A helicopter ride to see inaccessible incredible areas would be on my itinerary for sure.

I don't recall which island, but some years back some friends of ours went ...  took their teenaged son and daughter along.  Apparently the son reported that prior to that, he wouldn't have believed that there could be so many beautiful bodies, in bikinis, in one place, at one time.  

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Originally posted by slammer

Well, Mrs. Slammer planned a 12 day trip to Maui, Hawaii in April. Wondering if any BHO members have been , and if there is anything I NEED to know.  Get your sunscreen there; they have special requirements.  Many of the beaches have free dispensers.  Hat, sunglasses, light windbreaker, loose quickdry clothing (nylon or hard cotton), swim-able full coverage sun-top and longer bottoms, slip on sandals (2strap crocs) and a banjo are all you need...  and raingear/puffyjacket/pants/shoes if you are going up a mountain, hiking and for general GP. 

note: pasty people will get sunburned; you can only control how bad and not if.  Monitor time in the sun closely and use cover-up clothing/swimgear/sunscreen.

We will be staying on the north west side in the Kaanapali area , but have a car and can travel anywhere on the island, within reason. Plan on doing a lot of snorkeling and beach activities along with some hiking. Her idea!!!

This is not going to be a Foodie destination as the food prices are absolutely ridiculous, and we have a condo with full kitchen and grill. Hoping for many fresh fish dinners at the condo and splurge a few times out.  Costco saved us thousands of dollars on food.  Get a flowery shirt there too.  

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Awesome! 

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Originally posted by slammer

Well, Mrs. Slammer is cutting my ice fishing season short and planned a 12 day trip to Maui, Hawaii in April. Wondering if any BHO members have been , and if there is anything I NEED to know. We will be staying on the north west side in the Kaanapali area , but have a car and can travel anywhere on the island, within reason. Plan on doing a lot of snorkeling and beach activities along with some hiking. Her idea!!! This is not going to be a Foodie destination as the food prices are absolutely ridiculous, and we have a condo with full kitchen and grill. Hoping for many fresh fish dinners at the condo and splurge a few times out.
NO pulled pork and no Luau’s!!! Thanks in advance!!!
Slammer!!K

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For the cost of a plane ticket, I'll be your tour guide! :0)

Travel by car up Haleakala crater ...... if it is not snowing like it was when we tried to go up there. Half way up they were turning cars around and not letting us go up any further. It is a beautiful island, so make sure you drive around some of the more remote areas to see all of the beauty.

All great ideas!!!
Slammer!!!

25 years ago we stayed at a very laid back low density place in that same area. The cove in front of the low rise beach condo had a coral reef in it with absolutely beautiful sea life including the giant turtles. You could rent snorkeling gear at a dive shop and swim with the turtles all you wanted (don't disturb them). That was the highlight of the trip for me. I just looked it up and It's still there.

https://honokeana.net/

Lahaina was nice before it burned down. 

Have a great time. 

Rick

Thanks, we’re supposed to have great snorkeling right at our condo and Black Rocks is close to us. Black rocks has great snorkeling, but have to be aware of strong currents at times , like anywhere, but known for strong currents.
We’ve got all our own gear we are taking, being water lovers . That shop will probably have great info also. Thanks Rick!!!
Slammer!!!

Here are my notes from our Maui visit in 2022:

Maui – Lots of beaches but the surf was pretty rough, not very safe for swimming. Wailea Beach near Kihei was our favorite – easy parking and sheltered from most of the surf, excellent snorkeling. We didn’t do the Haleakala Volcano drive but heard it was good. Our big activity was the Road to Hana drive – an all-day trip to the far east side of the island along a narrow winding road with plenty of stops for waterfalls and scenic ocean views. For the drive we got an audio tour guide for my phone – Shaka Tours, $15 – which syncs to GPS and gives you accurate location information and travel tips. The guide voice is kind of cheesy with stupid jokes, but also Hawaiian history and music, and lots of good info about where to stop and what to skip.

I'm not big on seafood so no recommendations, but be sure to try a Loco Moko somewhere - fried egg, burger patty, on a rice bed, smothered in brown gravy. Shave ice treats are always a good choice too. Fresh fruit and banana bread from roadside stands are worth checking out.

Buy souvenirs and gifts at Walmart - best place for affordable aloha shirts. The ABC stores are great for convenience store items and quick snacks. They also have affordable souvenirs and swim shirts. There's an ABC store on just about every corner.

I've been to the Big Island 7 times - we have family there - so I have a lot more tips for that one.

Related banjo content - in 2012 we rented a VRBO house in the Captain Cook neighborhood on the Big Island. I was sitting outside and I swear I could hear banjo music playing faintly somewhere. I thought I was hallucinating but then I wandered next door and met a nice lady practicing her banjo in her backyard shed. I don't remember her name but she was very friendly.

What fun!

We were there in October 2001, right after the planes started flying again.

We stayed in one of the beach hotels at Kanapali. I don't think the beach is exclusive to the hotels, so I recommend going there and snorkeling at Black Rock, which is at the end of that beach.

We only snorkeled in the water you can see in the photo at the linked page. Still saw plenty. I think excursions will take you by boat to the other side.

We got up early one morning and drove to the top of Haleakala to watch the sunrise. This requires a reservation now. Or you can go with a guided excursion.

Only parts of Lahaina are reopened, following the devastating fire in 2023. This made us so sad, because we had such a great time there on our trip. We went to the Lahaina  luau one night and to Warren and Annabelle's magic theater the next. It hasn't been rebuilt.

On Maui, we also drove the road to Hana. But we stayed a couple nights at the other end. I don't think it's something you should try to do round trip in one day. You especially don't want to be doing it in the dark like we did.

Paia was good for boutiques, craft stores and galleries. A vibrant place. We also saw Woody Harrelson in a bar there, where we went after seeing the sunrise on Haleakela. He's a local. Or was. 

Enjoy!

Well, Mother Nature ruined our trip to New York, ruined weeks of ice fishing, ruined our trip down south, and now ruining our trip to Maui !!!
Terrible storms and heavy rains hitting Hawaii have caused lots of damage and flooding. Many roads closed or washed out, beaches damaged and water contaminated and not safe for swimming. Might be ok in 3 weeks, but we’re not taking a chance with a good sum of money involved, and going to cancel our trip there. Looking at making quick arrangements to go back to
Grand Cayman Island. Loved it there and we know what to expect.
Slammer!!!

Dale... I believe there is a Costco near the airport. My son with his wife and kids are presently in Kona on the big island. Luckily they they are both teachers so everyone gets to enjoy the spring break. Costco seems to be their main meal plan. We have been to Oahu twice along with 3 other islands on our first visit. Pick any island with a dart board and you won't go wrong. Canadians don't extremely love the weather this time of year so Hawaii has become an 11th province.

Not final, but we’re pushing our trip back a month and going in May to Maui. The aftermath of the storms should be taken care of with the exception of major devastation. Water and beaches should be clear by then too.

Yes, by the airport there is a Costco and a Walmart we plan on going to first and get our 12 day supply of “stuff” .
Slammer!!!

I have not seen Maui since 1975. One place that fascinated me was a small village named Puunene. The place was surrounded with sugar fields. The area reeked of the cooking sugar. One night we were out for a drive when it started getting foggy. It took me awhile to realize my windshield was covered in a heavy film of guck from the air. I looked the name up a few minutes ago and discovered that the village was gone along with the Maui sugar industry. It all closed down about 10 years ago.