Hawaii in May

2,177 Views | 12 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by EnviroAg96
aggiederelict
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My wife and I will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary next May and we are considering going to Maui for our trip. I have a friend who has a house on the road to Hana that we can stay at.

Any things you can recommend would be great. I am not sure how the most recent fires have impacted that part of the island, so if anyone has any insight it would be appreciated.

We like to hike and explore and my wife really loves the beach. We are planning to be there for 7 days. TIA.
AgOutsideAustin
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AG
No impact at all on that side. Have fun!
aggiederelict
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Any great things you would recommend to do while we are there? Any fun hikes or great restaurants to check out?
BSD
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AG
Do the sunrise at Haleakala on your first morning there before your body adjusts to the time change. You'll be up at 3:00am so might as well drive up the mountain! Get parking reservations way in advance and dress warmly. We stayed near the airport that first night just to make it easier and not so far of a drive.

Along the same line, get to the black sand beach near Hana around sunrise. No day trippers are there yet and you may have it to yourself. There are some horse stables near the hotel in Hana and the rides they offer are pretty spectacular. We booked thru the hotel so I can't remember the name. The Thai food truck in Hana is a good place to grab some food.
AgOutsideAustin
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AG
Mamas fish house and get reservations. We really liked Paia fish market for lunch.
dirkjones
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AG
Pipiwai trail for sure.
StinkyPinky
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AG
BSD said:

Do the sunrise at Haleakala on your first morning there before your body adjusts to the time change. You'll be up at 3:00am so might as well drive up the mountain! Get parking reservations way in advance and dress warmly. We stayed near the airport that first night just to make it easier and not so far of a drive.

Along the same line, get to the black sand beach near Hana around sunrise. No day trippers are there yet and you may have it to yourself. There are some horse stables near the hotel in Hana and the rides they offer are pretty spectacular. We booked thru the hotel so I can't remember the name. The Thai food truck in Hana is a good place to grab some food.
This, and as poster says get reservations well in advance. Since they started making you buy a pass there is zero chance of last minute reservations.

Lots of great hiking around Hana. Do some internet searches and you'll find loads of things to do.

Make sure to stop and have lunch at Huli Huli Chicken.
Bluecat_Aggie94
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AG
Love Maui. Comes in a close second to Kauai for us, but it's by a slim margin. That side of the island will have had no impacts from the fire.

Couple of suggestions. I assume you'll get a rental car. I consider it essential in Hawaii. The only exception would be if you are inclined to pick a fancy resort and just hang out there, but in my mind, Hawaii isn't that kind of place. It has those kinds of resorts, but you miss out on so much if you don't get out and explore. We spring for a convertible and I think it was easily worth it. Ignore the warnings about taking the road past Hana. I've done this on three islands, and it's been the best thing on all of them... take the outer road ALL the way around the ENTIRE island. You'll see incredibly different scenery along the way. Do it with a mile by mile guidebook "I still think the Maui Revealed book is the best..." As you drive, it will tell you by the inch what to look for. With its help, we found amazing lookouts, blowholes, pools, hidden beaches and waterfalls that were wonderful, and often had them to ourselves.

Ditto on Mama's Fish House. It's been going strong for decades and everyone still says it's a wonderful meal.

Do your homework on Luaus if you want to do one. It was fun, I'd not do one again. But there are some pretty big differences, so read up on them when making your choice.

We did a powered hang glider ride over by the Hana airport. Definitely a wow moment.

Be aware that you're staying on the rainy side... which means it is green and lush, and the rain feeds the spectacular waterfalls the make the Road to Hana famous, but it means you'll have some rain.

The beaches on South Maui are the better beaches. And law in Hawaii means that all beaches are public, and all have to remain accessible. So use the guidebook to find some of the more secluded ones. You may have more trouble finding a place to park, and the pathway may feel like you are trespassing, but the reward is that you will find some beaches that are absolutely perfect, and you may be the only people there. Just beware, there is at least one on South Maui that is known to be a nudist beach... I found out by accident.

And last, many see Haleakala on a bike excursion or some other early morning tour. Early morning is probably a good idea (and maybe on your first day there when you are going to get up early anyway because of the time change), because it tends to get cloudy later in the day. We actually didn't follow that advice and it worked out great for us. It can be chilly on the top in the morning so be prepared. And lots of people go up for the sunrise so also be prepared for crowds. But, I strongly recommend driving up yourself. The ride up and down is amazing, you pass through every climate zone known to Earth, and I like to stop and look around. Someone suggested to us that the biking thing which is popular can be frustrating. You will be in a group, and that means you're subject to the speed of the slowest rider. Plus, you spend a lot of time looking down at the road, and not out at the scenery. In your own car, a convertible preferably, you'll have a much better view, at your own pace, and you can stop if the driver wants to get a look out without watching the road. We got a mean sunburn on that day so wear your sunscreen.

Have fun, Maui is a magical place.

Aggie369
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AG
Mama's Fish House

Everything is really good
aggiederelict
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This is the kind of info i was looking for. We want to get off the beaten path a bit. Thanks.
AggieOO
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There's some great hikes on that side of the island. We went in June a few years back, so pretty close to your timing. I only skimmed the thread, but looks like the high points were hit. Haleakala sunrise and snorkeling at molokini were two of our high points.
Garrelli 5000
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Haven't been but this is great info! I wish my wife wasn't scared of heights. I do all mountain driving. Is dangerous because I still see more than her from looking around
Staff - take out the trash.
EnviroAg96
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7 days I would do 4 days around Hana, but then stay on the other side of the island - Ka'anapali, Kihei, Wailea, or something - for a few days to get a different vibe. Molokini snorkeling is a must, find an outfitter that does Snuba and do that.

I think the road beyond Hana all the way around is closed at some point….at least we tried to drive the Piilani Hwy way and it was closed back in June.

Some of the parks require reservations just to enter - get reservations well in advance. Same with good restaurants, get reservations.
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