Hello,

We are planning a trip to Maui this month. I was wondering if anyone can
suggest a best location to stay. We found one resort condo in Expedia.com.
The name is Honua Kai Resort in Lahaina's Kaanapali. There is also the
Westin Maui Resort and Sheraton Maui Resort. Since we are not very familiar
with the island. Can anyone give a suggestion about best place to stay?

We are looking for advices on what to do once we are there. We will be there for
about 7 days and 6 nights. It looks like we need to rent a car but is there excursion
tours we can take once we are there?

Thanks,

Peter

dhack is reporting on his trip to Maui right now - you might enjoy reading it if you aren't already.

I know from past posts that a popular poster (iamq) has written extensively on maui (as well as the other islands).
You might want to check those trip reports as well.

Okay, I will thanks,

I would stay in one of the condos on Napili Bay. We stayed in Kapalua and walked to Napili Bay and if I was to go back to Maui (doubtful), I would stay at Napili. You can find condos on vrbo.com. Nothing high rise here and just a laid-back atmosphere. If a big resort is your thing, forget my advice, but if you like chillin' on the beach, this is the place.

Here's a link to the vrbo site: http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals...st-maui/napili

All three places you mention are large resort hotels located in a large resort. I think the Honua Kai used to the Embassy Suites resort. That works for a lot of folks, especially first timers, but it is not my cup of tea. Kaanapali Beach is a lovely, long stretch of beach that gets better and better as you get closer to the Sheraton at the end of the beach at Black Rock. Snorkeling around Black Rock is good. The beach on the other side of Black Rock, where the Honua Kai looks to be is not as nice. I think the Westin time share place is in this area as well.

North of there, there are smaller condo complexes dotting the coast all the way up to Kapalua. Some of these units have beaches, some don't.

Austin's advice about low-key Napili is right on. The beach will be nice and calm this time of year.

I like to stay in South Maui in the Wailea/Makena area. Check out condos in South Kihei or in Wailea. There are some rentals in Makena that might suit you as well. The Makena Beach Resort is in this area. While some say it is getting long in the tooth, it is on one of the best beaches in Maui for snorkeling and and swimming and is quiet. Pool is small and the grounds are old style. We were in this area in February and it appeared that they were refurbishing some of the rooms. If I went here, I'd go for the beach and the quiet.

If your budget can take it, the Makena Surf condos are very nice and located on a great beach in this area. Look at vrbo.com for discounted rates when you rent through the owner.

Have a good trip.

My husband and I have been to Maui 8 times. The Honua Kai is a new hotel in the Kaanapali Resort area; it is NOT the former Embassy Suites (now Kaanapali Beach Club), but is next door. The Kaanapali area is lovely with everything you could want to do. It is a resort area though, with high-rise hotels. If you want more 'condo'-like accomodations, try north like Napili, Makena, Kapalua area, or south in Kihei. Kihei has some nice beaches, but accomodations are not as nice as other areas of the island; and it is much more of a regular city than resort area.

It really depends on what you like and what you want to do. Maui has areas to please all types.

Westin, Sheraton or Honua Kai, all are very nice. I would give a slight bump to Sheraton for a hotel, and the Honua Kai if you want to have a kitchen to cook a few meals

Makena is in South Maui, south of Wailea. The Mahana area is north of Kaanapali and has many condos on the water.

Thanks everyone for the good suggestions. We went ahead
booked the reservation at the Sheraton Maui since this is our first time there, we want to be closed where other tourists
are.

One more question, is it better to rent a car to explore the
island by ourselves or is it better to join the excursion or
do both? One thing I am worry about is for out-of-towners
like us, driving to/from between airport and hotel in Maui after 10 hours of flight (from Chicago). Is that advisable?
But getting around in Maui without a car seems like not a
good idea. Correct?

Thanks again,

Peter

You are 100% better off renting a car on Maui than taking expensive tours.

You can go where you want & when you want.

I normally don't send someone from one forum to another.

But your questions deserve more attention.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum...ui_Hawaii.html

Ask your questions & you'll get more answers.

You will need a car to see the island. I don't think there are many guided tours really except for the Road to Hana, and maybe Haleakala (not sure about that one). We used Valley Isle excursions for the Road to Hana and were very pleased. With someone else doing the driving, we could all relax and enjoy the sights. http://www.tourmaui.com/

Other places on the island I'd recommend exploring on your own are Iao Valley State Park, Napili Bay and Kapalua area, drive to Nakalele Blow Hole and more!

Is it easy to find our way driving between the airport and
Sheraton? i.e. Hopefully we don't get lost.
We will be arriving during the evenning hours around 7-8pm.
Thanks to everyone.

Yep, it's easy!

You'll have a wonderful time exploring Maui on your own! There is lots to see and do, but you'll want to do it in your own car and at your own pace. This is a place to get off the beaten path and enjoy whatever you encounter. It may be a secluded stretch of beach, a beautiful waterfall, a fruit stand or a gorgeous sunset. In two weeks on Maui we never found ourselves at a loss for beautiful beaches or new adventures! Aloha. Saige

Thanks to everyone again.
We are looking forward to this trip.

Don't forget to relax and do nothing as much as possible. Breathing the air, watching the waves bibble onto the shore and watching the white, puffy clouds is usually enough activity for me.

bibble?

Anyway, doing nothing is my plan when we're on Kauai next month!

Yes. Bibble. A close cousin to babble.

One of my favorite authors, Roald Dahl used it to describe water splashing against the side of the peach in James and the Giant Peach.