Kapalua v. Wailea - Weather
 

My fiancee and I are planning a Honeymoon to Hawaii for this December. We are trying to decide between the Kapalua and Wailea areas on Maui. We've read some information that Kapalua has more rain, but others say the difference is minimal. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has stayed in either place during the winter. We are interested in comparisons of temperature, rain, sunshine, etc. <BR>

Aloha Doug, <BR>The weather in Kapalua is much different than Wailea. We stayed in Ritz 1 time and will not return. The west Maui mountains funnel the rain clouds thru the mountains and dump on Kapalua. Wailea is the driest part of Maui as it is protected by Haliakala. <BR>Temps aren't much difference just cloudier in Kapalua. <BR>A couple of years ago I was golfing at Kapalua and got caught on teh course for a 1 & 1/2 hour rain storm. When I got back to Kaanapali(8 miles) my wife said they had no rain. <BR>Best wishes. <BR> <BR>Bart

Agree with above posting...we went in summer, the driest season in Kapalua and it was so windy at the Ritz that we had palm tree leaves falling on us at the pool. Every night in the hot tub, it would start to rain. I think it does make a difference and you should look into Wailea. Annemarie

What about the weather in mid-October? We are planning a trip October 13-18 and are worried that it will be too hot with little trade winds in October in Wailea - we were thinking that at that time of the year, Kapalua might be more comfortable. Can you confirm or deny our concerns? (we are debating between the Ritz in Kapalua and the Four Seasons in Wailea - were leaning toward the RItz because we thought that Waliea would be too hot and uncomfortable in October) What to do????

We stayed in Wailea in July and it was warm but the warm you would expect in Hawaii, not oppressively hot. We stayed at the Ritz and it was too windy, the ocean was not swimmable right on the property(it is often not) andit would rain every night while we were in the hot tub.Email me if you would like any further info. Both areas are beautiful. I find Kapalua a bit too isolated, unless of course you do awhile in both spots as we did. Annemarie

My husband and i were in maui a couple of years ago. We stayed in a condo but visited both hotels you are considering. The Grand Wailea is one of the most spectacular hotel properties we have ever seen. And the weather in Wailea is usually perfect. When we were there it was cloudy and rainy the entire time in Kapalua and beautiful the entire time in Wailea. (We were in Maui for 2 weeks in April). All the locals we spoke to said that is not unusual. So if it's weather you're after, go to Wailea. <BR>I should also mention that Wailea is not as close to the Lahaina action. Recomend renting a car.

Hi Doug, <BR> <BR>In November through July, I would stay in Wailea. August through October, I would stay in Kapalua. Our favorite resort anywhere, as some of you know from my previous postings, is the Renaissance Wailea BUT when I was there in Wailea the first of October, it was around 90 degrees, and we baked. And there were no tradewinds the whole week we were there (which is very unusual, but made the heat even more uncomfortable.) I have heard from several sources that Kapalua can be almost 10 degrees cooler at times than other parts of the island. We can all discuss the probabilities, and Mother Nature still mess us up. Good luck, Doug, whatever decision you make!

Everyone seems to prefer Wailea - for the better weather. But to me, hotter and fewer trade winds translates to uncomfortable weather. Hard to say what it will be like in mid-October when we will be there. We will be celebrating our 5th anniversary, so we were hoping for evening walks along the beach - from my understanding, the Ritz in Kapalua would not be ideal for this as the beach is quite a ways from the hotel and probably scary at night (and it sounds like it rains a lot in the evening)(?) Is Kapalua so isolated that there is nowhere to go out to eat besides the resort - or drive all the way to Lahaina? Does Wailea have more restaurants in the immediate area? I also heard someone say that the Ritz and Kapalua area is more scenic - do you all agree or not? <BR>We're still at a loss as to where to go. We want a room with a nice view of the ocean (and relatively close to the ocean) at a luxurious, romantic resort with beatiful grounds, yet not too commercialized and "busy", with trade winds to keep us compfortable and a romantic beach to stroll in the evenings after dinner...what do all of you think?? (Do the Mokapu Beach Club rooms at the Rennaissnace have better views than the Four Seasons ocean view rooms?)

Hi Tracy, <BR> <BR>A lot to think about, isn't it? Of course, you want it to be perfect - but you will have to set some priorities, I guess. For me,if the weather is stifling hot and there are no tradewinds, everything else is ruined for me. But that's me, and the heat REALLY bothers me; maybe that's not true for you and yours. And of course, you can't know for sure how the weather will be. <BR> <BR>I would absolutely say Wailea is the winner in the safe, romantic walks department, and you could be sleeping real close to the beach there. You will not get any closer than Mokapu Beach Club at Renaissance. When we were there in Feb., my sister was upgraded to one of those rooms, and in about a half dozen trips to Hawaii for her, she says those are the ultimate accomodations. Call me crazy but I like to be up high, with a great oceanfront room (which you can have at either Renaissance or Four Seasons!) <BR> <BR>At Kapalua, the Kapalua Hotel and Ritz-Carlton have some great restaurants between them, then there are a couple "next door" in the Napili community. You would have about a ten minute drive (or less) to Kaanapali Resort. In Wailea there's lots of great restaurants in the resorts, and you can drive 5 minutes more into Kihei for all kinds of restaurants and shopping. Kapalua is definitely the more isolated of the two, but not that isolated. <BR> <BR>If I can be of any help, please feel free to e-mail me. <BR> <BR>Aloha, Ruth

Hi Doug! We've been to Hawaii several times. We will be going back to Maui in Sept. to celebrate our 26th anniversary. We like the area near Kaanapali the best. Kapalua is beautiful, but it is often rainier and windier there. Wailea is a lot drier, but too far from Lahaina for us. Also not the lush vegetation. Have you thought about the Hyatt Regency? It may not be quite as impressive as some others mentioned, but friends of ours stayed there on their anniversary and really liked it. (we have a favorite ocean-front condo we stay at). The Hyatt has lots of waterfalls, a swim-up bar and water-slide, and a romantic grotto near one of the waterfalls. <BR>If it's definetely between Kapalua and Wailea, I would say Wailea. December will be the rainy season. And there is much more rain and wind on the north of all the islands. <BR>Don't miss out on a romantic dinner sail and have a great time.

How would the weather be in Kapalua during August??

If you're willing to consider staying in a condo, Napili Point condos are great. I've stayed there a few times. Napili has its own swimmable beach. I've never found Napili's weather to be "bad." You can also walk up the road to Kapalua-it'll take you ~15-20 min. to walk to Kapalua Beach (&lt;5 min to drive). If you drive to Kapalua Beach, arrive early because the parking lot can get full kind of early. Up the road from Kapalua is a really great snorkeling spot (the fish eat out of your hand) - parking is on the road. Keep in mind that the great thing about Maui is that if you're tired of the beach/area where you're currently hanging out, you can just drive down the road a bit and get something totally differe