Maui/Kauai Trip Report - Part I
 

Part I

Trip Report ? Maui/Kauai ? April 15 ? 29, 2004

My husband is 51 and I am 47. Our sons are 23. Friends are our age.

My husband and I left on April 15 at around noon from DFW directly into Maui on American Airlines. We went first class with our flyer miles and had no problems with the flight or the luggage. Sons were on earlier flight but had to go coach. Got off the plane around 3:00 pm and hubby went to get the van while I waited for the luggage. He was back with the van before I got the luggage and we were off. Why a van? Because our two boys were meeting us there and we had two friends coming the next day. And, it was cheaper for the van than for the convertible. ($218. vs $290 base rate) I was impatient getting to the condo because of the traffic in Lahaina so we decided to wait until the next day to go grocery shopping. Arrived at The Whaler (#201) and our boys were there waiting for us. To be honest, my first impression wasn?t the best. The condo needs updating but I have to say after staying there it did not really matter. The location is one of the best. We had a wraparound lanai looking over the grounds, the pool, and the beach. We had a great view of Black Rock and the sunset every night. Whaler?s Village was just a few steps away. It was just nice for everything to be so handy. We paid about $350. per night. After watching the sunset and unpacking we headed to Leilani?s for dinner so I could get some calamari. We shopped around a little and decided to hit the hay early because we were exhausted. It was 3:00 am back home.

Our first full day in Maui we took the boys to the Hyatt?s Swan Court for breakfast. They enjoyed the salmon eggs benedict while I enjoyed my usual lox and bagel. The atmosphere there is good but the service is slow so don?t go in hurry unless you are eating their buffet. It was very windy that day. It would rain with blue skies above. I guess the rain was blowing from another part of the island. My husband and I took off for the grocery/liquor store and stocked up. I am embarrassed to say when we got home and put everything away the fridge looked like a liquor store. Full of wine and beer and mixers. Oh, well, we were on vacation with six drinkers. We ate lunch at The Hula Grill and all was good. We cleaned up and waited for our best friends to arrive. Hung out on our wonderful lanai until they showed up. After they arrived and we had a drink we headed down the path to Leilani?s again. Loved the atmosphere there. Afterwards, hung out on the lanai until everyone was ready for bed. Friends were staying down the street at a hotel off the beach. Our boys were staying with us the first couple of nights. They would be moving to the Sheraton the next day but they would?ve preferred to stay with us the whole time. Even on a pull out sofa bed and a roll-a-way. Sheraton was a waste of $500.00.

On Saturday, it was horribly windy. We were all wondering if it would ever calm down. We laid out in the sun anyway. Ate a snacky lunch at the condo. Hung out on the beach a bit too. The sand gave me a free exfoliation. After sunning, my husband and I decided to take a road trip to the North shore and checked out The Blowhole (is that what it is called?) It was beautiful there but the wind could knock you over. It was a nice break though. For dinner, we ordered pizza from The Hula Grill and ate it at the condo. It was good.

On Sunday, the wind finally died down. Whew! We took off after a breakfast at the condo and headed up Haleakala. My husband and I went last year and wanted to take them up and do the hike down the trail into the crater. We got up there and my boys were all ?what are we supposed to be looking at??, then the friends joined in with something similar. I laughed at them for not being adventurous but needless to say we did not get to do the hike. Next time. Went into Lahaina on the way home and ate at Kimo?s. Nice atmosphere and good food. Looked for Pacific O but could not find it. Did some shopping. Best friend bought a hula girl charm for her bracelet. We both have gold travel charm bracelets. I bought my charm from Maui last year. We both love our bracelets (I have 15 charms already) and think it is a good way to remember our trips.

On Monday, up and out early. Went on snorkel trip to Molokini on Four Winds II. It was early and it was chilly but the weather was good otherwise. Sons did the Snuba dive while my husband and friends? husband snorkeled. Friend and I chickened out. She and I are not much about the water and especially not salt water and especially not when it is chilly outside. I know?we are wimpy! The continental breakfast they served wasn?t worth the calories but the lunch was better. Or maybe I was just starving by then. The staff was pretty friendly except for the snuba instructor. He was impatient and snippy. They made over $800 on snuba diving while we were at Molokini so you would think that would put a smile on his face. They charged $79 per person for the trip.

On Tuesday, it was time for the boys to head home and back to work. Somebody had to do it and they work for us so?.
We got up and headed back to the Hyatt at their request so they could get salmon eggs benedict again. My friend and I shared a pineapple upside down pancake thing with coconut syrup. Yummy! We headed towards the airport after we dropped our friends off in Lahaina at the Harley rental place. The boys wanted to do a helicopter tour so we took them to Alexair. My husband and I were too chicken. Their ride was only 30 minutes and we paid $125. each. They enjoyed it but didn?t get to see waterfalls close up. They loved the scenery though. Afterwards, went by the windsurfers in Paia and watched them for a while before stopping off at Mama?s Fish House for an appetizer and drinks. And yes, it is expensive but I?ll worry about that tomorrow. Got back to the condo and relaxed a bit before heading out to Sansei in Kapalua? (my suggestion from Fodorites reviews) Well, my food was good (I eat sashimi) but nobody else liked theirs. My best friend didn?t even eat hers at all. The service and the atmosphere were good but after the Haleakala disappointment and now Sansei I was beginning to shy away from suggesting anything. And of course they gave me a hard time but it was lighthearted.

On Wednesday, our last day to relax with our friends. We went to Rusty?s (Whaler?s Village) for breakfast. The sausage benedict was very good. Didn?t like their salmon benedict. We hung out all day at the condo, the pool and the beach. The men went to the store and picked up dinner (steak, baked potato, salad) I must say it was one of my favorite days and my favorite dinner. I even went snorkeling at Black Rock. It took me a while to get comfortable but I really liked it. I kept trying to go back to shore and my husband would take me out further where there were more fish. I was so proud of myself for being a trouper. My friend wouldn?t go and I think she regretted it.

Thursday, time to separate from our buddies. They went home and we went to Kauai. Before leaving we saw our first and only whale from our lanai. It was so awesome! Left the condo vowing to return. We went to the Gazebo for breakfast, yes, at my suggestion, but the line was 30 deep so we didn?t stay. The place didn?t look like it even held that many people. Had breakfast at Rusty?s again. Service is much better than the Hyatt. Went to Hilo Hattie?s in Lahaina and then to the Wailea area because we had some time to kill. Then?off to the airport.

Note: We met two couples that owned condos at The Whaler (bought in 2000) and they rent it out all but two months out of the year. They said it pays for all the expenses of the condo and all their expenses for the two months they are there. (flight, golf, food, etc.) Could that be? Something to think about.

To be continued?..

Thanks, WuWuWu! Can't wait to hear all your details about Kauai........ I'm right there with you!:-)

red&gt;A<font color="orange">l<font color="green">o<font color="blue">h<font color="purple">a<font color="black"> WuWuWu,

Thanks for posting the Trip Report! Can you describe more about your experience/opinion of Mama's Fish House((?))</font></font></font></font></font>

JohnD: I like Mama's Fish House. We have been two times and both times have been around 1:30 or 2:00 in the afternoon. No reservation and got good tables both times. The atmosphere is great, the service is great and the food and drink are good if you don't mind paying the prices. We usually eat light, appetizers and sandwiches but we do have a drink. We think it is worth it but we have never gone in the evening. I don't know if I would like it as much if it was crowded but some say it is great to be there in the evening too. If you can afford it, go.

Thanks for the trip report! What was wrong with the Sheraton?

Looking forward to your upcoming Kauai post!

Carol47: Nothing was wrong with the Sheraton. I booked a room for my sons because I do like the Sheraton and got a good deal on Priceline. I thought my sons would want their own accommodations but I was wrong. They wanted to stay with us at the condo the whole time. That's why I said it was a waste of money.

Thank you for your excellent and truthful Maui trip report.

You are so right when you say that even though your condo wasn't as &quot;lux&quot; as you might have thought - in the end it just doesn't matter because its &quot;Maui&quot; and its all about relaxing and watching sunsets drink in hand, swimming, sunning, etc., etc.

After reading that your favorite meal was the one you had at the condo (steak, potato, salad) I'm glad we have booked a condo for our Maui trip in December (the Maui Kai). Eating out at restaurants is something I get all hyper-involved in (choosing the place, critiquing it afterward ... blah, blah) but really, it is just WAY more relaxing and fun to stay at your condo and enjoy the evening with a drink out by the bbq. I have always heard good things about The Whaler. It was one of my choices - we had a line on a studio on the 12th fl. for US$125 a night but somehow that never panned out and we ended up choosing the Maui Kai for the same rate (inclusive of all taxes, plus there is no resort fee).

For your grocery/liquor store shopping where did you go? Did you ever buy any fresh fish?

I hope to get up the nerve to snorkle out by Black Rock. It appears you have to go a ways out which kind of scares me. Did you ever feel scared out there? Did you go in the morning or afternoon?

Again, thanks for the very readable and interesting report.

We shopped at Long's and Safeway. If I had it to do again I would just go to Safeway and be sure to get their discount card. They have a good selection of wines, beer, etc. We didn't buy any fresh fish on Maui. I did buy some Poke? If you like sashimi you should try some while you are there. I got mine at Safeway. I know your question has been answered before though so you might do a search or ask that specific question again. You don't have to go out that far at Black Rock to see fish. My husband just insisted I go around the point. I was nervous at first but relaxed after a while. It was worth it.

WuWu: When do you suspect you will be posting your Kauai portion of your trip?

Your Maui report was great - detailed with opinions. Thanks

Nancy03, glad to see I'm not the only one waiting with baited breath for the next installment!;-)

I'll try to work on it tomorrow. No promises though. Next week at the latest.

Aloha Wu,

Re-entry is awful, isn't it? :`(

Welcome back... enjoying your report.

ttt

copying this here to keep your trip together :-)

Author: WuWuWu
Date: 05/13/2004, 02:34 pm
Message: As promised...

Part II

Maui/Kauai ? April 15 ? 29

Thursday, April 22 ? Tough leaving our buddies but relieved all the same. Hawaiian Airlines charged us $25. for our overweight luggage. Bummer! Checked in and waited at the gate. Didn?t like the ?no assigned seating? although I know it expedites matters for the airlines. Felt like??I can?t explain it but I didn?t like it. Had to stop in Honolulu, get off the plane, get in line for another plane and then went to Kauai. Talk about wasting my Hawaii time. Anyway, we landed safely, got the luggage and the car (a convertible this time) quickly and headed toward Pu?u Poa condos in Princeville. Drive was very nice. We had the top down and the sun was setting. We didn?t make it to the condo before the sunset but we saw it from the car anyway. We arrived at the condo, looked around, loved it, changed clothes and headed to the Princeville next door for a drink and sushi in ?The Living Room?. ?The Living Room? at the Princeville became one of our favorite spots to hang out in the evening. We saw several sunsets from there and WHAT A VIEW!! Service and entertainment were good as was the sushi.

We stayed in condo #303. (www.vrbo.com) It was very nice and very clean. 2 BR, 2 Bath, granite, tile, well decorated and had about everything you would need. Enjoyed watching the surfers and the whales from our lanai. We paid about $300.00 per night.

Friday ? Didn?t sleep well. Was a little warm for me with no a/c. We did find a fan so I set it up for the remainder of our stay to blow right over the bed. It worked. Ate breakfast at Caf&eacute; Hanalei at the Princeville Hotel. Very good with wonderful view of Hanalei Bay and Bali Hai. Went back to Kapa?a area to shop for groceries, etc Bought my charm for my bracelet. Got a plumeria and love it. Talked hubby into letting me check out the open air craft fair on the main road. It was ok but I didn?t buy anything. Cooked at home. (fish, he had mahi mahi and I had ahi tuna, baked potato and salad). Watched the sun set from the lanai. Walked to the Princeville for a couple of drinks and then home for the evening.

Saturday ? Ate breakfast at the condo. Drove to Hanalei. Ate lunch at Bubba?s burgers. Now for all you people that like Bubba?s, I would like to invite you to Texas for a real hamburger. Didn?t eat the burger or the fries. Wasn?t worth it and I thought I would then be able to try a shave ice. Walked around and shopped for a while then tried out a shave ice at Paradise. Went the ice cream route. To tell you the truth I would rather have a scoop of ice cream and then a shave ice. I didn?t get the big deal with the ice cream underneath. Did I do something wrong? Went back to the condo and went on a 3 mile (guilt) walk in the Princeville area. The birds there are so interesting especially the Albatross? they have nesting on the ground in Princeville. Saw our first and only whale breach. I saw the first one and yelled at my husband to come see. He came and saw another one and then that was it. Walked to the Princeville for sushi and drinks.

Sunday ? Ate breakfast at Caf&eacute; Hanalei (again) Afterwards left for the South shore. Drove leisurely and took in the sights. Checked out Sheraton and Hyatt. Both nice but liked Hyatt better. Was cloudy and beginning to rain when we decided to eat at the Sheraton. It was good. Drove around a bit more and saw what looked like Spouting Horn from a distance. Didn?t go all the way to it. It was raining anyway. Talked my husband into taking me to a shopping area (can?t remember the name)so I could do my thing. Had enough after that so decided to head back to the condo. It was a good thing because I left the windows open and a storm was about to hit along with strong winds. Enjoyed staying in the rest of the afternoon. Cooked at home. (pork tenderloin, asparagus, potatoes, salad)

Monday ? Went on a 5 mile walk in Princeville area. Got in the car and checked out the Lighthouse and did some light shopping in Kilauea (sp?). Tried to find the twin unnamed falls but to no avail. Went back to Princeville area and by the Queen?s Bath before heading back to the condo. Queen?s Bath is a nice short hike. After that I hiked down to Hideaway beach below the condo to check it out. Nice beach so decided we would have to come back for the sunset. Also checked out the Princeville pool and beach area. All nice. Hubby and I watched sun set from Hideaway Beach. So beautiful! Saw whales again. Just the tales this time. Why do we love that so much? Ate in ?The Living Room?. Do you think we like sushi?

Tuesday ? Breakfast at the condo. Headed to THE KALALAU TRAIL (to the falls ? about 3.5 miles each way according to my husband?s new wrist GPS). It took us over 6 hours and was the most difficult and rewarding activity we did. We had no idea how challenging it would be when we started. My husband and I both thought we were in pretty good shape but this trail taught us different. During the first two miles it was (I thought) hard at times. Climbing up and up, going down, then back up and up then to the beach. I was even trying to keep my shoes dry and as mud-free as possible. What a joke that was during the trip from the beach to the falls. Not far into that part of the hike I was stomping in the middle of the mud and walking through streams above my knees. Worried about my shoes? Nah! (and yes, we threw our shoes away after the hike) The last mile or so was the toughest. We even thought we were lost a couple of times. We did pretty good going through the streams until my husband missed my hand once and I plunged into the stream up to my neck. I busted my knee on a rock but made it out ok. I was beginning to feel like a real ?hiker?. We finally made it to the waterfall and it was beautiful. We sat on one of the rocks and enjoyed the view while we ate our Balance Bars and drank the rest of our water. (No, we didn?t bring enough) It was a long walk back. Met some adventurous souls at the beach that were doing the whole trail and the camping thing. I?m a condo camper myself and was glad to see that condo and the shower when we arrived. Cleaned up, rested and walked to The Princeville to eat at their Italian restaurant La Cascata. We got a wonderful table at the window with a great view. My husband didn?t care for their lasagna because it wasn?t what he was expecting (too gourmet?). Everything else was good, including the service. Afterwards, had a drink in ?The Living Room? and went home to some much needed sleep.

Wednesday ? Can?t move without pain. Took Aleve and tried to stretch out. Pretty pitiful. (husband was sore too) Breakfast at Caf&eacute; Hanalei again. Creatures of habit. Afterwards, went to condo and got ready for a day at the Princeville Hotel beach. Laid out until it got cloudy. Had a drink at The Beach House? (restaurant at the Princeville Hotel pool) Talked and did some people watching and then ate lunch at The Beach House. Had our last dinner in ?The Living Room?.

Thursday ? Ugh! Got ready and left the condo. Walked to the Princeville for our final breakfast at the Caf&eacute; Hanalei. I was pretty good all week until today. I got the deluxe buffet and had eggs benedict, a cheese blintz and French toast with macadamia nuts and coconut syrup. I ate it all and it was wonderful. We drove around a bit and then headed to the airport for a very long day. Again, I didn?t like the interisland thing but at least they sent my luggage on to American Airlines for me so I wouldn?t have to claim it and check it all over again. And they didn?t weigh my luggage so no extra fee. We had no problems with any part of our trip back home. Took me several days to adjust back to Texas time though.

Note: This is just my opinion but if I stayed in the Princeville area again I would do my grocery shopping there even if it is a little more expensive. It is a nice, clean grocery store with good selections and it is convenient.