# Please help me revise my plans on Maui and Big Island



## Kelso (Jan 8, 2008)

The research is done. We are recently retired and will be on each island for a week. Do you think I scheduled any duds or missed any gems?

Maui= Pacific Whale Watching Tour, Lavender fields, Warren & Annabelle magic show, Old Lahaina Luau, snorkeling, and finding waterfalls. 

We considered the volcano zipline tour, Maui Ocean Center, and sailing aboard America II.

Big Island= Kona Coffee Tour, Kula Kai Caverns, Helicopter Tour over the volcano and waterfalls, Kayaking through Sugar Plantation (Fluming Da Ditch)

We considered the Road to Hana, sunset at Mauna Kea, hiking up Kapoloa Falls but we do not know how difficult they are for us to do.

Thanks for any ideas for me to revise my plan.


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## julienjay (Jan 8, 2008)

I would add MAMA'S FISH HOUSE in Maui to your list. Best meal I've ever had, and the most beautiful restaurant I've ever been to!


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## DeniseM (Jan 9, 2008)

When is your trip?

Others will disagree with me,  but the Warren and Annabelle show is a magic show and it has nothing to do with Hawaii.  If you are a magic show fan, you will probably enjoy it, but I would skip it and see Ulalena instead.

The Road to Hana is on Maui, not the BI - it's a must-do, but you can do it next time.  (Yes, you will be back.)  Unless you are a timid driver, anyone can drive the road to Hana, and there are tours too.  

I also think visiting the Haleakala Crater on Maui is a must-do, but it absolutely is NOT necessary to be there for sunrise.  And you can do that next time too!

We also love Volcano National Park on the BI - the self-driving tour is fascinating and a completely different experience than the helicopter tour.


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## talkamotta (Jan 9, 2008)

I loved driving thru the Volcanic National Park.  I had never seen a Volcanic tube before and it was very interesting to me. I liked Black Sands Beach and the Place of Refuge.  

 I love the Volcanic Wines and the winery is by the National Park (dont care for the Maui wine).  If you are into wines I would at least go by there and sample some wines and buy a few. I like the wines so much that I wanted to have a case shipped home to Utah but no can do.....this year they  can ship to Nevada, so my friends can get them to me. Before I had them shipped to my son in Florida and flew them back with me on the plane.  

Try not to do so much that it wears you out... The best thing about Hawaii is the peace it gives you.  Now that you are retired, you will be back.  

If you havent already bought the Revealled Books for the Big Island and Maui, thats a must........


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## luana (Jan 9, 2008)

*Maui*

Skip drinking any lavender lemonade and the Ali'i Lavender farm. I was extremely allergic to something in it and I only drank about 1/4 of the bottle! I second the Warren and Annabelle show and having lunch or dinner at Mama's Fish House. Take some time to experience some of the wonderful beaches in the Wailea area as well as Kapalua. If you are staying in the West Maui area, do as much as you wish there and do South Maui on your next visit!


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## Hoc (Jan 9, 2008)

DeniseM said:


> Others will disagree with me,  but the Warren and Annabelle show is a magic show and it has nothing to do with Hawaii.  If you are a magic show fan, you will probably enjoy it, but I would skip it and see Ulalena instead.



I would agree with the first part, but I don't really think Ulalena is worth seeing, unless you are willing to suspend disbelief.  It portrays the Hawaiians as peaceful natives, living in harmony, until the white man came out of the seas, walking on their backs, and destroyed their culture.  It neglects the fact that Hawaiians were bashing each others' heads in with rocks long before the white man ever got there, and that the Hawaiians eventually killed and ate Captain Cook, and contains a lot of other inaccurate things.


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## DeniseM (Jan 9, 2008)

I guess I don't go to a musical for historical accuracy - I loved the music, dance, costumes, and staging and I didn't "feel," any overwhelming political overtones.

But, I am glad they didn't show the Hawaiian's eating Capt. Cook!


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## GrampyBill (Jan 9, 2008)

Haleakala and Volcanos National Park are GEMS!!  Get your Golden Age Passport for $10 which gives you and others lifetime access to National Parks. ( The pass has a different name now but same great features)

Haleakala is just fine and uncrowded if you go at 10:00 am or later. Both it and the Volcano National Park are "otherworldly"


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jan 9, 2008)

DeniseM said:


> I guess I don't go to a musical for historical accuracy


What!!!! Do you mean to tell me that "Jesus Christ - Superstar" isn't the gospel truth???


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## gstepic (Jan 9, 2008)

*I second that and my slideshow has some pics to prove it*

We really enjoyed our drive up to the volcano and when we return to Maui next fall we are going to make a point to do some hiking. 

I have a slideshow in another thread that has some photos of the volcano and the scenery is truly "other worldly". We arrived probably about an hour or so before sundown. I will probably redo the slide show, version 100 by now, and put some captions of where the photos are taken from. 

Gary


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## nonutrix (Jan 9, 2008)

Ditto for the Volcanos National Park!  It is worth a lot more time than the couple of hours at a time I've been able to spend there.  IMHO, this is _*the*_ thing to do on the Big Island.

nonutrix


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## Luanne (Jan 9, 2008)

Double check, I believe Flumin' da Ditch doesn't operate any longer.  It discontinued after the earthquake and hasn't resumed.  This article is from 2006, but it states the tours were closed permanently.  Could be things have changed though.  We didn't see any ads for them when we were there last summer.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Nov/07/bz/FP611070321.html


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## LisaRex (Jan 9, 2008)

I'd keep Warren & Annabelle's on the list.  It's a great thing to do at night after the sun sets.  I'd book the early show and then have reservations at Kimo's afterward.  

FYI, the America II sailboat is in drydock part of the year, so check with them as to the dates.  We ended up taking another sailboat out, though I can't recall the name of it.  The sunset sail was the closest we came to the whales.   

I know the Kiele V has sunk (RIP) but if they Hyatt has replaced it, I loved their evening sunset cruises.  It was soooo relaxing and enjoyable.  My friend said it was the favorite thing we did all week.  The America II is nice, but it's a sailboat so the seating is not comfortable. 

I really enjoyed the hike down to see waterfalls with Maui Eco Tours.  It's not for people with bad knees, though. 

If I had to skip anything, it'd be the Road to Hana.  That was hellacious for someone who gets car sick. 

Next time I'm going, here's what I'm adding: 

Star Watching on Haleakala 
Ziplining
Trilogy trip to Lanai

Have fun!!


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## gstepic (Jan 9, 2008)

*the road to Hana was a little disappointing*

We only had three days on Maui and we spent more time in Lahiana then planned, so we tried to see part of the road to Hana and the volcano all in the same day. We only made it to the 22 mile marker so it is possible we missed some of the best scenery.

The drive is doable but sometimes you have to wait to park along side the road at some of the recommended stops. Leaving our car to take any hikes was a little concerning because it seemed like we saw broken glass anywhere we could park and walk. Now that glass could have been there for years so maybe the fear of leaving our car is a little unwarrented. i have learned to never leave anything valuable in the car and to simply leave it unlocked. 

I think next fall we will do a tour to Hana. The trade off is we cannot control our time and where we want to stay longer or less, but the trip will be less wearing on us, plus it could be fun to meet others on the tour. I noticed signs all over the place for $49 tours while the cheapest we could book on-line was over $100 per person. I think we have to endure a timeshare presentation for the cheap tour version but I am not sure about this. i think the tour will make for a more relaxing day but many do drive on their own so I am not trying to talk you out of it.

Gary


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## DaveNV (Jan 9, 2008)

For what it's worth:  Depending on the time of year for your trip, the Kona Coffee Tour may not have much to show you.  Coffee beans grow as "cherries" through the Spring and Summer, and are harvested in the Fall.  So if you're traveling there in May, for example, as I did last year, the plantations were only starting to show new cherry growth.  Ho hum.  And there was no activity in harvesting or roasting, so there wasn't anything TO see.  The place was mostly deserted - except for the gift shop, of course.  But even if it's locally grown and coated with solid gold, I thought $24 a pound for coffee beans was a bit extreme...  

On the BI, I'd make time to see the black sand beach at Punaluu, near Volcano Nat'l Park.  (Easily viewed on the same day.)   If you pay attention, you'll often see green sea turtles that have hauled out to sun themselves on the black sand.  Makes for awesome images.  And look closely in the tidepools - often there will be turtles there, feeding on the algae.  It's VERY cool, and it's FREE.  Even better!   

Dave


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## debraxh (Jan 9, 2008)

I would definitely add Volcano National Park and a snorkel tour (which prefereably goes to both Kealakekua Bay and Place of Refuge) to your Big Island itinerary.  

IMHO the snorkeling is much better on the BI than Maui, and if you don't take a boat tour at least check out two-step (at Place of Refuge) and Kahalu'u beach park.

I could go on and on with other great things to see on the BI, but I think VNP and snorkeling are must-dos.


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## Luanne (Jan 9, 2008)

debraxh said:


> I would definitely add Volcano National Park and a snorkel tour (which prefereably goes to both Kealakekua Bay and Place of Refuge) to your Big Island itinerary.
> 
> IMHO the snorkeling is much better on the BI than Maui, and if you don't take a boat tour at least check out two-step (at Place of Refuge) and Kahalu'u beach park.
> 
> I could go on and on with other great things to see on the BI, but I think VNP and snorkeling are must-dos.



I concur.  We've done the FairWinds to Kealakekua Bay pretty much every time we've gone to the Big Island.  And we always go to Volcano National Park.


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## DeniseM (Jan 9, 2008)

I forgot about that one - The Place of Refuge on the BI is a must see, and the near-by snorkeling at two-step is awsome!  It is also absolutely crawling with turtles!


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## DaveNV (Jan 9, 2008)

DeniseM said:


> It is also absolutely crawling with turtles!



Denise, was that meant to be as funny as it sounds?  :hysterical: 

Dave


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## DeniseM (Jan 9, 2008)

I was being very literal - at the place of refuge, tons of turtles crawl up and bask in the sun on their protected beach.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Jan 9, 2008)

John Keawe is one of our favorite slack key guitarists and plays for free at the Waikoloa shopping plaza. Definitely go to Place of Refuge and also go next door to snorkel. Don't skip Hapuna Beach. We also really enjoy visiting Havi, a small town with lots of arts and crafts at the north end of the island and there is a fascinating park which is a real Hawaiian village on the way up.
Liz


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## EvelynK72 (Jan 10, 2008)

Luanne said:


> Double check, I believe Flumin' da Ditch doesn't operate any longer. It discontinued after the earthquake and hasn't resumed. This article is from 2006, but it states the tours were closed permanently. Could be things have changed though. We didn't see any ads for them when we were there last summer.
> 
> http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Nov/07/bz/FP611070321.html


 
Just returned from a vacation on the Big Island and Flumin' da Ditch was conspicuously absent from the activities brochures - so no, it is not open yet.  We've been going to Hawaii for the past 10 years and of course, this was the year that DH said he wanted to do Flumin' da Ditch!!!


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## jlr10 (Jan 11, 2008)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> What!!!! Do you mean to tell me that "Jesus Christ - Superstar" isn't the gospel truth???



No....especially since it is at least one scene short 

But back to the original question.

Big Island
My favorites already mentioned:  Fairwinds Cruise-we do it everytime we go to the Big Island.  Snorkeling at 2 step beside the City of Refuge-My favorite place for walk in snorkeling. The City of Refuge is also interesting, for fun look for the anatomically carved statue. Black Sand Beach at Punal'u nice place for lunch and we also saw turtles there.  

Not mentioned-The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens -Located at Onomea Bay, 8 1/2 miles north of Hilo on the four mile Scenic Route.  The flora and fauna here is quite beautiful, but be sure to use the bug spray provided, or bring along another pint of blood for the insects. We also have enjoyed stopping at the Punaluu Bake Shop bakery near south point.  It is a good restroom stop and they have yummy fresh baked bread....yum!

Maui
We enjoyed the road to Hana, but we also forked over the fees to do it as a tour.  We used Temptation Tours which was not cheap but we thought they did a great job.  They did not rush the drive, so no one got sick, and took time to point out plants and sites along the way,stopping several times, and talked story the whole way.  Because he was so comfortable driving the trip I didn't even really notice the road itself, only the scenery.  We also liked that the driver made a special point to include our son, who at the time was 9, so that he felt special.  He was made the 'official driver helper' and was given a wooden fishing hook necklace to mark this honor.  It was a simple gesture that made the trip enjoyable for him and his parents as well.  The van was very comfortable and almost everyone took a nice little nap on the way back. (almost everyone, 'Cousin Randy' paid attention!)
-We also enjoyed Warren and Anabelle.  We know it is not Hawaiian but we had a great time, and would go again.
Also see Iao Valley Park.  A nice park with great scenery go there and in the park itself.


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## gstepic (Jan 11, 2008)

*slideshow with captions and Hana drive*

I have put this up in another thread but thought I would put the revised again show here because I included captions of where the photos were taken. I hope no one minds the gallery being put up again, the only reason I am putting it here is if the captions can be helpful since there are photos of many of the places being mentioned in this thread. There are also credits for the songs someone asked about at the very end. 

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewshow.html?fl=2929952&alb=0

I think when we go back to Maui in October we will take the Hana tour. We only had three days in Maui on our last trip and we had planned on one day for the drive, but my wife really liked Lahaina so we ended up trying to to the road and volcano in the same day! We were told we would get basically the same flavor of the whole drive if we went halfway and headed back in order to have time of Halaekala. 

I have a feeling we missed some nice scenery because of turning back at the 22 mile mark and since we did get much of the experience of driving the road we will pass on this experience next time. It is doable if you leave early and are prepared to wait for parking spaces along the drive. Next time I am looking forward to letting someone else drive and the idea of a nap on the way back sounds good to me! 

We will also have a whole day for the volcano so we may try to catch the sunrise next time. On the Big Island there is a tour we may use to see Mauna Kea. We did not have time to see this on our last trip as we only had four days on the Big Island. The photos in the slideshow are from the Paradise helicopter tour that leaves from Kona. It was a two hour tour.

The Black Sand Beach totally messed up my plans as my wife wanted to see it while I wanted to drive along the east coast from Hilo. We ended up trying to compromise, so we drove south along the west coast, stopping at the city of refuge, then on to the black sand beach and up to Hilo and barely having time to actually stop anywhere while driving back along the east coast. Too much for one day but we did leave a lot to see for our next trip.

Gary


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## Kelso (Jan 11, 2008)

*What I learned.....*

Thanks Gary. That is an AWESOME slideshow. I am so excited to go. 

Anyway, I cancelled the magic show, dropped plans to do the coffee plantation in January, decided our helicopter tour needs to be early so we have time for Volcano National Park and the Black Sand beach.We will eat at mama's fish house, avoid lavender tea, go to Haleakala, do the snorkel tour at Kealakekua Bay and see the Place of Refuge (we will check out the FairWinds if it is not too expensive), and we will not look for Flumin da Ditch since they are not open.

Wow....I learned so much. Thank you everyone. I will check back in case anyone has anymore MUST DO GEMS.


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## gstepic (Jan 11, 2008)

*this site is a great help and don't forget to..*

Pick up a copy of the Doughty Revealed book for Maui and the Big Island. You will find they are very helpful and you also will get some interesting responses about the books from those living on the islands. We found them to be of great help. I think you said your leaving soon (probably not enough time to order on-line) so I am pretty sure I saw copies of the book at the airport in Honolulu so you should not have a hard time finding copies. 

Gary


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## DeniseM (Jan 11, 2008)

Kelso said:


> see the Place of Refuge.



Be sure you take your snorkel gear - right next door, at "Two Step" is the best snorkeling that we found on the Big Island.  

My suggestion - take a picnic and get there early.  Pay to go in the park, and park in the closest parking spot to the manned ranger's shack - that way your car  will be under the ranger's nose while you leave your stuff in the car and go snorkel.

Walk back out the driveway with only your snorkel gear, make an immediate left onto the main road, and then an immediate left at the next driveway and walk down to the ocean.  You will see where everyone is getting in at "Two Step" out on the lava bench.  It looks hard at first, but Mother Nature has built two steps into the lava bench here that make it a cinch to get in and out.  

Then after your morning snorkel, go back to the car and drive back into the picnic grounds (drive towards the visitor's center and then take the road that goes toward the ocean on the left, about 200 yards.)  They have a lovely picnic area with gorgeous views and fascinating tidal pools.  After your picnic lunch, explore the rest of the park.


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## Art (Jan 11, 2008)

My understanding is that the ditches (old irrigation channels) were sufficiently damaged in the 2006 earthquake that Flumin Da Ditch will not reopen.  That's a shame because it was a lot of fun.   If you are on Kauai,  Kauai Backcountry offers a tubing thing that is similar.

The Kona Coffee Tour is not like a Sonoma-Napa or Finger Lakes wine tour with tons of wineries with tastings, etc. Most of the the coffee plantations are relatively small and in amazingly difficult places to get to on the side of the mountain.  We thought we would try the tour when we were there in December, but really found only a few that offer a worthwhile sampling experience.  If you consider visiting any of the small farms, it is essential to call and set up an appointment.  If you don't, you could end up doing a futile drive up or down the side of a cliff 

Based on our experience, it is best to concentrate on the coffee places that advertise in the tourist racks such as MountainThunder and Blue Skies.

Art


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## Luanne (Jan 11, 2008)

We like Bayview Farms.  You can tour, or not.  Their tasting room is one of the nicest I've been in.  And their coffee is good too.   

http://www.bayviewfarmcoffees.com/


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jan 11, 2008)

I've visited several of the coffee plantations, but haven't been that impressed with the coffee.  Last visit to the BI we stopped by Greenwell's - based on various recommendations - and I still wasn't that impressed.  But I bought a pound of their City roast (whole beans) and brought it back to Seattle with me.

When I ground the beans and made the coffee myself, it tasted a heck of a lot better than it did at Greenwell's.  I did some side by side comparisons with my favorites (Starbucks Sulawesi and Gold Coast) and I still preferred my favorites.  But I can see that as a matter of taste - I liked the deeper flavors of my favorites.

But I was quite surprised at the difference in taste between what I got brewing it at home and what it tasted like at the farm.


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## Cathy in Boston (Jan 12, 2008)

Steve - living in Seattle, you no doubt have access to a whole lot better coffees than I do, but Greenwell peaberry beans are my favorite.  Just got a bag this week.  I order by mail from Greenwell.

Back to what to do in Hawaii - on the BI, I agree, the Volcanoes Park is one of the greatest places in the world, I absolutely love it.  Ditto Place of Refuge, not to be missed.

If you like great dining - Merriman's is wonderful.

Have a great trip.


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## alanraycole (Jan 16, 2008)

*Most of the things I would recommend have already been mentioned...*

But, I will recommend one simple pleasure. I am almost embarrased to say that it was one of my favorite activities on Maui, where I am now. I have walked almost every day the entire length of the Wailea Beach walk. Don't laugh! Please, hush, you are hurting my feelings.

It winds past several resorts on one side and beautiful beaches and jagged lava ledges on the other. If you walk straight through, it will take about an hour round trip. If you stop to smell the sea spray, you could enjoy it for a whole day. I like it so much that I will spend my whole last day strolling there and enjoying the many beaches along the walk. 

I am staying at the Maui Lea on Maui Hill, a pleasant resort, but the resort's best attribute is its proximity to this beautiful walk. It is about a mile away. Some of the beaches along the walk are crowded. Others, you can have almost all to yourself. There are surfers, families building sand castles, and lovers in love. There are also plenty of restaurants along the way to stop and enjoy lunch.

When I found myself analysing the resorts along the walk trying to figure out which ones would make the best timeshare conversions, I decided I needed therapy. But hey, there are no timeshares anywhere in Wailea... watupwitdat!


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