Post by AHappierHour on Oct 6, 2015 14:51:56 GMT -5
We leave on Sunday and will be there for a week. I have never been. So far we have a luau planned for one night but other then that nothing else. What should we do or go eat? We will have a car to get around in too.
Go see the sunrise at Haleakala, it's spectacular, but plan for it to be cold. Star Noodle is really good. If a play/show is your thing, I loved 'Ulalena.
Go to Aloha Mixed Plate on Front Street in Lahaina - it's SUPER cheap but delicious and they make their own noodles in house (ETA: it's right next to the Old Lahaina Luau, so if you time your dinner right you will get to enjoy music from the Luau) . Speaking of which, also go to Star Noodle, their sister restaurant in an industrial area. The homemade noodles are worth it and it's also reasonably priced.
Charley's for pancakes in Paia is a must too. You can stop at the nearby overlook to watch surfers. Pineapple winery is really fun too. Rent snorkel gear and snorkel off of black rock in Kaanapali is fun, but Turtle Bay is more out of the way and better. Most hotels rent snorkel gear really inexpensively by the week. The museum on the third floor at the Whaler's Village is kind of cool and free.
ETA 2: Mamma's Fish House is pricey but I would venture to say it's the best meal you can get on the island plus the view can't be beat at sunset.
I do not recommend those massage tents lined up on the beach. There's too much beach noise to be relaxing.
If our trip ever goes through, I'm dying to see the Seven Sacred Pools.
They kind of aren't great. They're super cold and very rocky / slippery and can be very crowded. Bring decent water shoes or sandals with straps to hold them on. They weren't always called the Seven Sacred Pools - it's a pretty recent name that was adopted for marketing purposes. They're pretty, and there's a waterfall, but if you're expecting a secluded paradise of calm wading pools it's a bit of a disappointment.
Okazuya Deli in Honokowai for yummy takeout. A couple doors down from there is The Fish Market, which is also good. In the same strip mall, Zensations Spa has good massages and facials. That was seriously the best strip mall ever!
If you go to Da 'Kitchen, near Kihei, get the deep fried Spam musubi if they've got it. Don't listen to anyone who says "ew, Spam!" Trust me, it's amazing.
Unlike Albertson's (sorry Vicki!), Foodland actually does have good supermarket poke. They have a nice variety and a great lunch deal.
Komoda bakery in Makawao. Go earlier in the day if you can for the best selection.
You must eat at Leoda's Kitchen and Pie Shop. SO GOOD! Please go eat a chocolate macadamia nut pie for me. The Gazebo is kind of a hole in the wall but good breakfast. We have enjoyed our meals at Hula Grill and when we were there this year, we discovered Fabiani's in Kihei and it was very good. Safeway's deli makes good sandwiches for packing for the Road to Hana. We always stop at the Kaumahina State Wayside to eat our sandwiches and share with the kitties there. Consider taking them a bag of treats.
Snorkeling is good off Black Rock and just to the right of the beach in front of the Fairmont Kea Lani. If you want to go snorkeling at Molokini, we really enjoyed our trip with Trilogy. Haleakala sunrise is awesome. We enjoyed doing the trip that took you to see the sunrise and then you biked down the volcano to Paia.
Maui is one of our very favorite places! We have a number of Maui videos on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/ddubmedia if you are interested.
Aloha Mixed Plate for sure for dinner. And their lava flows -- so good!
The Road to Hana is beautiful and crazy. It'll take you to the Seven Sacred Pools. Which are neat, but not as amazing as they sound like was mentioned above. And also a little freaky because all of the warnings about flash flooding and people dying. I'd still see them because they're at the end of the trip and why not? But I was kinda disappointed.
BUT, there's an awesome, easy hike along the Pipiwai Trail in essentially the same place as the pools. It was absolutely a highlight of our trip. You wander through a bamboo forest, which sounds so neat when the bamboos (several stories tall) bang together in the breeze. The trail was well maintained with boardwalks when needed. There's a waterfall at the end. And some crazy cool tree at the beginning. I always think I like hiking, but get bored 7 seconds in when things get steep and switch-back-ey, and I loved this one and thought it was easy peasy.
foodland poke. tour & cheese tasting at surfing goat dairy. mama's fish house for a nicer meal. i'm usually not a fan of overhyped places, but this one was good.
Agreed on Haleakala sunrise. So agreed. We had a tour drive us to the top and then we biked down and had brunch at the bottom absolutely the highlight of the trip for me.