Originally posted by JerseyPaul:
quote:Originally posted by GOD Loves You:
We are heading to Maui this Monday and I was wondering if anybody else has visited the islands before.
If so, any suggestions on "must-do's" or places to eat?
Thanks for any info. 1. Do sunrise over the Haleakala crater. You have to drive up at night, before sunrise, so it's good to do this early in your vacation, while you are still physically on U.S. time. Be sure to bring coats, it's cold at the top.
2. The road to Hana. It's long and there are lots of scenic stops (waterfalls, arboretums, etc.). Not so bad to turn around before you get there as Hana itself is no big deal. Maps are available at the hotel to show you what to look for by mile from the start. There's a famous eatery along the way where you can get a box lunch and a map, ask the concierage.
3. The town is Lahaina. You can book day trips to other islands. We did the trip to Lanai and it was great. Dolphins swam beside the boat, was like a scene from Jacques Cousteau. From the boat you can either visit the island (I did) or scuba (I don't). And/or.. Whale watching if the season, I forget when that is.
4. Lahaina itself is historic, get a guide book and spend a couple of hours.
5. Of course the beaches are fantastic. I dropped my key into knee deep water and could see it clear as anything. I don't think I would ever find it in the surf at Atlantic City, lol.
It's really paradise. The most beautiful Hawaiian Island.. and I've been to Oahu and the Big Island as well as Maui. [/QUOTE]Thanks JP. We took the enormaously long drive to Hana. It was very beautiful, but I must say it definitely wasn't the "most beautiful drive in the world" as it is advertised. IMO we saw greater beauty when when lived in WA and drove over to ID and MT. We did find a tiny village along the way and bought some of the best bannana bread I have ever eaten.
The road was the most "interesting" paved road I have driven on, reminded me of the backwoods, dirt roads in SE Ohio. The worst part about the drive was 3 of the stops were closed for some reason, which was comical because they contained the only restrooms along the 3 hour drive. Of course being a man, nature is quite a big toilet.
We drove up to the crater as well. Started out at 78 degrees at the bottom and got down to 48 degrees at the top, lil over 10,000 ft above sea level. The sunrise was beautiful, but not the "most spectacular site I have ever seen" as many people were calling it. Though it was neat to be above the clouds and we took plenty of good pictures there. I was amazed at the depth of the crater, they say Manhattan can inside of it.
The food was horrible, as I heard many people say as well. The only good meal we got was at the Westin where we were staying. Although it was crazy to pay $4.50 for a soda and $4.50 for refills as well. We only found one place on the Island that provided free refills. The Westin was a top-notch resort with many kids and adult activities, including 4 nice pools with waterfalls that were quite relaxing.
If anyone is single and wants to make a nice chunk of change off of tourists, this is a very good place to live.....females EVERYWHERE, good looking ones!!
Helicopter rides ranged from $80.00 per person up to $500.00....thought if they take up a couple once a day, 7 days a week, they would be making $80,000 a year for about 10 hours a week
Luaus were anywhere from $50-$110 per person. 12 packs of soda were $6-$7 a pop. Of course all of the food was expensive everywhere and for the tobacco users, cigs were $6-$8 a pack and cans of snuff were $7-$9+++++. Didn't notice the alcohol prices.
Overall it was a very fun, relaxing getaway with my wife and kids and her family. We might be going back sooner than later because the in-laws are spending the $30k for the Westin vacation/timeshare thing. Though I am not for sure if we will accompany them as my wife and I already have plans of going back to "the homeland" in Ireland and backpacking some through Europe. If only I could win the 100K, then the trip to Europe would be VERY soon.
I must say that HI is a must do for anyone looking for a fun, relaxing, and quite expensive trip that is worth every (normally say penny, but in HI you have to say dollar!)
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Sucks to come back to reality.
Although the draft next week should make up for the blues.