Husband and I are planning a trip to Maui either in May or October. We have never been and would appreciate any advice.

As far as our tastes, we'd like to do some hiking probably at Halaekala National Park, snorkeling, relaxing, road to Hana, and maybe visit something like the lavender farm. Also exploring some towns would be nice. I am looking into staying at the South Shore b/c it seems the most accessible to the different things we'd like to do. It seems like it's kind of in the middle.

We are unsure of where to stay. Seems like there are a lot of condo's on the island at some reasonable rates but we are not sure if we want to deal with shopping for food. Not sure as first timers what we really should do. Part of me wants to save on accommodations but part of me wants to be somewhat pampered (like not having to worry about shopping as soon as we get there). I have also been reading that condo and apartment units are owned by different people so how the room looks might depend on how much the owner upkeep's their property. I really don't want to have to worry about getting a crappy room. But I guess If I want to save money it might be wise to put more time into planning right!?

As far as restaurants mentioned in other threads (cheeseburger, ruths chris, etc) we already have access to where we live. So we'd want something more "Hawaiian" or authentic....but at the same time we are still in the US. I have heard good things about Mama's Fishhouse.

Also, we keep hearing that we need look into package deals....as a novice traveler how would one look into packages..would I just go to one of the travel sites (Expedia) and book it all through that?

Any island advice is much appreciated.

We went in Aug/Sept. stayed at the Grand Waleia it was great! Many good spots to eat, send for the brochures also get the books, ebay amazon etc. Fodors was good. We ate at Mamma's it was FABLUOUS! Call the hotel desk before you go and ask what is the best in the area, they know. Beach is great in Waleia snorkling and turtles off the shore. Rode to Hanna very long but if you have time do it. We loved the waterfalls and we swam in most of them. Good luck!

Also a great site is Travelzoo.com check there they have great deals.

OK,for a start my Sife & I have been to Maui nine times over the years & love it. We like to stay at a couple condo's at where Kihei & Waileia come together. They are The Man Kai & the Kihei Surfside. They are side by side at one of the best beaches in the Islands,Keawakape(sp) We rent through a place called AA Ocean Front, you can find them at aaoceanfront.com & we find that they have some of the best rates for that part of Maui. The Mana Kai has 8 Floors & the Surfside has 6.When we get our rental car & head out of the Airport we stop at Costco right down the road from the Airport & get our supplies for the condo & then stop ate AA OceanFront's office on the way in Kihei, then on down the road to the condo. There are so many good places to eat in Kihei & other places on the Island that I can help you with. One of favorites is Charlies in Pa'ia, where Mama's Fish House is. Charlies' is a great place for a good Breakfast & lunch. They have great Mac nut Pancakes, where one can be a meal & Jalapeno Poppers that our Grandson say's are the best in the world. We ones saw Willie Nelson there eating Breakfast. Anyway that's a start.Oh yeh, I would go at Halloween time because Lahaina Town is a Madi Gras at that time & is a time to remember.

Also about planning a trip, if you are Costco member they have very good deals but I like doing my own & have down it for many years. I do my air on either Hawaiian Air or United because we have Miles cards & do our car with our American Express card because of their special deal on Damage Waiver Fee Insurance when you pay for the rental with their card. I really messed up with the spelling on the Wife on the first Posting,Oh well. As far as what Airlines you use it will depend on where you are coming from & what kind of deal you can get. I would suggest when you do the road to Hana that you either stay over night in Hana or really leave early in the morning & make a day of it & take your time. If you do a package, like I said after a lot of reserch I have found that Costco beats most of them if not all at this time at Costco.com/Travel. Like another Poster said Travelzoo.com also has the collection of the best deals around. Since I have been disabled & retired for a few years helping people do trips to Hawaii & Europe is my Hobby, Good Travels.

Thanks for the suggestions and links! Will be trying to research on this more over the coming month!

There are several good sites for all islands & several sites just for Maui on this thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34812564

Almost every question you could possibly have about best places to stay, sights to see, and restaurants in Maui is answered in the book "Maui Revealed". I would highly recommend you get a copy to help plan your trip. Make sure you get the latest edition because many things change over time.

I have heard of a snorkeling trip to Lani that sounds really nice (lunch included). Does anyone know about the company that runs this?

Trilogy.

http://www.sailtrilogy.com/pages/lanai_sunrise.php

Check vrbo.com. We just booked a one bedroom penthouse condo for a week for $750(cleaning and taxes included) in Ka'anapali in October. There is a wide range of choices on vrbo and many consider October as still being low season.

elkhound, what property?

Hale Ono Loa

Back from Maui a week ago! Thanks to all for your advice! We ended up Staying at the Hyatt in Ka'anapali. It was a beautiful hotel. Really enjoyed our stay here. Did scuba for the first time! Also did a catamaran snorkel trip that we booked through the hotel - Hula Girl. It was a very nice crew and the food was excellent. I would highly recommend it. We also thought the luau at the hotel was very good too.
We did eat at Mama's Fishhouse and it was one of our favorite dining experiences. Also ate up in Kapalua at the Pinnapple Grill which was very good as well.
We did take the road to Hana....and didn't quite make it there. We turned around b/c A. my husband and I don't work well in long driving situations and B. the locals did not seem to care about the "yeild to oncoming traffic" signs. One guy almost pinned us up against a cliff. So needless to say we turned around. It was very beautiful though. We ended up at the arboretum (can't remember the name). It was a bit overpriced so we though we might be in a tourist trap but it was nice to get out of the car, use the bathroom and walk around their space. We also had some pictures taken with the bird man! He was a bit weird but the pictures are fun. On our way back stopped at the Pa'ia Fish market for an awesome Ono fish sandwich! It was so nice b/c a local woman helped me decide what to order. I have been craving this sandwich ever since!
We only had 5 full days on Maui. I wish we had had more time but I really enjoyed it. We just relaxed at the hotel to on some days. They have a nice path that takes you up to the Sheridan. One thing I will say is that the Hyatt really lacks a beach. It's right on the ocean though. It did not bother us. If you are a beach person you can walk up the path to the Whalers Village area and there is a nice beach area there all the way up to the Sheridan.

Love, love, Maui. Mama's Fish House is great but pricey. If you want to eat there but not spend too much, go for lunch.

We rented a cottage and self-catered, buying fresh fish and fruit and vegetables and cooking on the outdoor grill. This allowed us to stay twice as long on the budget we planned for the trip. There are wonderful fish markets and farmer's markets available in Maui.

Aloha! Oh, you are just going to fall in love with Maui. I've been a zillion times and it never gets old. I practically tear up when I get off the plane. So, a few thoughts....

You MUST plan a special dinner at The Lahaina Grill. It used to be called David Paul's and now it's just Lahaina Grill. It's pricey but not too, too bad. But the food is outstanding. Always one of my best meals on the island. If you're staying in Wailea (which is lovely!), you'll probably want to hit it up on a day when you're exploring Lahaina town.

I also like Pacific O's in Lahaina. There are plenty of amazing places to eat at the hotels in Wailea and there's always the Tommy Bahama's in Wailea, which is still very yummy.

Other random thoughts -- you simply must drive the Hana highway. There are some naysayers because it's long and windy but it's spectacular. Really. My two favorite points on the highway that I hope you will make a point of seeing are (1) Ke‘anae peninsula and (2) Wainapanapa State Park. Nice to stop to get the cheesy tourist CD from the gas station on the highway (it's in all the guidebooks) and maybe even get some breakfast in Paia before heading up. I also like to stop at the Hotel Hana Maui for a relaxing lunch.

Ooooh, I am so jealous.

I visited the Lavender farm for the first time on my last trip to Maui and loved it. It's upcountry so about 10 degrees cooler but beautiful, smells lovely and has a remarkable view of the island.

Also....if you're going during the parasail season, LOVE parasailing (and I'm a scaredy cat). So peaceful and beautiful. Do the higher one. You can see Maui and Lanai and get rad photos that look like you're up in the stratosphere.

Speaking of Lanai, it makes for a wonderful day trip, especially if you've got a kooky spiritual side like me. Garden of the Gods. Got that Sedona energy to it.

OK, enough from me. Feel free to pick our brains some more. Who doesn't love to write about Hawaii.

Happy travels.