by Dawn 16 Replies latest jw friends
My girfriends and I are planning a trip to Maui next year to go diving and snorkeling. We already have the condo reserved. Has anyone here been to Maui? If so, can you give me some recommendations on good dive spots, snorkeling, restaurants? Also - anyone try to surf while they were there?
Any advice you have would be appreciated! Thanks
Rent a car, the cabbies we had (2 of them) were both horridly rude. Everyone else I met there was nice though, and the other tourists were so happy to be there. . .it just made it a wonderful experience. Gorgeous!!!
Snorkle at Mekenna beach and do not waste your money on the trip snorkling trips. Drive there yourself.
I lived in Hawaii, Oahu for most of a year. You'll love it. Here's some sage advice:
Treat locals with deep respect. They are talked down to by some tourists like they are servants or simpletons. They like being treated with dignity and not patronized. Hawaii is a state, but locals consider themselves a country really. They may not say it to you, but most locals feel they were taken over by the USA, against their will. They are told their Queen was kidnapped and coerced into agreeing to become part of the USA. They were always very nice to me. One of the locals told me it was because I treated them like normal people and respected that I was a guest visiting their islands. If locals give you mangos, it means they like you and it's a form of hospitality. Julian and I were hanging out watching the sunset on the west side of Oahu. That's a place they tell you not to go. But a Hawaiin family came and gave us mangos and everyone seemed almost delighted that we weren't afraid of being on the Tabu western side.
Groceries, especially milk and gasoline, etc. will be shockingly expensive. Generally, you can save by checking out the sales at the drugstores and Wal-mart for milk, bread things like tuna, soup, ramen noodles, etc. Some of the grocery stores will let you sign up for one of the scanner club cards you put on your key ring and you can get certain items cheaper each week if you show it to them. Be prepared for skads and skads of tacky mu mu's in the K-mart and Wal-mart stores. You can wear flip flops anywhere and there the locals call them slippers.
The north and east sides of the islands are generally the lush, tropical parts of the islands and the southwest and south tend to be hotter and more arid. On Oahu, the SW side is desert. I am guessing Maui is probably the same way. I know the biggest waves tend to be on the north side of the island in winter, after the first of the year. The waves on the north side of the island will be much bigger during winter and more dangerous to surf. The calmer waters, better for snorkling, tend to be on the more southern sides of the islands. Unless you can find a lagoon. Lagoons are cool because the waves are tiny and you can float sitting up in the salt water. Use sunscreen. You burn very, very quickly in the subtropical sun and be very miserable.
Hopefully the restaurants are better on Maui than they are on Oahu. You can't even get decent Chinese or Asian food there. Hawaiians love Spam. Not kidding. Be sure to get good advice on the restaurants. Sunsets are free and amazing. Going to the movies can be fun.
There aren't any seagulls in Hawaii because the chain of islands is the most remote place on earth. They are farther away from a continent than any other island. It gets dark earlier there and the sun comes up earlier. You will have no trouble getting up because you will lose to five to six hours from Eastern Standard time and three to four from Pacific Standard time. All that depends on whether or not there is daylight savings time going on the mainland.
If you go in winter, bring some zip up, hooded sweatshirts and pants and sneakers because it can get chilly, drizzly and windy. Also, the nights at any time can be cool and very windy.
Don`t bring PineApples!..LOL!!...OUTLAW
Maui is wonderful! Go to Halelakela (sp??) and see the sunrise...worth the trouble, you will never forget it. I think Hana is great also; you will pass the wind surfers.
Everything is pricey. But if you are in a condo, eat in for two meals and spluge on the third. Also...what is the great fish restaurant on the airport side, "The Fish House" or something like that...just spectacular.
Enjoy! You will love it all!
FlyingHighNow..You Hawaiians get cold so quick..70F and you put on a ski jacket..LOL!!..Our Summers would be fine for you..Our Winters would be difficult for you...OUTLAW
Maui was great.
Yes, deffinitely rent a car. Rent a convertable. The highways that wind up through the hills (particularly along the coast) are beautiful, and your passengers will want to be able to take in as much of the scenery as possible. Along the highways that run along the coast, there are spots where you can park, and hike up to water holes with beautiful water falls. This is something I deffinitely recommend.
As far as snorkeling is concerned, the greatest is to be found on the big island of Hawaii at Kailua Kona. I don't know if you are going to the big island, but the spot at Kailua Kona is considered to be one of the best snorkeling spots in the world. After visiting there - I would agree. It was amazing. This is a spot that is filled with literally dozens of species of tropical fish. You can also get very close to the sea turtles who come to this particular area of shore to feed.
Here is something very important about snorkeling anywhere in Hawaii:
The lava rock and coral in Hawaii can be extremely sharp in most areas. Some of them are razor sharp. Several of us cut our hands and feet when snorkeling and didn't even know it for quite some time. Don't try to snorkel without fins or water socks. Trust me, you will want your feet to be protected from getting cut on the rocks. I went out without my feet being protected and I sliced one of my toes open. When snorkeling, you will also constantly find yourself grabbing onto the underwater rock and coral. This is where you will easily cut your fingers if you're not careful. I would recommend wearing surfing gloves. If not, when grappling onto underwater rocks and coral, grab them with your fingernails, as if you were clawing them. This will save yourself many bandaids!
Also, watch out for the black sea urchins. They look just like little black porcupines. Be careful not to step on them or brush up against them. The spines break off and if they get stuck in your skin, it's exremely difficult to get out; often requiring a doctor to do it.
Make sure your camera has plently of memory storage. You will certainly wind up wanting to take more pictures than you had anticipated.
Enjoy your trip! Post your pictures when you come back!
There's a great little french restaurant in Kihei, La Creperie. Intimate, and great food! Not too expensive. Also Cheeseburgers in Paradise in Lahaina. McKenna Beach in teh late afternoon!!
Try to stay very healthy while you're in Hawaii. The hospitals are horrible. I had to go to the emergency room for a kidney infection. It was dirty and even unsanitary. The doctors and nurses were nice enough, but unless you're military, try to stay away from the hospitals.
