- Daytime activities
- Nightlife
GOLF If you love to golf the Village
Course and Bay Course at Kapalua is really challenging and scenic. Someone described the Village
Course as golfing on a course in a jungle. They also have a golf academy
there and you can take lessons, they have a lot of different lesson programs.
The Plantation Course at Kapalua is where the Mercedes Championship is
held it is not for the meek. Unbelievable course and very beautiful.
Down the road south of the Valley Isle Resort is the Kaanapalli Golf
Course. Very nice and fun to play.
Kaanapali Beach is a fun place to hang out enjoy the beaches
and lots of activities there. Lot’s of restaurants and lots of people
so for me it is probably good for one day; unless you hang out at the
Sheraton it is all the way at the end near Black
Rock. It is really
good place to snorkel, a great beach and at sunset they have cliff divers.
Have a drink or two and watch them light the torches on the cliffs and
dive.
HALEAKALA - Inactive volcano crater that forms the south
part of the island of Maui. Popular spot for watching the sunrise and
hiking. Plan to spend a half-day or more depending on any side trips.
HANA AND THE 7 POOLS - The Road to Hana is unbelievable.
Yes, it is only 50 miles; it is mostly a two way paved road to Hana and
passed Hana to the seven pools. At times the road narrows to a single
lane especially at bridges, and there are many bridges. Hana is spectacular.
It is old Hawaii and is part of a beautiful rain forest. You travel 50
miles through the rain forest to get there. Really, the trip isn’t just
about getting to Hana. The trip is about the drive. Not that it takes
3 to 4 hours to drive 50 miles, but the fact that you should take 7 or
more hours to drive the 50 miles, because there is so much to see and
explore on your way there. Waterfalls, fresh water ponds, bamboo forests,
mango trees, roadside fruits, vegetables, and other vendors. Wainapanapa
State Park has a fabulous black sand beach, luscious landscaping, and
fresh water caves to swim in. Refreshing is an under statement. Just a
few miles past Hana is Homoa State Beach. James Michner once said it was
the most beautiful beach in the world. It is! Then there is the seven
pools there are some on the left side of the road where most of the tourists
go, but if you venture up the paths to the right side of the road into
the hills you will find some beautiful pools and waterfalls. So, you can
see if you just drive right through you will miss what it is all about.
If you plan on going to Hana you can get a tape or cd for your car that
will guide you along the way so you know what to see, where to stop and
where to explore. You can pick that tape or cd up at the Shell Station
in Kahului right before you head out on the road to Hana or you can try
an ABC Store or the Shell Station in Lahaina.
IAO VALLEY - is a stunning park, it is in Wailuku only
about 45 minutes drive back toward the airport. Beautiful grounds, streams,
ponds, and pools with majestic peaks and tropical rain forest. If you
want a mini version of what you may have seen on the road to Hana but
didn’t have the time or inclination to make the trip, this is a good
substitute. There are several nice hiking trails in the valley. If you
don't do any hiking, this attraction does not take much time to see.
It can be combined with another activity in the area, such as the Tropical
Plantation, and still take only a half day.
NORTH OF KAPALUA - This is a nice scenic drive that goes around the north end of the island.
You will pass Kapalua Resort and it's famed golf courses, the Marine Preserve/snorkeling bay of Honolua,
the blowhole, and the tiny village of Kahakuloa. Beautiful scenery with fantastic ocean
and mountain views. Single lane road for a short stretch south of Kahakuloa. Minimum of 2 hours to drive to Wailuku,
more if you make a lot of stops.
SNORKELING - You can take any of several snorkeling cruises or you can experience great snorkeling right from shore.
Snorkeling gear can be easily rented for $2 or less per day. Our favorite spots are: Kapalua Bay (Kapalua Resort, 3 miles north of the condo)
Ulua Beach in the Wailea Resort area Maui has many great places to visit. I love Honolua
Bay. It is north of here past Kapalua.
It is a beautiful bay and a reserve. In the late spring and summer you can snorkel there and it is stunning. It is like snorkeling in a
natural aquarium. Wow! By the Black Rock at the Sheraton in Kaanapali Around the 14 mile marker, just south of Olowalu. (Thousand Peaks)
MAUI OCEAN CENTER - The Maui Ocean Center in Maalaea is a beautiful facility with excellent displays of tropical fish,
coral and all of the ocean life indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands.
All beaches in Hawaii are public, and everything is very open. So if you like the beach at the Sheraton or the Hyatt - just use them.
If you are looking for great beaches, we recommend:
Kapalua Bay Beach. Kapalua is an excellent beach for sunning, swimming, and snorkeling and is a goodfamily beach.
It has been named Best Beach in Hawaii, by Hawaii Magazine readers. and has also been named one
of the best beaches in the world on "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" just 2 miles north of the condo.
Famous" just 2 miles north of the condo.
Flemings beach is great in the spring and summer for body surfing and
boogie boarding. It is located below the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua. The tow is very strong there so be careful and enter the water at your own risk.
Kaanapali Beach located on the south end of, this is a good place to go when the north end of the island has rain and clouds, and you need to
head just a little south to get to the sun 4 miles south of the condo.
Prindle Beach, ocally known as Airport Beach. Located on the north end of Kaanapali Beach, this is a beautiful sandy beach
with grassy areas and a nice picnic pavilion, and a popular snorkeling and scuba diving spot just 3 miles south of the condo.
Big Makena (Big Beach). South of Wailea and Makena, this beach is one of the best on the island, wide white sand for about 1/2 mile.
Little Makena, on the other side of the rocky point on the north end of this beach is an 'unofficial' nude beach. About a 30 mile drive.
Po'oenalena Beach, also known as Paipu Beach, is another beach that we like in the Makena area. It is a smaller, more private,
protected beach in a cove with nice sand, shaded areas to sit in, and good waves for boogie boarding and bodysurfing.
Hanaka'oo Beach, locally known as Canoe Beach About a 30 mile drive
If you plan to do some hiking, we have 2 suggestions. First, bring old clothes to hike in. Maui mud produces stains that do not come out!
(The "Red Dirt Shirts" are a whole industry on Maui that takes advantage of the fact that Maui mud acts like a red dye.) Second, pick up
the book 'Hiking Maui' as a guide. This gives some good suggestions for hikes of all lengths and difficulties.
There are numerous other activities available on Maui, such as scuba diving, boogie boarding, surfing and windsurfing, horseback riding,
and biking, including biking down Haleakala. The free publications will give you all the details you need to know about these activities.
You will find that Maui is a very casual island. You can go practically anywhere, including most of the best restaurants,
in shorts or aloha wear so there is no need to bring more formal clothing. The temperature will nearly always be in the mid 80's during the
day and in the high 60's to low 70's at night. A lightweight jacket or sweater, and one pair of slacks for the cooler evenings should
provide all of the "warm" clothes you need.
Other essentials that we recommend are sunscreen, beach towels, binoculars (especially during whale watching season),
and, of course, a camera and/or camcorder.
The condos have coffee makers, blenders, toasters, and all the other small kitchen appliances you will need.
There is also an iron and full-size ironing board, and a wall-mount hair blow dryer in the bathroom.
Before we mention shopping places, we should point out that there are cash machines available all over Maui.
They are at most banks, the airport, Safeway in Lahaina, and K-Mart, and Costco just to name a few locations.
We use cash machines as our only source of funds and have had no difficulty finding one when we need it. Also,
many retailers on Maui will gladly accept your personal check. There is an ATM at the bank near the Valley Isle
Resort at the Kahana Gateway Center.
If it is not too late when you arrive on Maui, you may want to stop at Costco
or K-Mart in Kahului to stock up on some
essentials at more reasonable prices than you may find near the condo, on the other side of the island. They are located
on the left, just after the first signal light when you leave the airport/car rentals. If you are going shopping for food to cook
here, the best market is the Napili Market it is
at the Napili Shopping Center. It is a bit pricey but very good quality items.
If you want to save some money Safeway in the Cannery
Mall on the highway north of Lahaina, is the best on the west side of the island.
You will pass by it on your way to the condo from the airport. If you will be doing a lot of grocery shopping during your stay it may
be beneficial to become a Safeway Club member (just ask at the service desk, you don't have to be an island resident).
Long's Drug
Long's is also in the Cannery Mall and is a good place to shop for whatever you need from beach gear togroceries.
They frequently have Maui wines on special. Macadamia Nuts If you do plan to make a trip to the Big Island, buy nuts there where you
can buy seconds at very reasonableprices. On Maui try Costco or watch Long's and K-Mart for specials on 14-16 oz. bags.
Foodland in Lahaina is also a great place to shop for food.
Star Market south of the Valley Isle Resort is also a god place to shop for food. It is located in Honokowai just off the main road.
For any medical needs there is a Kaiser Clinic in Lahaina 1 800 966 5955 and after hours and advice desk at 1 800 467 3011.
If you are not a Kaiser Member please try Doctor’s on Call at 667 7676 or West Maui 667 9721. For Emergency call 911.
All in all this is a very special and magical island. We hope you enjoy your stay at Valley Isle at my second home Suite 103 and on Maui.
Mahalo, for choosing my Suite 103 and we hope to have you return again. Please let your friends and family know about my suite.
NIGHTLIFE
If you haven’t been to Maui or you are not a regular
visitor here. We would like to tell you about Our Favorite
Places To Eat And Go. For food our favorite local food is the Aloha
Plate Lunch on Front Street
in Lahaina. We love the coconut shrimp and Kalbi Beef ribs. Great
Happy Hour Prices and the restaurant is outdoors and right on the ocean.
Really delicious.
Very Reasonable Prices. Best sunset besides this lovely Suite
103, is at the Napili Kai Resort at the Seahouse Restaurant, the food is
pretty good
and the sunset and view is amazing. Sitting at the bar there
give you the best view! Best sushi and pan Asian cuisine, is Sansei
at Kapula.
Check
it out, on Thursdays after 10:00 PM they have Karaoke and 50%
off the sushi menu. Our favorite hotel bar is the Sheraton
Kaanapalli at
the poolside on
the ocean, just a little hut; bartenders are very friendly and
you meet a lot of fun people there. Inside the Lahaina Cannery Mall is a
Vietnamese
Restaurant in the food court. Great soup and Vietnamese style
sandwiches on fresh baked French rolls. Very reasonable. The best pancakes
we have ever
had are at The Gazebo at Napili Point Resort down the road.
It is very small and the wait is worth it. My favorite is the combo macadamia
nut, pineapple
and banana pancake. We have seen many people eating the omelets
there, we have never tried them, but they look great. If you don’t get there
early
you will probably have to wait about 20 minutes.
We like David Paul’s in downtown Lahaina
with a very creative menu.Very good!
Right here in Kahana at the shopping center where the McDonalds is located, back in the corner is a very good restaurant Fish
and Game.
Very good prices and very good food. We particularly like the filet tips appetizer, the bouillabaisse, and cioppinio.
We have eaten there many times and we have never had a bad meal. You can walk over there from here and have a great meal a couple of drinks
or more and you don’t have to worry about driving.
If you love Thai food there is a little Thai restaurant in Lahaina called the Thai
Chef. It is very authentic and fresh Thai Food.
It is a very popular restaurant so if you don’t get there early you will have to wait. It is also very small so there aren’t that many tables.
It is located off of Front Street opposite Longhis, near the Maui Theatre where Ulalena is playing, right near the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.
You can bring your own beer and wine into the restaurant to drink. They don’t sell or serve alcohol there. There is an ABC convenience store very
close so you can get a table, order then go over to the ABC store and purchase your alcoholic beverages and bring them back.
We really enjoy Maui Tacos. Our favorite there is the potato tacos. Great sauces and salsas. Located at the Napili Shopping Center in Napili.
LUAUS - If you want to attend a luau, there are a number
of choices. Some of the more popular luaus are the Old Lahaina Luau,
the luau at the Royal Lahaina Resort, and the luau at the Maui Marriot
Resort. Because of it's popularity, the Old Lahaina Luau is usually
sold out weeks in advance. If you would like to attend the Old Lahaina
Luau during your stay, we recommend that you make reservations in advance
of your trip. You can make reservations on their website at www.OldLahainaLuau.com or by calling 1-800-248-5828. Or by our special arrangement with Activity
World, you can make reservations by going to the website for the Resort
www.valleyisleresort.com and clicking on the link to Activity World.
MAUI MYTH & MAGIC PERFORMANCE OF "ULALENA" - An attraction
truly unique to Maui, this stage performance produced
by the same Canadian company that does the "Cirque du Soleil" shows
in Orlando and Las Vegas, is well worth seeing. "Ulalena" tells
the history of Hawaii through song, dance, music, gymnastics and fabulous
special
effects. You will need to book 1-2 days ahead of time.
WARREN AND ANNABELLE'S MAGIC SHOW - Your evening starts
out in Annabelle's Parlor with delicious pupu's and cocktails while Annabelle,
the ghost, entertains requests on the piano, followed by a "name
that tune" audience participation. You are then taken in to the 78-seat
theatre, where you are entertained by Warren, an excellent magician and
entertainer. While he entertains you with his fantastic magic, his wit
and audience interaction will keep you laughing all evening long. Cost
for the show is moderate, with reasonably priced pupu's and drinks extra,
as either part of a prepaid package or ordered ala carte when you get
there.
WHALE WATCHING (Available Late November -
Mid-May) - One of the most memorable experiences on Maui, and you will
not have to
go anywhere to participate. Bring your binoculars and
watch for the spouts of these beautiful creatures right from our lanai.
You can also
take one of any number of whale watching cruises. Cruises
are generally moderate in price but vary greatly depending on what is
included along
with the whale watching.
TRILOGY - If you want to combine your snorkeling, scuba diving
and whale watching with a fun day of beach activities and good eats, you
might want to try taking Trilogy Tours. This is a full-day activity, somewhat
pricey, but a great time.
MAUI TROPICAL PLANTATION - The plantation is
an interesting place to walk through and to learn more about the crops and
flowers of the
islands. You can walk through the grounds and the exhibits
for free. They have a large gift shop with souvenirs and Maui food products.
In our opinion
the price you pay for the tram ride around the plantation
is not worth the price.
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