Kihei Maui

[Casey]

Anyone been to Kihei Maui? I'm going in late October and I can not wait. My brother went last year and he wanted me to go this year and I am so stupid excited. Just wondering if anyone has been there n wanted to post must see's and must do's while there?

 

[kimkats]

No but can't wait to hear all about it from you!

 

[W.J.Christy]

Went to ka'anapali which is just beyond keihi bout 12 years ago. There is nothing that isn't spectacular about Maui. Rent a car, drive the road to Hana but start very early. Visit haleakala. If you can do the sunrise tour do it. I wasn't able too but i heard its amazing. There are luaus around and i recommend them too. We also did some zip lining on a sugar plantations, that wast so great, do a canopy tour.

Its beautiful there. Pictures dont do it justice.

 

[ajw22]

Love Kihei and Maui. Was there for February and go most years. Will post about Maui later.

How long will you be there for?

 

[Turbo1Ton]

When I went to Maui, we were in Wailea, looks like you will be just up the beach from there. The entire island isn't that large. Can drive most everywhere in a couple of hours, tops.

We were, very fortunately, hosted by the company my wife worked for, at the time, so we stayed at the resort most of the time. The one thing we did do was drive the Hana Highway. It was pretty spectacular! Lots of pulloffs along the way to look at waterfalls and scenery. If you do happen to take this adventure, stopping at Coconut Glen's side of the road ice cream stand is a must! He's fairly close to the Hana end of the trail. We drove ourselves but it might be worth getting in on a van tour, as they will have a guide that will point out interesting spots, and you will be able to look. I missed quite a bit since it is a relatively treacherous drive, only 52 miles, but 620 curves, 59 bridges, of which 46 are one lane, and sometimes sheer drops to the north side of the highway. We atelunch at a small joint in Hana, and then we stopped and swam at the Waianapanapa black sand beach, which was fun. Stopped at Glen's on the way back for a sweet treat.

Maui is beautiful. I'm excited for you to go! I'm sure you'll have a great time, no matter what you end up doing!

--Jeff

 

[Newdude]

I missed quite a bit since it is a relatively treacherous drive, only 52 miles, but 620 curves, 59 bridges, of which 46 are one lane, and sometimes sheer drops to the north side of the highway

NOW you're talking my kind of adventure !!!!!

 

[jark87]

We returned from Kaanapali a couple of weeks ago. It was spectacular! We’ve also been to Wailea several times - my daughter got married there. When in Wailea, we’d go to Kihei for restaurants and shopping. It’s a laid back town with a local vibe.

If beaches are your thing, you’re heading to the right place! The entire island has phenomenal beaches, especially the west side where Kihei is located. If you’re into hiking, there are great trails to the north and of course, there’s Haleakala National Park, which is up around 10,000 feet and an entirely separate climate. While you can go on a snorkeling tour boat, personally, I’d save the money because there is fantastic snorkeling just off of several beaches. The only exception to this for me is the Trilogy Lanai sailing tour because the catamaran ride is a blast and they have exclusive access to a beautiful beach on Lanai. Black Rock Beach up in the Kaanapali area has sea turtles in knee deep water - no snorkel required! Plus, there’s a great cliff jump there. The water is a deep blue out in the jump area - something you have to see to appreciate. Last, I’ve done the road to Hana a couple of times and never enjoyed it that much, based on how long it takes. It’s a full day and most of that day is behind the wheel in traffic. A tour might have been more enjoyable, but as the driver, I didn’t particularly like it. Yes, there are beautiful stops along the way, but because we were trying to do the whole thing, we never had very much time any any one stop. And parking was very limited at these stops, from what I recall. YMMV.

Enjoy your trip - it will be an absolute blast!

 

[Casey]

Love Kihei and Maui. Was there for February and go most years. Will post about Maui later.

How long will you be there for?

View attachment 422090

7 full days. We're leaving Pittsburgh airport at 9:30pm and flying into SanFransisco airport for the layover n then off to the Island. I'm so excited to go. I told my brother that I have a lot of online friends that have probably been there and he said get as much information as possible for things to do. He went for the first time last year n wanted to go back. This will be my first time. I love beaches so I'm stoked being a beach bum for awhile. I'll take all the information you guys can cram into this thread up until October when we leave on the 26th. P.S. We're renting a Jeep for the rough terrain.

 

[Oly]

Search for a recent edition of this book Maui Revealed.
Only so many roads but lots of awesome spots.
You will be going at the very best time of year, my opinion.
Get on the plane in Pitt wearing shorts and flips. You may want to stay.

 

[jark87]

This site has lots of good info. The couple who publish it are Maui residents. They have a nice YouTube channel, too.

The ultimate Maui travel guide

With sparkling beaches, clear water, a volcano, and waterfalls, there is no shortage of things to do, see, and experience on Maui. While Maui is the most expensive island to visit, it offers a wide range of accommodations, restaurants, and sights, so there are plenty of ways to design your Maui...

thehawaiivacationguide.com

 

[Cindypantz]

Yes! Although it's been nearly 10 years ago. Definitely find a breakfast diner and try the loco moco (unless you're vegetarian). I was hesitant because it sounds gross, but I loved it.

I also highly recommend hiking the bamboo forest. You'll need clothes and shoes you can swim in because to get to the waterfall (that you can climb and jump into the natural pool below) you will need to swim across the river a few times. It's beautiful, definitely do it. Also, the mountain has a ton of hiking trails. Everything is beautiful, you can't throw a stone without hitting a waterfall.

Also, also, you can get amazing sushi everywhere, including convenience stores.

Have a blast! I'm so jealous!

Edit to add: if you have time, grab a boat ride to go out to Molokini crater to go snorkeling. Bring so so much sunscreen. This part of my trip actually ruined the rest of my trip because I got so sunburned I couldn't sleep. Thankfully I did this on my next to last day.

 

[Mdragger88]

So excited for u ! 🏖

 

[Wolfepack88]

We returned from Kaanapali a couple of weeks ago. It was spectacular! We’ve also been to Wailea several times - my daughter got married there. When in Wailea, we’d go to Kihei for restaurants and shopping. It’s a laid back town with a local vibe.

If beaches are your thing, you’re heading to the right place! The entire island has phenomenal beaches, especially the west side where Kihei is located. If you’re into hiking, there are great trails to the north and of course, there’s Haleakala National Park, which is up around 10,000 feet and an entirely separate climate. While you can go on a snorkeling tour boat, personally, I’d save the money because there is fantastic snorkeling just off of several beaches. The only exception to this for me is the Trilogy Lanai sailing tour because the catamaran ride is a blast and they have exclusive access to a beautiful beach on Lanai. Black Rock Beach up in the Kaanapali area has sea turtles in knee deep water - no snorkel required! Plus, there’s a great cliff jump there. The water is a deep blue out in the jump area - something you have to see to appreciate. Last, I’ve done the road to Hana a couple of times and never enjoyed it that much, based on how long it takes. It’s a full day and most of that day is behind the wheel in traffic. A tour might have been more enjoyable, but as the driver, I didn’t particularly like it. Yes, there are beautiful stops along the way, but because we were trying to do the whole thing, we never had very much time any any one stop. And parking was very limited at these stops, from what I recall. YMMV.

Enjoy your trip - it will be an absolute blast!

Yes most of us that have gone to Maui would tell anyone honeymooning, don't do the road to Hana or what we all called it the "road to divorce" because it was guaranteed to start a first argument if your beloved is a backseat driver. The drive for the driver blows. It becomes a full day and you nailed it, you are on this mission to get to Hana so you never stop at any of those spots to go swimming in those pools because you need to keep going. Hated that part of our trip. The sunrise at the top of Haleakala is a very cool experience. Enjoy the beaches, the whales if you go in season and the wildlife and scenery. I'm actually off to Hawaii for 2 weeks this Sunday. Aloha!!

 

[Wolfepack88]

Oh one last thing, if you go into the water, respect it big time and never ever turn your back to the ocean if you are in or close to the shoreline!! Remember the Hawaiian islands are the most remote islands in the world and smack dab in the middle of the ocean so the surf is unlike a continental shoreline. its not a Florida or North Carolina shore break, It can be very very dangerous so respect it and you will have a great time.

 

[Homebrewale]

It's been recommended to see the sun rise at the top of Haleakala. On the same trip, try biking down the volcano. It is quite scenic. Just don't go too fast and miss the scenery. As for any humpback whale tours, we had a fantastic trip through the Pacific Whale Foundation. We ended up stuck out there for a long time because two whales were right up against the boat so they couldn't move.

 

[jark87]

if you go into the water, respect it big time

Also respect the biological sensitivity of the natural habitat by using a true reef friendly sunscreen.

Reef Safe Sunscreen Guide | Save the Reef

savethereef.org

 

[Casey]

My brother and his wifey went last year and they really want to do the Road to Hana so we are definitely going to take a day to do it even if it's not recommended and we're going to take turns driving it. They only went so far last year because they didnt have a 4wd and they said there is a sign that says if they didn't have a 4wd that had to stop. The locals also told them to go up the opposite way so they were driving on the side of the mountain n not the drop off so its safer. We're going to do it.

 

[cptkirk]

Maui is my favorite Hawaiian island, very diverse. Lots of great stuff has already been mentioned. If you want to splurge for a great meal, we really liked Mama's Fish House which would be on the way to the road to Hana via the north shore. Also thought the Iao Valley State Monument was pretty neat. Hiking down into Haleakala is like being on the moon, very different from what you would expect to find on a tropical island. You really can't go wrong, I'm sure you'll have a great time.

 

[blazer58]

It's been recommended to see the sun rise at the top of Haleakala. On the same trip, try biking down the volcano. It is quite scenic. Just don't go too fast and miss the scenery. As for any humpback whale tours, we had a fantastic trip through the Pacific Whale Foundation. We ended up stuck out there for a long time because two whales were right up against the boat so they couldn't move.

I did the bike trip with my wife, (talked her into it), when it was over I thought she wanted a divorce .
I was in front flying down, she was in the rear with breaks on the whole way
It was a great ride

 

[Homebrewale]

I did the bike trip with my wife, (talked her into it), when it was over I thought she wanted a divorce .
I was in front flying down, she was in the rear with breaks on the whole way
It was a great ride

It was the opposite for us. My wife didn't want to do a guided bike tour because she thought they might go too fast for her. We picked a bike company where you are on your own to bring the bike back to their building. You bike at your own pace. After we receive our bikes, the next thing I notice is my wife flying down the volcano. Instead of trying to keep up, I just go at a leisurely pace. She stops further down the volcano since she doesn't see me. When I finally catch up with her, I can see she is frantically trying to call me on my cell phone. She thought I might have crashed because it was taking me so long to get there. I said I thought you wanted to go slow.