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If you’re considering Maui for your Hawaii vacation you’re probably wondering where would be the best place to stay on the island. I often get this question and base my recommendations on customers’ individual travel needs. That being
said, here is some basic information that I think would be helpful to anyone who is considering a trip to Maui. This is general overview of the island and it’s always best to check with a travel agent to make sure you avoid any problems
with the location you have chosen.
Please note this is a Part 1 of a 2 Part series on this subject and focuses on the West and South sides of the Island Click here for part 2.
When you look at a map of Maui, it’s similar to a sideways figure eight. We’ll start from the left side (northwest side) and work our way around the island. On the northwest side is Kapalua where you’ll find the beautiful beach at Kapalua
Bay. Although the trade winds can be strong, there’s true magic looking out across the Bay and relaxing here. Kapalua is considered a somewhat "high end" area. You’ll find the Ritz Carlton and Kapalua Bay Villas which are both
adjacent to two golf courses. One potential downside is a bit of a walk to the beach at Kapalua Bay from most of the resorts there.
Moving south from the northwest side is Napili. In this area you’ll only find condos, no major resorts or hotels. However, some of these condos are quite nice and even provide restaurants and spas on property. Many of the condos very
affordable and are located right along or across the beach. The area is perfect for families and small groups. The major attraction in Napili is Napili Bay. I always make it a point to snorkel there and I’m never disappointed. Napili Bay
is very safe and I often see beautiful sea turtles there.
Further southwest is Honokauai. This area is heavily populated with condos. Similar to Napili, Honokauai does not have any major resorts or hotels. Honokauai is one of my favorite places for visitors because it’s a bit closer to the action in Lahaina and Kaanapali. Unfortunately, some beaches are not conducive for swimmers due to coral rock. If swimming is a priority for you, make sure to find the right beaches.
On the west side is Kaanapali, one of the most popular resort areas on the island. Here you’ll find amazing resort hotels and wonderful condos. There’s lots of action; shopping and restaurants all connected by a walkway behind the
hotels with the Whalers Village the central focal point. You won’t feel isolated here, there is a lot to do and see. Kaanapali is a good mix of cosmopolitan and tropical activities.
Located nearby Kaanapali is Lahaina, the heart of Maui in many ways. Lahaina is home to Lahaina Town. This is an old whaling village which is now a promenade with museums, restaurants, shops and more. Lahaina is a wonderful place to stay for those who either can’t or don’t want to rent a car. Everything is centrally located and extremely easy to find in Lahaina. No traveling is necessary to enjoy numerous activities Lahaina has to offer. Don’t worry, you can find budget
friendly condos in Lahaina, including the Lahaina Shores and Aina Nalu.
Please note this is a Part 1 of a 2 Part series Click here for part 2
.
Related posts
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Getting Around the Hawaiian Islands
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Posted by Bruce Fisher @AlohaBruce
May 22nd, 2009
It all started a couple of years ago when I was approaching my 50th birthday. I thought about how I wanted to celebrate by either having a big party or going somewhere special. I didn’t see it as some big milestone in my life, instead, I just wanted to forget about turning 50. My Birthday came and went without any fanfare.
Like most red blooded American males, I enjoy watching football on Sundays or an occasional basketball game if my team is doing well. But I’ve never been much of a jock; never got into any kind of formal sports. I never excersised.
You’re might wondering at this point what this has to do with a Hawaii vacation.
Well, right before my 50th birthday, my wife and I had an opportunity to go on a seven-day cruise around the Hawaiian Islands. If you’ve ever wondered what people who live in Hawaii do for their vacations, this is one of them. Even though I’m a travel agent who’s lived in Hawaii 18 years, I thought that this would be a great idea. Then I lamented Oh No!, what about all the food? What about all the drinking? Isn’t that what people do on a cruise?
Right before our cruise, one of my good friends who I have known since childhood started telling me about how he had been working out and getting into shape. He talked about how rowing and training had improved his heart rate. He said his main inspiration was a book he had read that was called interestingly, "Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy Until You’re 80 and Beyond." My friend sent the book to me for my birthday and I started reading it three days before the cruise.
As a result of reading the first few chapters I decided to use this vacation as an opportunity to get in shape. I made a commitment to use the gym on the ship every day and go to classes that they offered on healthy eating. I kept my promise to myself. I worked out every single day while on the ship and stayed with that regime till today. I am not going to lecture about the specifics of my workout; you can find that all in the book. But I can tell you that in my experience, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.
Why not use this upcoming Hawaii vacation not only to get away from the stresses of your busy life, but also to make some lifestyle changes? Hawaii is perfect for exercising and being outdoors. Many of the resorts are located on expansive properties where you can walk or run while enjoying beautiful scenery. Most hotels have gyms or other exercise facilities for their guests. Hawaii has many great restaurants on each island where you can find healthy meals at affordable prices. There is no excuse not to keep to your exercise and diet regime while you are in Hawaii!
If you’re like most folks who are considering Hawaii Vacations; it’s a trip of a lifetime. Consider this your opportunity and invitation to get into shape during your Hawaiian Vacation and be younger next year.
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May 18th, 2009
We locals have noticed an interesting phenomenon in Waikiki. After mainland vacationers have arrived and checked into their hotels, they venture out and look around for a place to eat. They inevitably head for a McDonald’s or a Burger King or another recognizable sign.
We presume there’s some trepidation about the enormous variety of restaurants – the number of nationalities represented – in Hawaii. They’ve read or heard about that variety. They may feel they aren’t ready to deal with chopsticks, raw fish, exotic fare from exotic places or servers who speak little English. They feel they might be disdained or even ridiculed by the local restaurant customers as they clumsily try to properly handle the foreign food in front of them.
So they head for something familiar – Big Macs or Whoppers.
Take heart. Yes, there is a huge variety of ethnic restaurants serving dishes you may never have heard of. But – especially in Waikiki – even the ethnic restaurants cater to mainland tastes (and to Japanese tastes because of the number of visitors from that country).
In the mood for a good steak? There’s a bunch of excellent steakhouses. Conventional Italian? Likewise. Seafood that isn’t wiggling? Of course.
If you feel intimidated before setting out to eat, talk to your concierge or one of the desk clerks and say what you’re looking for. You’ll be advised of a number of restaurants that are sure to appeal to you.
Once you’ve become familiar with the island you’re on, by all means try some of the restaurants that come well-recommended or whose fare and ambience sound good to you based on their write-ups in the “what-to-do” books you find in your room. There are several world-class restaurants and chefs in the islands. Hawaii Regional Cuisine and the places that serve fusion entrees are wonderful. And please don’t avoid the ethnic restaurants. They’re authentic and the dishes are delicious, even if they’re new to you. Try one. Thai food, for example, although spicy, is very satisfying. (You probably have a good idea of what to expect in a Chinese or Japanese restaurant.)
Any time you feel the need for the fast food you know and love, be assured it’s easy to find. There are 75 (and counting) McDonald’s alone in Hawaii, and an abundance of their competing ourlets.
A sure thing is to give us a call at 1-800-843-8771, or pick an agent on the Hawaii-Aloha Web site (hawaii-aloha.com). Every one of us knows the territory very well and can steer you to some restaurants you’ll love.
Posted by Jim Winpenny
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May 4th, 2009
While I’ve been in the travel industry for over 12 years in Hawaii, I can honestly say that there have been only a couple of Hotels here that have ever reached out to us in a meaningful way. I’m not complaining. It’s just basically a fact of life for us because we focus only on inbound business. We use wholesalers for most of our bookings and, as a result, we are “under the radar" and not noticed by a lot of the Hoteliers here in Hawaii. When we make reservations, for the most part, the hotels themselves don’t see our company name, they see the wholesaler’s name from whom we purchase the hotel space. Understandably, these hotels have no idea who is really on the front lines booking their properties.
This has never been the case with AquaResorts in Hawaii. From the day we met Robin Harlow (coincidentally at a wholesaler’s in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2004), AquaResorts has recognized us and done anything and everything to build on our relationship with their properties. This type of attention is the same attention that we can expect — and receive — when we put our customers in the Aqua properties. They have consistently been one of our top-selling hotel chains, providing an excellent product backed by what we consider to be the best people in the hotel industry in Hawaii.
Yesterday we had a chance to build further on our relationship with Aqua and spent a wonderful day as their guests at the Hawaii Polo club at Mokuleia on the North Shore of Oahu. The event was sponsored by the Equus Hotel, one of Aqua boutique hotels. We were greeted by Robin Harlow, Elizabeth Churchill and Susan Weander, GM of sales at the hotel.
The Equus is a wonderful property at which to stay. The rooms have been completely renovated, all with a “Polo, Equus” theme. The furniture is exquisite and hand-picked by the owners with lots of attention to details. If you’re coming to Oahu I highly recommend you consider the property; not only because of its ambiance, but also the perfect location near the Ala Moana shopping center and the Hawaii Convention Center.
Yaling and I had never been to a polo match so really didn’t know what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised at how much fun it was and what a great way it is to do something different on Oahu. The location of the Polo grounds overlooks the beach with nice breezes and views. The action was nonstop including a wonderful sky diving exhibition during halftime. After the match there was a live band with lots of partying, dancing and celebration.
If you’re coming to Oahu between now and the middle of August Mokuleiia polo is a great, fun, different thing to do for you and your family. And to top it off, if you stay at the Equus Hotel during the season, your tickets to the matches are free. That will make it even easier to experience the wonderful sport of polo.
April 6th, 2009
All the islands have places where, by snorkeling, you can gain access to one of nature’s most marvelous realms, and the ocean remains one of the best arenas for exercising your sense of discovery as well as your body. Hawaii is certainly among the best snorkeling locations in the world. Plan on making time for at least one day for the activity during your time in Hawaii.
You will be able to rent snorkeling gear on your island, or it will be provided if you take a snorkeling tour. You may choose to use your own equipment. In that case, here are two things to keep in mind, whether you purchase at home or after you arrive in Hawaii:
- Choose fins that are snug but not too tight. If they hurt or curl your toes, you may develop cramps while snorkeling. (Remember they will slip on easier when your feet are wet.)
- Make sure the mask fits snugly. Put it on your head, suck it into your face and breathe through the tube. (Wear it slightly high on the back of your head and not too tight.) Put the mouthpiece all the way into your mouth and make sure it’s comfortable.
Once you’re in Hawaii and in the ocean, remember that, while it isn’t likely, your mask can accidentally fill with water. (This usually happens when the strap has slipped down to far.) A flooded mask is easily cleared by raising your head out of the water, pulling the lower edge away from your mouth and simply letting the water drain out. Some snorkelers like to leave a little water in their masks, where it can be swished around if the mask gets foggy.
To use your fins correctly, kick from the hip and keep your knees and ankles relaxed to prevent your leg muscles from cramping. Always keep your fins below the water line and point your toes in the opposite direction from where you want to go.
Know your personal limitations. They will diminish the more you snorkel.
Stay relaxed. When the creatures you’re admiring (and photographing) realize you aren’t a threat, they will go back to their normal routines.
There’s a variety of guided snorkel tours for all ages and abilities on all the islands. They’re geared for beginners and adventurers alike. If you’d like to snorkel on a tour, of if you’d just like some advice about going it on your own, pick an agent from our website or call 1-800-843-8771 any time.
By the way, if you’re “going it on your own,” be sure you have a buddy. Never snorkel alone.
Posted by Jim Winpenny
Related blog posts:
Some of the Best Stuff in Hawaii is Free
Hawaii’s Top Ten Visitor Attractions
Activities for Kids at Hawaii Hotels
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March 30th, 2009
When on vacation in Hawaii don’t be afraid to drink the water. There are lots of vacation destinations that come with built-in cautions about water quality. Hawaii definitely is not one of them.
Oahu in particular is blessed with water that ranks with the best quality in the world. Part of the reason is the island’s unique water cycle, which is difficult to find in places such as, say, Kansas City.
Hawaii’s almost-omnipresent trade winds carry with them moisture that has evaporated from ocean water warmed by the sun. The winds blow across the ocean and reach Oahu from the northeast, then are deflected upwards as they hit the steep cliffs of the Koolau Mountains. The rising moisture cools as it reaches the mountaintops then forms clouds, condenses and falls as rain. If Oahu didn’t have both mountain ranges and flat plains, the island wouldn’t be able to capture the moist air needed to support the living things that exist now. (The island of Niihau, on the other hand, gets very little rainfall because it doesn’t have much in the way of elevated slopes.)
In a year, about two billion gallons of rain fall on Oahu every day. About a third of that replenishes the island’s aquifer (the layer of rock, sand and gravel ground water flows through), another third nurtures the island’s vegetation and the rest runs off into the ocean.
For the drinking water you’ll enjoy while you’re here, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply uses four shafts, 12 tunnels and 84 well stations around the island to draw water from the ground. Dike Tunnels are drilled through a mountain to its dike rock compartment where freshwater is drawn out before it reaches the aquifer. Inclined shafts descend hundreds of feet to the top of the aquifer, skimming its upper layer to extract fresh water. Deep wells are located over the aquifer and supply most of the island’s water.
On the surface, the water enters a complex and unique water transmission system, which transports water from pumping stations to customers. Pumping stations pump water from the shafts, tunnels and wells into the transmission system. Sometimes, booster stations are used to push water over long distances and to higher elevations. The purpose of pumping and booster stations is to deliver fresh water to the reservoirs, which store water for future use. Finally, when water is needed, it’s fed back into water mains for delivery to hotels and resorts, homes and businesses. More than 2,000 miles of transmission mains are utilized to convey fresh water from the pumping stations to the reservoirs, and to your hotel room and the restaurants you visit.
Drink up. It’s good stuff.
Posted by Jim Winpenny
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March 10th, 2009
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We try to keep reminding you that this dismal economy actually is a very good time to be considering a Hawaii vacation. It’s the middle of the peak season, yet rates for lodging and attractions are amazingly low and special offers – twofers in particular – abound. The state tourism people are sending that message to all their markets – vacationers, business travelers, meeting planners, eco-tourists, golfers, people wanting alternative travel considerations …
An example of the lengths to which the state is going in that respect is the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau’s (HVCB) “Hawaii Free” program, the bureau’s latest effort to show corporate-meeting and incentive groups how affordable the Islands of Aloha are for doing business.
HVCB has compiled a listing of more than 150 free activities for groups to incorporate into attendees’ itineraries while doing business in Hawaii. The listing, which includes the islands of Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, and Hawaii’s Big Island, can be found at HVCB’s new “Added Value Resource Center,” offered online to business groups at BusinessAloha.com.
The idea for groups is that the program helps them make the best use of their money and spare time by showing how they can put together a full schedule of free activities for function attendees to enjoy and soak up the unique Hawaii culture and way of life.
We who live here know about most of the arts and cultural displays, scenic sites, and historic locations that make Hawaii such a special place. HVCB has drawn on its resources to share that knowledge with visiting groups so their attendees can experience the rewards of meeting in Hawaii while saving on their bottom line. Here are some examples of what you’ll find on the list:
• Listening to the music of the Royal Hawaiian Band at Waikiki’s Kapiolani Park
• Touring the Waioli Mission House Museum in Hanalei, Kauai
• Enjoying Art Night each Friday in Lahaina, Maui
• Seeing the preserved ancient Hawaiian village
at Lapakahi State Historical Park in North Kohala, on Hawaii’s Big Island.
While the program is aimed at business groups, all that free stuff is available to you, too.
Hawaii Free is the fourth cost-savings program HVCB has introduced recently to help corporate meeting and incentive groups do business in the islands while staying within budget. The other three programs HVCB offers in its Added Value Resource Center are “Hot Rates, Hot Dates!”, which offers special savings on accommodations and activities at hotels and resorts statewide through 2010; Value-Added Discounts on retail goods and activities in partnership with the Retail Merchants of Hawaii and Activities and the Attractions Association of Hawaii; and the Hawaii Speakers Bureau offering elite Hawaii-based leaders to address groups meeting in the islands on various subjects, including Asian affairs, medicine, scientific research, and technology.
Here at Hawaii Aloha Travel we have early notice and access to virtually every deal and offer that pops up, and as is the case in all but the last of the foregoing, we can put you on to them as you make your plans.
Worth thinking about? Pick an agent from our home page, or call 1-800-843-8771. You’ll probably be surprised by how affordable a Hawaii vacation can be these days.
Posted by Jim Winpenny
Related Blog Posts:
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See Hawaii as We Locals Live
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March 4th, 2009
Hawaii Aloha Travel, an on-line travel agency whose focus is on Hawaii vacations and whose site is browsed almost exclusively by potential island visitors from the mainland, posted its 500th blog on Friday, February 20. Throughout its site (hawaii-aloha.com), the company has been generating as much information as possible about travel to the state of Hawaii since 1998, keeping everything updated and embellished on a daily basis.
Blogs are added regularly, now on an average of six per week. According to co-owner Bruce Fisher, who runs the company with his wife Yaling Yu Fisher, “The blogs talk about the attractiveness of the islands rather than their attractions.”
The site accepts no advertising. “That allows our blogging to be done objectively. We aren’t beholden to advertising or PR clients and we don’t regenerate press releases.” Fisher says. The Fishers do visit hotels on all the islands systematically and update the site’s video reviews “… on an informational basis only. There’s no ‘lure’ copy or puffery; just what each hotel offers along with its location and any unique attributes it may have.” The site also posts video news reports of happenings and developments in Hawaii that might be of interest to mainland people considering vacations in the islands.
Most of the blogs are written by Jim Winpenny, a 35-year veteran of Hawaii’s advertising-agency wars who now concentrates solely on “writing for fun.” Ya Ling Fisher says, “Jim just writes from his heart, using his amazing memory and researching his facts, of course.” He has recently chosen as such diverse subjects as Oahu’s Kaimuki dining diversity, the bed-and-breakfast-TVU controversy, the splendor and fate of Kauai’s Fern Grotto, the emergence of Downtown Honolulu’s Arts District as well as its sordid past, and the nature of local television in Hawaii. The 500th posting concerned the etiquette of poi.
Vacationers may also use the site to book all aspects of their trips with Hawaii Aloha Travel agents. Agents work directly with consumers, giving valuable advice and personal service. Agents are available interactively via the Internet and directly by toll-free telephone at 1-800-843-8771. Each agent has been trained extensively in virtually all aspects of Hawaii, and most were born and raised in the islands.
It’s a personal, attentive and immediate service unavailable for vacationers considering Hawaii in their travel plans through any other source but Hawaii Aloha Travel.
February 21st, 2009
There still are local people who see Waikiki’s high rises, the glittering shopping venues and the luxury hotels and long for the days before the world discovered Hawaii as a vacation destination.
A lot of those folks, of course, weren’t born then or were children. So what was it like in the 1920s? If we could rip back the calendar pages, what would we find?
Starting from downtown and heading toward Waikiki, probably by taxi, you’d go along King Street. Only swampland filled the areas now occupied by Ala Moana Boulevard and Kapiolani Boulevard, the main arteries now. You’d pass the Civic Center, which consisted of Iolani Palace, the Judiciary Building and the new Public Library. In front of the Judiciary Building stood the imposing statue of Kamehameha, already a 40-year-old treasured landmark.
Magnificence and fragrance would strike you as you passed the trees and flowers of the Catholic cemetery. Plumeria was known as the “cemetery flower” and it was abundant in cemeteries. It’s different now, but back then plumeria wasn’t planted in private gardens or used in lei.
People no longer lived in grass houses, but you would pass one that housed an antique and curio shop. Next you’d go by Old Plantation, a mid-Victorian building where the three unmarried Ward sisters lived. That’s now the location of the sprawling Ward Centers.
Now that you were approaching Waikiki, you’d turn onto Kalakaua Avenue. You’d encounter a truck farm at the corner of King and Kalakaua, and beyond it were acres of duck ponds and rice fields.
Waikiki consisted of only the area on the ocean side of Kalakaua. An open-air trolley ran over a trestle through the swamps. You could see the impressive Moana Hotel on the horizon from all directions. Fort DeRussy was a bustling Army post that housed a shoreline artillery detachment whose cannons pointed out to sea to protect the island from enemy warships.
You couldn’t see the beach from the street. It was reachable only via occasional rights of way. The Elks Club still stands on Kalakaua where it was then, renovated of course. It formerly had been the residence of James B. Castle and was perhaps the finest home in the entire Pacific.
That’s about it. Not much to look back fondly on. But we can dream, can’t we?
Posted by Jim Winpenny
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Hawaii’s 50th Anniversary of Statehood
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February 17th, 2009
A true Hawaii tourism hero died earlier this month. His name was Richard Wassman Kimi. He did not do a specific heroic thing, but what he did lastingly affected Hawaii tourism.
Back in the mid-1950s, Kimi, who lived in Hilo on the Big Island, noticed that the tourists who came to the island arrived on large ships or airplanes. That meant they had money and could afford fine accommodations. But the then-29-year-old noticed that there were very few affordable places to stay for local residents and neighbor-island residents who wanted to visit Hilo for a day or two.
In 1956, even though friends and experts told him he was crazy, Kimi built the 30-room Hotel Hukilau in Hilo. It was a small hotel, one of the first along Banyan Drive, which now is lined with East Hawaii’s largest hotels such as the Naniloa and Hilo Hawaiian.
The Hotel Hukilau was consistently packed, mostly with people who lived in the islands. Soon, budget-conscious visitors discovered that the rooms were nicely-furnished and clean, and that the service at the hotel was excellent. Realizing that his concept was working, Kimi went on to build the Hukilau and Seaside hotels in Kona (on the other side of the Big Island), on Maui, and on Kaua’i, and he would also purchase the old Waikiki Biltmore Hotel, now the site of the Hyatt Regency Waikiki.
Kimi never wanted to build large hotels. His objective was to serve local residents and budget-minded visitors. He was one of the first to put together air, room and car packages for residents, and he was a leader in taking reservations via fax machines and toll-free numbers.
He also enjoyed teaching and sharing his sales, marketing and business knowledge. One of his students was Robert Kiyosaki, author of the "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" books, who based his original "rich dad" on Kimi,.
Kimi, the visionary who pioneered the reasonably-priced “family” accommodations still available in Hawaii, died on December 19th in Honolulu. He was 83.
Posted by Jim Winpenny
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The Royal Hawaiian Re-Opens Again
Make Way. Hawaii Has Arrived
Hawaii Anticipates your Arrival to its Islands
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February 5th, 2009
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