• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Romantic places to eat near Valley Isle

gstepic

TUG Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2007
Messages
601
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Albuquerque New Mexico
Since our trip is about 6 weeks away it is time to do some planning. This year we will have way more free time than last years trip to the Islands so I am so much looking forward to having time to just lounge around the beach.

I am starting to put together my little trip planning spread sheet, knowing full well my wife will make it pretty much worthless! But I can at least try to plan. We will get in around 2 PM on a Tuesday so we probably will just drive to IAO Valley area since it is near the airport and on our way to the Valley Isle resort, where we will be staying.

1st question, are there any nice places to eat lunch near IAO valley (I cannot remember the name of the town nearby, Waihila or something like that. I think I remember the Revealed book mentioning several places to eat in the commentary but I cannot remember any particular recommendations.

What we always look forward to is that first romantic dinner watching the sunset when we arrive. Since Valley Isle is a little north of Lahiana we were thinking of eating at one of the restaurants in the Whaler's village area. Last year we only had a few minutes to check the area out and I remember two places right next to each other, I think one was Lulu's and can't remember the other (I am pretty sure they were both ONOs in the Revealed book. Any personal recommendations concerning these places? What is nice is if there is some nice music while eating and watching the sunset.

My wife came down with a skin disease in the spring of 07 that required some pretty heavy duty drugs that meant no alcohol. The disease runs it course in two to four years but I am happy to say she looks about 5 years younger (she basically shed her skin many times) and it is in remission, which means she is soon to be off the meds and we can have that romantic drink together. We are really looking forward to that (we are not big drinkers but I think it is in the rules somewhere that when you are listening to romantic music in a restaurant by the beach while watching the sunset you have to have a pina colada or something like that! LOL!

Hopefully there are some nice places to eat near the resort. Time to start studying the Revealed book again!

Gary

hmmm, a long day at work and all I can think about is the upcoming vacation (daydreaming about having that drink with my wife).
 

Luanne

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
19,353
Reaction score
10,185
Points
1,198
Location
New Mexico
Resorts Owned
Maui Lea at Maui Hill
San Diego Country Estates
One of my favorites on Maui is Kimo's in Lahaina. Not exactly the location you were asking about though. The food has always been good, but we had one of the best dinners of our trip when we went there a couple of years ago. If you can get one of the tables near the railing those are the best. You can usually get one if you go early, and then you can watch the sunset.

I know which restaurants you are talking about in Whaler's Village. One is Leilani's (same parent company as Kimo's) and I'm going blank on the other. I'll take and look and come back and add it to my post.

I'm back. I think Hula Grill is the other one you're thinking about. I didn't realize it, but it's another Peter Merriman's restaurant (I've been to a couple of his on the Big Island).
 
Last edited:

gstepic

TUG Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2007
Messages
601
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Albuquerque New Mexico
Funny how some places become special

Right now the Shorebird in Waikiki is our special place even though knowing what we know now there is nothing that special about it. About five years ago we went on our first trip to Hawaii, staying at the Outrigger Reef. We will never forget that first and subsequent night, looking at the ships at sea, watching the sun set, and listening to the musicians. Of course that was the beginning of our love afair with Hawaii. In fact we plan on ending all our trips in Waikiki so we can have that drink at the Shorebird.

Last year we went on an exploratory trip, spending four days on the Big Island, three on Maui, three on Kauai, and 4 on back on Oahu. We really liked Maui so this year it will be 7 days there and the last four in Oahu.

I probably liked Kauai the least because we could not find those romantic places that we enjoy so much. Of course three days is not enough time to really know where those places could be. Laihana has severl places and we liked a few of the places on Kona of the Big Island.

Gary
 

Luanne

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
19,353
Reaction score
10,185
Points
1,198
Location
New Mexico
Resorts Owned
Maui Lea at Maui Hill
San Diego Country Estates
I still think one of the "best" restaurants on Maui is Mama's Fish House. Very, very expensive, but worth it.
 

lorilulu

TUG Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2008
Messages
70
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
yorba linda
Just got back from Maui- the Pineapple Grill at the Kapalua Golf Course had one of the best dinners and service we have ever had-can't wait to go back-go there at sunset when they have some great dinner specials as long as you are seated by 6:00- they open at 5:30 They have a chocolate banana bread pudding that is out of this world!
 
Last edited:

Hoc

TUG Lifetime Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
2,560
Reaction score
1
Points
523
Location
Orange County, CA
Mama's Fish House, as mentioned above, is very expensive, but very worthwhile. Iao Valley is about 10-15 minutes on one side of Kahului, Mama's Fish House is in Paia, about 10-15 minutes on the other side of Kahului. It's on the beach, pretty much open air (but covered, with drapes and some walls), and has not only the best fish on the island, but is quite romantic.

Highly recommended if you are willing to spend the money. Lahaina is not nearby (and Kapalua or Wailea, both of which have delicious, romantic restaurants, are even farther away), so you probably don't want to look there if you are looking for something nearby. The town you are thinking of ("Wai something") is Wailuku. There are lots of local places in Wailuku and nearby Kahului, but nothing that I know of which is particularly romantic over there, besides Mama's.
 
Last edited:

gstepic

TUG Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2007
Messages
601
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Albuquerque New Mexico
Lunch first then the romantic dinner

We will be arriving around 2 pm so we probably will be ready for lunch and that is why we plan on eating at Wailuku first, it is close to the airport and of course IAO valley. Last year we had some sort of a pineapple burger at the McDonalds and it was really pretty good, but of course not much atmosphere. We are not really looking for anything fancy for that first lunch.

I know Valley Isle is north of the Whaler's Village area so we are planning that romantic dinner for that area.

Gary
 

meatsss

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2005
Messages
183
Reaction score
1
Points
228
Location
Sacramento
Try the Seahouse restaurant on Napili Beach just north of Kahana. Wonderful food and service. Quieter than the restaurants in Whalers Village.
 
Last edited:

Luanne

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
19,353
Reaction score
10,185
Points
1,198
Location
New Mexico
Resorts Owned
Maui Lea at Maui Hill
San Diego Country Estates
Try the Seahouse restaurant on Napili Beach just north of Kahana. Wonderful food and service. Quieter than the restaurants in Whalers Village.

Is this the one at the Napili Kai resort that used to be the Teahouse of the Maui Moon?
 

gstepic

TUG Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2007
Messages
601
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Albuquerque New Mexico
I think we will try the Sea Horse

The web-page for the restaurant is for the Napili Kai Beach Resort. It appears it is pretty close to Valley Isle where we will be staying. It appears there is nightly entertainment. The dinner menu is a little pricey (we generally have our big meal for lunch, but our first night arriving we do want to have the romantic dinner) but lunches seem very reasonable. It seems like a nice place nearby to just have a drink or two and listen to music.

We will probably try the Hula Grill and Leilani's on the Beach since they are close as well. I think both those places have a less pricely bar and grill area. All three appear to have what I am looking for - open to the ocean (so there is kind of a feeling of eating at the beach) and music. to us there is something special being able to eat and listening to waves and looking out over the ocean.

I think all three allow for a nice walk by the beach after a meal or drinks. After writing this post you have no idea how hard it is to keep my mind on work! 35 days to that romantic meal!

Gary
 
Top