Going to Maui (6 days) for my honeymoon in November. Staying at the Sheraton. We plan on..
- Taking surf lessons - Luau (which is the best?) - Road to Hana (tips?) - Shopping (is Whaler's Village the place to shop?) - Spa
What else is a must see/do? Any good restaurants? Good places to have a drink/nightlife?
Thanks a ton!
RocketSquid2010-06-29T12:55:58Z
Favorite Answer
Hi! Congratulations!
Surf Lessons: Great idea! Best surf spots are on the North Shore.
Luau: The best and most romantic luau is the Feast at Lele in Lahaina (west side of the island). There are plenty of luaus throughout the island, but the Feast at Lele is special. They serve a four-course meal directly to your own table (whereas other luaus have buffet-style food and large tables that seat guests from different parties together). Each course, as well as the dance act that accompanies it, is influenced by a different Polynesian island group.
Shopping: The Whaler's Village that you mentioned is also in Lahaina. Lots of shops, art galleries, restaurants, bars, etc. Lahaina has the best "night life" on the island, as places are open later.
Spa: The couples massage at the Grand Wailea is the BEST. The Spa Grande at the Grand Wailea resort is rated one of the top ten in the country. The prices are comparable to any spa, anywhere... plus you get the benefit of using their hydrotherapy multi-room treatments, which come complimentary before your appointment time (so come early to utilize them as much as you can), and you can walk the grounds of the five-star resort, which are beautifully landscaped and decorated. They offer free valet parking with any spa treatment, otherwise it's $20+ for parking (yikes!).
Restaurants: I hope you two like seafood... Sansei Seafood & Sushi (Kihei, south side of the island) - They have award-winning island specials and their Tempura Macadamia Nut Ice Cream is to die for. Pupu Lounge (Kihei, south side of the island) - Good food at good prices. Try their Butterfish and Chips, if available. Buzz's Wharf (Wailuku, south side of the island) - Try the fish of the day served with your choice of sauces. They also have Macadamia Nut Pie (like pecan pie, but better!)... it was so good, we ordered a second serving even though we were already stuffed. :P Charley's (Paia, north side of the island) - Try their Island French Toast with mango, chopped macadamia nuts, whipped cream, and coconut syrup.
Road to Hana: (See below)
Here are a few miscellaneous tidbits of info:
- If you're going to snorkel or scuba-dive, bring an underwater camera. Also, snorkeling is better on the calmer south side of the island and Molikini. - If you like hiking and nature trails, there is the Iao Valley State Park. - If you like waterfalls, there is Hana highway, but keep in mind that "the road to Hana" is a long, curvy, often-one-lane road that will take practically one full day to complete, and clean restrooms are few and far between. So, if you're doing the Hana thing, leave as early in the morning as possible and pack a lunch. Also, there is a chance that the driver of the vehicle will miss out on a lot of the sites, unless you take the time to stop at each one (hence, leaving early). The radio stations don't reach the Hana highway, so bring CDs... or buy a $5 Hana driving tour CD from a Boss Frog's store so you can be educated about the sites along the way. Or consider taking a guided tour. - A more user-friendly drive is the one up to Haleakala National Park, where you can get up early and drive up to the summit before dawn to watch the sunrise. Be sure to check the weather prior to going, to make sure it's not cloudy. There is a protea farm and lavender farm up there too. - If you're going in the winter, it will most likely be humpback whale-watching season (December-April, I think). If you're into that kind of thing, I would suggest going for a tour on an ocean-rafting boat so that it can get closer to the animals. Also, there is the Maui Ocean Center, a small aquarium in Wailuku. It only takes a few hours to go through the entire thing, so it's a good place to visit if you have some time to kill before your flight home or something. - Pack as many lunches as you can, since there are many good picnicking areas all over the place. - Having a GPS with you is also nifty. - There is a winery on the island, but I have not heard good things from the wine people that I know. Just putting it out there. Skip the submarine rides. If anyone says anything like "how would you like to save __% on your trip?" while you're there, they are going to try and get you to attend a timeshare meeting. It's up to you to go or refuse, just FYI. - An importnat bit of advice is not to plan out too many activities while you're there. That is, don't plan out every day of your trip. Set aside about 3 days to do the activities that you really want to do, do them every other day, and then use the days in between to explore and relax.
Many people get up at 3:00am or so and go up to the summit of Haleakala...you probably will still BE up...and catch sunrise from 10,000'. Why 3:00am? Mainly because its a 2-3 hour drive, depending on where you're leaving from. (It's also a good idea to do this within the first couple of days of your arrival before you body clock resets to Hawaiian Time...3:00am in Hawaii doesn't feel quite so bad if your body is still on one of the mainland time zones. And, if you do plan on going, bring WARM clothing, as it may be Hawaii, but it will be still in the 30's, in the dark, with some pretty stiff winds blowing...talk about windchill! There is a $10/car entry fee into the Haleakala National Park. Alternately, some people sign up with one of the biking companies who will pick you up at your hotel, drive you up to the park for the sunrise (optional...extra fee involved), and then return you to the entrance to the park, and you will bike down the remaining 6500' of elevation, or so. Its not cheap, with the summit sunrise included, you're looking at over $100 per person
If you want a little excitement on your trip, Maui is also host to 5 zipline companies that offer a total of 38 lines, including the longest and the highest in Hawaii.
Road to Hana...best tip, rent a convertible and leave early...not 3:00am early, but definitely by 8:00am, you'll want to be headed out of the Kahului area. Allow at least 2-3 hours one-way, and enjoy the scenery along the way. There are 600 turns (no idea who counted) and 53 bridges between Kahalui and Hana, as well as several waterfalls. I would suggest you take some cash, small bills, in case you want to take advantage of the many small shops and fruit stands along the way, some of which are on the honor system and don't offer change. You won't find many ATM's along the way and the only bank in Hana only opens for an hour and a half a day...great working schedule!
If you go past Hana, you'll reach the Kipahulu entrance to the Haleakala National Park. If you kept your receipt from your sunrise visit to the summit, it will also get you in here for 5-days. You can ask about the Pipiwai Stream and trail while you're at the park visitor's center. Its a hike that takes you up the valley and along 20+ pools, although called the Seven Sacred Pools...swimming is allowed, but be aware of leptosporosis, a bacteria that is found in many of Hawaii's freshwater streams/pools...don't swallow any untreated water, you'll ruin your honeymoon. Go to the end of the trail and you'll find a 400' waterfall. The trail is usually muddy.
Whaler's Village is in Lahaina, actually you could think of Lahaina as being Whaler's Village. Its filled with art galleries and museums and once again, the early bird gets the parking space. Its a cool place to walk around. Congratulations and have a happy honeymoon!
I would suggest Kauai. Very romantic and green. It is a beautiful island and is not as touristy as the other islands which is why it is so appealing The beaches are gorgeous and there are many activities such as horseback riding, helicopter rides and boat tours plus many more. I just got back from a week in Kauai and I didn't run out of things to do. I would suggest the North Shore as that is more couple oriented while the South Shore is more family oriented. Either way Kauai is a beautiful island. Have a great honeymoon wherever you go!
I wish I was in Maui with mtanswer16 right now. WoooHooo!
Surf Lessons. Sure Consider scuba diving & snorkeling. Haleakula Crater Lavender Farm Spa - Best at the Grand Wailea Luau - they are all about the same (good to excellent)