Planning to be in Maui 8 nights. 5nts. at Maui Kai, West Maui, and 3 nights at Mana Kai, South Maui.
Want to make sure I make evening reservations for the "best nights"...so as not to miss an opportunity on any specific night! For example, If we do the luau on Fri., we'd miss the special rock diver/lighting ceremony held on Fridays.

Proposed Itinerary:
Wed., July6: Arrive Maui 3 'ish and early dinner at Mama's Fish Camp.
Check in Maui Kai.
ABC Store/WalMart for supplies & newspaper for tide info.

Thurs.: Snorkle Kahekili/Black Rock, then do the West Maui tour drive.
Old Lahaina Luau.

Fri.: Snorkle/Shop Lahaina, other?
See the Black Rock diver/lighting ceremony ?from nice restaurant(suggestion?) v.s. where?

Sat.: Haleakala Sunrise/Horse tour.
Nap!!
Warren and Anabelle's Show.

Sun.: Are there any special things, besides church, happening on Sunday in Maui? Maybe a special church suggestion? Is anything closed?

Mon.: Check out Maui Kai 12:00 P.M.
Check in Mana Kai. Check out the beach!
Where for dinner?(Are we checkin, or what?
Tues.: Snorkel! Shop South Maui. Meals undetermined.
Wed.: Hana drive.
Thurs, July 14th: Leave for Oahu (Mid morning).

Please suggest any needed rearranging for optimal visit! Also, any restaurants or even take outs that would be convenient to our condos that you could recommend!
Thanks so much! OSB.

If you belong to Costco, head over there also for wine from Maui and Volcano, as well as other souveniers such as cookies and candy. It's near the airport (which is near KMart and Walmart.)

Have an Ono Burger at the Paia Fish Market.

Mama's Fish Camp is where my little whippersnappers go over summer break for six weeks.

My trip report has tons of stuff, including restaurant and beach/snorkel recommendations, along with what we saw along the Hana Highway: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34436140

Palauea Beach in south Maui was a favorite for snorkeling. Be careful of VERY heavy winds in south Maui in the afternoon; don't think you're going to get any snorkeling done except for in the morning! It's CRAZY windy. We stayed next door to you at the Kihei Surfside condos and Keawakapu Beach is great! We ate at Sarento's, a few doors down from the Mana Kai/Surfside, which we loved but some people here dislike. The food was good, even in a box the next day! Let me know if you have any specific questions.

love
roxy

Hi OSB,

What if on Thurs. you snorkel Honolu'a Bay and combine that with your West Maui tour drive (especially if you're talking about driving North on your West Maui tour drive... Honolu'a Bay will be on your way). Then on Fri. you could snorkel Black Rock and then do your Lahaina shopping (those 2 are also geographically closer together). You can watch the Black Rock ceremony from the Hula Grill (or eat there right after).

You will probably want to go to I'ao Valley / I'ao Needle I assume. How about that on Sunday?

You seem to have a full day on Thurs. I'd probably move the pali drive to Sunday and include I`ao Valley, maybe the Tropical Plantation, on Sunday. You'll be surprised how much time that drive can take. You'll want to stop and check things out and it would be a shame for you to rush back for the lu`au. You'll want to get back in time to clean up and dress up in your lu`au duds. I'm usually pretty beat after driving the pali. You can start at Kahekili and include a stop to at snorkel at Honolua too.

For tide info pick up a MauiTime Weekly and look for the Pa`ia Fish market ad. It has the week's tide charts. You can pick up the MauiTime everywhere and it will also have entertaiment and dining info.

Depending on what supplies you need, you might just want to stop at Long's Drugs and avoid the zoo that is WalMart. WalMart doesn't sell liquor, if this is one of your supplies. ABC store has convenience store items at convenience store prices. The only "supply" I buy there is gas.

Everything is open on Sunday. My favorite little church is the historic Keawala`i Church down in Makena, but you won't be in south Maui yet on Sunday. They have Hawaiian language services and an amazing choir that sings in Hawaiian and English. Wailola Church in Lahaina has a long history but I have never attended services there. The little church in Kahakaloa is amazing, but even if you do the pali drive on Sunday, doubtful you'll get there in time for services!

If you'd like to check out some Maui nightlife, on Tuesday nights you will be blown away by Maui's own jazz guitar great Joe Cano at Mulligan's. On Tues he plays from 7 -9 with Tom Conway, another great jazz guitarist, and the hottest jazz fiddle player in the islands, Willie Wainwright. Well worth a listen.

The Five Palms at the Mana Kai is nice, relaxed, and a good value, especially if you dine between 5 and 5:30--sunset specials. My husband adores the prime rib three course special for $19.95. The Seawatch is excellent, with sweeping views, and an open airy feel to the dining room.

Here2day - Your recommendation about not wanting to rush driving around the pali has got me thinking about my plan for the second day (Sunday) of my own upcoming trip, the day before my brother's wedding.

The morning starts off nice and light with in-room tandem massages for BF and me, and then beach time. Brunch with the family is at 11am at SeaWatch (across the street from us I think, we're staying at the Kea Lani) then I was thinking we would head straight from the restaurant, probably by no later than 1pm, up the coast for a leisurely (?) drive around West Maui until we have to head back south to make a 6pm sunset dinner at Capische (based on your learned recommendation).

Too ambitious? Unfortunately with the wedding, two days of scuba diving getting our open water certification, a day of possibly doing the Haleakala self-guided bike tour (still going back and forth on this), and then the road to Hana staying our last night there, we just don't have enough days to spend a full day exploring West Maui.

You think we'll be OK? An alternative would be to forget the bike ride and just do the drive up to the Haleakala summit, check out the view, have breakfast at Kula Lodge, then head out to do the pali drive. I know you really like the bike ride down...and I trust your opinion...is it a must-do for us? (We do like to bike.)

This really the only remaining ? in my itinerary. Otherwise, we're all set and raring to go!

Oh, gosh, first of all, ack! Don't trust me--this is way to much pressure on me! lol Get other opinions too. Now I'm concerned. What if you don't like Capische? What night are you going--I need to call Brian and make sure everything goes well--my reputation is at stake!

Seawatch--nice choice for brunch. If you head out from there directly at 1 pm, you'll be in Kapalua by about 2-ish. Drive from Kapalua to Kahalui with no significant stops, 2 hours, and then straight back to Wailea and it will be 4:30, going on 5. But this does not allow for hikes, beaches, snorkeling, etc on the way. If you just want to make the drive, you can fit it in between brunch and dinner.

When I take visitors around north-west Maui, we stop and hit several beaches, walk down to the blowhole, stop and just take in sights, have shave ice with Auntie Ululani in Kahakuloa, and then head straight into the `Iao Valley and Kepaniwai Heritage
Gardens before heading home again.

As much as I enjoy biking Haleakala, I certainly would not consider it a "must-do" for anyone else. My husband is a biker, me, not so much--so biking downhill is one bike activity we do together and we really enjoy it. But I can certainly understand why some people are less than impressed--everyone has a different experience and brings with them different expectations. It sounds like you have a lot of activities planned AND a wedding. Don't forget to leave some personal, unplanned time. Leave your watch and cell phone behind and spend one day reading trashy novels on the beach. And, if you can't fit something in this time, you'll just have to come back and do it next time. And you'll be back--they always come back.

OSB, looking fwd to trip report - Maui Kai very high on my list for later this year.
Regarding Sundays, Lahaina has activities under the Banyan Tree, arts & crafts etc. Often music too, very pleasant. A stroll around the harbor is fun too. Go out for a sail on America II.
It'll seem a bit strange next time as I gather the Carthaginian has gone.

Traveldiva, even if your schedule is crammed, don't forget to allow enough time between diving and going up to Haleakala so you don't get sick!

love
roxy

LOL, Here2day, no worries at all. We're actually planning on going to Capische on Sunday, Feb. 13, which is going to be our "Valentine's Day" dinner since the actual day is my brother's wedding and associated festivities.

I have been concerned about leaving enough unplanned/downtime for reading trashy novels on the beach...it's been a rough Midwestern winter I'll tell you! (BF has been saving Da Vinci Code for this trip and at this rate, he probably won't get very far through...well maybe on the plane he might.)

The net of this is that I think we're going to play the pali drive and Haleakala bike ride by ear and see how we feel when we get there. Who knows...it might take a miracle to tear us away from the our cabana?

Roxy--I think we'll be ok since if we do Haleakala it will be before we dive, not after. (I doing it that way is supposed to be ok?)

OSB--Sorry...didn't mean to hijack your thread!

TravelDiva, a <nice and light> morning includes a massage and going to the beach and all BEFORE 11a.m.? -LOL

Obviously I'm out of my league here because I thought I was doing good having one tour, on one day planned for my 8 day trip to Honolulu next month!

Diva, and if you want to dive first you only need to allow 24 hours between your dive and going up Haleakala.

TravelDiva: No problem!! I'm working this weekend, leaving little time for the computer!
I believe you actually kept my thread going! Thanks!
I have revised my itinerary, taking into consideration the above suggestions:

Wed.: Arrrive and Mama's for dinner. Check into Maui kai. Longs/ABC store.

Thurs.: Sail America II (maybe). Old Lahaina Luau (have the reservations!)

Fri.: Snorkle Kahekili/Black Rock. Shop Lahaina. See BR diver/lighting ceremony, then to Hula Grill for dinner.

Sat.: Haleakala Sunrise/Horse tour.
Nap!! (Will there be time?).
Warren and Anabelle's Show ( Have the reservations!).

Sun.: Pali drive, snorkel Honolu'a Bay, including I'ao Valley/Needle.

Mon.: Ck out Maui Kai and into Mana Kai.
Check out the locale (for Early Tues. snorkel). Fun on the beach. Lunch at Seawatch and Nick's Fish Market for dinner.

Tues.: Early AM snorkel. Shop South Maui. (Other suggestions??).
Either Mulligan's (for dinner?)/drinks or Roy's then Mulligan's. (Would like to know more about Capische!).

Wed.: Hana drive. ? Lunch at Ono Burger at Paia Fish Market. (I'm alittle bummed that we can't fit a couple nights in Hana...maybe next time!).

Thurs.: Leave for Oahu!.

enjoylife: No Costco membership...we have "Sams Club" in our area.

pspercy: I didn't get as good a rate as I'd hoped, but got a corner room! So at least I'm not fretting it! And the no clean out fee seems to balance things out alittle! I'm somewhat antsy about the loud sound of the waves though...I sleep "very light". Will bring the trusty earplugs!
OSB.

Sadly, Pa`ia Fish Market does not open until 11 am. But you could stop in there after your drive around east Maui.

Not too much shopping in south Maui. Shops at Wailea has some upscale boutiques, chi-chi designer stores--Mont Blanc, Louis Vitton, Tiffany's, etc.-- and some galleries. In Kihei you'll not really find anything you haven't already seen in Lahaina, but there is a fun, open air, touristy trinket kind of place in Kihei at Kalama Center. There is also a Hilo Hattie's in Kihei, my mom's favorite store.

I have always wanted to do the Sliding Sands horse ride, but just never have gotten around to it. Let me know how you like it!

I also just noticed that you'll be in Lahaina on Friday--Friday night is Art Night in Lahaina, if that sort of thing is of any interest to you.

here today...keep your fingers crossed for us...my husband has to lose abit of weight if we are to do this on our trip! I'm hoping it will motivate him to do so. He lost alot ~ 3 years ago, but never really reached his goal! Will let you know IF we actually are able to do this!(Hey, I'd like being able to tell YOU something about Maui for a change! ).
OSB.

<WalMart doesn't sell liquor>

Heretoday, you haven't heard???? The LCC issued Walmart a liquor license! Not sure exactly when but Walmart will be selling it very soon, possibly as soon as tomorrow, Feb.1st.

Yeah, I read that just yesterday. I knew they applied for one, but I stupidly did not think it would really go through so fast. I was thinking by summer maybe. ha! And I say stupidly because, of course the LC is going to rush through approval for a big box mainland conglomerate. What was I thinking?