Thanks to everybody who's already answered some of my questions about accommodations on Maui and Kauai. Our trip is shaping up well, especially the Kauai portion. But this is our first trip to Hawaii, and I am really having trouble deciding how we should divide up our time on Maui and hope some of you out there can help me.

We have five nights to spend on Maui. The first two nights we already have reservations at the Renaissance Wailea. My original plan was to spend the other three nights in Kaanapali (probably Kaanapali Villas) or Lahaina so that we could explore that side of the island. But one other thing we KNOW we want to do is drive to Hana, since we are very into scenery and nature and waterfalls (less into shopping, nightlife, etc.). But I have read a lot of old threads on this forum, many of which advise against driving to and from Hana all in one day (especially from Lahaina/Kaanapali). So then the question becomes, should we stay overnight in Hana? If so, should we do that on our third night (check out of Renaissance Wailea, drive to Hana, spend the night there, then drive to Lahaina/Kaanapali for our last two nights)? Or should we spend nights three and four in Kaanapali and spend our last night on the island in Hana? Should we stay two nights in Hana and only one in Kaanapali? My inclination is that spending nights in three different places in only 5 days is too much packing and unpacking in too short a time. On the other hand, it sounds like the drive to Hana can be tough and maybe we should stay there. What do you experienced travellers to Maui advise????

Kaanapali and Lahaina are so much fun... and the road to Hana can be long and hard, so if you are not up for long day, you may want to stay in Hana. Otherwise, it's a day trip. We lived in Kaanapali and we just drove there for the day.

We just returned from Maui. We left for Hana around 8:00 in the morning and was back in Kihei by 5 pm. We did not walk any trails but we did stop alot for pictures and a picnic at the black sand beach area. Be sure and stop at the shell station for a tape. It is a tiring day but can be done and is very beautiful. If you get a chance check out Roy's Kahana Bar and Grill. The food and service was excellent but it was expensive. Also Bubba Gump's in Lahaina was a lot of fun and the food was great. Hope this helps alittle. I wish I was going back again already.

You know, I'd be tempted to stay at the Renaissance the full time and then branch up from there during the day if you feel like it. Maybe drive up to Kapalua in the morning, have lunch, enjoy the beach at the Kapalua Bay (if it is the summer time...calm then), drive down to Kanapaali and check out what there is to see. We did the Hana highway only half way. I read in one of our tour books that you can basically go to about a half way point, and the rest of the way is similar. We picked up a picnic lunch in Paia, the tape at the building with the yellow roof(on the way)...look in your travel guides, should be listed there. Played the tape, had lunch packed for us on the route and came back. It is beautiful but am glad I didn't go the whole way. Hope this helps.

Ditto what annemarie said. I'd stay in Wailea, skip the packing/unpacking, day trip to Lahaina and (most of the way to)Hana. We turned around halfway to Hana and have not regretted it (then again, it's possible we missed something we'll never know about. We won't make the drive again).

Agree with the above two posters! Lisa, stop fretting, keep your home base in Wailea (you WON'T be sorry and you'll have PLENTY of time to explore the other side of the island as it is only about a 45 min. drive!) and drive the Hana highway for maybe about an hour which is PLENTY!! I know people will disagree with me but Hana is quite overrated and NOT worth the long, arduous drive! By the way, if you really insist on staying on the other side of the island for a few days, then think about splurging a bit and staying at the beautiful Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua!

Hi Lisa,

I think you and I are on the same wave length with travel. I just returned from Lapa Rios and Vista Del Valle in Costa Rica and now am looking into Hawaii for the next travel venture. We are also planning on the Maui/Kauai island trip. After having the rooms at Lapa Rios and Anse Chastanet in St. Lucia, im not sure where to stay in Hawaii. I guess the open air thing is out of the question. Now its just a matter of the lushness and away from it all feeling im looking for. Ive been looking into Princeville and Hanalei Bay Resort for Kauai and Im not sure yet about Maui. What did you decide on for Kauai? Did you narrow down your Maui stay? Have you looked into any B&B's or Condo's? Sorry if I pick your brain, but I had a lot of sucess with Costa Rica thanks to you. Thanks, Teri

Lisa: For a change there seems to be unanimity amoung the Fodorites. You'll be fine staying in Wailea and using it as your home base. I agree that the Hana Road is overrated and worth considering going only halfway. I would recommend, however, that you take a leisurely drive "Upcountry", to see the horses, flower farms (protea), Tedichi Winery, and just soak-in the laid-back, upcountry feeling...its a pleasant change from the beach. Driving to West Maui and elsewhere is really a snap and doesn't warrant changing hotels. Relax and enjoy!

Teri: I am dying to hear more about your trip to Costa Rica! I'm so glad you liked Lapa Rios as much as I did. Isn't it amazing? My boyfriend took a lot of video while we were there and at the time I was irritated, but to be honest it's really fun to watch now and relive the trip and all the wonderful wildlife we saw. Wasn't the staff at Lapa Rios wonderful? And the food! Please post a trip report on the Latin America forum with a few details to sate my curiosity.
Yes, it sounds like we are on the same wavelength, travelwise! When are you going to Hawaii? If you go to the forums home page at the very bottom and click on "past hosted forums" you will find a recent one on the Hawaiian islands, and there is a thread where I asked the expert about open air accommodations! Unfortunately it seemed like most of the responses were mostly about the Big Island, which we ultimately decided not to do on this trip. By the way, this trip to Maui and Kauai in October is with my mom and we are trying to save a little money on accommodations so we can afford to splurge while we're there on snorkeling trips, helicopter tours, nice meals, etc. On Kauai we are going to stay 5 nights at Hanalei Bay Resort & Suites -- I was able to get an INCREDIBLE rate there of $85 per night for a mountain view room by asking for the entertainment book discounted rates (the ocean view rooms are a little more). The entertainment book costs $30 (www.entertainment.com -- the 2000 book is good only through the end of October though from what I understand, so if you're going after that you would need to get the 2001 book when it comes out, but you can still reserve a room at the entertainment rate even without having the book yet, as long as you have the card with you when you check in), but it has already paid for itself with what I'm saving on this trip. We are having more trouble figuring out where to stay on Maui. The Renaissance Wailea comes highly recommended and we are actually staying free there for two nights using Marriott rewards points, but they also offer rooms at the entertainment rate of $155 per night for a garden view which seems pretty reasonable for the caliber of the property. We're still not sure where we're going to spend our other three nights on Maui though. If we could afford it we'd probably choose the Ritz Carlton Kapalua. I wish there were more small, boutique properties on the ocean instead of huge chain hotels and condos, but that's just the way it seems to be. There is a nice inn in Lahaina called the Plantation Inn that looks wonderful, but it's not on the ocean unfortunately. If we were going to stay in Hana I think we'd choose Hana Kai-Maui but now I'm not sure we'll stay overnight there. Everyone pushes condos but to be honest with you, as long as our room has a little refrigerator and a coffeemaker, I don't see the need for a whole kitchen -- I don't want to go on vacation to cook on a stove or use the oven, if you know what I mean. Get the Frommers' 2000 book -- it has lots of good info. I'll let you know what we decide.

By the way, my boyfriend and I are looking into Mexico for November and I've found some really interesting-looking places on Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, etc.

Fodorites -- thanks for responding to my question about where to spend our other three nights on Maui. I really appreciate all your responses!

Lisa, Once again thanks for all the info. I will try and put together a nice trip report on Costa Rica this week. Yes, Lapa Rios was wonderful. We took 100 photos mostly animals. The food was out of this world and the staff so wonderful. We are thinking of going to Hawaii in Sept. or Oct. Ive checked on some of the resorts and I guess Im trying to find something romantic with nice beaches for snorkeling and to swim. Some of the resorts just look too busy. I too was thinking of the Hanalei Bay resort. It looked very lush from the pictures on the web. I am very perplexed about Maui. I know the snorkeling is wonderful at the Sheraton however it is supposed to get very crowded. I also heard the beaches are better in Wailea. I guess Ill look into some of the resorts in and around that area. We are thinking of a 8 to 10 day vacation. I think 10 would be better as it is a long flight from Chicago. Ill look into that entertainment book, thanks for the tip. Keep me updated on your Hawaii plans. By the way when you go to Mexico, check out the beach at Akumal and go to Tulum (sp?) both near Playa del Carmen (very beautiful). Thanks again!

Lisa,

Agree with Annemarie and all the others urging you to stay in Wailea the whole five nights to avoid all that packing/unpacking! I also think the Hana trip is overrated, and would just do the half day gig! Wailea is wonderful, just do day trips to other places on the island. Be sure to eat at the Maui Onion and have breakfast at the Palm Court at Renaissance, my favorite place anywhere! Have great time!

Aloha, Lani

We were in Maui last month and debated on whether to drive to Hana for the day, overnight or not at all. We opted not to go to Hana and stayed in Wailea at the Renaissance. No regrets. However, your post really sounds to me like you want to go there. My only suggestion is that you stay overnight and enjoy the Hana. Otherwise, you will mostly enjoy your car. When we were there, the Hana-Maui Hotel was offering half price ocean view villas and steep discounts on other rooms. The cost per night was around the same price or less as the Renaissance. You may want to check that out.

Thanks everybody. I'm taking your advice and staying at the Renaissance Wailea for five nights instead of just two. Unpacking only once on each island appeals, and the $155 entertainment rate really isn't that bad. The more research I did on Maui hotels and condos, the more good things I read about the Renaissance Wailea, and while I could have saved a little money staying elsewhere for those other three nights, it seemed like it would really be a big step down in quality.

Teri: I have heard good things about the Sheraton too, but they were already booked for the time we wanted to go in October, plus it is WAY more expensive than Renaissance Wailea, and I get the impression it may get more "families-with-kids" business than the Renaissance Wailea does. A peaceful, relaxing atmosphere was important to us. I figure we'll go to the Sheraton for a drink at sunset and watch the cliff divers and that's it. But the Sheraton is supposed to be very nice. I think if you are looking for good snorkeling places around Maui you don't need to stay at the Sheraton for that. We are looking forward to checking out the snorkeling at Makena which is not far from Wailea, and will probably go up to Ka'anapali-Kapalua for a day, and maybe do snorkeling daytrips to Molokini and Lanai. Also, on Kauai I've heard great things about the snorkeling at Ke'e Beach which is not too far from Hanalei Bay. By the way, if you decide to book Hanalei Bay and want to use the entertainment book discount, you may have better luck booking it through the Aston Resorts number which is 1-800-92 ASTON. When I called the Hanalei Bay 800 number they told me the entertainment rate could only be booked 30 days in advance, but the Aston main number let me book it. Good luck!

Lisa: Don't be misled. The Sharaton isn't THAT nice. You're not going to be missing out staying at the Renaissance. You've made a good decision.

As mentioned, our stay at the Renaissance in March was great. We actually enjoyed it more than the Ritz in Kapalua. A more relaxing hotel. The pool is small in comparison to other Maui resorts but the beach is great. And you do not have to go to Makenna to snorkel. The Renaissance beach is separated from Ulua beach (next door) by a reef. Snorkling on both sides of this reef is as good as the Sheraton. We snorkled and body surfed at the Renaissance in March depending on weather conditions of the day. We also went to Molokini on a Maui Dive Shop trip. I can fully recommend it. Maui Dive shop will be near you in Kihei. You may also want to check out Twin Falls which is just north of Paia on the way to Hana. This will be about a 30 minute drive for you and will give you some hiking and waterfalls. The hotel conceirge should be able to point you there. Most tourists only go to the first pool/waterfall they come to at Twin Falls. Be aware that there are several more that mostly locals go to. We found them in a hiking book and they were worth the added effort to find. It will be worth it for you to ask around.

Wanted to mention the Napili Kai beach resort as a possibility for those looking for accomodations on Maui. Stayed there last spring and loved it: a charming smaller hotel and a bit more "Hawaiian" (Hawaiian-owned, I think) if that's what you're looking for, right on a little beach (we actually didn't make it down there as it rained our whole four days there), friendly staff who upgraded us from one room to two (we were two friends planning on sharing a double). It's located on Napili Bay, I believe, northwestish, and we made our reservations thru Hawaiian Holidays, who gave us a much better rate than the hotel front desk when we called directly.

Glad you decided on the Renaissance for the complete stay...I think you will enjoy the area! One more little thing...you mentionned going to Molokini for a snorkelling trip. Now, My husband did this with his dad and our son when we went in July...a catamaran excursion out of the Maui Prince(Wailea)...It turned out to be too windy, and they came all the way back, tried to snorkel a little off shore, and returned. I heard from some hotel staff that this happens often...I am sure it is a fabulous trip, but absolutely certain that you go on a calm day so that you get the most out of it.