christyandkids

We are planning a trip to Maui with seven adult and three little kids ages 3, 2 & 1. We are most confused on where to stay. We think we want to stay in West Maui in a condo but want to choose a place that would be great for the kids. A place that is nice with a nice beach and a kid friendly pool. Any advise would be appreciated.

ajcolorado

We went to Maui in June and there were 7 adults in our party and 4 kids - 7, 12, 16,& 17 - and stayed in the most wonderful condo in Maui - just north of Lahaina. It is called the Hale Kai and it only have 40 or so units. We rented three units. The staff was friendly and the price was very reasonable. There is a salt water pool and you're right up against the ocean. We couldn't have been happier. The condo is right next to a beach front park that has coral right next to the shore. The coral forms a barrier that breaks the surf and makes for wonderful, safe playing.

I also want to recommend the most fantastic spot for snorkeling: Honolua Bay in Maui. It is north of Lahaina and is a marine preserve so there are lots of fish who are not too worried about people. We saw turtles, eels, and even squid/octopi (I don't know the difference). It is a cove so there was not a strong current when we were there (June 2004). My guidebook says the snorkeling is best in the morning and calm spring, summer, & fall. The snorkeling was easy enough for my children, as well as my 60-ish mother and in-laws. My family all agreed that it was like being in a National Geographic special. Take hwy 30 north of Lahaina past D.T. Fleming Beach Park. You'll see a Mokuleia-Honolua Marine Reserve sign near a parking area. Go past this just a little ways and watch for a tiny dirt side road on the left. There will probably be other cars parked there. Park by the road and take the trail/dirt road in. The trail is an easy walk and absolutely lovely. The Snorkel Bob shops may even have a free print out map. We felt so pleased with ourselves for droving there and walked in for free when we saw one of those snorkel tour catamarans.

christyandkids

Thanks for the input, I am going to check into the Hale Kai and see if they have availability.

bdfamilyman

Hi Christy, if you're interested in South Maui we enjoyed our stay at Maui Kamaole last June. We have young children too so my trip report may have some tips and tricks in it. This should be the link: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34509022

ajcolorado

We were in Condo number 220 - which had views of the ocean on two sides. It had a large bedroom with king sized bed, a loft with a double or queen bed, and another bedroom with two twin sized beds. It had just had some renovations when we were there in June - the upolstery was brand new in the living room. There were two bathrooms and we found the kitchen to be quite sufficient for our needs. There is also a gas grill down by the pool, if you prefer to cook that way.

My sister & her husband were in condo #218 and my in-laws were in one of the 1st floor park view condos.

The pool is a salt water pool and was cleaned every night. My youngest daughter spent hours in there trying her new mask.

dion

We just returned. Our hotel was the Royal Lahaina in kanapaala. Not really sure about spelling of town though. Vowels abound! It was very nice. It is a three star AAA and that is about right. They also have cabins, but we had a patrtial ocean view in a standard room. I read a couple of negative reviews on yahoo before we left so I was a little worried, but it was perfectly fine and the staff was great. We went to their luau as well. It is the most popular on the Island because they include some of the fire dancing too. The beach is the best we saw anywhere on the Island and they have two pools. The price was great, so if thats a issue, check them out. They also work through a package vacation place called Pleasant Holidays. We just went through AAA and they booked it for us. Dont miss out on the "Road to Hana" and the bamboo forest in the national park. Have a great time!

ajcolorado

I don't know how much "touristy" stuff you're interested in but our group found that the Hawaii entertainment book more than paid for itself. www.entertainmentbook.com.

We also got an activities association card that paid for itself: www.aoagoldcard.com.

We did a luau, a dive, the Sugar Cane train etc.