Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Maui and Kauai honeymoon questions???

Fodor's Travel Talk Forums (https://www.fodors.com/community/)

- United States (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/)

- - Maui and Kauai honeymoon questions??? (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/maui-and-kauai-honeymoon-questions-292459/)

Maui and Kauai honeymoon questions???

Hello, My fiance and I have choosen Maui and Kauai as our honeymoon destination and we have a lot of questions for all you hawaii experts to help aide us in planning a wonderful honeymoon. We plan on going in mid August for 9 nights and 10 days to both Maui and Kauai. We plan on staying at Maui for 6 nights and Kauai for 3 nights but we need suggestions of great resorts to stay at? Now what part of Maui is better; we are debating between the Kaanapali or Wailea areas? What is the main difference between these two areas...does the weather differ, is there more to do or more night life in one of the areas? How is the Hyatt on Maui? A few travel agencies recommended the Hyatt to us since it is not as pricy as some of the other deluxe resorts so we need your reviews on the Hyatt and what resort would you recommend on Wailea? On Kauai what part do you recommend? What are the differences? What resorts would you suggest? Thanks for any suggestions in helping us with our honeymoon plans. We are very excited to go to hawaii since we both have never been there. Thanks again! Pam :)

Congratulations! You will love honeymooning in Hawaii! My husband and I had our honeymoon in Maui in September 2000 and absolutely loved it. I can only weigh in on your questions about Maui, but here are my two cents! 1. We stayed at the Kea Lani in Wailea (now the Fairmont Kea Lani) and really enjoyed it. All of it's rooms are suites and the grounds are nice--a couple of pools, nice beach area, a few good restaurants (including a great breakfast buffet), and not too stuffy. I've also stayed at the Four Seasons--it is beautiful, but in my opinion not worth the extra money. 2. Wailea v. Kaanapali: Wailea is more subdued, quiet, and ritzy. There isn't a whole lot to do there except enjoy your resort. However, they did just add a great shopping area with some upscale shops. Kaanapali is more "hopping" and young. It is closer to Lahaina--where a lot of restaurants/activities are. If you are looking for nightlife, Wailea is not for you--most of the bars are in Kaanapali or Lahaina. It really depends on what you are going to spend your time doing...we enjoyed Wailea because we spent a lot of time lounging by the pool and on the beach. We also enjoy driving, so the trip to and from Lahaina and the other side of the Island didn't bother us at all. The weather is said to be better in Wailea--less rain. All in all, you can't really go wrong in Maui. We had such a great time there. There are so many great restaurants and an abundance of things to do. I wish I were there right now!

Congratulations! We honeymooned on Maui and loved it. We stayed at the Westin Kaanapali. The resort was everything we'd hoped for with a beautiful beach, tropical pool area with waterfalls, and great restaurants. The area had a lot of resorts and a nice shopping area called Whaler's Village. The snorkeling in front of the Sheraton (Black Rock) was amazing and we even saw sea turtles. It's also close to Lahaina which is where most of the action is. Have a great trip!

We've stayed at the Maui Hyatt a couple of times and believe it is a really lovely place. Was in Maui in Nov and traveled from Kaanapali to Wailea and did notice a big difference in the two areas. Wailea seems more residential, more affluent and the resorts are enormous. Have stayed in Kaanapali 4 times and would probably stay there again. But that's just me. I like being close to Lahaina and the north shore beaches. You will love the Maui Hyatt much more than any of the other Kaanapali hotels. That is not to say there is anything wrong with the other places it's just that the Hyatt has larger and more lush grounds than any other place. Make sure you take a walk down the beach walk to the Sheraton before sunset so you can watch the torch lighting ceremony at the Sheraton. It's very nice. In August you can stay any where on Kauai. Many will recommend the North shore because it has more vegetation but with only three days you need to decide what you will be doing with those three days and then decide where you will stay. If you are going to spend time in Waimea Canyon or Kokee Park and taking a sail out of Port Allen the drive each day from the north might be too much so maybe Poipu would be a better choice. On the other hand if you choose a hike along the Na Pali trail, snorkel at Tunnels beach and sail out of Hanalei Harbor you should stay in Princeville. Two books that will help you a bunch are Maui Revealed and The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook. They are written by the same authors who are entertaining and informative.

Thank you all for the helpful information. I am going to run to Borders and buy those two books...thanks again and I am sure I will have more questions before we go. Pam :)

Hi Pamela, I just returned from my honeymoon this past weekend after spending 5 nites in Maui and 6 in Kauai. Thought I'd also recommend Maui Revealed and The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook. I read both of these books from cover to cover while planning my honeymoon. They were invaluable.

My huband and I honeymooned in Maui and Kauai in September 2000. We stayed at the Kapalua Villas in Maui and the Hyatt in Kauai. We first went to Kauai to relax and unwind after the wedding whirlwind, then onto Maui to be more active. We loved the Hyatt - I saw earlier responses that mentioned a lot of families, however when we went, it seemed that EVERYONE was on their honeymoon! Make sure you make a reservation at the Beach House Restaurant(near Sprouting Horn)at the time the sunsets...it is amazing and the food was great! At the Kapalua Villas in Maui, you have priviledges at the Ritz Carlton, so we were able to hang out at their beach and pool. I think next time when we go, we are going to try the Four Seasons - I hear it is amazing! Whatever you choose - you will have a wonderful time! Best wishes!

I would definitely 2nd mlmkbc's Beach House recommendation....and if do choose to go during sunset (which I also highly, highly recommend), make your reservation days in advance. They book fast! I can also vouch for how amazing the Four Seasons Wailea is....pricey, but to me, worth every penny.

I have been to Hawaii over 75 times and recommend the following. In Kaanapali the Hyatt will offer more than the other hotels nearby. Thw Westin as replied to below is OK, but offer the smallest rooms on the island. Wailea is more upscale and laid back and offer good shooping with the new shops at Wailea. The Kea Lani is all suites and excellent. The Four Seasons is expensive but worth it. The GRand Wailea should also be looked at, it has alot to offer. Ojn Kauai I would avoid the north shore due to weather incosistancies and stay in Poipu at the Hyatt Kauai which is the besy Hyatt in their chain and is much like a higher end (Ritz) type hotel. You must do ocean Kayaking. It works on either island and is really enjoyable.