Maui Trip Report
Aug 26th, 2003, 08:18 PM
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Maui Trip Report
Just got back from Maui on Monday. I have never posted here, but I have poured over this site in preparation and took many recommendations, even printing out some, and wanted to write a trip report (while it is still fresh) to say thank you. First of all, apologize if it is longwinded, but I enjoyed the in-depth reports so much, so here goes. First off our trip was rather hastily put together over the summer, when our original family summer vacation plans fell through because of work obligations. Originally, my husband, 6 yr old daughter and I were planning a couple of low-key trips including a trip to Bryce, Zion, and Grand Canyon. But when things changed, we came up with this ?plan b?. We decided to take just one nice trip to somewhere none of us had been and to bring along my young ?60 something? mother-in-law, who has not been on a vacation in 20+ years. We decided we needed to go somewhere that would have something for all our varying interests and ages, somewhere where we could relax or stay busy depending on our whims, and we wanted to splurge a bit to give my mother-in-law a trip of a lifetime, hopefully, and so we could explore and have fun too. We decided on Maui!
Day 1 ? Arrived early enough in the morning that we decided to go to Mama?s Fish House for lunch. This was an excellent way to start the trip. We all enjoyed the meal. Yes, it is expensive. But the service, the view, the ambiance, the mai-tais, and especially the food were well worth it. Everything we had was excellent, but a few highlights were the crab cakes and the ono. Delicious!! We also detoured to Iao Valley before heading to our hotel. This was a beautiful, short side-trip. Stopped in at the Nature Center located there and my 6 year old really enjoyed all of the hands on stuff (though one of us could have gone in with her rather than all three). Arrived at the Fairmont and loved it. Spent the late afternoon at the pool and watched the torch lighting ceremony from our balcony.
Day 2 ? Everyone woke up early?.so early in fact that I headed off on a walk along the ocean path before the sunrise. Walked down to the opposite end, admiring the different hotels along the way, went into the Renaissance lobby and picked up a latte for the walk back, enjoying the ocean along the way, a beautiful start to the day. Then we all headed to Anini Reserve (a few miles past Wailea) to try snorkeling, which by the way was a great recommendation from someone on this board, and perfect for our group. This was a great spot for my 6 yr old?s first time, as well as mine. The water clarity was great and you could literally walk in a couple of feet of water, put your face in and see tons of fish. Needless to say, my daughter was impressed, as was I. We spent the afternoon back at the hotel ?laying low? though that included a fair amount of activity, pool time (my daughter liked the slide and it was fun to have the swim-up bar where she could order a milkshake/smoothie while still in the water), ?complimentary? hula lessons for her, and my husband & daughter tried boogie boarding a little bit at the beach there, but it was a bit windy by then. Everything was going so well we decided to try a nice dinner out. We decided to try Spago?s (since we couldn?t get a reservation for Nick?s Fishmarket, my first choice, that?s what I get for waiting till the last minute). Unfortunately, all the activity and long day caused the little one to need to go back to the room early. She and grandma headed back with food in hand. The upside is that my husband and I were able to have a nice dinner alone. We did not care for the appetizers so much, but the entrees and desert were great. I had the onaga? I think and for desert had a chocolate crepe thing. Vanilla bean ice cream with dark chocolate wrapped up in the crepe, which oozed out when you cut into it. It was wonderful! Walked back to the hotel along the ocean path, which was nice.
Day 3 ? Decided we had to go back to Anini for another snorkel adventure. The water clarity was not quite as good and there were more people there that day, go figure, but we still had a wonderful time. Checked out of the Fairmont and made our way toward the Ritz in Kapalua. We decided to stop at the Maui Ocean Center enroute. I thought that only my daughter would enjoy it, but surprisingly, we all really enjoyed it. It was especially fun for my daughter to identify the fish that we had seen while out snorkeling. We then checked in at the Ritz Carlton. Very nice! Certainly a different ambiance from the Fairmont (which we already knew from reading so many posts here) but wonderful in a different way. Very nice for a honeymoon (which it appeared many people were on there) private, quiet, and elegant and yet we felt comfortable there as a family as well. And I thought the bed there was amazingly comfortable. Spent the afternoon playing at the pool and then we all had a nice dinner at the more casual restaurant down by the beach. Wonderful way to end the evening with the torches lit, the beach view, and nice music and conversation.
Day 4 ? We decided to let my daughter go to the Ritz Kids Camp for the day and then spend the rest of the afternoon & evening with Baba (Grandma), while my husband and I took off for a day of exploring. The program seemed very well put together and she loved it. (Wanted to go again in fact, but didn?t) We rented a convertible and we did the Road to Hana and continued all the way around. Stopped at the Honolua Store for a quick breakfast, as well as sandwiches, fruit, and ice chest for lunch on the road. We also stopped in Paia and picked up the CD on the Road to Hana. I liked the funky little vibe of the town of Paia. A woman at that counter complained about the possibility of a hotel being built there and it being the end of Paia as it is now. Who knows?? We used Maui Revealed as a point of reference for this trip (and the overall trip). It was almost beauty overload and a little too much for one day, but I am still so glad we did it. Stopped at: Lower Puohokamoa Falls (very beautiful), Ke?anae Peninsula ( a highlight of the trip and not a stop we originally planned, just an impromptu idea) the crashing surf and view of the coastline there was amazing and we also bought yummy banana bread from a nice lady at a stand there. Ching?s Pond was a little stagnate, but a beautiful picture. The view of Waikani Falls was pretty and viewed right from the car. Only disappointment was the detour down Nahiku Road, like I said maybe just beauty overload at that point though. Also enjoyed seeing Ohe?o Gulch, but very tired at that point and it was rather crowded. Maybe a night in Hana next time??? The road past Hana does get narrow for a bit. In fact, a caravan of about three of us had to back up the hill at one point so that a guy in a ?big? truck with a ?big? boat could get by. I thought he was going to side-swipe us, but made it through. Certainly made for an adventure! Got back at 5:30 pm. Cleaned up and had a drink in the lobby area of the Ritz, while listening to music, and watching the ocean near sunset. Beautiful! And then a late dinner at Banyan Tree. Don?t know if we were just exhausted, it was an off night or what, but we were not overly impressed with the food.
Day 5 ? We all decided to take it easy. We met up for a delicious buffet at the Terrace Restaurant at the Ritz. I think it was a highlight of the trip for my mother-in-law and it was nice. I especially enjoyed the Belgian waffle with coconut syrup. Yummy. After breakfast, we drove into Lahaina (my daughter wanted to ride in the convertible while we still had it) to check it out and buy a few souvenirs. Just ended up going to the ABC store and then headed back to the hotel. Lahaina was very hot and no breezes while we were there, not a highlight for us. Spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing/playing at the pool and just ordered a pizza for dinner.
Day 6 ? Got another chance to have the yummy breakfast at the Ritz before packing up. I also took the opportunity to take a last walk along the grounds and out to the beach to take a few last pictures, while my daughter and her Grandma hit the tennis ball around. Nice way to end the trip.
If it had been just my husband and I, we would have done some other things, but?..there?s always next time!
Don?t know if I can help, but if you have any questions, feel free.
Day 1 ? Arrived early enough in the morning that we decided to go to Mama?s Fish House for lunch. This was an excellent way to start the trip. We all enjoyed the meal. Yes, it is expensive. But the service, the view, the ambiance, the mai-tais, and especially the food were well worth it. Everything we had was excellent, but a few highlights were the crab cakes and the ono. Delicious!! We also detoured to Iao Valley before heading to our hotel. This was a beautiful, short side-trip. Stopped in at the Nature Center located there and my 6 year old really enjoyed all of the hands on stuff (though one of us could have gone in with her rather than all three). Arrived at the Fairmont and loved it. Spent the late afternoon at the pool and watched the torch lighting ceremony from our balcony.
Day 2 ? Everyone woke up early?.so early in fact that I headed off on a walk along the ocean path before the sunrise. Walked down to the opposite end, admiring the different hotels along the way, went into the Renaissance lobby and picked up a latte for the walk back, enjoying the ocean along the way, a beautiful start to the day. Then we all headed to Anini Reserve (a few miles past Wailea) to try snorkeling, which by the way was a great recommendation from someone on this board, and perfect for our group. This was a great spot for my 6 yr old?s first time, as well as mine. The water clarity was great and you could literally walk in a couple of feet of water, put your face in and see tons of fish. Needless to say, my daughter was impressed, as was I. We spent the afternoon back at the hotel ?laying low? though that included a fair amount of activity, pool time (my daughter liked the slide and it was fun to have the swim-up bar where she could order a milkshake/smoothie while still in the water), ?complimentary? hula lessons for her, and my husband & daughter tried boogie boarding a little bit at the beach there, but it was a bit windy by then. Everything was going so well we decided to try a nice dinner out. We decided to try Spago?s (since we couldn?t get a reservation for Nick?s Fishmarket, my first choice, that?s what I get for waiting till the last minute). Unfortunately, all the activity and long day caused the little one to need to go back to the room early. She and grandma headed back with food in hand. The upside is that my husband and I were able to have a nice dinner alone. We did not care for the appetizers so much, but the entrees and desert were great. I had the onaga? I think and for desert had a chocolate crepe thing. Vanilla bean ice cream with dark chocolate wrapped up in the crepe, which oozed out when you cut into it. It was wonderful! Walked back to the hotel along the ocean path, which was nice.
Day 3 ? Decided we had to go back to Anini for another snorkel adventure. The water clarity was not quite as good and there were more people there that day, go figure, but we still had a wonderful time. Checked out of the Fairmont and made our way toward the Ritz in Kapalua. We decided to stop at the Maui Ocean Center enroute. I thought that only my daughter would enjoy it, but surprisingly, we all really enjoyed it. It was especially fun for my daughter to identify the fish that we had seen while out snorkeling. We then checked in at the Ritz Carlton. Very nice! Certainly a different ambiance from the Fairmont (which we already knew from reading so many posts here) but wonderful in a different way. Very nice for a honeymoon (which it appeared many people were on there) private, quiet, and elegant and yet we felt comfortable there as a family as well. And I thought the bed there was amazingly comfortable. Spent the afternoon playing at the pool and then we all had a nice dinner at the more casual restaurant down by the beach. Wonderful way to end the evening with the torches lit, the beach view, and nice music and conversation.
Day 4 ? We decided to let my daughter go to the Ritz Kids Camp for the day and then spend the rest of the afternoon & evening with Baba (Grandma), while my husband and I took off for a day of exploring. The program seemed very well put together and she loved it. (Wanted to go again in fact, but didn?t) We rented a convertible and we did the Road to Hana and continued all the way around. Stopped at the Honolua Store for a quick breakfast, as well as sandwiches, fruit, and ice chest for lunch on the road. We also stopped in Paia and picked up the CD on the Road to Hana. I liked the funky little vibe of the town of Paia. A woman at that counter complained about the possibility of a hotel being built there and it being the end of Paia as it is now. Who knows?? We used Maui Revealed as a point of reference for this trip (and the overall trip). It was almost beauty overload and a little too much for one day, but I am still so glad we did it. Stopped at: Lower Puohokamoa Falls (very beautiful), Ke?anae Peninsula ( a highlight of the trip and not a stop we originally planned, just an impromptu idea) the crashing surf and view of the coastline there was amazing and we also bought yummy banana bread from a nice lady at a stand there. Ching?s Pond was a little stagnate, but a beautiful picture. The view of Waikani Falls was pretty and viewed right from the car. Only disappointment was the detour down Nahiku Road, like I said maybe just beauty overload at that point though. Also enjoyed seeing Ohe?o Gulch, but very tired at that point and it was rather crowded. Maybe a night in Hana next time??? The road past Hana does get narrow for a bit. In fact, a caravan of about three of us had to back up the hill at one point so that a guy in a ?big? truck with a ?big? boat could get by. I thought he was going to side-swipe us, but made it through. Certainly made for an adventure! Got back at 5:30 pm. Cleaned up and had a drink in the lobby area of the Ritz, while listening to music, and watching the ocean near sunset. Beautiful! And then a late dinner at Banyan Tree. Don?t know if we were just exhausted, it was an off night or what, but we were not overly impressed with the food.
Day 5 ? We all decided to take it easy. We met up for a delicious buffet at the Terrace Restaurant at the Ritz. I think it was a highlight of the trip for my mother-in-law and it was nice. I especially enjoyed the Belgian waffle with coconut syrup. Yummy. After breakfast, we drove into Lahaina (my daughter wanted to ride in the convertible while we still had it) to check it out and buy a few souvenirs. Just ended up going to the ABC store and then headed back to the hotel. Lahaina was very hot and no breezes while we were there, not a highlight for us. Spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing/playing at the pool and just ordered a pizza for dinner.
Day 6 ? Got another chance to have the yummy breakfast at the Ritz before packing up. I also took the opportunity to take a last walk along the grounds and out to the beach to take a few last pictures, while my daughter and her Grandma hit the tennis ball around. Nice way to end the trip.
If it had been just my husband and I, we would have done some other things, but?..there?s always next time!
Don?t know if I can help, but if you have any questions, feel free.
Aug 26th, 2003, 09:12 PM
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Bravo bayareamama!
Glad to hear your family had a terrific trip to Maui. Great report for a 1st time poster!!! It's obvious you did your homework.
I envy your stay at BOTH the Kea Lani and Ritz! Now get ready for the posters asking which of the two your family preferred and why. 8-)
Glad to hear your family had a terrific trip to Maui. Great report for a 1st time poster!!! It's obvious you did your homework.
I envy your stay at BOTH the Kea Lani and Ritz! Now get ready for the posters asking which of the two your family preferred and why. 8-)
I had been focusing on planning the Kauai aspect of my trip, and now I am excited to plan the Maui week
Aug 29th, 2003, 03:25 PM
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Hi, Bayareamama:
Thanks so much for your detail report and glad that you had a wonderful time. Thought I read that Anini Reserve is hard to get to, a bit of hiking to get there, is that right? How early in the morning did you go? Would love to try it out ourselves!
Thanks so much for your detail report and glad that you had a wonderful time. Thought I read that Anini Reserve is hard to get to, a bit of hiking to get there, is that right? How early in the morning did you go? Would love to try it out ourselves!
Aug 29th, 2003, 03:58 PM
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Hi SSN:
That's what I get for writing the trip report when I was tired...it wasn't Anini, but Ahihi Reserve. Oops, sorry about that! I had to look it up after reading your post. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. In regards to time, we got there about 8am the first morning which was perfect, people were starting to arrive as we were leaving at 9:30. The next day we got there at 9am and more people were there from the get go. If it had been just me, I would have gone around 7 to have more of the place to ourselves. It was very easy to get to, in fact the exact spot where we went in was at the Ahihi Cove (just a little past the sign that says Ahihi Nature Reserve). It had a very small beachy area that was right by the side of the road. Just park the car and walk right into the water. Very easy. Hope this helps!
That's what I get for writing the trip report when I was tired...it wasn't Anini, but Ahihi Reserve. Oops, sorry about that! I had to look it up after reading your post. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. In regards to time, we got there about 8am the first morning which was perfect, people were starting to arrive as we were leaving at 9:30. The next day we got there at 9am and more people were there from the get go. If it had been just me, I would have gone around 7 to have more of the place to ourselves. It was very easy to get to, in fact the exact spot where we went in was at the Ahihi Cove (just a little past the sign that says Ahihi Nature Reserve). It had a very small beachy area that was right by the side of the road. Just park the car and walk right into the water. Very easy. Hope this helps!
