We had the best time in Maui staying at the Maui Kai – Unit 402 - www.paradiseinmaui.com We will definitely come back to visit! After unpacking we were sitting outside and we saw 2 whales jumping out of the water in the horizon. I couldn't believe it. I've always wanted to see whales but I thought for sure they would have left Maui by the time we got there! I'm sure they waited for us.
The first morning we did the Maui Downhill bike ride. The scenery takes your breath away - (literally) I had a little bike accident! :-> The next morning we strolled up and down the beach and found a seal, yes a seal, in front of the condo! He stayed there for 4-5 hours playing in the waves and catching fish.
We attempted to drive up and around to Wailuku but stopped once the road turned into 1 lane. There are amazing sites to see along the way - picture perfect! We stopped and snorkeled off of the beach at Honolua Bay. The fish there are 10 times better than Molokini, I couldn't believe it! and it was free! There were 3 tour groups that came to that same spot! One of them, right before we got in the water, said they say a 6 foot white tip shark! YIKES! We never encountered the shark, just thousands of fish!
The road to hana is definitely an entire day trip. We packed soft drinks, water and ham sandwiches for our 10 hour excursion. We made it all the way to the 7 sacred pools which was beautiful! I would suggest to every that you leave extra early in the morning, around 7, if you plan on stopping at every site the CD suggests. By the time we made it to the 7 pools it was starting to get dark. The Hana Hwy is VERY frightening, especially at night. There are no street lights (of course), no cell phone service and no where to stop! Definitely make it back before it gets dark! If you get car sick, this isn't the trip for you :->
We booked 2 tours, snorkeling at Molokini and the Hyatt Luau, with the Maui Dive Shop (there stores are everywhere). The Molokini tour was excellent. There were around 12 people on our tour. Our boat was the 2nd one to get to Molokini. They served breakfast snacks, coffee, soft drinks and lunch snacks. The Hyatt Luau was also very nice. There was an amazing sunset right before the dancing started.
There was a great spot to snorkel in Makena, right before the 'Fish Bowl'. We drove and shopped around Wailea. It looked like this is the best place to attempt to surf, although we never got a chance to try it. There are buses with surf boards and boogie boards you can rent for like $7.

We stayed at the Maui Kai last year for our honeymoon and loved it. The funny thing is that we also had unit 402. We spent a lot of time sitting out on the lanai watching the whales. Now we're trying to plan our next trip. Glad you had such a wonderful time.

Aloha maui!

Great exciting brief report! Tell us more about your "accident"... Sounds like you had a great time. The condo photos look great... put it into favs for next time to Maui...

Many mahalos!

Off to Kauai in 43 more days... can't wait for the aloha...

Maui2005: I'm so happy you liked unit #402 and that they whales stayed for you. I was there in early April a few years ago and there were just a few left but it really made the trip special. Now, I think of the ocean as a little emptier when they are gone since no one else breaks the surface.

You just can't describe how nice that lanai over the water is in words.

The fun is that you now know a "secret paradise" that you can return to anytime you need a break.

About my little bike accident... in the van ride to the top, we were making fun of all of the dents and scratches in the helmets we were suppose to wear. Well it turns out, I'm glad we had to wear them!


My fiancé were about 1/2 way to the bottom and I wanted to attach my digital camera to my belt loop (instead of in my backpack) so I could get to it easier to take pictures. After I fixed my camera I noticed the strap on the camera was hanging down and I didn't want it to get caught on anything. So with one hand on the handle bars and one hand trying to fix the camera strap, my hand slipped off the handle bar and I fell forward over the bike! YIKES!


I like to think of myself as athletic, which makes my accident kind of funny (after the fact, of course). I pretty much landed on my face with my feet over my head in the middle of the street. The helmet broke my fall when I hit my chin, but I think the helmet must have been a little big because it moved causing my lip to scrap across the pavement. Not pretty. At least I didn't chip a tooth! (I was worried about taking pictures with a missing tooth :-> ).


I ended up with a busted lip, nice road rash on my knuckles, 2 pretty gross elbows and a nice 5 inch bruise on my leg. I'm glad I was wearing the helmet and long sleeves! It made for a long trip to the bottom... but I would do the bike trip again in a heart beat. The views are amazing! Be sure to stop and eat breakfast at the Lodge (it’s on the left when you’re going to the bottom). It was the best breakfast we’ve ever had!

My nephew and his wife took the bike trip down as well. They are very athletic. He took a nasty spill and she said that she saw very little because she was gripping the handlebars and staring ahead the whole time. I think many people feel obligated to do this tour - just like they feel obligated to do the Road to Hana. I love Haleakala at any time of the day and find driving up and down in a convertible to be such a tranquil, almost spiritual, experience. I'm glad the poster enjoyed it despite her accident, but I do think it's a good chance to point out that some of these things are not mandatory and not for everyone!