First trip to Maui in 2 weeks. Been to Oahu and Kauai, now to try Maui. We are staying at Kaanapali shores in west Maui. Any suggestions on must do activities and recommendations to any great restaurants would be appreciated

Leanne, if you do a search on this thread you will find gobs of advice on Maui! Generally, people drive up to Haleakala before (BEFORE!) the crack of dawn so they can watch the sun rise. then you can bike down hill, or take a leisurely hike into the crater. Exploring the quaint little towns of Makawao and Paia are also wonderful. You could also get back to nature and visit Iao Needle or snorkel out at Molokini.....OH! It's still whale watching season. Maybe you can take a whale watching tour! Or maybe you'll get lucky and you'll be able to see them as you drive along the coast.

Even though you are staying on the west side of the island, there is a wonderful restaurant in Kihei called Carelli's on the Beach. It is nestled off the road a bit right before you drive into Wailea. Wonderful Italian food and exceptional atmostphere. Definitely take a snorkeling/whale watching boat trip. We went with the Navatek II because it is the smoothest boat out there and we are prone to seasickness. We really enjoyed snorkeling on Kapalua Bay - it has been voted the #1 beach in the world..worth checking out. The drive up to Haleakala is also very worth it...we didn't go up for sunset/sunrise, but it was very cool none the less. Lastly..make sure you take a day and do nothing but sit by the ocean or pool...we did too much last time and not enough relaxing. Have a wonderful time! Mahalo.

Leanne,

Maui is our favorite Island.....we biked down Haleakala and snorkled on the Lani Kai at Molikini. we stayed in Kiehi and could sit on the beach and watch the whales. IF you drive past Kiehi and Wailea there are lava fields and some great places to explore. The drive to Hana is fun...lot s of places to stop. We stopped at one place and swam in a waterfall. They tell you not to drive all the way around from Hana but if the weather has been good the road isn't too bad.

I agree with the bike ride down Haleakala and driving past Hana all the way around the island( check with the rangers in Hana for the road conditions beyond).

One of our favorite restaurants on Maui is Haliimaile General Store.

Reservations suggested.

Book a bike trip down Haleakala with Marc and Karen Friezner of Aloha Bike tours (www.mauibike.com) before you leave. Marc offers a very classy bike tour on Trek bikes and ends the trip at a winery. VERY CLASSY compared to the other bike trips. Drive to Hana and "seven sacred Pools" long trip but well worth it, leave early.

Returned from Maui a couple weeks ago...can't stop thinking about it. Although it wasn't my first choice of activities, we won one free ticket to Warren and Annabelle's Magic Show at our hotel's island orientation. I am so glad that we went. The magic show was outstanding and I laughed till I cried. Great way to spend an evening.