I am going on my honeymoon in July of 2000 and we have the wonderful option to stay at a condo in Maui. What side of the island is the most desirable place to stay? We want to be around things, but not in tourist central. Please help soon since we are making reservations in 2 days.
Thanks fellow Fodorians!

All my research has suggested that the West side of the island on/near Kanaapali Beach is the place to stay.

Have fun!

Hi Karen! My husband and I are going to Maui this July..can't wait! From what I hear and the research I've done, Kaanapali Beach is where all of the action is...lots or restaurants, shops, etc. My husband and I opted for the quieter side of Maui, so we are going to stay in Wailea. From what I understand,it is a bit more expensive..restaurants, shops, but still close enough to other towns to be able to have eating alternatives. Some people on this forum say it is too quiet. I've discussed this with other people my age...late 20's....and they say that they loved the area. It all depends on what you are looking for. I'll give you a full report when I return. Good luck!

Jen

Hi Karen! My husband and I are going to Maui this July..can't wait! From what I hear and the research I've done, Kaanapali Beach is where all of the action is...lots or restaurants, shops, etc. My husband and I opted for the quieter side of Maui, so we are going to stay in Wailea. From what I understand,it is a bit more expensive..restaurants, shops, but still close enough to other towns to be able to have eating alternatives. Some people on this forum say it is too quiet. I've discussed this with other people my age...late 20's....and they say that they loved the area. It all depends on what you are looking for. I'll give you a full report when I return. Good luck!

Jen

Hi Karen, we just returned on Sunday from our 7th trip in eight years to Maui so you can certainly tell that we love the place. Without a doubt I wholeheartedly agree with the above - that is namely to stay on the west side of Maui near Lahaina. Lahaina will be the place you will probably frequent most often if you want to do things, snorkel, sail, bars, good restaurants, shopping. We always stay on Kaanapali Beach (at the Hyatt) due to its proximity to Lahaina. We found ourselves going in to Lahaina almost every day for either an activity (i.e. snorkel to Molikini), dinner, or to shop. We like the fact that we stay less than 5 minutes away. If you have any other questions please feel free to e-mail me directly. Chuck

I had my honeymoon in Maui this past October. I would recommend staying in the Kaanapali area. We stayed at the Westin and it was fabulous. A condo would be great for a return visit - that way it would definitely be cheaper. But, since it's your honeymoon, I would go all out and stay at a nice hotel and live it up!

I would recommend the Palms at Wailea. Posh, quiet and away from the Kihei madness. Still only minutes away from all the resorts, restaurants and beaches. Wailea seems to have a more relaxed atmosphere than Kaanapali.

We were married on Maui in Feb 98. I sweated over which island, what part of the island, which hotel, which blah blah on top of the usual wedding stuff. My husband was being promoted & had to work 7 days a week 13 hours a day so he could not help me plan. I would stress & worry about making just the right decision.
Well, it was perfect from start to finish. I chose Wailea (which I am soooo glad I did). We stayed at the Renaissance & loved it. Lahaina & Kaanapali are very touristy. They are less than 10 minutes apart from each other. You will have about a 30-40 minute drive from Wailea to where the "action" is but it is not a big idea because you have all that beauty to take in. I'm not so sure we would have seen so much of the island had we not stayed on that end. Wailea does close down early (most of it) but you can still find things to do or go to Lahaina for nightlife. You will be on your honeymoon, though. Not just a vacation. Wailea is very tranquil. We loved the entire experience & would not change a thing! A friend of mine just got back last week. She also got married there & SHE said everything was PERFECT. She stayed where we did, too. My husband & I have said that if/when we go back, if it is just a vacation (not an anniversary) we will probably stay in Kaanapali just because we would probably have kids by that time & would probably need to be around more action. Hope this helps.

*Romance/Tranquility - Wailea/Makena

*Action/Regular vacation - Lahaina/Kaanapali

I have been to Maui 4 times, both in Wailea and Kaanapali. I prefer Wailea for number of reasons - the resorts are more upscale and not tourist central. Downside is, it is somewhat quite. It's closed from the airport and you can always drive to Lahaina/Kaanapali (about 45 minute drive as I recall). The Westin in Kaanapali is nice and top notch service, but you can't beat the Grand Wailea. Check out their web site - it is the ultimate pampering vacation. http://www.grandwailea.com/ Good luck - either way you can't go wrong in Maui!