I often use this forum to get information when planning trips, so I thought I'd try to repay the favor. My wife and I just returned from Hawaii, where we spent 5 days on Maui and 5 days on Oahu. By way of background, we are both in our early thirties, and I grew up on Oahu while my wife is from the southeast, so you are getting both a local and tourist perspective. That said, some observations:

MAUI
Hotel: Stayed at the Aston Kaanapali Shores, which we really liked. The beach is average, but the rooms are large and clean. It was nice having a washer/dryer in the condo, as it allowed us to pack a lot less clothes for the trip. Very convenient to Lahaina and Kapalua. Also, there's a grocery store across the street, so you can stock the fridge and save some money.

Restaurants: Thought Hula Grill in Whaler's Village (K'pali) was by far the best restaurant. We ate there twice. Go early and have a drink at the bar and listen to the live Hawaiian music. Leilani's (right next door and I think owned by the same people) was by far the worst meal. We should have known, since there weren't many people in the restaurant, even during prime evening hours. Lahaina Fish Co. on Front St. was also very good. Mama's Fish House in Paia and Aloha Mixed Plate in Lahaina, which seem to get great reviews by other posters, were average and overpriced.

Transportation: You need a car. If you can afford it, get a convertible. Alamo seems to be the cheapest at about $45-50 per day.

Activities: One day, we took Harley motorcycle rides. We booked with Marty Wynn of Aloha Toy Store (phone 808-661-1212, e-mail: [email protected]) at a cost of $75 per bike for about a 1.5 hour ride past Kapalua, along the coast. If you have a motorcycle license, you can rent just the bikes and it's cheaper. Another day, we did the road to Hana. It was OK, but we were both disappointed. We left at 7:30am and didn't get home until about 5pm, and it rained off and on the entire day. If you go, be sure to stop at one of the roadside stores no later than Paia (there's not much after Paia) and get a lunch and drinks to take with you. They also offer free Hana tapes and CDs that narrate the trip. Worth doing to help pass the time. Also be sure to take mosquito repellant, as there are a lot of them when swim in the waterfalls and ponds.

OAHU
Don't have much to say here, since we stay at my family's house and eat home cooking while we are there. However, if you have any questions, let me know and I'll see if I can give you any advice. Don't miss the shopping at Ala Moana, and they have a great food court too. Pearl Harbor is worthwhile, but get there early. Don't miss a sunset on Waikiki beach, or better yet, on Ala Moana beach (which also has great paths for running). Duke's restaurant in Waikiki (owned by the Hula Grill people) is great for people watching, drinking and eating.

One last piece of advice. Don't take any volcanic rock back to the mainland with you as a souvenir of your trip. There are Hawaiian legends that bad luck will come to those that do. While I'm generally skeptical of those types of things, I've seen too many examples of things gone wrong as a result of tempting fate in this way. Come to think of it, the locals are very protective of their island and don't like tourists taking sand, picking flowers, etc.

That's all for now. Hope this is helpful.

My husband and I are going to Maui in August. We are staying at the Outrigger Wailea. Do you know of any good restaurants in that area? Also, do you know anything about that resort? We have a choice of that resort, or the Sheraton Maui. Last time we were in Maui was 1982! We stayed in Kanapali then, and we expect to rent a car this time. We know nothing about the two hotels I mentioned. Any information will be a help. Thanks! Please e-mail your response!

Hi Nanci,

I've been out to Wailea for the day just to look around, but I've never stayed in that area, so I'm afraid I won't be of much help. My sister, who used to work in Wailea, said that for good, open air dining, try Seawatch at the Wailea Golf Course (808 - 875-8080) and the Mana Kai hotel, in between Wailea and Kihei, on the ocean (I think it's called 5 Palms).

As you have probably seen by looking at other posts on this forum, whether you should stay in Wailea or Kaanapali depends on what you are looking for in your vacation. Wailea is beautiful but somewhat isolated, so if you stay there you will probably be eating at your resort a lot, and the shopping isn't quite as accessible. K'pali, on the other hand, offers many more choices for convenient shopping and eating, but it's also a more crowded, touristy hotel area. I can't comment on the Sheraton since I've never stayed there, although I have seen it positively mentioned in other posts.

Good luck and have fun. I think you'll enjoy either hotel!

You seem to be a good person to ask. My fiance and I are staying with friends of his for their wedding in Waikiki (they live there). We will be there 7 days and we are looking for typical but not touristy sights of the island(s), but we don't want to impose on them, they will be quite busy. What about He'eia state park and sacred falls? (I would love to see secluded falls and the rainforest. We may not be able to leave Oahu since we are there for only a week.Thanks for your help!

Dean: going on first trip to Hawaii (Oahu) in Aug. Have rental cottage reserved Mokuleia Beach Colony north shore; will have rental car, but looking for peace and romance rather than crowds. Any tips or shouldn't-miss ideas for us? Thanks.....

We will be visiting Oahu in May and have just 3 night there (the first day is a long one as we fly 11 hours to get there). If given the choice, should we do an island circle tour over the day spent at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Want to leave one day for the Arizona Memorial and some shopping before we fly to Kuaii.

I just got back from a 2 week vacation in Maui and Kauai. Even though I haven't stayed at the Outrigger property, I did spend one night at the Sheraton Maui and will highly recommend it. I was actually upgraded to a suite because it was my birthday. The sheraton in Maui is one of the new properties on the Island and I was very impressed with the location, service and the rooms. And is you like sknoreling and scuba diving, I will highly recommend you check out the Black Rock which is right on the beach behind the property. Have fun.

We are about to leave for a Hawaiian islands cruise (from D.C.). I recently read that Kapalua beach was a great place to go. I'm wondering if it would be worth bypassing the cruise excursions and renting a car for the day. FYI, we have 2 kids, 14 and 10 years. Any other "must see" places?Thanks.

Dean,
I am so glad you wrote in here! We are arriving on Christmas day for a week. Are there any special activities for the holidays that we should not miss? We are also interested in snorkeling, whales and dolphins. We are staying at the Hilton Grand Vacation Suites in Waikiki.
Thanks,
Fiona

My husband and I just returned from a week on Oahu (not our first trip). We stayed at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental...absolutely the best...5 stars . ask for a mountain view room high up..the ocean view rooms are more expensive and can be noisier. Pearl Harbor is a must-see...have drinks at the "Room without a Key" on Waikiki...spectacular. Dinner at Orchids was wonderful, very classy, but expensive. We spent most of our time away from Waikiki (too touristy). Spent 3 days on the windward side...the Polynesian Cultural Center was full of tourist buses, our first clue to stay away. Sacred Falls has been closed for 2 years after several young adults were killed in a slide...there are no plans to re-open the area...but there is other good hiking nearby. The windward side is much more quiet, romantic, but WINDY..at least in spring.