For residents. Will be in Maui in May. Staying on South shore near Kihea...?

I am not a Maui resident now, but I lived there for 6 years. Lahaina is great for the shopping and restaurants. My brother is still there working for one of those Haleakala bike companies...it's fun. Road to Hana? I did it a couple times and it's pretty and there are waterfalls to be seen, but it's ultimatly a LONG road to nowhere. Hana is a tiny town with a little mini store/restaurant. It can be a tiring trip and in the end, you turn around and come back.

Other suggestions...

1. If you want to see a beautiful waterfall (easily) go to Iao in Wailuku.

2. Drive out to Paia. It's a cool little town right before you start getting into the really winding parts of the road. It's a funky place with cool shops and local hangouts.

3. One of our favorite places to go was over by Kihei, way past Wailea. If you go as far as you can past all the Wailea hotels the road will eventually end at a little dirt parking lot on the beach. To get there you drive through lava fields. You can take a walk after you park on this dirt "service road". It's mostly shady, on the ocean the whole time (great for dips), and it's off the beaten path...quiet. Wear comfy shoes. We used to camp out there all the time.

4. If you like mexican, go to Pinata's in Kahului.

5. my husband and I got married at the Maui Tropical Plantation in the gazebo...very peaceful and pretty. Nice gift shop. Free to walk around.

6. And make sure you go snorkeling. Mile marker 14 (not sure of the number, but any dive shop can tell you) on the road between Maalaea and Lahaina is awesome.

Have fun!!!!

Live in Honolulu. Gone to Maui quite a bit. Not recommending Hana if you have been a lots of other nice scenery places already. It is a VERY windy road! Yes, most non residents will throw up, especially you are the passenger.

Love to visit Iao Needle. Quiet and peaceful valley.

Kahului airport is the main airport. Shouldn't be a problem for most tourists, easy access to most rental car counters.

I'm not a Maui resident but I travel there a LOT. Unless you have a cast iron stomach, I do NOT recommend driving to Hana. My sister and I are not normally the seasick types, but we drove there and both got out of the car and threw up. Not only that, but the residents didn't really want us there. I would not do this. Instead, go snorkeling at Molokini - most dive shops offer this. I like Maui Dive Shop.

The airport is fine, unless you have an alergy to mold. It is quite "dank" but other than that, easy to get in and out of.

the drive to hana is not that bad. it might help to take dramine (as long as you're not doing the driving as dramine may cause drowsiness) and to stop frequently to take in the beautiful sites!