Maui...if you had to pick one
 

Aloha...we just booked a last minute trip to Maui (leave in 2 weeks). There are 4 of us (Me & BF, Mom & my 12yo girl). BF & I are paying for most so we are on an extreme budget, so if you had to pick just one...

*Affordable, nice dinner somewhere with a view?

*Attraction for a first time visitor? (mainly for Mom..this will be her 2nd time on an airplane and her first time going farther than a state away from California)

*Excursion to take my 12year old girl?

I would really like my Mom to get a taste of a Luau, but the rest of us have been to one and they are just too pricey, any alternatives?

We will be mostly searching for near free activities like exploring beaches and snorkeling. Would the Maui Revealed book be the best source for info regarding those things?

Thanks for any info!!

several hotels offer nightly Hula shows that are free to enjoy. One in particular is the Kaanapali Beach Hotel. They have a nightly torch lighting ceremony with hula dancers and then several hours of hawaiian music. Even if you are not staying there, you could enjoy the entertainment. They have a really good restaurnt too that you can eat dinner and watch the neat show. Hope that helps!!

For a good reasonablt dinner i highly suggest "kimo's" in Lahaina. They have an amazing view and wonderful food. The service was amazing too. We are definatly gonna hit this one again when we go back. It was one of our favorite places.

ggrtist

Heading out in two weeks with grandparents and kids around the same age.

First - get your daughter a rash guard top. Nothing will ruin her time faster than a sunburn on the first day. They provide UVA 50 or so protection, and will save her skin, literally.

I picked them up for ~$20 at MC Sporting goods in CLE. Try googling ‘rash guard’ for on-line retailers.

Second, rent a boogie board and snorkel gear for the week and hit the beach. Not sure what part of CA you hail from, but the beaches in Maui are warm, clear and there are plenty waves and fish to play with...

I am found that there is a great hiking trail at the Ioa Needle National Park. I plan on spending an afternoon there.

For mom - find a great shady spot where she can order Mia Tia's and Pupu’s [appetizers] and have her bring a couple great books. This is a great place to totally veg out...

Have a great time...

Stash

I would definately recommend Haleakala. We took the Pony Express horseback ride tour, but it was a bit expensive. However, just being on Haleakala was awe inspiring. If my mom was traveling with me, I'd definately make sure she saw that. Of course, the ocean is nature's amusement park and your daughter should enjoy the snorkling. You didn't say where you were staying, perhaps the hotel will offer some "free" activities. Good luck.

Haleakala is magnificent. If you have a rental car it's easy for you all to drive up on your own. We went mid-morning rather than driving in the dark to arrive at sunrise. I can't imagine a better 'attraction' for a first time visitor. Not to mention the price is right.

If you're in Lahaina, Aloha Mixed Plate restaurant is very reasonable and offers traditional food. It's near the grounds of the Old Lahaina Luau.

Thank you all so much, these are great, I'm going to write these down and hit those websites. Yep..I forgot to mention we are staying at a condo across from Kamaole II in Kihei. We've been to Oahu a few times so we have our own snorkel gear & will be sure to buy lots of sunscreen (3 of us will get brown very quickly though..lol).

BF & I did the road to Hana, not sure if we'll do the entire road again, but I was thinking of going to the first falls & lookout. Or should we just go the back road to Oheo pools?

The free luau show is just what I was looking for too. I'd like to see the last lava flow, haven't heard of that.

Thanks Fodorites, I knew this would be the best place to go!!

About the sun exposure...I recently saw an advertisement for ?Sun Save? a new product you can add to the washer to make your existing clothes UV resistent.
Anyone tried this? Belle

ggrtist, If you plan to spend time in West Maui I recommend Aloha Mixed Plate in Lahaina for a cheap/ authentic meal with a nice view. For some free activities I recommend Iao Valley, the back road to Hana and snorkeling (in South Maui you've got some great beached to choose from). Here's a link to my recent trip report. You may find some useful info, we only did 2 paid tours:

http://www.myronman.com/annahead.html

Belle, I've used RIT Sunguard. It got a seal of approval from the cancer society and has worked wonders for me. Every spring when I pack away my winter clothes and take my summer digs out of storage I rewash them. It seems to last all summer long.

For a nice, affordable dinner you might want to think about Five Palms. They have a twilight dinner special that includes a salad, entree and dessert course for $19.95. You can sit waterfront on the lanai and enjoy the sunset.

If you are here over July 4 weekend, there is a parade, rodeo and other events all weekend long in Makawao. There are also things happening in Lahaina on the 4th with free entertainment and fireworks.

July 20-30 is the World Conference of Hula with hula programs many nights at the Maiu Arts and Cultural Center for $10 admission for the public. This would be 1000 times better than a commercial lu`au to expose your family to hula and chant.

Also, the local Sierra Club does some wonderful hikes on land you would otherswise not be legally permitted to explore. They request a $5 donation and the docents are very informative. They rival and exceed many of the much pricier commercial tours you can book. You can find info at http://www.hi.sierraclub.org/maui/outings.html
These do fill up so you need to reservse in advance.

This is a great thread! People often gripe about Maui is sooooo expensive. Well sure it is if you take helicopter rides, go on booze cruises, to high-end shows or luaus, dinner theater or fancy restaurants. But it doesn't have to be. There's loads of free and cheap stuff to do.

In fact I just thought of another one...

The self-guided historical walking tour you can do along Front Street and around downtown Lahaina. There's a pamphlet that tells stories of the various landmarks, and you can walk to as few or many places as you like. Our (mixed-age) family really enjoyed doing this together.

Wow, a world-class hula conference, fireworks shows for the 4th, thanks Heretoday, it looks like we picked an awesome time to go.

Mauijon, is mauihawaii.org
your website? Great site, I don't really need to make a list of freebies now, looks like you've already done all the work.

annahead, thanks for the trip report link, I enjoyed reading and viewing the pics. How did you get such great underwater shots...I've always used the disposables but they've never been that sharp & clear. I'm glad you didn't let the lost luggage ruin your trip, I would have been super bummed!

thanks everyone

oops, I mixed up the hula conference dates..we're going to be there June29-July 5, so we won't be there for that but I saw some other interesting events on the website. We'll have to catch the free show at Kaanapali. Does it get crowded?

ggrtist, I used a Canon Powershot G5 with an underwater housing. Enjoy your trip!

Maui itself will be an attraction for your mom. Its beauty is breathtaking. What a nice thing to do for her!

We just returned yesterday. I cried as I watched the last sunset.

What area are you staying at? We stayed on Kaannapoli Beach. Its wonderful!

The Kaanappali Beach Hotel offers craft sessions every day of the week. the teach the kids how to make leis, both by weaving and stringing flowers. They do other Hawaiin crafts as well, offering 3 a day. They have a passport kids program too. I dont have anyone that young, but people of all ages were enjoying the crafts.

Every evening at the pool area there is a torch lighing ceremony and a free hula show and live music, a good alternative to a Laua. You can watch it from the bar. Buy a Mai Tai in a ceramic Tiki glass. It's $8.00 but you have a souviner to take home.

The Mixed Plate resturantat the hotel is one of the best values on Maui. It's an all you can eat buffet, for breakfast lunch and dinner and it's right at the hotel. No view, but lots of unusual foods to try.

From the hotel, you can walk up to the whaling village and look at the Museum and the shops. You can walk on the beach or use the sidewalk in front of the hotel to get there.

We took the morning sunrise at the crater tour (Pick up at 2 am and very cold, 20 % mid- June!) and the road to Hana van tour. Tha tour took us on the streatch where rental cars are not allowed to go. It was one of the most spectacular days we spent. It was bumpy, but not uncomfortably so.

Take your daughter parasailing! You would fly tandum. It's a relaxing and bonding experience! Snorleling at Molikini would be fun too.

For an affordable dinner with a view, You have many resturants to choose from. Most are pricey. Cheeseburger in Paridise is reasonable,has kid friendly food and a great view. Lailoni's at the Whaleing Village, has two sections and the menus are different, make sure you are at the outside section. The view of the sunset is gorgous here too. Bubba Gumps is probably next,being a chain, its a good value and has a nice view. We liked Kimo's and Canoe's best. The Hula grill and Pacific O's are more expensive. Canoe's has a great early bird deal before 6. The decor is charming and they are the only place we found with a complete salad bar. The desserts were to die for! If you get reservations you can get in on the early birds special and finish up as the sun sets.

Our party consisted of a 21 year old female, a 23 year old male, and two of us in our early 50's. Everyone had fun on all excursions, but my husband adn I left the young ones and went to Pai, had lunch at Willie Nelsons resturant and looked around there. Its a different side of the island. I am not sure the yong ones would have enjoyed it as much. Maybe, but I can't say for sure.

I can say your mom and daughter will love it, no matter what you do! Kids just love the crystal clear water and the beach! There is a pool too, at every hotel.

Sandi, I think you are referring to Charley's in Pa`ia, yeah? Charley's is owned by Jim Fuller, not Willie Nelson. Willie is a good friend of Jim's, and while Willie's pictures may adorn the walls, the place belongs to Jim. Jim and Willie announced plans about 4-5 years to open a new place in Pa`ia that was to be called "Willie's Place." When the original opening date came and went and there was still no restaurant, we just figured they were opening on island time. But after a few years went by I guess it's not going to happen after all.

We purchased Maui Revealed before a trip there in 2003. It was an EXCELLENT resource for us. It was so helpful that we purchased the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook (same author) before our visit to Kauai in 2004. We're hoping to go to Oahu or the Big Island next and have already purchased those guides as well.

Have a wonderful trip!

Sandionthebeach, how long ago were you at the kaanapali beach hotel? We were there last Nov. and they day we left they were closing the mixed plate for renovation. We are going back next year, but wondered what it was looking like these days.

My daughter is about the age of yours. When we took her to Maui at age 8, I booked a tour to Hana where we helicoptered one way and took a van back. Also, we took Trilogy tours to Lanai for a snorkeling trip. She wasn't crazy about either - and neither were we! Last year, she was 11 when we went. Our family just toured the island on our own and she loved it. Mostly, she loved the pool and the beach. I don't think kids like those expensive, structured things very much - learned it the hard way!

Sandi, where is Canoes, sounds like a good deal..thanks for the tip. We're staying in Kihei, but will probably spend at least one full day in the Kaanapali resort & beach areas.

luvtravel...if you go to Oahu, order a free travel planner & map from the Hawaii tourism site: http://www.gohawaii.com/oahu/
The map is great and has locations of all the hotels, attractions, beaches, hwys..we've used it with each trip to Oahu.

Crazy4hawaii..which beaches did you find were the best & easiest to snorkel with your daughter? My girl has only snorkeled once at Hanauma Bay last year. BF & I absolutely love snorkeling and are thinking of splurging on the dolphin eco /snorkel cruise to Lanai, but do you think it would be wasted & not too enjoyable for a 12yo?

Also...IF we decide to do a luau, the only one option would be the Royal Lahaina Luau because we have 25% off ET coupon. How is it? I'm thinking even at $60 bucks a pop, may not be worth it since 3 of us have already been to one and Mom doesn't seem to mind if we skip it.