Where to stay in Maui for 2nd trip
 

Hi everyone,
My fiance and I are planning a 6 or 7 day trip to Maui in May. We've both stayed in Lahaina/Ka'anapali before, and really enjoyed it, but thought this time we'd try something different. We'd have liked to go to Kauai but flight prices on our available dates prohibited that.

Where might we stay to have a somewhat "different" experience of Maui? We are are trying to go the budget route if possible! We saw some nice-looking condos in Kihei for a great price, what do you think of that? Is there somewhere else we should explore? We don't mind being "out of the way" and are not interested in "night life" other than a couple of nice dinners (plan to make the rest in our kitchenette).

Thanks!

Aloha suz,

I've heard rave reviews for http://www.kiheisurfside.com/index.php
Condos are a wonderful way to go budget in Hawaii.

Happy planning! ((R))

Hi Suz, what is your budget? For some people budget route may mean $200 a night, for others $100 a night. I would suggest investing in a copy of Maui Revealed, it's a great resource for recommendations.

Having just planned my trip in May I can give you some general info. Wailea seems to be the most expensive area for lodging with very high end luxury resorts. The only less expensive accomodations I found in Wailea were far from the beach. Kihei seems generally cheaper than Kaanapali and Wailea. Maui Revealed recommends a place in south Kihei called Kihei Surfside. It's all condos, with very reasonable prices (IMO), but no air conditioning (a deal breaker for some). Further on west Maui north of Kaanapali you can find very reasonable prices in Napili and Kahana.

For a different Maui experience many fodorites recommend staying in Hana. I haven't done any research on this so I don't know if there are any budget places to stay near Hana.

Check out the Mana Kai. It is right on the border where Wailea starts and is on a nice beach. I did not stay there but went snorkling at the beach that the property sits on top of, and I snorkled with a very cool sea turtle. Check out the VRBO website, there are a couple of units for rent there, one with a fabulous ocean view.

What about renting a house in the upcountry for a different experience?

Thanks for the input everyone! We've decided to postpone the trip after all, but we'll keep these ideas in mind :-)