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Our personal favorites, observations and thoughts of the
island we love so dearly...
About Kihei:
We are conveniently located in South Kihei along the Wailea border, only 20
minutes from the Kahului airport and 40 minutes from the historic whaling
village of Lahaina. Kihei is on the protected side of the island which is much
calmer than the windy northern and eastern areas. Many times we'll drive to
Kapalua, Ka'anapali, Kahului or Wailuku and it will be howling, only to return
to Kihei amazed at how much calmer it is.
Maui is our favorite island because of its diversity, great beaches and
good weather. It is a great place for kids because of all the
activities. Our son loves the Sugar Cane Train and the Maui Ocean Center
in particular. But snorkeling right there across the street at Kamaole
III beach (turtle
0.4M) or at the fish preserve (eel 0.4M)
is also a favorite way to spend the morning. Maui not only has a wide
variety of wonderful beaches, but also the dormant volcano Haleakala, a 2 hour
drive from our condo it is best seen at sunrise and is a one of a kind
experience. Then there is the famous trip to Hana (road to Hana
0.4M). Enjoy the all day excursion through Maui's
rainforests and water falls. Well worth the trip, but start early and
bring a cooler and a camera so you can take time to enjoy it. If you go
you will be rewarded with scenes like this at Keanae peninsula (peninsula
0.4M) and stop by for a piece of fresh
banana bread then off to the back
side of the island past Hana (road
past Hana 0.5M)
if you dare. There are so many other wonderful things to do on Maui,
whale watching, a snorkel trip to Molokini and much much more, so read
on...
What to do???
We are within walking distance to one of Maui's most heralded beaches, the
Kamaole III,
which offers fabulous snorkeling, boogie boarding or just a day soaking up the
sun. Add to this the Kihei boat ramp is just across the street offering
Molokini crater snorkel cruises, Turtle beach snorkeling, scuba (snuba if
you're not certified) and whale watching trips that depart
daily. So don't drive 20 minutes to Maalaea or 40 minutes to Lahaina then
deal with the parking hassle, just walk across the street to catch your boat!
If you're lucky enough to be in South Kihei during whale season (Dec-Apr) you
may see, as we often do, whales frolicking off the Kam III beach right across
the street (video 1.7MB). Be sure to take a walk along Kihei Road—it
runs adjacent to the beach—to see the ocean parks, quaint
little shops and other folks just like you enjoying all that this quiet town
has to offer. And Keawakapu
beach, one of the least traveled of the island, is just a few blocks south and the
beginning of a 2 mile beach front along a beautiful stretch of Wailea.
a little further...
...but still close to home, take a little longer excursion south; past
Wailea to Makena and Big Beach, you
won't be disappointed. Then go past Makena to Ahihi-Kinau
Natural Preserve for a quick snorkel in the beautiful shallow waters of
this protected area. Travel north and stop by the
Kealia Pond
to take a walk along the soon to open boardwalk (it was supposed to
open summer 2006 but it had not when we were there in November
06 or April 07--stay tuned). Then just ten
minutes west is Maalaea Harbor and the
Maui Ocean Center, a
fabulous aquarium exhibiting the native fish of Hawaii. Of course we encourage
you to venture off and see what truly differentiates Maui from all other
destinations.
... so please venture out ...
...and take the road to Hana and Seven Sacred
Pools (this will take an entire day so please plan accordingly). Or take a
trip upcountry to Makawoa, or to the east to the Ioa needle (an easy trip) in
the Ioa
Valley Park, or a ride to Haleakala crater (not so
easy and a 10,000 foot elevation so bring a jacket). Oh, and here's a
hint—seven pools is part of Haleakala National park so the
admission price of $10/car gets you into both—it's not
possible to do both trips in one day so keep your receipt. Next take a
drive to the north shore to see the spectacular resorts of Ka'anapali
and even more spectacular natural beauty and serenity of the north shore just
past Kapalua and Kahana at Honolua Bay.
And we would not consider a trip complete if we didn't visit
the Shops at
Wailea, Whalers
Village or Lahaina
town at least once, the shopping is fantastic! In our opinion, the
best way to see Lahaina is in the morning. Plan to arrive at 9am, then park for
free on Front street near Shaw. The three hour limit is just right to
walk the entire Front street strip and a take quick stop for an early lunch at
any number of great restaurants there. There is a lot more to Maui than this,
so enjoy. And if you have any questions, we know the island pretty well
and would be delighted to help. For more day dreaming material, activities
and coupons see this
week in Maui
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This site was last updated
04/24/08
