Maui in March, tips/suggestions/comments?

gordita

Golden Member
Mar 24, 2001
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As luck would have it, we got a NY to OGG Maui tix through our AA miles program and we will be in Maui (first timers) for about 5 full days.

very excited and looking forward to some relaxing beach time (wouldn't hurt to get out of these 10 and 20 degree northeast weather).

so, first up, which area should we stay in?
we will definitely be renting a car the moment we land @ ogg.

things we like to do: spend idle time on the beach, all water sports and then, ofcourse the night life.
with this in mind, where should we stay?

i'm conflicted between spending a good amount of money to stay in the beach resorts or should we go with a lower cost accomodation and spend the $$$ for our water sports....

either way you look at it, the place is expensive!!

I read some comments about the maui revealed book with emphasis on taking a stuff written in the book with some common sense... point noted.

any other tips/suggestions/comments?

Also, is it safe to rent a convertible? i guess with the top down, all our stuff needs to be trunked.
thanks
 

Pugnax

Senior member
Jan 17, 2000
518
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0
If you want to take surfing lessons, schedule them a week or two before you arrive. When I was there this summer all the lessons were full for the days I was there. I stayed here, nice place; they have a good Italian place and an awesome fish bar (all outside, pretty nice). If you want a spot on the beach, get out there EARLY. People camp their towels on the beach at 5am, so you need to be there early. Also, they have a luau a few nights a week, get tickets in advance for that; pretty spectacular. Also be sure the check out the shops, esp if you like surfing. All the big name brands are there. Also a cheesecake factory too haha.

Have fun!
 

rezinn

Platinum Member
Mar 30, 2004
2,418
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I stayed in kihei last may and the beaches were pretty good and empty. If you're in the area eat at Sansei, the sushi is great and save room for dessert.

Definitely save your money for water sports if you can find a cheap place near the beach. You have to go to at least one Luau too, and they have them all over. I didn't do much at night because I was so tired from running all over during the day.

The island is pretty small so you can drive around anywhere if you want, I don't know about a convertible though I don't think its necessary if you're gonna be on the beach all day anyway.

Also there are about ten thousand little shops all over the place that all sell the same jewelery/hats/bags/junk. Don't buy at the first one you visit or you'll be sorry because you'll find stuff you like more elsewhere or realize it is garbage. Makes fun gifts though.

Buy sunscreen there and carry it all over. In fact, if you are pale from living up north you should probably try getting a tan before you go so you don't bake and ruin the rest of your trip!
 

jb1677

Junior Member
Jan 29, 2005
22
0
0
The wife and I went to Maui a few years back, we were there just over a week. We stayed at the Sheraton in Ka'anapali. The Resort was excellent, great pool and excellent beach with some of the best Snorkeling ("Black Rock") that does not require a boat. We had a "Partial Ocean View" room, basically a room whose balcony was perpindicular to the beach. The more ocean you want to see the higher the price, I think a full ocean view room was nearly 2x a standard room!

You are correct, it is expensive there but it was nowhere near as bad as we thought it was going to be.

The book you mentioned Maui Revealed was good for a lot of information, especially when seeking nice waterfalls or scenic views - be careful though, the book fails to mention that many things its talking about require you to tresspass. The book was no good for restaurants since they change so frequently.

There are tons of things to do on the island, whatever tickles your fancy really. For nightlife the town of Lahaina is the best you get, but if you are expecting a hip young party scene then you wont find it - the scene is mostly middle aged couples.
 

Atrail

Diamond Member
Apr 20, 2001
4,326
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0
Rental cars a really cheap there. We got a jeep Wrangler for a week for 161.98 total...
We stayed at the Outrigger Aina Nalu check it out, it was very well priced for the time period we went. You are not going to be in the hotel except for to sleep and change, it is so beautiful outside.
You will remember what you did on your trip, not where you stayed (unless you stay at the Ritz or something)...
On a second trip I would not pick Lahaina again, just to experience a different area.
There is a theft problem there in general, we had no problems but our rental had been broken into before.

Road to Hana is great, do it, stop at the state parks along the way
Hike Mount Haleakala Pipiwai Trail
Nakalele Blowhole
Eat at Honolua Store
Go see www.warrenandannabelles.com
Snorkel

Edit:
Chez Paul is not that great...
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
62,679
11,019
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We like Maui, and in fact, we just got back from a week there. MOST years, we go at least once, if not twice. Personally, I like Ka'anapali MUCH more than Kihei, but it may be an age difference kind of thing. It seems like there's more young folks, particularly "surf bums", in the Kihei area than Ka'anapali. Your budget will decide where you stay, although there are resorts/condo's in just about every price range in most areas...except Wailea...that area is pretty spendy...but you WILL get what you pay for with most resorts. You can book through most of the travel sites and USUALLY save money over booking direct. I'd recommend Pleasant Holidays, Expedia, or Budget Travel (a Frommers company) as starting places.
You'll need to decide if you want to stay in a hotel with lots of amenities but no simple things like kitchens & washers/dryers, or a condo with few amenities, but kitchens and washer/dryers.
We usually stay in a condo (we just sold our timeshare condo) and cook a couple of times per week. Groceries are crazy expensive (well, MOST things anyway) compared to the mainland, but there is a Costco in Kahalui (where the airport is) and at least a couple of Safeway's around the island.
We try to buy locally grown fruit from roadside stands or flea markets when we can. MUCH cheaper than in the grocery stores, and usually tastes better.
 

gordita

Golden Member
Mar 24, 2001
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0
good info.
so the consensus seems to be to splurge on the activities and not the accomodations.
do i still have to pay around $150-$200/night to stay in a decent condo/hotel??
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
62,679
11,019
136
IMO, you'll be doing good to get a shack for under $150/night...You can probably do better, if like I mentioned above, you book through one of the travel sites that buy rooms in blocks. Just calling one and booking may get you the rack rate...which is crazy.
AFAIC, I'd rather spend my nights in a comfortable room than in a dive. I'm willing to pay a bit more for the amenities that I KNOW I'll use, but then again, the Ritz-Carlton or the Four Seasons are a bit much for my pocket...There are some decently priced places that aren't dives that offer decent value for your $$$.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,924
45
91
I've always stayed in south Maui because I can stay there for free, but if I had to pay I'd seriously consider west Maui. Lahaina >>>> Kihei. I don't know what west Maui is like during the day, but as mentioned above, there aren't a ton of people on the beaches in south Maui. I don't know what staying in a resort gets you, but I believe it's cheaper to stay in a condo.

I highly recommend Warren & Annabelle's magic show up in Lahaina.
 

Auric

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
9,596
2
71
Meh, west Maui is far more developed than in ye good ol' days. So given that, I think the weather in the south tends to be better. Kihei is nice but I like to avoid that area except for groceries and rather stay in a condo in neighbouring Kamaole and walk down the hill to the beach (if not drive elsewhere) as opposed to those more crowded ones in Kihei.
 

JS80

Lifer
Oct 24, 2005
26,271
7
81
Originally posted by: gordita
As luck would have it, we got a NY to OGG Maui tix through our AA miles program and we will be in Maui (first timers) for about 5 full days.

very excited and looking forward to some relaxing beach time (wouldn't hurt to get out of these 10 and 20 degree northeast weather).

so, first up, which area should we stay in?
we will definitely be renting a car the moment we land @ ogg.

things we like to do: spend idle time on the beach, all water sports and then, ofcourse the night life.
with this in mind, where should we stay?

i'm conflicted between spending a good amount of money to stay in the beach resorts or should we go with a lower cost accomodation and spend the $$$ for our water sports....

either way you look at it, the place is expensive!!

I read some comments about the maui revealed book with emphasis on taking a stuff written in the book with some common sense... point noted.

any other tips/suggestions/comments?

Also, is it safe to rent a convertible? i guess with the top down, all our stuff needs to be trunked.
thanks

When are you going? I am going this Saturday. I got a convertible on priceline for $20/day.
 

Leejai

Golden Member
Jul 22, 2001
1,006
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FYI Maui rains in March. (Or at least it did last year when I was there). Though it's on and off, and we did get some good scuba/volcano walking, etc...done.
 

JS80

Lifer
Oct 24, 2005
26,271
7
81
Originally posted by: Leejai
FYI Maui rains in March. (Or at least it did last year when I was there). Though it's on and off, and we did get some good scuba/volcano walking, etc...done.

i love hawaii rain
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
62,679
11,019
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Me too...it might be raining, but its still 75-80 degrees and it's usually a nice warm rain...althoug it CAN rain like a sumbitch at times