Headed to Maui in October, asking for your experiences there. What is on the "must do" list for you?

If you have experience with Uber/taxies I would appreciate your input.

Staying at the Sugar Beach Resort, anyone been there?

Here's my trip report from Maui this past January.

https://texags.com/forums/54/topics/3445729/replies/67015538#67015538

No experience with Uber as we had a car rental.
Haleakala is by far the most "must do" thing on the island. We got tickets for the sunrise, which was amazing!

Aggiemike96 said:

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Haleakala sunrise. Lahaina side, but not sure much has been repaired since the fires from last year. Road to Hana.

IMHO - Haleakala is a must.

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Thanks!

Lavender Gooms said:

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Here's my trip report from Maui this past January.

https://texags.com/forums/54/topics/3445729/replies/67015538#67015538

No experience with Uber as we had a car rental.
Haleakala is by far the most "must do" thing on the island. We got tickets for the sunrise, which was amazing!

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Thanks!

Get a car and explore the island. We did the loop. And hiked around at stops.

I would echo the "get a car" crowd. Went to Maui last summer and got a jeep. Wasn't really necessary to have a jeep but we enjoyed it. You'll appreciate the freedom it provides and I don't think it was crazy expensive either. I can't imagine trying to Uber all over the place. We had many days where we left the hotel in the morning and had a loose plan and just went with it. Had a great time.

If you aren't a morning person (we aren't really) I would suggest the sunset versus the sunrise on Haleakala. It was great!

Snorkeled Molokini. I'd also suggest exploring the different beaches. We had a great time doing that, I think Napoli bay was one of our favorites. We stayed at the Fairmont which was on Polo beach which we also loved.

The kids tired of the road to Hana so we made it halfway and turned around.

We took the Maui Revealed book and found it helpful kept it with us most of the time.

You guys will have a great time!

Lavender Gooms' link to their review is excellent.

My two cents or emphasis (wife and I were in Maui in April);

The sunrise at Haleakala is cold. Plus it is a very dark drive on winding roads. Dress with hat/gloves, layers, and bring a blanket or two for each person. You will be outside your warm car for 30-60 minutes. So worth it though.

Road to Hana was excellent. A LOT of driving time. You average about 20 mph, probably 6-7 hours in the car if you plan to do the whole road. Yes, the locals drive like maniacs. The road gets worse in terms of smoothness the farther you go. Not sure if the last 10 miles from Hana to the NP is worth it? Anyone with motion sickness chance needs to take something. Chatted with a store keeper who said tourism is down 80% (so the road should not be busy). They are annoyed at the gov't telling everyone to stay away from Lahaina but people are taking that to mean stay away from Maui. Since tourism is down so much, some food trucks are open infrequently. There are only a few on the whole road, Hana has a collection of them and some restaurants. So if you need food, don't pass open ones by thinking you'll grab something else soon. Make sure you have snacks and water with you. It is a pretty remote road.

Other food trucks around the island are good, plentiful, and worth it.

We stayed outside of Kaluhui (north central shore), Maui Coffee Roasters is a ridiculously good coffee shop.

We just got back from Maui yesterday after spending 9 days there. We had a great time. We stayed in Haiku near the north shore at a friend's house which was amazing. Exploring the island with a car is a must as there is so much variety from one part to the other.

1. Haleakala- we didn't do the sunrise but did drive up there during the day which was great.
2. Honolua Bay- we snorkled there one morning and it was awesome. Saw just about everything you could see in the water. The forest leading to the bay is amazing. The beach is rocky and we did see an old man hit his head hard on the rocks so be careful. Plenty of boat options that will take you right there.
3. Baby Beach- there is a great spot in Baldwin Park that has an easy place to swim that you can bring kids to. We went a few times.
4. DT Fleming Beach- we went during the week and it wasn't busy at all and had such a nice day playing in the water. Also a good spot for snorkeling depending on the conditions.
5. Twin Falls- also on the north side with on the road to Hana but not too far in. Amazing waterfalls with great swimming options. If you go later in the day you don't have to pay for parking. We went multiple times because it was close to the house we were staying at.
6. Waihee Ridge Trail- great 5 mile hike up in the high country. Can get muddy at times depending on rain so bring good trail shoes.
7. The Road to Hana- I think this is personally overrated. The roads are crazy and it takes up a lot of time.
8. Mama's Fish House- great spot for a meal. Old classic Hawaiian feels with amazing decor in the place. Need a reservation way in advance but there are people who just show up and get a table.
9. Merriman's- gorgeous restaurant with amazing views in Lahaina. Food is good but not great. Pricey like Mama's.
10. Lahaina- it is still closed off so you have to take the bypass around the town.

https://guidealong.com/tour/maui/

As many have mentioned, Haleakala, and do sunset if you can't get tickets or aren't morning people. I don't know if sunrise is better (although it must be since you need tickets for it), but if it is... holy crap. Because there aren't enough words to describe how incredible the sunset was.
Also, Mama's Fish House!

In Maui now. Get your reservations to Mama's fish house and a luau today. Haven't used our rental car other than to drive from the airport to Mama's and onto where we are staying. Got a driving guide for the road to Hana. It was awesome. Without a guide, it would not be fun. Crazy traffic and parking is not obvious. Going to Molokini tomorrow, have been snorkeling the reefs at the beach. Didn't think much of Maui at first. The airport and North shore are more like West Texas than Hawaii. The road to Hana is more like Kauai and the snorkeling is better. Lots of turtles, octopuses, squid, and all the other expected reef dwellers. Had 9.5/10 snorkeling conditions yesterday and 8.5/10 today. 18 & 22 year old kids are loving it. Going back in the water now.


Little sea turtles everywhere.

1988PA-Aggie said:

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Lavender Gooms' link to their review is excellent.

My two cents or emphasis (wife and I were in Maui in April);

The sunrise at Haleakala is cold. Plus it is a very dark drive on winding roads. Dress with hat/gloves, layers, and bring a blanket or two for each person. You will be outside your warm car for 30-60 minutes. So worth it though.

Road to Hana was excellent. A LOT of driving time. You average about 20 mph, probably 6-7 hours in the car if you plan to do the whole road. Yes, the locals drive like maniacs. The road gets worse in terms of smoothness the farther you go. Not sure if the last 10 miles from Hana to the NP is worth it? Anyone with motion sickness chance needs to take something. Chatted with a store keeper who said tourism is down 80% (so the road should not be busy). They are annoyed at the gov't telling everyone to stay away from Lahaina but people are taking that to mean stay away from Maui. Since tourism is down so much, some food trucks are open infrequently. There are only a few on the whole road, Hana has a collection of them and some restaurants. So if you need food, don't pass open ones by thinking you'll grab something else soon. Make sure you have snacks and water with you. It is a pretty remote road.

Other food trucks around the island are good, plentiful, and worth it.

We stayed outside of Kaluhui (north central shore), Maui Coffee Roasters is a ridiculously good coffee shop.

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Thank you for this. Great info. Appreciate it.

aggiederelict said:

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We just got back from Maui yesterday after spending 9 days there. We had a great time. We stayed in Haiku near the north shore at a friend's house which was amazing. Exploring the island with a car is a must as there is so much variety from one part to the other.

1. Haleakala- we didn't do the sunrise but did drive up there during the day which was great.
2. Honolua Bay- we snorkled there one morning and it was awesome. Saw just about everything you could see in the water. The forest leading to the bay is amazing. The beach is rocky and we did see an old man hit his head hard on the rocks so be careful. Plenty of boat options that will take you right there.
3. Baby Beach- there is a great spot in Baldwin Park that has an easy place to swim that you can bring kids to. We went a few times.
4. DT Fleming Beach- we went during the week and it wasn't busy at all and had such a nice day playing in the water. Also a good spot for snorkeling depending on the conditions.
5. Twin Falls- also on the north side with on the road to Hana but not too far in. Amazing waterfalls with great swimming options. If you go later in the day you don't have to pay for parking. We went multiple times because it was close to the house we were staying at.
6. Waihee Ridge Trail- great 5 mile hike up in the high country. Can get muddy at times depending on rain so bring good trail shoes.
7. The Road to Hana- I think this is personally overrated. The roads are crazy and it takes up a lot of time.
8. Mama's Fish House- great spot for a meal. Old classic Hawaiian feels with amazing decor in the place. Need a reservation way in advance but there are people who just show up and get a table.
9. Merriman's- gorgeous restaurant with amazing views in Lahaina. Food is good but not great. Pricey like Mama's.
10. Lahaina- it is still closed off so you have to take the bypass around the town.

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Great info, thanks for this! Can't wait till September 25th!

We stayed at the Grand Wailea back in February. We used Lyft to get from the airport to the hotel, from the hotel to a grocery store and back, from the hotel to the Maui Ocean Center and our whale watching excursion and back. Our next to last day at the resort, we took a Lyft to the airport to pick up a rental car from Avis, which we used to explore "up country" (toward Haleakala) and the beginning of the Road to Hana. Our last night we relocated to the Marriott Courtyard by the airport to catch an early morning flight on Southwest. We had no trouble getting Lyft rides, all of the drivers were really nice and some were very entertaining. The resort also had a shuttle service available in the Wailea area, which we used to go to dinner a couple of times. This approach worked really well for us and I am confident that the Lyft rides were significantly less expensive than the combined cost of a rental car, gas, and the exorbinant parking charge at the hotel.

Some other tips:

Our favorite meal was at Matteo's Osteria in Wailea. https://www.matteosmaui.com/

We also really enjoyed Bistro Casanova in Kahului. https://bistrocasanova.com/

Our whale watching excursion with Triology was awesome. https://sailtrilogy.com/
(I think October is too early for whales, but they offer other excursions)

The Maui Ocean Center was interesting and it is right across the street from the harbor where Trilogy is based. https://mauioceancenter.com/

myags8215 said:

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We stayed at the Grand Wailea back in February. We used Lyft to get from the airport to the hotel, from the hotel to a grocery store and back, from the hotel to the Maui Ocean Center and our whale watching excursion and back. Our next to last day at the resort, we took a Lyft to the airport to pick up a rental car from Avis, which we used to explore "up country" (toward Haleakala) and the beginning of the Road to Hana. Our last night we relocated to the Marriott Courtyard by the airport to catch an early morning flight on Southwest. We had no trouble getting Lyft rides, all of the drivers were really nice and some were very entertaining. The resort also had a shuttle service available in the Wailea area, which we used to go to dinner a couple of times. This approach worked really well for us and I am confident that the Lyft rides were significantly less expensive than the combined cost of a rental car, gas, and the exorbinant parking charge at the hotel.

Some other tips:

Our favorite meal was at Matteo's Osteria in Wailea. https://www.matteosmaui.com/

We also really enjoyed Bistro Casanova in Kahului. https://bistrocasanova.com/

Our whale watching excursion with Triology was awesome. https://sailtrilogy.com/
(I think October is too early for whales, but they offer other excursions)

The Maui Ocean Center was interesting and it is right across the street from the harbor where Trilogy is based. https://mauioceancenter.com/

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Thank you so much. Great ideas!

aggiederelict said:

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We just got back from Maui yesterday after spending 9 days there. We had a great time. We stayed in Haiku near the north shore at a friend's house which was amazing. Exploring the island with a car is a must as there is so much variety from one part to the other.

1. Haleakala- we didn't do the sunrise but did drive up there during the day which was great.
2. Honolua Bay- we snorkled there one morning and it was awesome. Saw just about everything you could see in the water. The forest leading to the bay is amazing. The beach is rocky and we did see an old man hit his head hard on the rocks so be careful. Plenty of boat options that will take you right there.
3. Baby Beach- there is a great spot in Baldwin Park that has an easy place to swim that you can bring kids to. We went a few times.
4. DT Fleming Beach- we went during the week and it wasn't busy at all and had such a nice day playing in the water. Also a good spot for snorkeling depending on the conditions.
5. Twin Falls- also on the north side with on the road to Hana but not too far in. Amazing waterfalls with great swimming options. If you go later in the day you don't have to pay for parking. We went multiple times because it was close to the house we were staying at.
6. Waihee Ridge Trail- great 5 mile hike up in the high country. Can get muddy at times depending on rain so bring good trail shoes.
7. The Road to Hana- I think this is personally overrated. The roads are crazy and it takes up a lot of time.
8. Mama's Fish House- great spot for a meal. Old classic Hawaiian feels with amazing decor in the place. Need a reservation way in advance but there are people who just show up and get a table.
9. Merriman's- gorgeous restaurant with amazing views in Lahaina. Food is good but not great. Pricey like Mama's.
10. Lahaina- it is still closed off so you have to take the bypass around the town.

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Thank you so much!

So many good tips, thanks all.

anyone with hiking trail advice? Maybe something medium in difficulty?

I have no trail experience for Maui.

But we did Haleakala as a day trip and I saw several trails from the summit. If I were to go back, hiking the summit district is on my list. It was such a unique and unexpected terrain, nothing like what I was expecting. It did look like a lot of exposure though, so plan for wind and sun if you do any exploring.

Waihee Ridge Trail

aggiederelict said:

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Waihee Ridge Trail

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I was looking at that today. Looks cool.

Bring good trail shoes. It can get muddy up in the high country.

aggiederelict said:

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Bring good trail shoes. It can get muddy up in the high country.

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Lived on the west side of Maui in 2017/18.

Feel free to email me with any questions. Username at gmail.

Did plenty of hiking, golfing, exploring.

Few quick hitters.

-will always recommend Hana, but stay out there one night. Way more fun if you aren't trying to cram it into one day. 7 sacred ponds hike prob my favorite activity out there.

-My favorite places to eat were probably Tin Roof (super casual spot by the airport) and Merrimans or Plantation House Brunch. Also Japengo at the Hyatt. Mamas is so far away from wherever you're probably staying. To me, it's overhyped for the drive.

Forget what it's called but you can hike around the old golf course in Kapalua which was a good one. Or the windmill hike (by the wind turbines on your way to the west side). Waihee ridge is cool but always so muddy. Hiking down into Haleakala crater is great, but it's a beating getting back out. So be prepared. Buddy and I backpacked in there and camped out and was one of my favorite memories in Maui.

Favorite beaches were probably Airport beach, Honolulu bay (very unique experience walking through "the jungle" to get there. And who doesn't love wild chickens, and Kapalua bay (last two are usually a sea turtle guarantee. They like to hang out on the edges of the bays by the rocks).

I also really enjoyed going to Maui wines in upcountry for the views. And the general store across the street is good eats. It's something to pair w Haleakala.

If you're staying around Kihei/wailea, Maui brew co. Is also a nice spot to just relax and take in the surroundings.

Shooting from the hip here so feel free to reach out for any specifics.

Also, whale season is ~Dec-April. I would not spend money doing a tour outside that. And even if it is whale season, spend money doing a snorkel excursion or a ferry out to Lanai and you'll see whales on the way.