West Maui activities

[DaveNV]

I've asked in another thread for ideas of things to do on our two-island Hawaii trip next month. The responses were great, but things got a bit derailed with lengthy discussions about whale watching trips. That's all great, but we'll be there after whale season, and I'm interested in more land-based things.

I've never stayed in West Maui. I've stayed in Kihei, and visited Lahaina for a few hours. I remember enough to know we walked around the streets and went to the Whaler's Museum there. But that's about all I can remember about that side of the island. I'm sure I've missed a lot. That's where you folks can help me out:

This trip, we're staying at Ka'anapali Beach Club. I know virtually nothing about that part of the island. What are the kinds of things we should do there? Are there good restaurants you think we need to try? What daytime activities are in that area? We aren't much for laying on the beach, and we have the east end of things covered. Moderate walking and hiking are okay, but strenuous stuff is out. Photography opportunities are a plus. What should we do on the west side?

Dave

 

[Luanne]

Can't help much with activites as we usually just go up for the day. However I can mention a few of our favorite places to eat.

Kimo's - Lahaina
Hula Grill - Whaler's Village (part of the same restaurant group as Kimo's)
Monkey Pod - Whaler's Village. We haven't been to this one but really like the one in Wailea

 

[slip]

We’ll be watching this one too. We’re headed back to Maui in January 2019.

 

[vacationtime1]

The Kapalua Coastal Trail is an easy 1-3/4 mile (one way) walk, some asphalt, some dirt, some boardwalk. The southern end is at Kapaua Beach (near Merriman's); the northern end is near the Ritz Carlton. It's usually easier to park at the northern end. Don't miss Dragon's Teeth (Makaluapuna Point, just south of the Ritz).

 

[BocaBoy]

I would recommend going to the Old Lahaina Luau. Easily the best of several we have been to over the years with a reputation to match that experience.

 

[artringwald]

For dining:
Ka'anapali Beach Club has a great poolside bar and grill.
Aston Kaanapali Shores next door to KBC also has a nice poolside restaurant.
Walk across the street from KBC and you'll find several casual restaurants.
Hula Grill Kaanapali ( www.hulagrillkaanapali.com )
Duke's Beach House ( www.dukesmaui.com )
Merriman's Kapalua ( www.merrimanshawaii.com/kapalua )

Activities:
Get out on the water. Several catamarans leave the beach from Whaler's Village. Trilogy has great day trips to the island of Lanai, sailing out of Lahaina.
For a scenic drive, head for the Nakalele Blowhole on the north side of the island.
Download the free arrival guide from the KBC web site: https://www.diamondresortsandhotels.com/Resorts/Ka'anapali-Beach-Club/DestinationGuide?mkc=GOOGLEUS
Get the app or buy a hard copy of Maui Revealed: https://www.hawaiirevealed.com/maui-revealed/guidebook-app/
Attend the free breakfast at KBC and they'll present many activities. It's just a commercial for the activity companies, but you may find something you like.
Check the bulletin board by the pool for the daily activities at the resort: scuba lessons, tai chi lessons, water aerobics, garden walk, etc.
Whatever you do, don't attend a sales presentation no matter what perks they offer. You'll spoil your vacation.

 

[easyrider]

I like Lahaina in the early evening. We usually make it to Fleetwood's for music and beverages on the roof. Mick Fleetwood dabbles in wine making and it really is the good stuff. Some trips we were lucky to watch live music at the Pioneer by the wharf. The second Friday in Lahaina is a local dealio.

Daytime activities for me include hanging out and snorkeling at Kapalua Bay. We like to walk the Kapalua Coastal Trail. Its an easy hike. If your adventurous you can drive Kahekili Hwy around the west end of Maui. Honoapilliani turns into Kahekili a few miles past Honolua Bay Bay. The trail to the Honolua Bay is really cool. I haven't snorkeled heeer because I was thinking if I left my car parked in the parking area too long it would be messed with. I did purposely leave it unlocked with a window down. There are many things to stop and check out along this road like the Blowhole, Olvine Pools , Bellstone and general scenery. If you keep going eventually you end up at a little town with Julia's banana bread and a shaved ice place. Its a little twisty and hilly road but I like it. The road ends up near Kahului. If your timing is right you can head up to Wailuku and take the old road back to the west side. Don't head this way when kids get out of school. If you like seafood, especially poke, stop at sack & save in Wailuku.

Bill

 

[klpca]

Snorkeling in front of WKORV, "hiking" at the closed golf course up in Kapalua, beers at Maui Brewing Co in Kahana. I second the snorkel cruise if they are going up to Honolua Bay.

 

[Ken555]

My current favorite restaurant on Maui is Mala Ocean Tavern. Be sure to get the ahi bruschetta!

https://www.malaoceantavern.com

Their other restaurants next door are also quite good.

My previous favorite restaurant is Pacific’O.

http://pacificomaui.com

Fantastic views and the best Eggs Benedict is at The Plantation House, about a 20 Minute drive north.

https://theplantationhouse.com

All of these are great for lunch. Dinner is also great, but much more expensive and unless it’s at sunset I don’t see the appeal.

Have fun!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[jlp879]

For me, no Maui trip is complete until I've watched the sunset tiki torch lighting ceremony at the Sheraton.

Ka'anapali Beach is huge and stretches for 3 miles long. But the prime spot for the sunset is pretty much in front of the Black Rock which is found at the doorsteps of the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa.

Parking is a nightmare in the area, so do yourself a favour, stroll along the beach from the KBC to the Black Rock area. It's a beautiful stroll and I like checking out the other places to stay along the way.

If you stay after dark, you can hop on the Westin shuttle for a part of the way back ride.

 

[klpca]

We went over to the Sheraton one day to snorkel at Black Rock because it felt more protected (we were there last November and had some less than optimal weather at times). After seeing a turtle and an octopus(!) we had lunch at the pool bar at the Sheraton. I looked it up and it is called the Cliff Dive Bar. The views were spectacular. We sat at one of the surfboard shaped tables that had a 180 degree view of the ocean and Black Rock and the food was surprisingly good (and ridiculously expensive) but the view made up for it.

 

[meatsss]

There are outrigger canoe rides that leave from in front of the Westin on Ka’anapali. During whale season you can certainly hear the whales singing, and a couple of years ago we had a mon, escort and calf come within 50 feet of our canoe. Got a great video with my go pro.
The rest of the year, it’s just a fun ride in the canoes and you may run across some dolphins!

 

[VegasBella]

We stayed near there last Summer. We enjoyed snorkeling everyday right there at the beach. We enjoyed breakfast at Slappy Cakes.

 

[taffy19]

We went over to the Sheraton one day to snorkel at Black Rock because it felt more protected (we were there last November and had some less than optimal weather at times). After seeing a turtle and an octopus(!) we had lunch at the pool bar at the Sheraton. I looked it up and it is called the Cliff Dive Bar. The views were spectacular. We sat at one of the surfboard shaped tables that had a 180 degree view of the ocean and Black Rock and the food was surprisingly good (and ridiculously expensive) but the view made up for it.

When it is getting dark, someone will light the torches. It is a nice experience and such a beautiful spot. I believe that he does a dive also but I missed that.

The best snorkeling is early in the morning when the ocean is still calm. I saw cliff jumpers almost every day but also a diver this time that did backwards double flips more than once. Every time he had to climb up the rocks again so he had to be very fit.

Nobody mentioned the following route yet. We have done it several times years ago but the last time the road was so eroded that we didn't continue and haven't had the guts to do it again. Here is the route that I found on the Internet because I can never remember all these difficult names or route numbers (route #30). It is a drive out of this world so try to do it, Dave.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTop...Maui_OTHER_than_Road_to_Hana-Maui_Hawaii.html

 

[DaveNV]

Thanks, everyone. These are excellent ideas. Sounds like I need to book another week or two so I can do all of this.

Dave

 

[taterhed]

Happy hour on the patio at Merriman's @ Kapalua is really nice. Music, reduced drinks and some nice truffle fries.

Great time to see dragon's teeth and walk the golf course (closed) for some good pics with that 'overgrown and eerie' vibe from the abandoned links.

 

[heckp]

We went over to the Sheraton one day to snorkel at Black Rock because it felt more protected (we were there last November and had some less than optimal weather at times). After seeing a turtle and an octopus(!) we had lunch at the pool bar at the Sheraton. I looked it up and it is called the Cliff Dive Bar. The views were spectacular. We sat at one of the surfboard shaped tables that had a 180 degree view of the ocean and Black Rock and the food was surprisingly good (and ridiculously expensive) but the view made up for it.

How was the weather like in Maui when you were there in November? Looking to go there coming November.

Ooops sorry Katherine, didn't realize you already commented on my post. Thank you!

 

[SandyPGravel]

We just got back from our 12 night stay. (9 nights in Kaanapali) One thing I would not do again is travel from Kaanapali to Kahului via the north-east shoreline road. OMG that road makes the road to Hana feel like a cakewalk. My DH has friends that live in Kihei and they said it would be "something to do" after we checked out of the resort since we had all day to kill. Granted we had a 7 passenger mini van, maybe with a smaller vehicle it wouldn't feel so terrifying. A large section of the road is one lane for long stretches. At one point we had to back up, up hill because the car coming the other way had no intention of backing up. We managed to circumnavigate the entire island on this trip (yes we violated the rental car agreement and continued on past Hana.) That was a nice drive, the road wasn't in perfect condition and we had to dodge a few cattle in the road, but it wasn't terrifying. If you want to travel as far as the Olivine pools that's fine, then turn around and go back the way you came. Ironically the rental car agency didn't mention the north-east shoreline road as being banned, only the road past Hana.

Oh yeah almost forgot, the road past Hana is closed during the day for road construction, but it opens back up past 4pm(maybe 5pm I don't remember for sure.) A big lighted road sign will tell you for sure what time the road is closed just past Kipahulu.

 

[DaveNV]

We just got back from our 12 night stay. (9 nights in Kaanapali) One thing I would not do again is travel from Kaanapali to Kahului via the north-east shoreline road.

Good to know. I didn’t find the Road to Hana to be all that bad, but then, I own a Porsche convertible, and I love to drive. We’ll have a convertible on this trip (likely a Mustang) so any top-down driving will be fun. But I’m not interested in hassling with road rage drivers who want to mess with tourists. I’ll leave the off-road experiences for another time.

Dave

 

[SandyPGravel]

Good to know. I didn’t find the Road to Hana to be all that bad, but then, I own a Porsche convertible, and I love to drive. We’ll have a convertible on this trip (likely a Mustang) so any top-down driving will be fun. But I’m not interested in hassling with road rage drivers who want to mess with tourists. I’ll leave the off-road experiences for another time.

Dave

We also liked the drive to Hana. This is the second time we went, first time on the forbidden part. We knew it was going to be an all day trip (learned that the first time.) still didn't feel like we had enough time to do all the stops. I agree with those that say you should spend a night or two in Hana so you don't feel so rushed.

We went kayaking from Makena boat landing. Not exactly a west Maui activity, but it was fun.

 

[wilma]

We just returned from a 10 day trip to Maui, spent 7 days at hyatt kaanapali residence club & 3 days at a VRBO cottage in Hana. Since we had 3 days in hana we could spend time at Homoa beach, hike at Haleakala NP, and enjoy the Hana area. We could walk to the Venus pool from our cottage and enjoyed just sitting outside when it wasn’t raining. We find the drive to Hana a bit harrowing and could never do it in just 1 day.

 

[richardrose]

Good to know. I didn’t find the Road to Hana to be all that bad, but then, I own a Porsche convertible, and I love to drive. We’ll have a convertible on this trip (likely a Mustang) so any top-down driving will be fun. But I’m not interested in hassling with road rage drivers who want to mess with tourists. I’ll leave the off-road experiences for another time.

Dave

My problem with the road to hana is stopping at all the waterfalls. We had people who noticed that we knew where to stop follow us, stop when we did and swim in pool below falls. I explaned the danger of rocks coming over the falls but that didnt bother them, i stop just before a brige now i have 4 cars of people asking why i stopped, i said look over the side. The bridge crosses over the top of a 1000 ft waterfall and i enjoyed the gaspings.