MAUI- Please comment on these activities!
 

I have enjoyed researching through fodors as well as the Revealed books, but am looking for some additional advice! My husband and I will be arriving in Maui on October 14th for 9 evenings. We are both in our late 20's and love adventurous vacations and are not looking to lounge around much. Please don't poo poo that we are scheduling ourselves. We enjoy having vacation schedules and when things are planned, we feel we can relax more!

Here is what we are thinking of doing. If you have any experience with these activities, please comment. Most importantly, if we are missing any "must do's", please let me know! Additionally, if there are any exceptional places to dine, please recommend them! Thanks in advance for your help!

Friday- arrive late Maui Kai condo

Saturday- drive up to Haleakala for sunrise / Pony Express horseback tour down crater

Sunday- beach / Warren and Annabell's

Monday- Four Winds II snorkel trip / beach

Tuesday- Kaanapali Beach and snorkel Black Rock / drinks at Hyatt waterfall bar

Wednesday- Road to Hana

Thursday- hike/beach / America II sunset sail

Friday- hike/beach / Lahaina Luau

Saturday- hike/beach / Mama's for anniversary dinner

Sunday- leave for Kauai

Thanks!

Sounds like a good plan to me! Belle

Jenna, you don't sound overscheduled to me at all! Sounds like a wonderful trip. One thing I'd add, if it happens to rain on one of your planned beach or hiking days, is to head for Maui Ocean Center. We did this on a day it rained out our plans, and we really enjoyed it. Also, you don't say where you're going to hike, but Iao Needle is a lovely spot and it has several easy hikes w/in the park.
Be sure to post a trip report when you return.

Let us know what you think of the pony express horseback tour. We may consider it on our next visit. We stayed in Wailea area and hiked near LePerouse bay. Very interesting lava fields and gorgeous scenery. If you do the road to Hana, make sure you go ALL the way around. We especially loved the wild, remote, arid side of the island.

Have a great trip!

Be sure not to miss the 'Iao Valley and south Maui Beaches. Po'olenalena Beach and Big Beach especially.

I would do sunset from the mt. top instead of sunrise!

I'll be doing the Four Winds II to Molokini, will let you know how it is. Have you considered Trilogy Excursions? they're really great. Last year I tried them to Molokini, this year I booked them with Lana'i, I heard that is even better, you get to snorkel at the private beach, and get a van tour of the island. Their cinnamon buns are DELICIOUS!

Ok, I was rushing out the door when I posted earlier...it is a good plan, and you may already know the following, but here's my little heads ups:

We loved the Maui Kai, requested corner room and recently renovated. Got rm 208
and was ver pleased! The staff there seem eager to please. Check out there coupons in the office.

We took other fodorites' suggestion and got take out at Honokawai Okazuya, a very good deli (take a left onto Lower Honopilani(sp?)road... the one out of the complex. It's about 3/4 mile (just guessing, in the middle of a a shopping center complex.
We forgot to get the free taste of there soup.
Very busy, not fast, but good!

We did the sunrise, walked 1-1/4 mile of Sliding Sands, and when we returned, ready to leave on to other things, the horses were just arriving...so you may be alittle bored waiting after sunrise 'til 9AM. I think the Sunset would be the kinder gentler way to go! Or skip the sunrise & arrive later to do the horse ride (which I think looks fun!).

FYI: Things were warming up quite abit by the time the horses arrived!

You don't say where Trilogy is taking you. Their Cat arrived and parked right where we had been snorkeling as we were leaving Hanauma. By that time, there were alot of kayak tour groups there too! It was getting abit crowded, whereas we had it mostly to ourselves earlier. It's not a long drive from Maui Kai, and part of the fun was getting there! Scenic trail!

We must have hit Black Rock on an 'off' day...cloudy, crowded with alot of rock jumpers divers and snorkelers!

I really enjoyed our lunch at Leilani's at Whaler's Village, which is at Dig Me Beach on the Kaanapali beach walk. Very nice! We took advice and had fish tacos, maui onion strings and Hula pie, all delish!! Split the whole meal if you don't want to be too full!

Road to Hana, go early, like everyone says and do the Garden of Eden as well.
Kaj is selling beaded jewerly and jars there near the waterfall, so take money.
In case your interested.

There Laura is also selling pretty handmade earrings at a pullout at Ha'iku!

OLL: I hope you have reservations! They are sold out 'til Sept. It was great!

The only other thing I can think of that you are leaving off is the West Maui circle tour. It was great too! Esp. Auntie U's shave ice better thana Aoiki's on Oahu!

Hope you have a marvelous time! One more thing: Check the laundry rooms (on each floor if necessary) for left behind s from previous stayers, i.e.: Boogie boards, grass mats you may not have to purchase!
We didn't notice this until it was too late for us!

Belle.

Hi,
My family used Pony Express for their ranch ride. Are you an experienced rider? If not you may want to let them know in advance, so they can match you up to the right horse. We used Four Winds for the snorkel trip to Molokini. They were great. We stayed at the Sheraton on Kaanapali Beach, and it was beautiful especially at sunset. We saw some sea life while snorkeling there. The road to Hana is long, but I believe it is something you have to do at least once. The winding roads may leave you with a white knuckle experience,but you did mention you were the adventurous type. The Lahaina Luau was nice. If you are looking for buffet meal, they are perfect. If you are looking for a five course meal, try Feast at Lele. Have you considered parasailing? We used UFO and had a blast. Enjoy your trip!! We did and can't wait to go back.

I booked the Old Lahaina Luau a few days ago for the end of October and they were already half full! Yikes!

Jenna
We did many of the activities you are planning - Pony Express and Warren and Annabelles among them. Loved both. If you want more details and some photos please see my trip report at http://www.geocities.com/dsg561/
biker

Sounds like a great plan to me! A couple things in Lahaina we enjoyed were the self-guided historic walking tour around town and U'lalena a show at Myth & Magic Theater.

Very ambitious plans. If you will allow me to make a suggestion. Don't get too caught up in having to do everything. I planned on doing a lot more on my recent trip than I actually ended up doing. I came back so relaxed as a result.

Don't get me wrong. It's great to have an outline. But what good is doing all the wonderful things if you cannot sit back and just enjoy the moment? Focus on the quality of the experience...not on the number of experiences.

You will be able to drive to the top of the volcano the morning after you arrive.
I would put it on my low priority list. Sleep in the first morning, go for a walk, go for a swim in the Pacific or a snorkle on a local beach.
It is an lenghty drive after spending half a day on an airplane.

We really liked the helicopter tour on Maui. Scary but exciting. Have fun.

Consider spending 2 nights in Hana. The road to Hana is a gateway to exploring lovely, romantic waterfalls and natural pools...but with the 3-hour drive in both directions, that's 6 hours of driving in 1 day, and it doesn't leave enough time to get out of the car and exlore, to get your feet wet, go for a dip... We loved having 2 nights in Hana. Then you only have to drive 3 hours in one day instead of 6!

We enjoyed Haleakala in the afternoon. Drove up after a leisurely late breakfast.

Loved our anniversary dinner at Mama's Fish HOuse. Highly recommend you get dinner reservations for a very early dinner, because the little beach setting is exquisit at Mama's, and in the dark you can't appreciate it as much. so get your reservation for early, like 4:30 or 5:00! Skip lunch so you'll be hungry or have a light lunch.

I plan every day of our vacation and we enjoy it more that way. But you can plan some "spontaneous time" into your schedule. For example plan a busy day, followed by "free choice" day, with nothing planned. This allows time to choose some things spontaneously, yet you still have planned activities. Or, you can plan the mornings and leave the afternoons free.

Aloha!

I would like to do a helicopter ride . Can you comment on what was particularly scarey about it?
I can get a little claustrophobic and was wondering if we should do that or not.