luau, or Feast of Lele in Lahaina, but a luau.

I am really interested in the Old Lahaina luau. Is the drive back to Wailea from Lahaina easy at night?

Once you get past the fruit stand, it's usually OK.

We liked Drums of the Pacific luau at the Hyatt [Ka'anapli]

The drive back from Old Lahaina Luau was fine, and I'm a big woosie. I really enjoyed driving all over Maui and found it to be easy. I would definitely suggest getting a car for the entire 6 days. I believe Hawaii has the cheapest car rental rates because of the competition.

We stayed at the Fairmont Kea Lani right next door to the Four Seasons. I would definitely recommend Nick's Fishmarket for one night, you could walk to it.

But again, we found the car very useful and worth it for trips to other beaches (for snorkeling), for the road to Hana, for going out to dinner, and for driving to Lahaina or past Kaanapali for the best snorkeling (I think we did it 3 or 4x in our 7 day stay).

I agree- you should rent a car for the entire time. If you are paying to stay at the Four Seasons, you can afford a one-week rental.

You could avoid the traffic congestion of Kihei by traveling on the Piilani Highway (#31) above Kihei Road. The drive is spectacular, though you may find the height exhilirating at times.

The height on the Piliani highway is exhilarating? Huh? It's just a road, and it doesn't bypass the bottleneck around Lahaina, so I doesn't really save much time.

FEAST AT LELE! FEAST AT LELE! FEAST AT LELE!

Is that convincing? It was INCREDIBLE and totally worth the price.

The meal and entertainment is presented as a trip around the islands. Different themes based on country. They also provided wine / beer pairings with the different courses.

I would do it again! Worth every penny!

8-)

Definitely need to rent a car to get around Maui! Unless you plan to spend the entire vacation in Wailea (which also has a fantastic beach ...Makena.

Ag3046 - the drive may not be scenic but the highway is much faster than driving through Kihei. Why would anyone staying at the Four Seasons drive through Kihei to get to Lahaina, anyway? Makes no sense....it's bumper to bumper in the Lahaina area.

AG3046:

The height along the drive to and from Lahaina [Honoapiilani Hwy, #30 to be more precise, and the gist of the questioned posed] is exhilirating. Sorry you were confused.

Jallard: you may also save time in Lahaina by avoiding Front Street, for as long as possible, by staying on that Highway. The Old Lahaina Luau is towards the far [northwest to be more precise] end of Lahaina.

The Piilani Highway does save lots of time by allowing drivers to avoid the stop and go traffic on Kihei Road, north and south. It's also a great leg to get to and from the airport from S. Kihei, Wailea and Makena areas.

Yes, Honoapilliani Highway has gorgeous vistas. Old Lahaina Luau is on the far (north) side of Lahaina. Just stay on the gridlocked main route and turn left at the light at the shopping center, just over the bridge.