Maui Itinerary - thoughts or suggestions?
 

Hi. We are going to Hawaii this September (5 days on Maui followed by 5 days on the Big Island). This is what we have for itinerary so far - any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated:
Day 1: arrive at Kahului airport at 3pm, get snacks for the Haleakala sunrise at Walmart; check in at Westin; dinner at the Whaler's Village - Leilani's or Hula Grill
Day 2: do Haleakala sunrise on our own; hike around; drive down the volcano and do the zipline eco-adventure tour. Get some food on the way back to Ka'anapali (possibly at Kula Lodge or go to lunch at Mama's Fish House). Attend the Feast at Lele at night.
Day 3: The road to Hana; possibly drive around the island instead of backtracking. Dinner - options still open.
Day 4: We have Atlantis submarine booked, but having read all the negative comments, we might cancel that. Relax at the beach, walk around Lahaina, buy some souvenirs.
Day 5: Possibly do a Molokini Snorkeling trip - the Four Winds II gets high marks from the authors of "Maui Revealed." Old Lahaina Luau at night.
Day 6: inter-island flight to the Big Island.

Our family really enjoyed the Atlantis sub experience in Maui. We did the one in Maui and the one in Oahu and thought the Maui cruise was better. We used the Entertainment Book coupon and saved money. I think the activity owners gold card also offers and Atlantis discount.

we did use our entertainment book coupon for that, thank you :)
I am having some doubts about the sub, because everyone is saying that you can see more fish snorkeling...

As for the submarine, I believe there are many variables that will dictate what you see anywhere on any given day. I've had friends visit and not be able to snorkle the entire time due to poor weather and/or ocean conditions. I've been to Molokini when the palce was teeming with a variety of fish and when there seemed to be barely any fish at all. My parents did the submersible and it was a highlight of their visit. They learned much more on that trip than they did at any time on their own in the ocean, and saw much more variety that day. Others have come back with different experiences.

giulietta, my husband and I just got back from Hawaii and also did 5 nights on the Big Island and 5 nights on Maui. We stayed in Wailea in Maui and we drove to Hana and continued all the way around. We took our time and it took around 11 round trip. We stopped at the Hana Hotel for lunch which was very nice. We had planned to stop at Mama's for dinner but we were exhausted and really wanted to get back and clean up before dinner. We did the sunrise at Haleakala but it rained the whole time so we didn't see anything. We had breakfast at Kula Lodge on the way down. We really liked it there. I suggest you go there and save Mama's for a different day. We went to Mama's for dinner and it was very expensive (lunch is supposed to be a little more reasonable). We also went late (around 8 pm). I would try to go earlier so you can enjoy the beautiful grounds. The Mahi Mahi is wonderful! We went snorkeling at Molokini and Turtletown with Trilogy Excursions and I would not hesitate to use them again. One day, we drove the coast of West Maui and continued past Kapalua - the drive was beautiful but it was a one way road for quite awhile and I thought it was pretty stressful and I wasn't even driving. We ended up turning around and going back when we had the chance.

You didn't mention what you had planned for the Big Island. We stayed on the Kohala Coast and we spent a whole day visiting the Volcano. On the way back we took the scenic drive through Onomea Bay. It is only a few miles so wasn't too far out of our way. We drove into Waimea one day and went to Parker Ranch and Waipi'o Valley. We also took a drive up the north coast and came down through the Kohala mountains. We saw the King Kamehameha statue and Polulu Valley. It was a very pretty drive. We had lunch at a great restaurant in Hawi called Bamboo Restaurant. We snorkeled with Fair Winds at Kealakekua Bay.

If you would like any other information, let me know. Have a great trip!

One thing I meant to mention was that we wish we would have planned more down time. We really never went to the beach and had only spent a couple of hours at the pool at each of our resorts. It was our first visit and we wanted to see everything but we spent ALOT of time driving.

Good point above! Personally within any one week vacation I plan a couple of activities only, and leave the rest of the time free for the beach, poolside, wandering around, etc. For me this makes for a much more relaxing and interesting vacation. I can't imagine having buy souveniers on an itinerary.

When I visit a major city like New York or London I plan a go-go-go itinerary like the one you have planned for Maui.
Please reconsider your plans and remember why people started going to Maui in the first place. Sitting in a rental car for hours and hours per day is no vacation.

Cerlaurie:
thank you for your suggestions.
So far we don't have much planned for the Big Island. We are splitting our time between 2 nights at a small b&b on the slopes of Holualoa near Kailua-Kona, and 3 nights at the Hapuna Beach Prince hotel on the Kohala coast. We want to spend 1 day at the Volcanoes National Park. We also want to see other national parks (there are 3 more, according to The Big Island Revealed), see the South Point, black and green sand beaches, etc. I understand that vacationing on the Big Island inevitably involves a lot of driving, unless you want to stay at your resort and not see much. We want to see some sights, but plan to spend our last 2-3 days on the beach at Hapuna Prince, especially if we end up doing all the activities we have planned to do on Maui.

To suze:

Well, maybe you cannot imagine having to plan to buy souvenirs, my boyfriend and I both have big families, and our relatives would like some cute little trinkets from Hawaii, I am sure. Whenever our parents go away, they find time to bring us something special, so we wanted to do the same for them, that's all.
Also, I know everyone is looking for different things on vacation. Some people spend incredible amounts of money to stay at ocean view suites, while we choose to spend it doing active things outdoors.

guilietta, sorry I didn't mean it to sound that way. I love souveniers myself and buy loads of them. Often even start my Christmas shopping in Hawaii. And Lahaina is a perfect place to do some shopping. My comment was merely extpressing surprise that time needed to be scheduled on a formal itinerary for it.

You should be careful not to overdo it even though it's very tempting when you're plotting out your itinerary. Doing the road to Hana was excellent and am so glad we took the journey, but doing the Halekala sunrise, too (plus snorkeling, boat trip, boogie boarding) was too much to fit into a 5-day trip. You want to be able to experience the fun, relaxation and beauty that Maui offers. A lot of my favorite memories from the trip involved a simple cold beer and a wonderful sunset.

Giulietta429

Have you heard from anyone that has actually completed the zipline eco tour ? I myself was thinking about booking that for my upcoming trip in June but was a little nervous about spending approx $65/person for a tour that I've heard next to nothing about...I haven't even come across a review from anyone who has even completed the tour. Do you have any more info about the zipline ? Any info from anyone would be greatly appreciated.

On Day 2 - in order to see the sunrise at Haleakala, you should plan on leaving your hotel about 2am so you get there on time. With all that you have planned for that day, you'll probably sleep through the Feast at LeLe. I'd rethink this.
((S))((*))

Stop and smell the roses Giulietta!

Way too much booked for a short Maui trip. Dump the Atlantis, Luau (you are already doing the Feast) and the zip line. Don't over plan your trip as the Beauty of maui is not in the over priced excursions.

Zoe is right on.

Ok this is where I have to chime in regarding my opinions on itineraries. I think its good to have a plan, that way you don't waste a lot of time. If you think you may not be coming to Hawaii again for another 5, 10 or 20 years, I'd say cram everything in that you can. Everyone can't afford to go to Hawaii every year or two.

My Hawaii vacation (half of which is a hiking adventure)is coming up in June and I haven't seen Hawaii in 10 years. I probably won't go back for at least another 10 years. I desperately would like to relax and have loads of beach time, but its just not practical because of all the things I would like to do and see.

Of course because this is going to be a 'busy' vacation I will probably plan a cheaper, shorter relaxing beach vacation in the fall. Maybe you could do something like that if having a relaxing vacation is important to you.

Definitely eat at the Hula Grill. It was a fun atmosphere with good food. I agree with the opinion that you'll be too tired after Mt Haleakala to enjoy the Feast at Lele. We were exhausted after getting up at 2 AM and when we got back to the hotel, we just crashed. Mama'a fish House was a big hit with my husband. He still raves about the food there.

You know, there is plenty time for a nap on the beach between sunrise and dinner time. I'm just saying...

We did the Atlantis Submarine in Nov. 2004. I was skeptical at first but it was a rainy Sunday and we thought it would be interesting. I tend to be a little on the claustrophobic side of things and was concerned that i might have a "freak out" when we were in there. The vessel is VERY tight and there is something a little disconcerning about when they close the hatches. We were able to see lots of fish and they provided quite a bit of information. It was very interesting and all 4 in our party agreed that it was surely worth it. The claustrophobia passed within a minute. They have lots of cool air blowing and that helped the "tightness". On a side note, we did get a kick out of the "submarine sounds" that you hear through the tour. They consist of grinding and bubbling noises that subs often make in movies. About half way through, my husband noted that these sounds were not real, but being played by the "co-captain" on the over head sound system. Then we started getting a kick about how they would talk about technical things and we would see the co-captain hit the play button. Overall i would recommend.

I wouldn't change a thing on your Maui itinerary.

Your plan for the Road to Hana and Haleakala sunrise are the only two things that take a great deal of time. But both are well worth it.

Make plenty of stops along the Road to Hana route. The scenery is great. There may not be much for waterfalls in September, but you never know. It's hit and miss and depends on the rain. I've done the trip twice. One time the waterfalls were great, the other time dry or some only to a trickle.

Do a search: Road to Hana
There are many websites that you can explore to find the best places to stop along the route. Some have inexpensive maps you can buy.

One tip for Haleakala sunrise. Bring jackets and "borrow" blankets from the hotel. It can get cold on the summit.

we stopped and snorkeled off of the beach at Honolua Bay. The fish there were 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 (trillogy was one of them)! Right before we got in the water, one of the tour groups said they say a 6 foot white tip shark! YIKES! We never encountered the shark, just thousands of fish!

thank you everyone for the tips.
I think we might cancel the Atlantis, but keep everything else. I have read good reviews of the zipline in the new edition of Maui Revealed and on tripadvisor, so I am keeping that one too.
We will try to eat at Hula Grill on our first night - it should be close to Westin Maui :)

we stayed right down from the Westin, we really liked one of the restaurants at the westin. It is an outdoor restaurant called "ono". Great food..especially the maui onion soup. Also really enjoyed "Leilani's" it is right next door to the hula grill. We never ate at the hula grill, but they always had a very long wait.

bebalm: did you do any of the activities we have planned?

429...
Make reservations ahead of time for the Old Lahaina Luau, and if you "want to feel like your in the show" sit on the mats next to the stage.
Unless you have a hard time sitting on the ground (then sit at a table, they are also very nice)
Enjoy!

hey giuletta, I was in maui last summer for 5 days also, and i too crammed everything in my itinerary. i'm not saying it's impossible, it's totally possible, and you'll still have some time for relaxation. and I emphasize some. but some of the posts are are correct, you would regret not having more time to relax and that is why I'm going back again this august, b/c i miss the relaxation time. that is the whole purpose of going to hawaii, to relax. i'm a city type of person, i can't get myself to relax for an hour on the beach or the poolside, but i'm going to force myself this august to really take a chill pill and just relax. b/c after this hawaii trip, i dont think i'll be going for another 5 years at least. it's costing me way too much.
also, do not do the feast on ur second day in maui, u will be so jet-lagged and tired from the whole day that u wouldnt enjoy the food or the show. i did the lahaina luau on my second day and i regret it so much. i was too jet-lagged for anything.

Kalunchi: we had to do the feast on our second night, because we are flying on on the 7th (clearly, not a good night), and leaving on the 12th. We have 4 nights left - 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th. Well, the feast is closed 9th thru 11th. We really wanted to see it and the 8th is the only night we could do it.
I think we will do activities this time and relax more next time we go (maybe if we elope next time, we can just spend more time doing relaxing and pampering things)

I think your plans are great. I went the middle to end of May. I did the sunrise, parasailing, sugar cane train, shopping, and luau in the same day with a 2 year old. Get up early to do the sunrise. I left Kihei at 3am and had plenty of time to get there and wait. Just remember it will be cold. I had on a sweat suit and was still freezing. The wind chill factor was around 30. I took a similar snorkel trip and had a good time, but saw as much just going from the shore line. the only thing I would have missed by not taking the trip is seeing the green sea turtles. they are really neat. You will have more down time than you think. Trying to get used to Maui time will have you up at 5am. I had a blast and hope you will also. PS take plenty of sunscreen.

I forgot to mention this. If you are on Maui on a Saturday, go to the Swap Meet. It cost $0.50 to get in and there are great deals on souvenirs. I got t-shirts for 5 for $10. I had to dig for sizes and shirts that were not stained, but it was worth it. I also got the wrap pants, which are wonderful, for $5 a pair. the cheapest I found them in a store were $25 a pair.

lindsayjoy: I had thought leaving from Maui Kai at 3AM would get me there for the Haleakala Sunrise...do I need to bump that up to 2:00AM? 2:30?

I am trying to pack, and carrying a sweat suit almost seems a waste of space...am thinking about taking an old one (vs a nicer one)I can discard to make room for souvenirs on the way back...is this a good idea?

Also, have 'Hot hands' and 'Thermacare' back pad to use. Am taking a light wt. wind breaker with hood.

I have Cuddle Duds ('long johns') I could take, but they would be UNDER my clothes, and therefore, difficult to remove as the temp. increases. Belle

lindasayjoy, where is the swap meet in Maui?

ggtrist: I had read on earlier posts, it's in Kahului. Sat. 7 'til noon, I believe.
Belle

We left Kaanapali at 3:45 am and were at the Leleiwi Overlook at 5:30am---that's not the top but there is a viewing platform there with a windblock. You don't want to be waiting in the dark for a long time. The stars were beautiful, but they disappear as the horizon turns pink and the crater fills with clouds. The sun was blinding when it appeared. It was pretty amazing. There are not a lot of people here---there were 6 other people when we were there. We wore sweatshirts and took blankets.

But not sweat pants?? Belle

Belle, you may want to check the time of the sunrise. That will help you determine the amount of time you need to get there. I was there an hour early, but was glad. the building you can look from would have been warmer, but there is about 5 feet of standing room and a 3 foot wall infront of the building. I sat on the wall and had a front row view. I also left a lot of items in Maui when I left. I gave me room for other stuff. I did not wear half the thing I took with me. We also had a washer and dryer in our condo, so that helped.

Belle is also right about he swat meet. I would get there at 7 to get good parking and the crowd is smaller.

Is it similar to the Aloha Stadium swap meet on Maui? Looking forward to finding some good souvenir bargains..thanks for the tip guys!

Do you mean the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet on Oahu? Belle

I agree the Feast at Lelai might be too much for the same day as the Crater Sunrise trip. Also if you are doingthe Lual at Old Lahina, you may not want to do both. We took the Van tour of hana road and we were all able to enjoy it. had my husband driven it, We would ahve been stressed, as more than once, the driver had to back up or move way over....On one blind curve we almost had a head on collision as a first timer was driving too quickly down the slopes. The drivers experince and knowledge helped us enjoy and see many sights we would have missed if we did the driving ourselves. I will look up hte tour company if you are interested.

The sunrise trip is an easy drive, but you will be up at 1, leaving by 2 and exhausted when you are through.If you get tehrte by 3:30 you will see tons of shooting stars! The color show that follows is as spectacular as teh sunrise itself. Be sure to really dress in layers, i had on a sweat shirt, a wind breaker , a long sleave tee-shirt and jeans and was shivering!!!! Most people brought blankets to wrap up in too. I was wishing I had gloves! Be sure to bring a hat or a hood! it was 20 degrees with bitter winds in mid- June. This might be a good beach day 9 afternoon) with a quiet dinner watching the sunset. You don't get to enjoy that very often, both a sunrise and a sunset.

Lelani's has two sections and two menus. One is as pricy as the Hula Grill, but both have great food and views. They are owned by the same company. Either is a good choice.

We did not enjoy Atlantis. I would suggest you enjoy the crystal clear water and the gorgeous views fromt he beach that day. Don't miss the beach!!!! You will need some down time after the Road to Hanna and the Sunrise Drive. You sound pretty adventurous. The people who have done the bike down from the crater, all want to do it again and some have! The companies provide the wind suits and equipment. They stop for photos ops on the way down. You may want to consider that instead of the zip line.

We enjoyed snorkling off Molikini.

Sandin: Thanks for the offer, but DH prefers to do the driving. I've read about the CD you can go by, and I have the Blue Book!

Really thought I wanted to do the bike ride, but after reading all the posts, I decided we're alittle old for that.....well maybe not...but I knew the Luau was that night, so didn't want to add that element of exhaustion(it'll be enough without that!)Plus the dangers/injuries I read about.

If we're on-our-own, we can leave early to get back for a nap if possible!

Whether or not we even make the Sunrise will be flexible...I really would like to time it to get max sleep and "just make it" for sunrise!
Will talk to locals once we get there to determine the final time line.

Yes, snorkeling is really top priority with us, so we will definitely hit the beaches! Belle.