Maui Revamped - Trip Report Oct/Nov 2013: Andaz Maui and Honua Kai
 

We just got back from our 12-day vacation on Maui to celebrate our 5th anniversary. We are so sad it’s over! It was a great trip with a lot of relaxing and eating, which is a recipe for a fantastic vacation in my book!

I thought I’d get started on the trip report…I eventually would like to post it on my blog complete with pictures, but downloading pictures and blogging is tough to keep up with! It’ll be good to get the words down as soon as possible though, so that’s why I love Fodor’s. I have a quick highlight post with some iphone pics here: http://www.asplashofaloha.com

Here’s the first half of our trip at the Andaz Wailea. It’s a bit long but mostly describes the resort as we experienced it for the first 4 days. Since it’s so new there is little information about it out there so maybe someone planning a honeymoon or vacation can find this useful:

Days 1 - 4 @ The Andaz Maui at Wailea

We departed on a chilly NYC morning on Hawaiian air’s direct flight to HNL. The flight was long at 10 hours and 45 mins but pleasant. Our in-flight meal was a lunch of pasta in a mushroom/spinach sauce that was actually pretty good. Before we landed we were served a light snack of fruit, cheese, and crackers. We sat on the left side of the plane and got to see Koko head and most of windward Oahu as we approached, and then Pearl Harbor as we landed.

When we got out of the plane we were hit with a blast of humidity and heat – we knew we were in Hawaii! We had to walk over to the inter-island terminal to catch our flight to Maui, but since our plane from NY landed a bit early, we had a full 2 hours to kill. We settled at our gate and we had just enough time to switch into flip flops and grab iced coffees at Starbucks when the gate attendant announced if anyone wants to get to Maui earlier there were some seats available on the earlier flight - leaving in 10 minutes! So we picked up our carry-ons and rushed over to the gate. It was open seating and of course we end up at the very back of the plane with a wonderful view of…the fuselage. When I booked our flights, I ensured we had a great seat up at the front of the plane, but oh well, at least we were getting to Maui ahead of time.

When we landed, we realized our checked bag did not make it on this flight, and it was still scheduled on our original flight, so we would end up waiting for it anyways. We saved a little bit of time because my husband was able to pick up the rental car in the time it took for our bag to arrive from HNL but looking back I would probably just have stuck to our original flight and enjoyed the view.

Our first stop was to grab a meal at Zippy’s – we were originally supposed to go to Da Kitchen but decided we didn’t want anything that was too heavy and Da Kitchen is known for their huge island-style portions so we were going to save that for another day.
At Zippys we were greeted with friendly service and a quick meal – I got the oxtail soup, which I liked, and my husband got the Garlic Chicken plate, which I thought was very tasty. It was served with white rice and mac salad (typical Hawaiian plate lunch). A note about Zippy’s – I like them but think they could cut down on the MSG in their food.

We drove down towards Wailea from Kahului…the sun was setting at this point and when we rolled into the driveway of the Andaz, we were greeted with the most amazing red-hued sunset which was a stunning sight from their west-facing lobby. The Andaz service is known to be first class…and it is. The minute we rolled in, we were both given leis by the valet service (valet is mandatory and at 15 dollars a day. I guess this counts as their “resort fee” since they don’t have one). We were greeted by a “concierge” and were seated on a bench overlooking the sunset and checked in via ipad. All our luggage was taken care of from our car…we did not have to take anything out at all. We were given a choice of champagne or lavender lemonade (which we both chose and was delicious). We were also given ice-cold scented towels to freshen up. We were personally escorted by the concierge to our room on the 6th floor which overlooked the adult pool – and it had an ocean view off to the side. I think that this may have been considered a partial ocean view but even so, the view was amazing. We used Hyatt free night certificates which is only guaranteed for a standard room so this was a nice upgrade.

The room was wonderful – it wasn’t a suite and wasn’t huge but it was so comfortable yet modern. The bed was so comfy, and the shower – the shower was its own room and even had a rain showerhead. I loved the bathroom so much. There was a separate hidden stall for the toilet and another for the large closet. The bath products are by Maile and smell great – very tropical and nutty, and not too floral.

The great thing about the Andaz is that they are a very eco-friendly resort. So instead of buying and disposing of expensive bottles of water, they supply all guests with reusable and refillable sport bottles which you can fill up at the purified water dispensers which are located next to the elevators on each floor. We never had to worry about water, it was always available! Oh and most of the stuff in the mini-bar is included in your stay (non- alcoholic drinks) which is very convenient.

The next few days are a big blur because we pretty much spent most of our time at the Andaz – and it’s one of those resorts that you’d never want to leave. The crowds were light at each level of their amazing infinity pools (there are 4 levels and 1 adult pool), the beach is gorgeous with decent snorkeling, and the only restaurant that was open, Ka’ana Kitchen, was yummy. Morimoto Maui was set to open a few days after we left. We saw Chef Morimoto himself all around the resort in those few days. The service is fantastic at the resort. They remembered us by name, and we were treated like family; there was no 5-star resort snootiness or attitude. EVERYONE was amazing. They would run to set up beach chairs for us even before we got to the beach. The food by the pools were great, and the drinks were yummy (the Coconut Wireless reminds me of that song…”you put the lime in the co-co-nut…” haha, it was great).

We did leave for a few meals just because if you know me, you know I love to eat and try new things and we usually don’t eat at the same place twice (unless we love it):

Kihei Caffe for breakfast which was our favorite on previous trips (read my previous trip report here http://sulynnchen.com/travelblog/?page_id=38)

Maui Thai Bistro for some really authentic Thai food in Kihei

Monkeypod Kitchen for a fun and really great dinner

Maui Swap Meet for some local breakfast and cheap goods

Mama's Fish House for our actual anniversary dinner (on Nov 1st) - outstanding

Sam Satos for the yummiest "dry mein" noodles

Ululani’s in Kihei for some shave ice…of course

We did have the breakfast buffet at the Ka’ana Kitchen twice. At 45 pp, it is not cheap, but I thought it was in line with most resort breakfasts in terms of price but far exceeds them in terms of offerings. The juice “mixologist” will make you any kind of juice blend or smoothie you want. Every day there is a different signature juice which was always good. They have your traditional omelette/egg station, they also have different stations of hot and cold foods, both locally-inspired and mainstream. They had a goat cheese panna cotta…they make their own granola, they even had a dedicated person cutting up any sort of fruit you want. I asked for some papaya with lime and he said he would bring it back to me on our table, but what I was presented with was outrageous: the papaya was accompanied by a mound of other tropical fruits…longans, pitaya (dragonfruit), pineapple….just SO YUM and he totally read my mind! In addition, you are allowed to order a small portion of any breakfast entrée from their a la carte menu. Seriously? Can anyone eat that much? Um yeah…we sure did. We got an order of their kimchi fried rice with local pork sausage. It was presented in a cute bento box with seaweed salad and fruit. It was too pretty to eat!

We also took advantage of the Awili Spa’s omakase menu where we got to blend our own concoctions for our treatments. I will go into detail about that in a subsequent post because it was just such an amazing experience.

We were really sad to leave the resort. We’ve never experienced such great service and we were truly spoiled. I love the Andaz and it’s my new favorite resort in Hawaii. We were so spoiled! It is definitely pricey but I think it one that is truly worth it. Time to save up to return in the future.

If I had to write some cons about the resort (and I really had to rack my brain to come up with these) they are: The pools were just a little cold, and they didn't restock the pop chips as part of the free mini-bar each day. I know, sucks right? :)

Coming up I will detail our spa day and our partially-complimentary photo-shoot on the beach at the Andaz! Then it was our week-long stay at the Honua Kai in Kaanapali.

Thank you so much for your post!!! I really enjoy reading your trip reports.

Sounds like fun.

Always interested to hear where you ate. Do you remember what you had at Monkeypod? I'd love to hear more about it. It is on our list for February. Thanks.

Kona - Thanks! They are fun to write as I love to remember the details of my trips. Keeps vacation going for a little longer in my mind...

Wekewoody - sure thing. We had an arugula salad to star which was good, served with asian pear and blue cheese. They kindly split it for us into two portions. I had the lobster pizza which was pretty good. It's thin crust, nice seasoning (had a white sauce) and a good size. If you go for happy hour I think most of the pizzas are 50% off but not the lobster pizza. My husband had a ribeye special for that day which was served with breadfruit mashed potatoes and some upcountry greens. Very nicely done. It's fun place, kind of like a microbrewery sort of feel but more gourmet. There are some TVs playing sports and a nice long bar. I also really enjoyed the Merriman's Mai Tai. But I also found out I love mai tais! I used to be a lava flow person but now the mai tai is my drink of choice.

Thanks tifa. Sounds like it is worth a try.

Continuing with the first part of the TR, here’s some information on the activities at The Andaz Maui we participated in:

Photo shoot with Pacific Dreams Photography

About a week before our trip, I was contacted via phone by the concierge at the Andaz resort, basically letting us know what was available to us and the activities she could help us book. I thought it was a really nice gesture. She sent me information via my email on the activities they could help up book and any restaurant reservations she could make for us. Basically anything you wanted to do, they could help you with.

She did mention to me that the Andaz offers a complimentary beach photo shoot with Pacific Dreams Photography and you are able to take home one picture for free. As a former freelance photographer, I knew that this could be a huge expense, taking into consideration the sitting fee (regularly is 300 dollars, which was free), and each image (which can range from 20-40 dollars each) can take effort to process.

Since I don’t have any good pictures of myself and my husband in Hawaii, other than our silly selfies, I took advantage of this service and booked the photo shoot during their prime sunset timeslot (5:30pm). I scheduled this shoot on the 3rd day of our stay. I wanted to look relaxed in the pictures (and have a bit of color too, hehe). Don’t worry if you are leaving the next day (as we were) they process the pictures pretty quickly and you have to schedule a viewing meeting with the office manager to preview and purchase your images. I suggest scheduling the viewing the same time as your shoot, just so you can get the times you want.

We were lucky that during our shoot, it was really lovely weather – not too windy, and the sky turned into marvelous shades of pink and orange. Our photographer, Mike, said the weather gods must have been shining down on us. Mike was great and really put us at ease. For someone who used to be a photographer, I am a bit awkward when posing IN FRONT of the camera, but he was very helpful. He also asked me what types of shots I’d like, and helped us relax and have fun. I haven’t had a formal photos hoot with my husband since our wedding so it was a blast. I wore a long white strapless jersey dress, sandals, and a statement necklace. My husband wore shorts and a button down.

The shoot lasted about 30 minutes. They do take a few shots of you in front of the Andaz Property…one of them you select is considered your “free” photo, just an FYI. All other images you have to purchase.

During our viewing, we went through over a hundred images and cut out all the ones we didn’t want. There are packages that start out at 400 dollars and include a number of photos. I believe if you purchase individual images they are 40 dollars each. We narrowed it down to 3 shots that we liked the most and purchased those so we got 4 shots total including the free Andaz photo. They send you the digital images instantly via email which you download. If I had known earlier about the photo shoot – I would have lost 20 lbs, got my hair cut, and would probably have purchased more pictures. LOL. But now we have a few nice pictures of us to frame and put up in our new house.

Awili Spa

As a gift to my husband I had booked us Omakase Spa treatments at the Awili Spa…let me tell you, it is probably the most expensive spa treatment I have ever done. Yes the spa is mega $$$...but it is sooo luxurious and relaxing, and everyone working there is so friendly. I booked the spa appointments before we arrived with the spa manager, Charity, and she helped us with everything. For Omakase, it is basically an added ritual where you get to choose 2 spa treatments per person, and you spend time with a spa mixologist to create the concoctions for your treatments. We booked massages as well as scalp treatments for our Omakase experience.

We arrived at the spa an hour earlier and we sat with a really nice lady (forgot her name, darn) who acted as our “alchemist” – basically explaining all the different essential oils, fruit juices, nectars, and pulps that we could mix up. For example, for our massages, we decided on a base of coconut oil, pineapple and lillikoi juice (yes, they were fresh juices!), lavender essential oil and some awapuhi which we squeezed ourselves into a bowl! Who knew the awapuhi bulb could hold so much juice! It was insane.

We also got to concoct special treatment pastes which were applied to sore spots, like shoulders and neck. We choose a mint and lavender blend for this, and for our scalp treatments, it was coconut milk, avocado oil, lillikoi, lavender, and lots of awapuhi juice! It was so much fun doing this and she let us smell each scent thoroughly and let us take our time in making our selections while being helpful in offering insight to what was good for skin, hair etc. Definitely the coolest spa experience we’ve had.

We were then taken to our separate locker rooms which housed a huge, and I mean huge Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna. I loved it!

Our massages and scalp treatments were amazing. They were some of the best I’ve ever had (and I love spas). I was lulled into that most awesome feeling between being asleep yet being consciously awake to enjoy every moment. Yes I was covered in fruit juice and loved every minute of it! Our skin was so soft and glowy for days!

After our treatments, we each enjoyed the amenities in the locker rooms a little while longer. You can return throughout the day of your treatment to enjoy them again if you’d like!

The adult pool is located right downstairs from the spa, so it is a short walk. Note that the adult pool has a “spa” inspired food menu which is the same as the menu at the other infinity pools just minus the bad-for-you stuff, such as onion rings, burgers, etc. LOL.

I highly recommend the Awili Spa for a once in a lifetime treatment. It is really expensive but for a special occasion, it is definitely an interactive and memorable experience.

Outrigger Canoeing and Snorkeling

Unfortunately we didn’t get to participate in the free morning outrigger canoeing activity as it was fully booked! I suggest you book it immediately upon arriving or even before. They do one or two sails every morning and it is apparently really popular! My husband wanted to do this, so it’s too bad he didn’t get to. We’ve learned our lesson for next time!

Snorkel gear was free to all guests so we borrowed a set (my husband has his own) and snorkeled around the rocky area next to the Andaz. It separates the Marriott from the Andaz beaches. The snorkeling was good there! No turtles though!

Random Other Things

Every day starting at late afternoon until evening they will have snacks and drinks in the lobby. The snacks I saw were little "an-pans" (japanese red bean cakes), coconut macaroons, and other sweets. There was also coffee from a nespresso pod machine available at any time.

The 24-hour gift and snack shop was really cute. We didn’t eat anything but they had gelato that looked fantastic and a menu that looked tasty, lots of paninis and salads as well as breakfast. They also sold water, soda, juice, wine and liquor, snacks, and gift items…all very high-end and thoughtfully curated if you’re into stuff like that. There were many locally-made and sourced items as well which was nice.

Coming up soon…we leave for our stay at the Honua Kai...

This all sounds great! I'm taking a few restaurant notes for our upcoming trip, since we'd like to have a family lunch one day while we're there in May.

Lee Ann

Before I go on to Day 5, I just want to mention a restaurant I forgot to write about that is worth mentioning…Paradise Sushi in Kihei. We had been to the much talked about Koiso Sushi on a previous trip and really enjoyed it, so we made reservations at Paradise as it got great reviews too.

The thing to note about most great sushi restaurants on Maui…they do not look like it! Paradise looks like a shabby little take-out sushi joint in a strip mall but that is misleading, they serve excellent, super fresh sushi at a great price. We had the sushi/sashimi combo, and the seafood dynamite.

The sushi was divine. The spicy tuna roll actually had huge chunks of tuna, and not the mush you find at most other places. The technique and cut of the fish mimic the finest sushi places in NYC, yet we paid only 60 bucks for the combo which included soup, a seafood appetizer of octopus and squid in a cold vinaigrette, chawanmushi (silky cooked egg custard), and a tray of sashimi and a tray of sushi. I also ordered extra uni and ikura as they are my favorites. The seafood dynamite is an array of seafood over rice, topped with a béchamel and baked till golden. Imagine it as a sort of creamy seafood gratin. Mighty tasty! You can get it spicy or not spicy and of course we got spicy. It was plenty of food for the both of us and I think we paid under 100 dollars for the 2 of us including one beer.

Reservations are a must. There is only one chef and his wife was the only waitress, so they only do limited seatings a night. You have no idea how many people walked in asking if they could get a table or asking if they do take out and were told no. The waitress/proprietress had a somewhat brisk attitude but I think it’s because she was so busy. She was really sweet to us and gave us some edamame free because they were so busy and we had to wait for our sushi a bit longer. I liked both Koiso and Paradise, but if I can remember my omakase at Koiso was more expensive and so Paradise seemed like a huge bargain for equally as good fish. Go here for the food, not for the ambiance, and you won't be disappointed.

Lee Ann - Thanks for reading. Glad you found this helpful.

Day 5: Moving to West Maui

We got late checkout at the Andaz so we got to have our 2nd buffet breakfast and enjoy the amazing pools and beach for a little while longer. We felt so pampered and relaxed when we left. Too bad Morimoto Maui was not yet open but I guess that means it’s only another reason to return. Everyone wished us farewell …I must say, I love everyone who works here.

We drove south in search of Da Local Banana stand which I thought was in front of Big Beach in Makena, but it turns out their stand is not running for a few months, instead they have a brick and mortar store in Kihei so we turned around and drove to Kihei. I am a big fan of frozen bananas especially when dipped in chocolate and other good things. They were delicious! I got one with coconut and almonds and the hubs got one with other nuts including mac nuts. Note, it is not easy to drive and eat frozen bananas at the same time! http://www.dalocalbanana.com/

The drive from Central to West Maui is one of my favorites. It’s just so pretty. We luckily didn’t encounter any traffic so we made it to Lahaina in good time. We rented our one-bedroom unit via Chase’n Rainbows so we had to pick up the keys from their office in Lahaina. It was an easy transaction - signed a few papers, got keys, and off we went! The Honua Kai was about 10 minutes away from Front St. Lahaina. We checked in with the resort and paid the mandatory parking fee (12 per day) for the week. We had to leave a little sticker thing on our car to park in the garage. I didn’t realize the garage was underneath the buildings so we were looking for it thinking it was outside – but realized they were underground. I think the outside lots are for visitors looking to dine at Dukes.

We stayed in Hokulani #214. It was a 1-br unit with south-facing views. We didn’t have a fancy ocean view or anything but that is fine with us because we got the unit at a great rate. The unit itself is beautiful. The bathrooms are huge with double sinks, a tub and separate shower area. Modern kitchen, huge lanai, and washer dryer. The complexes themselves are large and sprawling – there are many units on each floor and there were at least 2 elevator banks that I noticed. I would often get lost getting from the garage to the unit (my husbands laughs everytime).

One thing I noticed was that it was really windy but just today – my hair and dress were blowing everywhere! I think this is a concern for a lot of people who are thinking about staying at the HK – but honestly, this was the worst it got, and it was most windy in the driveways in front of the lobby. It wasn’t a big issue at the pool area.

As for the sewage smell some were worried about – we didn’t smell anything at all and didn’t even notice the plant across the street. The buildings are set back from the road a bit so that could be why, but the only time we noticed any smells were when driving on the highway down to Lahaina, and it was only once and very faint.

We started a load of laundry (hooray for the washer/dryer!) and went out to get something to snack on. Realized it was Sunday and many places were closed, including my favorite, Honokowai Okazuya for a gourmet plate lunch. We decided to go to Fish Market Maui located next door and get some fish tacos. We really love poke, but they were sold out for the day, bummer. The fish tacos were great! We got the ones which were deep fried, and my husband also tried the one with the grilled fish, obviously liking the deep fried fish better. http://www.fishmarketmaui.com/

We picked up some groceries at Times Supermarket next door – the prices are pretty good here. I decided we would eat in that evening and would make some saimin from the packages they had in the freezer section. Saimin is just a version of ramen noodles, but local style – less pork-y and with a clear seafood-based broth (usually). I bought the usual accompaniments – spam, green onion, kamaboko (fish cake – the swirly pink and white things).

We went back to the condo and put everything away, threw the laundry in the dryer and went to the pool area for a bit…this is where I noticed that we were not at the Andaz anymore…there were A LOT of people, both adults and kids. It’s not really an issue for us, but definitely noticeable when you go from sharing a pool with 4 people to 40. Getting chairs wasn’t an issue though, there are plenty.

Each complex, Hokulani and Konea, has a pool in front of it and there is a pool in-between them. This one was the most popular because it had waterfalls and a waterslide. It was also the warmest pool. Both other pools I thought were freezing, especially the lazy river pool in front of the Konea. But the pools are very nice however, and families were having a great time. I noticed that there was barely any pool service though. Servers from Dukes were supposed to come around but I think we only saw one person come to us for our entire stay! Maybe it’s best to just bring your own drinks (which we did).

Later that evening after catching a wonderful sunset, I made the saimin dinner which got 2 thumbs up from the hubs. He said it was a very “cute” looking meal as well. LOL. The condo was very comfortable and we felt at home here. We faced away from the courtyard so even though we were on the 2nd floor, it was extremely quiet. It was a nice day to get settled into our new digs for the week. Looking forward to our week ahead of us!

tifa: I'm loving your report! It has made my day at work! Can't wait to read more!

Mahalo for your fascinating report on the new Andaz. You have a delightful style. This hotel took a while to be completed (even for Hawaii), but it sounds like it was worth the wait. Very nice to read that the STAFF is good. I think anyone wanting to recreate your stay on Maui should stay *elsewhere* first.

HK is not my style, tall elevator building 'on sand' with see-and-be-seen courtyard construction and 600 condos (not 'rooms', but big condos -- lotsa peeps). Good decision to not face into the center. I'll be reading the rest of your trip with great interest.

BTW, it would probably help readers to have some idea of the costs of staying at Andaz and HK.

"I think anyone wanting to recreate your stay on Maui should stay *elsewhere* first."

What does that mean? :-/

louistraveler - Thanks! I saw you will be going to Kauai again next year! I'm planning to go in the fall - fingers crossed!

chisue - thanks! The Andaz was amazing, and while I think most everyone in Hawaii is super friendly with lots of Aloha, I think the staff at the Andaz went out of their way to make you feel extra special. When the Andaz first had rooms on sale, it was around 450 a night for the cheapest room - they have since offered discounts to around 350 for low season for standard rooms. Food and drink were your typical resort prices...8 dollars for a beer, 14+ dollars for a cocktail. Breakfast buffet at Ka'ana Kitchen was 45 dollars. Didn't have dinner or lunch there so can't really comment but I'm sure it's tasty and expensive too.
I know were were spoiled at the Andaz but yes going to the HK was a bit jarring because of all the "people" and the size of the resort. I'm sure if it was the other way around I probably wouldn't have been so aware of my surroundings, after all we were on Maui! Not that the HK is a zoo really, it is quite lovely, but next time we will stay in a smaller resort...and I do prefer South Maui overall.
The HK unit we rented was here: http://www.westmauicondos.com/proper...i-hokulani-214
The rate of 205 a night was too good to resist! The condo was the bigger of the 1-br layouts and cheaper than most studios. We paid a cleaning fee and a 39 dollar security deposit insurance fee as well.

I finally have time to read your report and what a treat it is! Andaz looks amazing - it doesn't look far from WBV ? Loved the photos on your blog...hanging out to hear about O’o Farms in Kula -looks like a fun thing to do.

I've posted a pictorial on the Andaz Maui. Please visit http://sulynnchen.com/travelblog/?p=523 if you'd like to see it.

loumike - Your trip is coming up soon! So excited for you! Is the WBV the Westin Beach Villas? The Andaz is in South Maui and the Westin is on West Maui, so it's like a 45 min drive from each other. The distance isn't that far, it's just that there really is only one road to get there so you may deal with some traffic. The Honua Kai though was right next to the Westin Villas and the beach in front of the Westin was gorgeous! The O'O farm tour was something I was excited about. You can go here to read more about it http://www.oofarm.com/tour-luncheon/ and you can reserve a spot too. It is 50 dollars per person and it's a great way to spend a morning in Upcountry Maui.

Thanks for the photos.

I remember that piece of land when it was the old Stouffer resort. It is a prime location.

Rain showers in the bathroom and it's on Mokapu Beach! How can you go wrong?

Aloha Tifa,

Wow, I'm glad that you enjoyed your visit to Maui so much. The concept behind Andaz Maui is a very unique resort experience and since opening, they have done a phenomenal job in their execution.

I can't wait to read more about your stay at Honua Kai. I live in Kihei but had a recent 'staycation' at Honua Kai - which has made it one of my favorite properties on Maui. I wrote a brief report of my visit: http://www.mauirealestatesearch.com/...kai-visit.html

Wekewoody - exactly, they already have the perfect location so it's hard to go wrong. My guess is that those who may not like modern decor will not be attracted to the Andaz, but the warmth of the staff really made it feel like a family affair.

Alex Cortez - Mahalo! Thanks for reading. You are lucky you live in Kihei. I really like the laid back vibe of Kihei. Overall I think the HK is a great resort for families. I will return if it was my extended family vacationing with me as I have a large family and 2 neices. Generally though, I do prefer smaller condos. Thanks again! I read your blog and I like your review of the HK. Very cool!

Hi tifa,
Your Photo pictorial of the ANDAZ looks amazing - what a great place but we may have to dream of going there at a time when we don't bring the offspring! :-)
Yes our holiday time is finally getting close...12 days and counting! When we get to Maui we will be staying at Wailea Beach Villas (WBV)which is nestled between the Grand Wailea and The Marriott. It looks relatively close /next beach along from Mokapu so we may even be able to go on a walk up that way. I hear there is a lovely walking path.
We haven't pre booked anything other than a car so hopefully with 8 nights we should be able to work it out when we get there. I do like the idea of the farm tour in the upcountry area though. Thanks for your Trip report as always full of wonderful tips and info - I look forward to the next entry!