Jennifer Lu

My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Maui in April/May. I've been to the Lahaina/Kaanapali area twice but since I was on a student budget during both visits, I didn't get to explore much of what the island has to offer. He's never been to Hawaii before. As a change of pace, I was thinking about trying Wailea. How does it compare to Lahaina? Also, any information regarding quality of hotels, weather, accessibility to activities and other parts of the island, quality and quantity of restaurants, would be appreciated greatly. Thanks.

Shelly

Wailea is very nice and less congested than Lahaina. The hotels are quite deluxe, and beautiful to wander through, or to enjoy a tropical drink at the bar. If you are on a budget, you may consider staying in nearby Kihei, but it is really busy. There are a lot of smaller hotels in Kihei than Kaanapali, but you will need to do your research. There are several very nice hotels in Wailea (Grand Waliea,Four Seasons,Kea Lani) but you can also rent condos off the beach. Wailea has some fabulous beaches (Makena is incredible) and some great snorkelling. I can't remember the name, but at the end of the road past Makena there is a conservation area that has an incredible population of fish. Wailea is at the end of the highway though so it is a little tough to get anywhere else. The highway is the quickest route up island, rather than driving through Kihei. It takes around 20 mintues to get to the highway junction to go to Kahalui or on to Lahaina. The restaurants in the hotels in Wailea are fabulous!
I have stayed there twice and it truly is a paradise. I would stay there again over Kaanapali/Kapalua, which I think is more crowded.

jackie

Hi Jennifer
If you have a choice and money is not an issue, stay in Wailea. It is very relaxed and beautiful. It is away from Lahaina and you will most likely want to go to Lahaina at some point to the art studios and shops. Kaanapali is almost to manucred and touristy for my tastes but it is closer to Lahaina. I am going to Maui in a few weeks but I prefer to stay in Kihei. I like to rent a condo which cuts down on meal costs. Kihei is congested but I also have friends in the area. I like to go to Lahaina on Friday nights (art night) and some of the exursions take off from there. So it really depends on what you like and what you plan to do. Check out the Maui News Web page, it has some links in the classified adds. You will find pictures of Condos and other links. Have fun! Aloha

Me

Definitely Lahaina!