Just returned from Maui & Kauai
 

Hello, <BR>My husband & I just returned from Maui & Kauai and loved it! We booked through Pleasant Hawaiian & choose the economy hotels. However, the 1st night we stayed at Kula Lodge & drove for the sunrise at Haleaklaka. Very beautiful! We walked part of the sliding sands trail & spent the morning in the park. We visited Iao Valley, the drive to Hana (don't miss it!), the Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum. Our favorite place to eat was Mama's Fishouse (pricey)with very nice atmosphere, service, & food. We stayed at a condo at Paki Maui w/ a full ocean view. Parasailing was wonderful. We tried many of the restaurants recommended on this forum. We also liked Kimo's but was a little disappointed with the service at Hula Grill. The water was a little rough at Black Rock to snorkel so we didn't take the chance. <BR> <BR>On Kauai we stayed at a condo at Aston Kauai Beach Villas. We took a morning Na Pali/snorkel boat tour. I would not miss this! We saw remote beaches, waterfalls, sea caves, etc. This was one of the highlights of our trip. We spent time snorkeling at Tunnels beach, Ke'e Beach, & Lydgate State Park. We saw the most variety of fish at Ke'e. We also hiked about an hour on the Kalalau trail from Ke'e beach. Very beautiful views from here also. We had a nice dinner at Duke's Canoe Club at the Marriot-a lot of atmosphere downstairs. Also ate at the Beach House. I was a little disappointed with such small portions for the price. Our reservation wasn't until after sunset but I'm sure the view would've been fabulous. Please feel free to ask any ?'s! This was our 2nd trip to Hawaii & we loved it as much as the 1st. Aloha

Amy, <BR> <BR>Thanks for the trip report. We are planning a trip at the end of October and need to book our lodging - soon! <BR>How did you like your accomodations on Maui and Kauai? Can you tell me what the price per night was? How were the locations? <BR>Thanks! <BR>JC

JC, <BR> <BR>Since we booked through Pleasant Hawaiian, we paid one flat rate for the lodging, airfare, & car rental. However, when choosing our lodging we could look through a book & choose oceanfront, garden views, etc. On Maui, the Paki Maui at Kaanapali was approx. $127 per night, however we were upgraded to an oceanfront room for no charge-possibly since we are AAA members & it was available. We were very pleased with the accomodations-2 bedrooms & 2 bathrooms, a living/dining area, & kitchen. The view was wonderful. We didn't spend time at the pool/whirlpool but they looked small. Some people were swimming at the beach in front, but it did have some rocks. I believe each unit is individually owned here, but we were pleased with our room. In Kauai we stayed at another condo-Aston Kauai Beach Villas-it's adjacent to the Outrigger Hotel. In fact we could use their pools/whirlpool. We stayed there last year and liked it better last year. It had a living/dining area, kitchen, 1 bedroom, & 1 bathroom. Some of the units were being remodeled. Our room seemed a little older, in need of a little paint & new carpet. The rate in our book is $205 for this one. If you're planning on being away from your hotel doing different activities I believe these were satisfactory places. We liked having a kitchen & took picnic lunches each day. Some people have higher expectations though. Hope that helps. Amy

<BR>We honeymooned in Maui in May 99. It was incredible!! We stayed at the Marriott Resort on Kaanapali Beach, which was very nice. We had an oceanview room where we could watch the sunset each evening! We also had a package, so it would be hard for me to tell what the hotel per night cost was. If we go back, I would stay next door at the Hyatt Resort on Kaanapali (Maui). The pool area and restaurants were more modern at th Hyatt and the balconies were nicer, although the Marriott had an incredible Luau.

Amy, My friend & I are going to Kauai next week. Do you have any other restaurant recommendations? <BR>thanks! <BR>Barbara

Barbara, <BR> <BR>If I may make a couple of dining suggestions, "Cafe Coco" and "A Pacific Cafe,", both in Kapaa, both wonderful in totally different ways. (Don't wear heels to "Cafe Coco" - it's mostly outdoors on a gravel courtyard, really unique and wonderful!) <BR> <BR>Have a great trip - <BR> <BR>Aloha, Ruth

Any comments on the Sheraton Maui in Kaanapali? We just booked our honeymoon vacation there for travel in late October. Any special romantic spots/restuaruatns you could recommend? Mahalo! <BR>

Barbara, <BR> <BR>The only other place on Kauai we ate was Margarita's. It's a casual Mexican place in Kapaa. We enjoyed it. There were burros eating in the adjacent field. We didn't eat at Hanalei Dolphin, but heard good things about it on our trip. Have fun.