Thanks to everyone for their comments and advice on the Oahu portion of our trip. Now I would like comments on our Maui Plans
Lodging at Kaanapali Beach hotel (arrive Thursday night)

Friday 6/15: Kayak to Honolua Bay and Snorkel (guided trip), afternoon: drive Over the Top to Iao valley.

Saturday 6/16: Road to Hana

Sunday 6/17: Haleakala Crater, winery, afternoon at beach. Sunset Sail from Kaanapali.

Monday 6/18: Atlantis Submarine, shopping, some beach time and then fly home (boo hoo).

Questions: Can somone recommend a place in the Kaanapali area to get good picnic lunches. Both Friday and Saturday we may want them, so I was hoping to pick up lunch the night before and be on the road early.

And does anyone have any recommendations for sunset sail companies from Kaanapali? I know there are quiet a few and was wondering if people have had good/bad experiences with any of the companies.

Thanks,
Kevin

Kevin,

Your plans sound good, but are pretty packed. My husband and I went to Maui in early March. Hopefully no one gets seasick, because we learned fast to not take any other boat trips after our whale watching trip. Your Sunday seems pretty busy. The winery (Tedeschi) isn't that great (IMO). The pineapple wine is good, but you can buy it at Food Lion in Lahaina. I wasn't too impressed and it also took a lot of time so we didn't get to do the crater (I was really disappointed). Also to get to the crater is really hard on your vehicle so make sure you have a 4x4 like vehicle (another reason we didn't go). We got picnic items from Safeway for the week we were there. It was probably the cheapest route to go, but good deli meat and pasta salad. Have fun. You don't realize how pretty it is until you leave!

You're going to love Honolua Bay snorkeling. I think you have too much planned for Sunday. I'd do Haleakala (which you really don't need a 4x4 for btw) and don't plan to do too much else that day. If you do decide to explore upcountry, the lavender farm is a neat place to stop and have lunch or tea.

Thanks for the replies so far. I tend to overbook days to a certain extent and then take stuff out -normally there is a highlight event, with some secondaries surrounding it.

One more question:
Will the Road to Hana be busier on Friday or Saturday? We have flexibility on which day we go out to Hana. Less traffic would be better.

Hana: I've read that Hana road is most busy on the weekends - which makes sense that locals enjoy it too!

Sunday itinerary: if already on the road, what about a south shore beach to hang out on?

I noticed a few posters putting the Haleakala sunrise in the middle of the trip instead of at the beginning. I'm thinking I'll be on mainland time (east coast at that) and will be much easier to get up early at the beginning of my trip.

kevin, be sure to get the cd when you make your drive to Hana. The one we used was "On The Road Again" with Captain Aloha and Uncle Boy Kanai.

Kevin,
Your itinerary sounds fine with me. As all things with traveling, you'll adjust your schedule to fit your time/mood while you're there.

Would love to hear your opinion on the Kaanapali Beach Hotel when you return. We are planning to stay there over Christmas and New Year's.

You will love Maui, it's beautiful. Your trip beings soon, have a blast!

iceeu2:

Where would I get the CD? I assume there is a stand/store somewhere near Pa'ia. Would I be able to get it ahead of time? I hope to be on the road very early that day -hopefully passing Pa'ia between 7:00-7:30 (yes I know that means leaving 6:00ish from Kaanapali). I worry that places will not be open when I get there.

You will see places set up that have the cd. I already had one that OSB sent to me to use. But, when we got our rental car the agent asked if we had the cd already. So.......ask when you pick up your rental car.

Have you found a good deal on a car? I found the best deals thru costco.com

Kevin, take it from someone who knows Maui and who's there every couple of years you don't want to do the road to Hana on Saturday and follow it with a long trip up the mountain to the crater on Sunday. The trip from Kaanapali to Hana and back is brutal and long and there is so much to see. The trip to Haleakala is slow and winding for most a good part of the way plus Kaanapali is way on the other side of the island.

I suggest you move Haleakala to early morning Monday, sunrise is awesome, and make Sunday a beach and sunset sail day. Check out Triology Excursions at www.sailtrilogy.com This is a great outfit that we have sailed with at least a dozen times and have recommended it to many of our friends. They are the best.

As for beaches, you should check out the beaches past Kapalua such as D.T. Fleming which has lots of white sand. FYI, our boys did the sub ride and said it was ok but nothing special.

Enjoy!

Better than the CD for the road to Hana is a GPS-guided tour. You can rent a GPS unit that has audio for both the road to Hana and Haleakala plus all the usual GPS features. The audio triggers on its own and its pretty cool. We rented it for 3 days and it was a great help. The place is called Geo Trek, and we found coupons in the tourist mags.

I stayed on Maui 8 nights and got back yesterday. Start on the Road to Hana EARLY. I made the mistake of lollygagging in the morning and I will tell you that the Hana Highway is IMO in no way enjoyable when you are in the thick of all the tourist traffic. We were staying in a B&B at the beginning of the highway so, the next day we got up and started on the highway at 7:00 and it was much, much better.

Also, you don't need a 4x4 to get to the top of Haleakala. The road is smoothly paved from the base to the Summit. I was in a convertible mustang and while at the top I saw people arriving on Harley's. Also, decline the Mustang Upgrade, even if it's free. When you are paying $4.29/gallon at the Hana Gas station you will thank your stars.

I would love some advise on travelling to Maui from Honolulu. Which airport do you travel to (in Maui) if staying at the Sheraton Maui?
Thanks so much

We have stayed at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel three times now. We wouldn't stay anywhere else on Maui. You have picked a wonderful hotel. I would suggest that you schedule some time during your visit to do some of the hotel's free activities. We really enjoy the lei making, hula lessons etc. They have a nice free nightly hula show. Make sure you plan some time to enjoy their beach. It is wonderful... and the snorkelling at Black Rock (practically right in front of the hotel) is amazing.

We did the Road to Hana a few years back. We went through a tour group. Rode up in a van and flew back down in a helicopter. This is the only way I would do it. Loved being able to sit back and let someone else drive and narrate. The helicopter tour was awesome.

The activities desk at the hotel is really helpful at giving you detailed info. They are invaluable.

Let me suggest a restaurant called "Kimo's" in Lahaina (on Front St). They are right on the water and have great food and views...we make it to dinner at least once every visit.

Have a great trip...I am jealous of you!!!

bebalm - do you remember the name of the group you did the Hana van/helicopter tour with? I'm interested in the GPS tour mentioned earlier, but this also sounds like a good way to see the sights. At least we can both take in the views instead of one having to drive/keep eyes on the road, etc. We wanted to do a helicopter tour as well, so this might be a good way to add that in as well. Were you able to stop at many of the sites along the road to enjoy the view/get photos, etc? How many other people were in the van/helicopter with you and were you all able to have window seats on both? Thanks!

i don't remember the name off the top of my head. They were recommended by the hotel staff. I don't think there are many companies that do the van/helicopter tour. We made our reservations through the hotel desk on the first day we got there. The driver of the van was VERY informative. He took it slow and things felt very relaxed. We stopped for pastries/coffee about 20mins into the trip in a small town. Then about an hour or so later we stopped to buy fresh homemade banana bread. Then they provided a very nice picnic lunch (with hot foods) at Hana. We stopped 4-5 times to look at waterfalls, ocean etc. It was a perfect mix. Our group occupied the van...there was 6 of us.

The helicopter ride down was awesome. It lasted about 45 mins and circled around the whole island.

We enjoyed the road to hana...but wouldn't want to spend a whole day driving. This was the perfect mix. We saw Hana, helicopter tour and made it back to the hotel by mid-afternoon.

Just ask the guys at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel desk for the tour name. They are so helpful. (By the way...the Kupanaha Magic Show at the hotel was a highlight of our last trip)

Jotorious, would you recommend your B&B? I'm looking for a place to stay in Maui - also want to spend 2 nights in Hana - any suggestions?

farm123,

We stayed in kihei in a studio...

http://coconutmaui.com/cottage.html

for 6 nights.

Then at a B&B at near milepost 2 on the Hana Highway, unfortunately the woman who owned the B&B sold it. She informed us upon our arrival that we were her last guests.

In Hana there were alot of B&Bs / Guest houses about. Goggle "Hana Cottages" or "Hana Studios". That how we found both places at which we stayed.