2014 Vacation - Maui Hawaii
Well everyone here was another amazing vacation that we were blessed with and able to go on this year. Below is hopefully some details that will help you plan your vacation.
Flights
We were able to secure a Credit Card that offered 50,000 points which enabled us to get a couple of tickets for free! It was the American Advantage Credit Card. We only had to purchase one other ticket and flew on Hawaiian Airlines which had the cheapest prices at the time. http://www.aa.com/pubcontent/en_US/disclaimers/HP-PLATHV.jsp
Condo's
We looked at several websites to search for a condo to stay in instead of going in a big hotel. It turned out great! Below are the two best websites we found in trying to find a condo. The first link is the Condo we were in but that website is the site we ended up using to book our Condo. The pro's on this spot is there are seat turtles right outside the balcony all day long, a good Chinese restaurant across the street, completely remodeled room and also super quick access to the 3 famous snarling bay areas on the Island. The con's I would say is that there is no central AC and its far from everything on the Island that we wanted to do. I would probably recommend trying to find a spot in Kiehe instead.
http://www.hawaiianbeachrentals.com/rental_29657.htm?sdr=4669https://www.airbnb.com
Rent A Car
We went with Enterprise since they had the cheapest Jeep rate! I booked it through this website and it worked flawless. No credit card needed over the phone, no deposit required, just pay when you arrive. Boo Yeah!
Beaches
There are so MANY great beaches in Maui and all of them are public so you can go to any beach! Below is what we thought of each beach that we had time to visit.
Makena Beach (Big Beach) -This has to be the most beautiful beach in all of Maui. The water here was amazing, super clear for normal goggle snorkeling and also the sand here was something that I have never felt before. It was so soft that you sink in the sand about 4-6 inches in some areas where it's a little wet. There is also a food truck that is by the parking lot where we got some shaved ice afterwards. Restrooms are also available by the parking lot (portable restrooms).
The only issue I have with this beach is the waves are pretty big so if you are here with the whole family and have some little ones with you then it may not be the best fit for the whole family. The locals told us there have been 19 spinal injuries already this year since the waves are so big and break right on the shore. Also this is a pretty known spot for shark attacks so be careful!!!
Wailea Beach -This beach was pretty nice and probably would be the best family beach. The water and waves are family friendly and the water was clear as well. There are restrooms, a place to rinse off afterwards and also the water was really warm here. Here are a few snaps of the beach:
Kamole Beach Park I, II - We decided to go to this beach after eating at the 808 Bistro which is amazing! This beach on the other hand although quite beautiful was not to great for really anything but coating around. The waves are very small and the water is very foggy. To much sand gets kicked around so its not ideal for any type of snorkeling. I almost lost my goggles here as well!!! Here are a few snaps:
Kaanapali Beach - This beach is rated as one of the top beaches in all of Maui. I liked the beach personally for its beauty but the waves break right on the shore but the water is pretty clear here so it made up for it. There is a spot to rinse your feet but no public restrooms in sight. There are some Jelly fish swimming around over here so be careful! Parking is also a pain to find, you have to find some parking in-between the hotels and pray there is an open spot. Here are some snaps of the beach:
Homoa Beach - This beach is probably the best beach on the entire Island in my opinion. The water is super clear and the body surfing waves are perfect. This beach is after you drive the Road to Hana and is shortly after Hana in a secret spot so make sure you GPS this location. There were to many "Thongs" in plain sight though so that would be the only minus here. Make sure you sit where there is not to many butt cheeks all hanging out. There is a hose to rinse off your feet and also a public restroom available. Here are some snaps:
Kahekili Beach - This beautiful beach was quite amazing. Parking was super easy to find, there is a nice restroom/park area with grass for the family and also a spot to rinse off the sand. As soon as you get into the water it was super clear and had a reef along the whole beach for awesome snorkeling. This has to be one of the best spots for beach snorkeling on the Island that we found. I would highly recommend this beach for the family.
Road to Hana
The infamous Road to Hana is about a 46 mile trip beginning at the quaint north shore village of Pa'ia and winding its way along the rugged coastline of Maui. Along the way you'll pass sugar and pineapple fields, bamboo forests, roadside waterfalls and spectacular coastal scenery. This often narrow, always windy (as in twisty, not breezy - but sometimes it's that too!) road has 600 curves and 59 one lane bridges. This was pretty fun but I would have to say that the drive is pretty long and scary. Make sure your most experienced driver is driving (guys this means you and not your wife)! We saw so many wives driving having a spaz attack and the husband was in the passenger seat just relaxing. Men lead your wives! We went to Twin Falls which was fun but not worth the hike, some farm that had an old Church and Black Sand Beach. I would recommend stopping at a minimal of the locations and then spend your time at Homoa Beach. I would also SKIP the seven sacred pools since its more like 3 dirty pools of water that you shouldn't even swim in due to getting a bad bacteria from the water and save your last hike of the day for the Pipiwai Trail. Lastly we went the back way back home and it was pretty scary. The road is unpaved for several miles and is super narrow. If you do decide to make this drive make sure you have 2 hours of daylight to make the drive and you will be blessed with some amazing pictures.
Haleakala National Park Summit
There's something quite amazing about driving from sea level to 10,004 feet. Besides the dramatic change in elevation (and temperature!), the change in scenery is astounding as well. Whether you're heading up for sunrise, sunset, or for a hike through the crater, be sure to dress warmly and in layers. We had to wake up at 3:00am (left at 3:30am) to make sure we were there 30 minutes before the sunrise which was at 6:10am when we were in Maui. Be careful and alert when driving up the mountain in the dark and also be prepared to pay $10 to park up there as well. Totally worth the view though.
Hiking
Ioa Valley State Park - In regards to Hiking, a lot of the good hikes with waterfalls are along the road to Hana. There is a small hike that is open to the public which is called Iao Valley State Park.
Description: A paved walking trail provides a scenic viewpoint of Kuka’emoku (‘Iao Needle), an erosional feature which rises 1200 feet from the valley floor. A short paved loop trail meanders through an ethnobotanical garden adjacent to ‘Iao stream. The paved trail is short and sweet but follow the well-worn dirt trail for some better hiking. Be warned the rocks in the stream are slippery – wear some something like Tevas with traction.
Parking: There is a $5 fee for parking at the booth when you pull into park.
Nakalele Blowhole
This site is a must if you like hiking on rocks! It takes only about 15 minutes to hike down to the blow hole and it is a pretty awesome site to see. There is no fee to park and there is a nice fruit stand right there as well. Here are some pointers for the trip:
- Drive to this location on the North West side of the Island. Take the 30N which will turn into the 340. DO NOT TAKE the east side entrance due to the single road areas which are pretty scary!
- After the blow hole if you continue on the 340 you will find the yummiest smoothie stand on the Island. Get your smoothie on!!!!
- Keep going about another quarter mile and you will get to a place called Julia's Best Banana Bread stand. Its the best of the planet!!!
- Once you hit these three spots TURN AROUND AND HEAD BACK TO THE 30 FWY. If you continue down the road it continues the single road HWY and is not that safe. The locals that drive this road go super fast and if you make one small mistake your going over the cliff. Take my advice and go back, you will not miss anything except some incredible views of the Island.
Pipiwai Trail - This is one hike on the Road to Hana that I wished we would of had time for. Make sure you don't waste so much time at other stops to do this hike! Skip the Seven Sacred Pools, skip Twin Falls, and any other hike and save it for this trail.
Pipiwai Trail, a 4-mile roundtrip hike, is known for delivering spectacular views on the way to its dazzling destination: Waimoku Falls —the horseshoe-shaped 400-foot waterfall is the largest on Maui. The trail isn’t particularly easy to get to, but intrepid hikers will be richly rewarded with postcard-perfect scenery. Most hikers drive the winding Hana Highway to Haleakala National Park’s oceanside Kipahulu Visitor Center, 10 miles south of Hana. The Pipiwai Trail begins there with a two-mile trek up Oheo Gulch (aka Seven Sacred Pools). The trail crosses Pipiwai Stream several times and enters a total of three bamboo forests. Also on the trail: 185-foot Makahiku Falls. The trail's elevation gain is about 650 feet, and the hike takes between 2 ½ and 5 hours.
Snorkeling
Molokini Island - This was a fun experience and one I didn't anticipate even doing until I read about it. We took a charter boat ride with a wonderful crew that included breakfast and also lunch on the way back. The captain and crew were super funny and I would highly recommend taking the snorkeling trip with them. We got to see a couple of sea turtles during our dive and also a lot of fish and coral. It was worth the expense. Here is a link to the company we went with to book our Molokini excursion: http://www.molokinimaui.com/deluxe-maui-snorkeling-cruise.php
Kapalua Bay - In regards to snorkeling from shore, a good spot is Kapalua Beach if the weather is right. In the winter months this can get a little choppy leading to cloudy water and not good snorkeling conditions. Kapalua Bay is a sheltered white sand beach on the north west side of Maui. The bay is protected by two reefs that extend out on both ends forming a C-shaped cove making it ideal for snorkeling. The center of the bay is sandy so the water will be slightly cloudy, especially if it’s windy. Walk to the north or south ends of the beach and snorkel along the rocky edge. There will be less sand there so the water visibility will be better and there will be much more fish. The depth along the northern edge is about 10 feet or less, so you’ll get an up close view of the reef. The farther out towards the northern point you swim, the clearer the water will get. Beach parking is conveniently located next to the public showers and restrooms. The parking lot is a little on the small side for the popularity of the beach so be sure to go in the morning to guarantee yourself a stall. From the parking lot and bathrooms, simply walk down the steps and under the small “tunnel” and you’ll be overlooking picture square Kapalua Bay. This had to be one of our favorite spots on the whole Island though.
Napili Bay - This is also another good family spot located just a little south of Kapalua Bay. There is generally good snorkeling without having to go too far out. Over to the right end (North End) of the beach there is a large finger of rock that heads out and protects the cove. There are often turtles here year round (we saw 3 sea turtles here). The best coral is just to the left of center when facing the beach about 60 or so yards out. This is a great beach for picnics or just hanging out all day. It gets deep fairly quickly, but the currents are usually mild. The drop off makes for fun boogie boarding. Overall this is a great family beach. There are restrooms at some of the restaurants, but there are no public restrooms at the South end of the beach although there are showers. You need to get on Lower Honoapiilani Rd. Heading North from Lahaina you can turn at Honokawai (look for Star Market), Kahana (look for McDonald's), or at Napili (look for Napili Shopping Plaza). Turn towards the ocean and you will find Lower Honoapiilani Rd. You will want to head North on this road for a little while. There are several entrances to Napili so the easiest thing is probably just to try to notice when you see cars parked along the road. You can park and from there head to the ocean.
Old Lahaina Luau
This is, in my opinion, the best luau on the island. The luau sells out very far in advance and your seating is based on how far in advance you reserve your seats, so the earlier you book the better seats you will have.
The Old Lahaina Luau takes great pride in presenting an authentic Hawaiian luau. An evening of traditional Hawaiian cuisine, music, cultural dances and island crafts. Guests will appreciate a genuine reflection of Hawaii’s rich history while enjoying an ocean view and sunset. Learn the myths & legends of the Hawaiian Islands. Dancers perform only Hawaiian hula dancing in contrast to the Polynesian revues performed elsewhere. This luau is located beachfront in Old Lahaina Town.
Inclusions: All you can eat dinner buffet and open barLocation: Oceanfront at 1251 Front Street, Lahaina, MauiAdults $ 105.00Children 2-12 $75.00
Sunsets
All of these photos were taken by my son Donoven Gomez. He is turning out to be a fine photographer.
Food
Lahaina - North West Maui Leoda's Kitchen and Pie Shop - This place has some of the best pies I have ever eaten! It has a lot of variety of sandwiches and other types of food as well that uses organic produce and also has vegan/vegetarian dishes which is a plus for us! This is a must stop! http://www.yelp.com/biz/leodas-kitchen-and-pie-shop-lahaina
Lahaina Luna Cafe - This place was getting high ratings on yelp but we really did't care for it to much. The shopping around this food joint is nice though. http://www.yelp.com/biz/lahaina-luna-cafe-lahaina
Java Jazz - This place was really good. We came here for breakfast and are going back again for dinner. Stop here for sure if you are in the area. http://www.yelp.com/biz/java-jazz-and-soup-nutz-lahaina
Breakwall Shave Ice - This place had the best shaved ice on the Island. I got coconut ice cream at the bottom with dragon's blood and incredible hulk for the flavors and it was amazing! http://www.yelp.com/biz/breakwall-shave-ice-co-lahaina
Kihei - South West Maui 808 Bistro - This place was a gem to find and thankfully it was recommended by my trusty co-worker Stephane! I had a turkey sandwich and it was probably one of the best turkey sandwiches I have ever eaten. This place was so good we came back here twice. This is a must stop! http://www.yelp.com/biz/808-bistro-kihei-2
Kihei Caffe - This place looks like a hole in the wall but the food was really good. I had a breakfast burrito as did my wife and after I was done killing it my wife showed me a nice hair in her burrito and after I threw up in my mouth I got my money back and left. Dang it! A place so good went down in flames! http://www.yelp.com/biz/kihei-caffe-kihei
Da Kitchen - We decided to hit this place up in the area where the road to Hana begins on the way back from Hana and it was really good. My wife got some type of lemon fettuccine and I got the burger. It was quite delicious and the environment was great! http://www.yelp.com/biz/da-kitchen-kihei-2
Mama's Ribs and Rotisserie - This spot was yummy, go here if you feel like some BBQ. http://www.yelp.com/biz/mamas-ribs-and-rotisserie-kihei
Paia - By the Airport and Beginning of Road to Hana Mama's Fish House - We did not get a chance to stop by at this place but if your looking for a classy place with an incredible food and really yummy sea food, this place is supposed to hit the spot! http://www.yelp.com/biz/mamas-fish-house-paia-3