Travel thread: Maui.

[FreeFlyNole]

So, you guys are usually pretty good at this. I'm heading to Maui for a week on Wednesday with the Mrs. I don't golf. What are the highlights? Any restaurant recs? Favorite trails?

I'll be saying at the Ritz Carlton. Goals are drinking, scuba diving, and hiking. I need to eat a Moco Loco for breakfast one day and other than than I'm an open book.

My evening plan is to engage in as much kid free naked time with my wife as she will allow.

 

[billanole]

No recs, but have a blast. I would wanna get close to the volcano and walk on the black sands beaches.

 

[LesClaypool]

No recs, but have a blast.

I'm w/bill. Never made it to Hawaii yet, but I hope it's spectacular!

 

[RunRonnieRun]

Do you normally include your kids in naked time with your wife? Not judging.

 

[travnole]

If you meet a dude named Turtle, listen to him.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Haleakala Crater is a great drive and really interesting.

A short drive from your hotel is the Nakalele Blowhole - you can hike down a ways and see a geyser when the waves come up through the rocks

Old Town Lahaina is touristy but fun

Any of the Senor Frog's locations rent decent snorkeling gear dirt cheap and the snorkeling isn't bad right off the beach in many areas

Have you done a luau before?

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

No recs, but have a blast. I would wanna get close to the volcano and walk on the black sands beaches.

I think you're thinking of the Big Island

 

[billanole]

I think you're thinking of the Big Island

I am sure you are right. Those are the two things I would want to do if I make it to Hawaii.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

I am sure you are right. Those are the two things I would want to do if I make it to Hawaii.

Plus kid-free nakedness, of course!

 

[FreeFlyNole]

Do you normally include your kids in naked time with your wife? Not judging.

Someone has to hold the camera.

 

[funksouljon]

Someone has to hold the camera.

Well buy me a ticket, I will hold the camera far steadier that some stupid kid, promise not to make eye contact nor judge and will scout each day on what you should do the following day.


Otherwise, I've never been but want to see post trip thoughts.

 

[RTM58]

https://www.frommers.com/destinations/maui

https://www.frommers.com/destinations/maui/the-best-adventures

https://www.frommers.com/store/book/frommers-maui-day-by-day

 

[RangerNole]

Free weren't you cave dive certified at one time; if you still are I would imagine a cool cave dive would be awesome. Other than that my only rec is to increase your internet bandwidth as pretty soon someone is going to post about 20 Gig of info.

 

[FSUTribe76]

So, you guys are usually pretty good at this. I'm heading to Maui for a week on Wednesday with the Mrs. I don't golf. What are the highlights? Any restaurant recs? Favorite trails?

I'll be saying at the Ritz Carlton. Goals are drinking, scuba diving, and hiking. I need to eat a Moco Loco for breakfast one day and other than than I'm an open book.

My evening plan is to engage in as much kid free naked time with my wife as she will allow.

The short answer is to dive Molokini, take the “secret”hike to the red sand beach at Hana, Travasaa Resort in Hana, eat liquor store poke in Lahaina, enjoy Ululani shaved ice, take a quick visit to the Maui Aquarium, do the Old Lauhana Lua, drink some breadfruit beer at Maui Brewing, grab Hawaiian BBQ south of Hana, and definitely continue to take the backroad after Hana even though it violates every car rental agreement (it’s bumpy but fine and easily doable) and you’ll have a fantastic time.

This gives me an excuse to post some pics so I’ll break out the laptop in a bit and post some iPhone pics from my trip last year.

P.S. Now is a great time to grab some fresh papaya and other tropical fruit from small farms all around Maui especially on the "road to Hana" and right after Hana. And ProTip, scoop out the seeds of a papaya half and fill it with the inside goop of two or three passionfruit then use a spoon to drag the sour passionfruit goop as a sauce through the super sweet papaya meat.

P.S. 2. Make sure you buy some POG (Passionfruit, Orange Guava cocktail) from a convenience store and add some local Ocean Vodka to it (we went to the actual distillery and it's not really worth it, just grab some vodka at a liquor store like Tamura's. But the lone winery on Maui is pretty decent and Maui Brewing is one of my favorite breweries anywhere).

 

[FSUTribe76]

So, you guys are usually pretty good at this. I'm heading to Maui for a week on Wednesday with the Mrs. I don't golf. What are the highlights? Any restaurant recs? Favorite trails?

I'll be saying at the Ritz Carlton. Goals are drinking, scuba diving, and hiking. I need to eat a Moco Loco for breakfast one day and other than than I'm an open book.

My evening plan is to engage in as much kid free naked time with my wife as she will allow.

Here was the beer board at Maui Brewing when I went.

Tamura's Fine Liquors is actually the best Poke place in all of Hawaii, hands down. Don't be scared by the semisketchy looking outside, inside is the freshest fish in Hawaii prepared by an expert. Everything from the best ahi to smoked marlin to fish you don't find outside of Hawaii.

And some tasty Maui wine (mainly various tropical fruit especially pineapple)

 

[FSUTribe76]

So, you guys are usually pretty good at this. I'm heading to Maui for a week on Wednesday with the Mrs. I don't golf. What are the highlights? Any restaurant recs? Favorite trails?

I'll be saying at the Ritz Carlton. Goals are drinking, scuba diving, and hiking. I need to eat a Moco Loco for breakfast one day and other than than I'm an open book.

My evening plan is to engage in as much kid free naked time with my wife as she will allow.

BTW, Just outside of Hana is Bradda Hutts BBQ Grill which has amazingly good Hawaiian BBQ and Kalua pork. WELL worth the trip, but from memory it has odd hours so check before you go.

 

[FSUTribe76]

So, you guys are usually pretty good at this. I'm heading to Maui for a week on Wednesday with the Mrs. I don't golf. What are the highlights? Any restaurant recs? Favorite trails?

I'll be saying at the Ritz Carlton. Goals are drinking, scuba diving, and hiking. I need to eat a Moco Loco for breakfast one day and other than than I'm an open book.

My evening plan is to engage in as much kid free naked time with my wife as she will allow.

The Maui Aquarium isn't huge like the Georgia Aquarium, but it's still amazing because they just pump in local seawater and leave the aquariums open to the sun and still grow real coral people like me are jealous of.

 

[FSUTribe76]

So, you guys are usually pretty good at this. I'm heading to Maui for a week on Wednesday with the Mrs. I don't golf. What are the highlights? Any restaurant recs? Favorite trails?

I'll be saying at the Ritz Carlton. Goals are drinking, scuba diving, and hiking. I need to eat a Moco Loco for breakfast one day and other than than I'm an open book.

My evening plan is to engage in as much kid free naked time with my wife as she will allow.

This isn't necessarily one of the nicest spots in Maui but I like my pics of the Dragon's Teeth. You've got to walk across a golf course to get there though.

Here's a pic from the road after Hana which shows why the car rental companies will say you've violated their contract if they catch you (ie you wreck it).

Here's some other pics from the road AFTER Hana not the famed "road to Hana" (which IS awesome, just not as awesome as afterwards). Of course sections of it are quite bumpy which is why tourons are not "allowed" there by the car rental companies.

 

[FSUTribe76]

So, you guys are usually pretty good at this. I'm heading to Maui for a week on Wednesday with the Mrs. I don't golf. What are the highlights? Any restaurant recs? Favorite trails?

I'll be saying at the Ritz Carlton. Goals are drinking, scuba diving, and hiking. I need to eat a Moco Loco for breakfast one day and other than than I'm an open book.

My evening plan is to engage in as much kid free naked time with my wife as she will allow.

Now here's some pics of my favorite spot in Maui, the "secret" red beach (one of a handful in the world) in Hana. If you stay at Traavasa like I did, it's an easy walk to get to the entrance to the trail, but be aware the trail is NOT kid friendly. It's not maintained really and is just a steep dirt trail walking around the cliffs. I'll include some pics to give somewhat of an idea what it looks like getting there although it's far steeper and far slicker and treacherous than it looks.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Great pics, Tribe!

 

[BelemNole]

Skip every luau unless you can get a spot at the old Lahaina. And unless you already have reservations it's probably too late. Easily the worst dinner we had was luau night.
Have lunch at Aloha Mixed Plate, tip the girl for a spot near the water.
Molokini is worth the trip. Naplili beach always has turtles on the left side of the reef. If you have a good eye you might spot an ocotupus too.
Put rum in your pog, not vodka.
Guy sells great banana bread by the blowhole.

 

[Nole Daddy]

Maui is great. I really enjoyed Mama’s Fish House to eat.

Took a helicopter ride all over th island which was cool; Road Road Hana; Whale watching was cool; hiking all over the island; Makenna Beach is great; and the stars are amazing at night

 

[squiffynole]

As a kid we did a three day hike around Haleakala, I can tell you hiking on loose cinders will blister your feet.

 

[4everFSU]

Visit Charles Lindbergh's grave if you have nothing else to do.

 

[NoleFan2U]

Post pictures and thoughts when you get home! I am planning a Hawaii trip next year for my 2nd 25th birthday!

 

[FreeFlyNole]

Free weren't you cave dive certified at one time; if you still are I would imagine a cool cave dive would be awesome. Other than that my only rec is to increase your internet bandwidth as pretty soon someone is going to post about 20 Gig of info.

I did get cave dive certified when I got my Dive Master cert, but I didn't really love cave diving, I will probably go scuba diving one afternoon there, but not cave diving. Maybe there is a wreck, I like those, I just have to research a bit.

 

[NoleFan2U]

Where is the night manta dive? Kona maybe? That is on my bucket list for sure!!

 

[FreeFlyNole]

Where is the night manta dive? Kona maybe? That is on my bucket list for sure!!

Yea, Kailua Kona, I've done that one.

 

[FreeFlyNole]

A lot of people have said do the helicopter tours, but I can rent a Cessna 172 (which is what I fly at home) wet for $208 an hour. Any reason I should spend $600 for my wife and I when I can fly myself for 1/3 of the price, weather permitting?

 

[Nole Daddy]

A lot of people have said do the helicopter tours, but I can rent a Cessna 172 (which is what I fly at home) wet for $208 an hour. Any reason I should spend $600 for my wife and I when I can fly myself for 1/3 of the price, weather permitting?

Probably not since you can do it yourself.

 

[Nole Daddy]

Also there are a lot of hippies in Maui. It is like time stood still and you are back in the 60’s in some areas.

 

[TexSkills]

I went to Maui in 7th grade so the only advice I can offer is to snorkel at Molokini and the massive pineapple farm south of Kahului. There was a winery on the way up Mt Haleakala if I remember correctly

 

[OrlandNole]

I think you're thinking of the Big Island

Yep. Been there. Done that. Have a big scar on my forearm to show for it.

 

[ncnole1975]

Good info. I'll be in Maui Mar 8-17th. We are staying at the Four Seasons in Waialea (sp).

 

[FSUTribe76]

Where is the night manta dive? Kona maybe? That is on my bucket list for sure!!

It’s on Kona off of the airport. My wife and I did that as well. We really enjoyed the Big Island as well, but Maui is better overall. I can post pics of the Big Island later, we did the green beach, went to the lava fields, dove at the Captain Cook memorial (which is great but Molokini is better) and did the Manta dive amongst other things.

 

[funksouljon]

A lot of people have said do the helicopter tours, but I can rent a Cessna 172 (which is what I fly at home) wet for $208 an hour. Any reason I should spend $600 for my wife and I when I can fly myself for 1/3 of the price, weather permitting?

Now thats a kick butt DIY project. As long as you can tourist and fly at the same time, that's the way to go.

 

[FSUTribe76]

There was a winery on the way up Mt Haleakala if I remember correctly

Yep, a winery and a coffee house. The winery was soso, the coffee absolutely amazing.

Edit. Oh yeah, and great mountain grown tea as well. I momentarily forgot the tea was the best thing they did.

 

[funksouljon]

Yep, a winery and a coffee house. The winery was soso, the coffee absolutely amazing.

What is the restriction on how much coffee you can bring back with you?

 

[FSUTribe76]

What is the restriction on how much coffee you can bring back with you?

Hmmm, never knew there was one. I can tell you I brought back what seemed like a metric ton.

 

[funksouljon]

Hmmm, never knew there was one. I can tell you I brought back what seemed like a metric ton.

Ha, so clearly less than what you imported for personal use. Just seems like there should / would be. Heck, they took the apple out of my hand when I left Brazil.