V.J.

I am getting married in late October and my wife and I will be traveling to Maui for our honeymoon. I know that we will be staying at The Ritz Carlton, Kapalua for at least 4 of the 8 days, but we haven't decided if we want to island hop or not. What are some things in Hawaii (Maui especially) that we don't want to miss?

xxx

The drive to Hana is a must do - woth stops along the way to swim under the waterfalls. Stop and buy an audio tape on your way out of town which will tell you what to look for along the drive.

dave

DO: stay all 8 nights in Maui if you want to relax. There will be plenty to do, but 4 nights is not enough, you will have to cram a lot in and feel rushed. So DON'T island hop unless you are willing to give at least 5 or 6 nights minimum to each island, otherwise your honeymoon will be spent catching flights, renting and returning cars, checking into and out of hotels, packing and unpacking your suitcases, and just when you start to relax you will have to go home. And yes, drive to Hana and enjoy the trip. Maui will offer you a nice blend of activity and relaxation. You could spend weeks there.

tcapp

First, just relax and enjoy. Some sights you might want to do are: the boat excursions to other islands, the snorkling on Maui is fantastic(try to bring your own mask and fins), the Iao Needle on the other side of the island, and always be on the lookout for the most beautiful rainbows you've ever seen--even sometimes at night.

Emily

We went to Maui for our honeymoon, and island hopped on our 2nd trip. It is a hassle to hop (but we did 3 islands in 9 days). But Kauai is truly beautiful & the waterfalls are a lot more accessible. You could visit one island, and you should be ok.
On Maui see the sunrise on Haaleakala your first morning there. A tour bus will pick you up around 3am, but you won't be adjusted to the time change your first morning. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to get up! The road to Hana is nice, we only went about 1/3 of the way. We hiked up one waterfall to a second, secluded waterfall & swam then turned back. We saw what we wanted to. We had breakfast on the beach in Ho'okipa to watch the the windsurfers before our drive to Hana. Of course snorkeling is great. We liked Molikini and we also rented some gear & drove to different beaches to snorkel from. Just the drive from Kapalua to Lahaina is beautiful.
Congratulations, and have a wonderful time!

xxx

Rainbows at night? Not possible as sunlight is an essential ingredient of rainbows.

Debbie

We spent our honeymoon in Hawaii 11 years ago and we were also married in October. It was a great trip, we spent 2 weeks which I would highly recommend since you lose 2 days in travel time. We spent 3 days in Oahu visiting Pearl Harbor the Dole Pinapple plantation, etc.. then spent 5 days in Kaui, which we loved, it was so beautiful. We stayed ocean front in Poipu Beach and it was great. WE took the helicopter tour of the Kannapali Coast and saw the beautiful waterfalls, I would recommend it... we saw things we never would have seen other wise. The remainder of our trip was in Maui. We did the road to Hanna which I would recommend, we actually took the road beyond Hanna which you are not suppose to do, they have warnings and everything, but we were feeling hey why not see the entire island while we were here. Well, it was pretty scary, we were driving on the edge of a cliff with only one lane then we drove through miles of cow pastures. It took us 3-4 hours to make it back to civilazation, but looking back we were glad we did because it is something we would never do now that we are parents and responsible!!! I definitely would recommend a Luau, we did the one through the Marriott in Maui, it was alot of fun. Have a great time, and enjoy every minute. We said on our honeymoon we would be back for our 10 yr, but now we are hoping to get back for our 20th!! Best of luck to you!

V.J.

These are ALL really incredible suggestions...I'm getting ancy just reading about it. Has anyone done any outstanding sailing trips to speak of or gone surfing anywhere on Maui (where I won't kill myself)?

Leslie

Must do:

Haleakala Crater (sunrise is not essential) plus drive a little beyond the crater. From Kapalua, allow most of one day for this trip.

The drive all the way to Hana and beyond to the Seven Sacred Pools. If you can manage it, reserve a night in a lodge or cabin in Hana so you don't have to make the round trip in one day.

Take a 1/2 day snorkeling trip to Molokini on a catamaran.

Visit the Maui Ocean Center at Kihei.

Take a dinner cruise out of Lahaina.

Leslie

Meant to add the following:

While the Ritz Carlton is very nice the surf at their beach can be a little rough and it's not good for snorkeling. But nearby you can to the the beach at the Napili Kai Beach Club and do excellent snorkeling.

Also, I agree the Iao Needle is worth seeing. Also, spend part of a day browsing around Lahaina town.

Congrats on your upcoming wedding.

Rick

Lahaina at sunset is a must!

Ken

The road to Hana is not a must !! Some like it. Some think it is a waste of time. I suggest you drive part way along the road and if you like it continue. If you don't think it is worth the better part of a day, then turn back !!

Don

There is far too much emphasis here on running around and "doing" and "seeing" things. The best thing about Maui is the beaches, the climate, the sunsets, the sunrises, the general atmosphere, and the scenery. These things surround you everywhere, and they don't cost anything. If you spend your time running around to Hana and the Iao Needle, you will miss the forest for the trees.

gyppielou

Congrats on your upcoming wedding. I would suggest staying on Maui for your honeymoon. There is so much to see and do, but you don't think you want to rush around. The Ritz is lovely and its area. 4 days gives you the opportunity to relax at the pool and see the sights in that area - Napili, and Kapalua beaches, the wonderful coast and a quick drive to Kaanapali and Lahaina, which can be done wonderfully in an afternoon and dinner.
Spend the rest in Waillea, I love the Four Seasons, but that is my personal favorite, Kea Lani has a lot of plusses to. From there you can take a ride to Paia or further on the Hana highway, or just relax snorkling, kayaking, walking the ocean walk and hanging at Makena Beach. I love Hana, but with so much to see, well, it's your choice. For me, you really must take your time driving up and exploring and getting the whole gyst of what Hana is about. Or go for broke and circle the whole island! You really can and should see it all before rushing to another island.

John

Does anyone have any tips/ideas about good stops along the road to Hana?