Maui
 

Which is the best area to stay in Maui?

I am planning a trip for December, and I wanted to stay in a nice area.

Thanks

• Ka'anapali
• Kahului
• Kihei
• Wailea - Makena

Ka'anapali has numerous resorts and is near the touristy, but still attractive, town of Lahaina.

Kahului has the airport and a good spot for windsurfing, but not much else. Not the place to stay on vacation.

Kihei is filled with cheap condos. It's near Wailea, but not very attractive, IMHO.

Wailea has wonderful resorts and puts you closer to some of my favorite spots in Upcountry.

I would stay in either Wailea or Ka'anapali

"Maui Revealed" is a terrific guidebook for Maui, written by locals. Probably the best $15 you can spend for the trip.

Ka'anapali -- Sheraton.

letiole summed it up beautifully.

I like the Hyatt on Kaanapali.

I don't know if you have considered going to a different island. I had a home near Kaanapali for several years and can tell you that December can bring rain and high winds. Wailea is more likely to be drier and less windy. Given a choice as to where to go in December, I would definitely suggest the Kona coast on the Big Island of Hawaii. It is about the driest spot in the islands.

Thanks obscure2k, if Maui is wet in December, then which is the best month to visit Maui? We just had a vacation in Oahu, and everybody told us how wonderful Maui was, so we are really looking forward to it.

The nicest months to visit Maui are Sept and Oct. The weather is nearly always perfect and hotels are not as crowded as many teen tourists are back in school. Springtime is also beautiful; particularly, May. If you decide to stay on the Wailea side (and your budget permits), the finest hotel on Maui is now the Four Seasons (they offer some decent on-line packages).

obscure2k, we are going to Maui 28Sept. Any suggestions on a 3 bedroom resort. We have 6 adults. I found real nice 2 bedroom, but 3 bedrooms are hard to come by. Or can you suggest a good agent that rents houses?

Thanks for any help you can give us.

jfe:

We just returned last month from Maui, and it was our third trip,(2 in last 2 years). I really like the Wailea area as it really is very dry and nice. Most of the large hotels in that area are very nice, including the Four Seasons mentioned above.

If you prefer condo living, I really like the area right on the "border" between Kihei and Wailea. You can enjoy the economy of a condo, and be very close to one of the nicest areas on the island(Wailea). Keawakapu Beach is gorgeous and the stretch of beach going south is fantastic. One of the nicest things about Hawaii is that all the beaches are public so you can enjoy access to all of them even those with multimillion homes lining them.
Tons of stuff to do,enjoy.

Gwix

Re: 3 bedroom rentals-- Kapalua Bay Hotel offers some 3 bedroom units. They are condos apart from the hotel but, basically, on the same property. The beach is gorgeous as are the golf courses. At that time of year you should have magnificent weather.

obscure2k, thanks for the info.

dear clbish,we just got back from hawaii last nite[11 days in maui]and i can definitely recommend the condo we stayed in--the aston papakea.we originally booked the 3 bedroom but my sister backed out and went to bali instead so we changed to the 2 bedroom--it was great.the pictures on the internet don't do it justice.we stayed at the sister prooerty last year--the aston kaanapali shores and you can also use that property--but it's more expensive and i like this set-up better.they supply you with evarything you need--full kitchen,washer,dryer.there's a supermarket[expensive]across the street,a fresh fruit stand right outside the hotel on the main street,gas barbecue grills near each pool.it has two pools,one heated--two jacuzzi's.we had our two year old grand daughter with us and there was alot of room on the property to run around.they also have miniature golf and shuffleboard.we checked alot of websites but the entertainment rate was the best.enjoy,the property was great!!!

melelu, how was the beach at that resort? We just found out one of the couples we were going with is not going. So we only need a 2 bedroom now. That makes things easier.

If you only need 2 bedrooms, check out Kapalua Bay Villas or Whaler at Kanapaali.

clbish,there really isn't a beach right here--it's oceanfront but you have to walk about 25 feet to the right to get to a small beach or use the sister aston kaanapali shores to the left [next door]and they have a small beach.we were there feb thru mar7 --it was high 70's to low 80's and a bit breezy so the beach wasn't as important as the heated pool--and the walk to either side of the hotel is so minimal to the beach--it was a perfect location and the beachfront allowed us to sit out near the ocean and watch the whales give us a show--SPECTACULAR-.
the property for the price is excellent--it also has two or three tennis courts--also if you rent a car,it's one of the only properties that has FREE parking.you really get your money's worth here.it's about a ten minute drive to lahaina for shopping and dinner.let me know if i can help with anything else!!!ps.you might want to check the vrbo.com website--they had some condos advertised when i was looking but not the dates i needed.