What This Guide Covers

Transcription

1 What This Guide Covers This is for my friends and family who are considering going to Maui. It s designed to share some of the insights we ve learned over the last several years of visiting this magical place. Pack Your Stuff Fly In Orient Yourself Rent a Car Get Supplies Go to Wailea Rent a Condo Eat Food Go to the Beach Enjoy the Scenery

2 Pack Your Stuff Hawaiian Air charges $25 for the first bag, and $35 for the second bag, so if you want to keep your fees down pack smart To avoid forgetting critical items I usually put together a packing list in advance that I can refer to as I pack Some key things to remember Electronics Don t forget batteries, chargers, and cables, as it sucks to get there and not have the cable you need to get pictures off your camera and onto FaceBook Clothes If you stay in a condo you can pack pretty light, as they usually have a washer/dryer Flip flops or sandals work for the beach and even the nicest restaurant, so the only other shoes I bring are running shoes It s never been cold enough (unless you go up to Haleakala) to wear anything but shorts, so other than a pair of pants or sweats I wear on the plane everything else is shorts Food if you have a favorite protein bar, protein powder, or water flavor/electrolyte enhancer, consider bringing them as you may not find them on the island Other We bring our own beach towels, and beach bags, because we use them every day and have ones we like, but many condos have them in the closet. We see a lot of people use a sarong as a beach towel, and that would help minimize packing weight My Packing List: (as a possible starting point) Electronics Camera (I bring five) & Charger Camera bag or backpack Cell Phone & Charger Laptop & AC Adapter Cables to connect laptop to TV for slideshows Kindle(s) for reading on the beach and plane Flashlight for walking home from dinner Portable power strip because there s never enough outlets Portable speaker in case there s not a system that lets you plug your phone or mp3 player in Headphones for plane Clothes Breathable Shirts Nice Shirts Swim Shorts Running Shorts Nice Shorts Sandals Running Shoes Cowboy Hat Food Vitamins/Medication Protein Bars Protein Powder Nuun Other Beach Towels (condos usually have them, but we have our favorites) Beach Bags (to carry your stuff to the beach) Insulated drink bottles for the beach Snorkel Gear and Mesh Bag to carry it Travel Umbrella as there are often little rainshowers

3 Fly In The airport you fly into is OGG in Kahului Why OGG? Because the airport code pays homage to aviation pioneer Bertram J. Hogg who worked for what is now Hawaiian Airlines Both Hawaiian and Alaska fly nonstop to Maui from Seattle. We like Hawaiian because it just feels like you re in Hawaii as soon as you get on their planes, but both are likely great Make sure the flight you choose is non-stop, because they also have flights that go through other places, so you can t just assume Flight costs vary, so I tend to use the fare calendar feature on their sites to get a quick glance at the least expensive time during a week or month to travel. On their main page where you put in your travel dates, look for something like see a monthly view of fares to bring up the calendar (like the one on the right) I recommend looking at the best days to travel, finding a condo and putting a tentative hold on it, then booking airfare, and locking down your condo, because airfares can change day to day (hour to hour)

4 Ho okipa Beach Orient Yourself Honolua Bay Image from Bing Maps

5 Rent a Car Rent a convertible! If you re going to be driving around in the sun, you might as well be able to feel it Use Priceline to get your car. When you use their bidding feature you have to pay up front, and it s not refundable, so you have to be sure your plans aren t going to change, but you can save in the area of 40%. I usually use the following process Use the rental car search on Priceline to figure out the cost per day of the car model you want before taxes and fees Calculate the initial bid you want to make before taxes and fees (I usually start at around 55-60%) Use the name your own price feature to make your bid If they don t accept your bid, then just try again the next day with a slightly less aggressive discount

6 Get Supplies Put together a list before you get there. You ll likely want some snacks to take to the beach, and have in the condo, but you ll want to minimize your trips to the grocery store so you can maximize your play time. I send the list to myself in so I can bring it up on my phone in the grocery store Costco: There s one in Kahului and you can stop there for steep discounts on stuff you ll need for your time there. After you get your rental car, stop at Costco and get everything on your list that you can get there Safeway: The stuff you can t get at Costco, you can snag at the Safeway in Kihei. As you drive along the Piilani Highway through Kihei toward Wailea, it s at the corner of Piilani Hwy and Pikea Ave. Sign up for their free Safeway card, as the price difference is huge Whole Foods: If you get serious about your food they have a Whole Foods in Maui now Shops at Wailea: While the shops at Wailea are fairly high end, you ll find surprisingly good deals on sunblock at Whalers General Store and the ABC Store. I usually get all of mine there Note: I suggest the aerosol sunblock. I d rather spend more on sunblock and be sure I get full coverage than miss a spot by accident, get burned, and not enjoy the sun My Shopping List: (as a possible starting point) Household spray sunblock 15 spray sunblock 30 mouthwash shaving cream bar of soap wipes Alcohol malibu rum baileys wine whipped vodka Produce oranges bananas pineapple juice lychee fruit? Other Grocery cheese crackers chips salsa cream cheese Frosting & sprinkles deli meat Ice POG Dinner some dinner stuff

7 Go to Wailea We ve found we like Wailea best of all the areas on Maui. Granted, everywhere on Maui is paradise, but we like Wailea for a few key reasons: There is less rain than the other areas It strikes a good balance between the benefits of the big hotels (watersports rentals, restaurants), condos for flexability, and a more local feel (with Kihei nearby), whereas places like Kaanapali feel more touristy with their huge resorts It s close to Makena, which is our favorite beach

8 Getting to Wailea 3 Rental car bus will take you here 2 Rental car busses pick up right here 4 Leave rental car place and turn right onto Keolani PL 5 At the Haleakala Hwy intersection veer left onto Dairy Rd 1 You ll pick up your luggage around here Costco: FYI Image from Bing Maps

9 Getting to Wailea 8 Follow Piilani Hwy (31) towards Wailea 6 Turn left from Dairy onto Mokulele Hwy (311) There s a Safeway right down Pikea Avenue (if you don t have a Safeway card sign up for one, as the price difference is huge!) Images from Bing Maps 7 Veer left from Mokulele onto Piilani Hwy (31) 9 Just before the end of Piilani Hwy turn right into Okolani Dr, or continue on to Wailea Ike Dr depending on where in Wailea you are staying

10 Wailea/Makena Aerial Overview A. Ekahi Condos B. Great snorkeling between Mokapu and Ulua beach C. Shops at Wailea D. Ekolu Condos E. F. Marriott Hotel Grand Wailea Hotel G. Wailea Beach H. Four Seasons Hotel I. Fairmont Hotel J. Makena Little Beach (clothing optional) K. Makena Big Beach D C A B E F G H I Wailea Makena Wailea Makena K Images from Bing Maps J

11 Rent a Condo Condo or Hotel: We ve stayed at both in Wailea, and much prefer a condo Hotel: We ve stayed at the Marriott, and it s great, and the lowest cost one on the beach in Wailea. I ve stayed at the Four Seasons (yeah, it s nice) and friends have stayed at the Grand Wailea and said it s awesome Condo: We ve stayed at both Ekolu and Ekahi Ekolu: is above the shops at Wailea, and to get to the beach you need to walk down the hill and either through the Grand Wailea, or the Marriott. We ve stayed in Ekolu 208 and it is outstanding. It s a one bedroom two full bath with a Murphy bed, and you can get it for as little as $200/night. Two couples can stay pretty comfortably, and the view is beautiful. Check it out at Ekahi: is right on the water and is our favorite place to stay. It s the least expensive condo complex on the beach in Wailea and we love the location. Walk down the beach to the right and you arrive at Sarento s, our favorite restaurant in Maui. Walk down to the left and you arrive at Ferraro s, our second favorite restaurant, located at the Four Seasons. We ve stayed at three of the condos in Ekahi and I ve provided more information on the next page. owns three of them and they re nicely remodeled and always clean, with great views

12 Ekahi Condos We ve Rented D C B A A. Units 54A & 54C Two excellent 2 bedroom condos, above and below each other. Great views, remodeled. Super spacious and great for two couples, or four couples using both of them. Looks far from the water, but a super pleasant walk (less than 5-min) across the grounds. B. Unit 11D Excellent one bedroom condo (our favorite place to stay). Remodeled throughout, stunningly remodeled bath, beautiful view, great privacy, super easy walk to pool and beach. C. Unit 8F Studio condo, dated interior, and not nearly as nice, but inexpensive, and very close to the beach D. Beach access great pool with a view of the water, cabana, barbeques, etc. Image from the Bird s Eye view feature of Bing Maps

13 Finding the Right Condo If you re looking for a condo in Ekahi, and the ones I recommended aren t available, or don t meet your needs, try this Search on the web ( is a great site) to find a condo Then you can use their description and this map to figure out where the condo is located Use the birds eye view feature of Bing maps to get really clear close up views of the area to see where things are located You can do the same for other condo complexes in the area, you just have to search the web for map of the complex that shows the unit numbers

14 Eat Food Plan in advance I look at the sunrise and sunset times and make my dinner reservations so we ll be walking down the beach to dinner at sunset, and then can walk back along the beach in the moonlight. Morimoto This is our current absolute favorite. We sit in one of the loveseats at the bar. The bartenders are incredibly cool, the food is unbelievable, the view is second to none, and the atmosphere is romantic ( ) Sarento s our favorite restaurant in Maui. Always our first and last dinner, as well as a few in-between. It s high end cuisine, right on the water, but you can wear whatever you d like. We get there by walking the half mile or so down the beach from the Ekahi condos ( ) Four Seasons The Four Seasons hotel has a couple excellent restaurants ( ) Ferraro s Our second favorite restaurant in Maui, it s located outdoors right on the water at the Four Seasons and the food is awesome. We get there by walking the mile or so down the beach from the Ekahi condos Duo A great steak place at the Four Seasons, with an incredible all you can eat raw bar Kihei Café Excellent breakfast in a funky atmosphere down in Kihei Flatbread Pizza Located across the island in Paia, but the food is worth the visit. It s an artsy funky little town Monkey Pod Just above the shops at Wailea. Brand new, and great food and atmosphere (not fancy) Honolulu Coffee Located in the shops at Wailea, we stop there every morning on the way to the beach for one of their Nutty Hawaiian Lattes (excellent with a shot of Baileys!) Mulligans on the Blue A fun Irish pub on the Blue golf course above Wailea with an outstanding house band called the Celtic Tigers ( ) Longhi s in the shops at Wailea great for breakfast Tommy Bahama in the shops at Wailea great for late lunch & happy hour Charlie s Also located in Paia, Charlie's is a great breakfast place Hali imaile General Store is located above Paia and while there is no view the food is outstanding ( ) Mama s Fish House Pricey and touristy, but definitely worth at least one visit Ganon s Located in the clubhouse on the Wailea Gold golf course, they have a great bar, food, and views out over Wailea. Great for breakfast on the way to the beach Approximate Sunrise/Sunset Times Sunrise Sunset January 7:06 AM 6:06 PM February 6:57 AM 6:25 PM March 6:35 AM 6:36 PM April 6:07 AM 6:46 PM May 5:49 AM 6:57 PM June 5:45 AM 7:09 PM July 5:54 AM 7:11 PM August 6:06 AM 6:56 PM September 6:14 AM 6:29 PM October 6:22 AM 6:02 PM November 6:37 AM 5:45 PM December 6:56 AM 5:48 PM

15 Christi Enjoying the Loveseat at the Bar at Morimoto

16 Go to the Beach in Wailea A B C D E F G A. Keawakapu Beach Right in front of the Ekahi condos. It s a huge beautiful beach that s fairly empty, and where we start our morning runs B. Mokapu Beach a beautiful little beach that is always empty because the Renaissance hotel has been closed for awhile. Will probably get more crowded when the hotel opens back up C. Point between Mokapu and Ulua is some of the best snorkeling. There are fish right as you walk into the water D. Ulua Beach in front of the Elua Condos and always pretty empty E. Point in front of the Marriott Not a beach, but every time I snorkel there I see turtles F. Wailea Beach An incredibly beautiful beach. Downside is that the big hotels put out a ton of lounge chairs and umbrellas for their guests, taking up a lot of room, and it s usually pretty crowded. Upside is that in addition to being beautiful there are great rental places for paddleboards, boogie boards, kayaks, and other gear G. Polo Beach and the Fairmont Hotel. The little point at the right side of the beach is where we take a few minutes to enjoy the beauty of the morning, before we turn around and head back on our morning runs Image from Bing Maps

17 Go to the Beach Elsewhere Obviously not a complete list, but a few beaches outside Wailea that I find particularly noteworthy A. Honolua Bay Not a beach, but cool cliffs that you can stand on and watch the surfers. It s a bit of a drive, and if there s no surf, there s no surfers, but beautiful B. Ho okipa Beach Just past Paia has incredible Kiteboarding, Windsurfing, and Surfing. Go to breakfast at Charlie s or Lunch at Flatbread Pizza in Paia and then check out the surfers C. Makena Beach Made up of Big Beach and Little Beach. a) Little Beach is hidden across a lava flow from big beach and is clothing optional. It s not only a secluded little paradise, but it doesn t have the tough shore break like Big Beach b) Big Beach is giant and incredibly beautiful. The shore break is pretty brutal so it s not great for boogie boarding or playing in the water, but despite that, the beach itself is one of the most beautiful on the island

18 Enjoy the Scenery Walking down Mokapu Beach View from the path along Wailea Point Standing at the Marriott Looking toward Ulua Beach Standing in front of Sarento s

19 Enjoy the Scenery View from the waiting area at the spa at the Grand Wailea Sitting at Ganon s looking toward Makena Walking down Big Beach at Makena On top of Haleakala at sunset

20 Enjoy the Scenery Sunset at the Ekahi pool In front of Sarento s at sunset Sunset on the Ekahi grounds Panorama of Makena s Big beach

21 Enjoy the Scenery Walking to dinner in front of the Marriott View from the Ekolu 208 ( Walking down Keawakapu Beach toward Sarento s Standing between Makena s Big & Little Beach

22 Enjoy the Scenery Pausing between Mokapu and Ulua beaches Running down Ulua beach toward the Marriott Running down the path above Ulua beach Running down Polo Beach

23 Enjoy the Scenery Looking down Wailea beach from Wailea Point Surfer at Honolua Bay Paddleboarding in front of Wailea beach Kite boarder on Ho okipa beach

24 Other Notes Do a Countdown! As you countdown the days to your trip find ways to mark the milestones as the date approaches I put a countdown calendar app on my smartphone I also send an with pictures on key countdown dates (200-days, 150, 100, 50, 40, 30, 20, 15, 10, 5, Tomorrow) to whoever is coming with me on the trip, whether it s my wife, or a group of friends and family. It helps build and extend the excitement of the trip over a longer period of time Take and Share Pictures! I take a lot of pictures, and you can find them at When you re in Maui take a ton of pictures, then find ways to share them with whoever you went with. Some ways I ve found are: Make picture cards out of them and give them to the people who joined you on the trip so they can use them to send to friends and family Make photo albums to remember the trip. I highly recommend Make them into a slideshow on your TV or computer And of course print and frame them in your house, so whenever you walk by you re reminded of the magical place you vacationed at If you have any questions, feel free to get ahold of me Mark Swatzell MarkSwatzell@msn.com

25 Do Fun Stuff! Drive the Road to Hana View the Sunrise or Sunset from Haleakala Check Out Some Surf Beaches Go Snorkeling Go Whale Watching Walk back from dinner in the moonlight