I guess I'll be the one person who did not like the trip to Hana. It is one loooong drive (3/3.5 hours each way), particularly for the driver, and the never ending switchbacks are really tiresome and NOT for those with weak stomachs. There are over 600 curves/turns and 54 bridges (one lane, no less!).

By the time we got to Hana, I was so tense from the drive that I did not enjoy it, nor was I at all looking forward to the return trip. And if it is raining sheets of water like when we returned, the drive can be downright perilous.

For some (like myself), a van tour would have been a better option.

I really liked Wailea, as it seemed more remote and quiet. We had a fantastic meal at the Four Seasons overlooking the sunset. (11 years ago, so not sure if it is still a Four Seasons). Maui Pineapple Plantation tour was interesting, and a day in Lahaina is a good bet.

It is pricey there, but one way we saved a little was to stop at the Costco near the airport and stock up on some things, breakfast items mostly, and some adult beverages to enjoy on our balcony overlooking the ocean.

Have a great trip!

another note - I just looked up the Fairmont online and discovered that it is the Fairmont Kea Lani. It was only called the Kea Lani when we were on Maui, and we toured the hotel because it looked so nice.

The hotel was incredible, the pools awesome and a nice beach front. You will love it. :) We vowed that we would stay there if we ever returned.

Roger that. Bridge still impassable at Kipahulu.

Its been a Fairmont for over 7 years and it has a very small but nice beach, but IMO other beaches in Wailea are nicer and all beaches in Hawaii are open to anyone. Take the 0.5 mile Wailea ocean beach walk and check them out.

In winter the sand usually washes away dramatically at the Kea Lani beach leaving a 2-4 ft vertical wall and a very very narrow steep beach ie watch your little tykes carefully. Luckily the nice Wailea sand returns each spring. Good luck.

MisterNice

The earthquake damaged the road around Kipahulu and no cannot drive around the backside from Hana. This was as of June 2007 and with things moving at island time, that road is not fixed yet.

Since you enjoy Peter Lik's work, there's a brand-new Ric Steininger gallery just opened at 815 Front St., Lahaina. Also stunning!

Fairmont Kea Lani - Blood on Spa Sheets, Awful Service
 

Mobs of wild kids, substandard restaurants, blood on the sheets at the spa:

My wife and I had stayed at the Kea Lani previously, in Sep., 2000. We enjoyed our stay very much & decided to book there again. We did not notice that, in that time period, the Kea Lani had changed from a privately-owned & managed hotel to being owned by Fairmont Hotels.

To make a long story very short, the stories from other reviewers about the pool areas are right on. If you travel at anything other than the lowest of the low season, you will encounter literally hundreds of out-of-control kids playing, screaming, crying and generally raising Cain in every way. It is also extremely difficult to find a chair that is anywhere near the pools (i.e. less than 200 yards away).

As to the restaurants, the food at the breakfast restaurant is only one small step better than what you could find at a Shoney's buffet. An interesting note is that what they offer for their breakfast buffet (c. $25) is five steps lower in quality from what is offered on their a la carte breakfast menu (which would cost you close to $35 if you ordered each item you might want for a breakfast comparable in size to the buffet). Mass scrambled eggs on the buffet vs. special egg dishes on the menu. Portuguese sausage (nasty) on the buffet vs. applewood smoked sausage links on the menu. You get the point.

The food at Nick's was excellent, but the service was a crapshoot. One evening we had a server who was very attentive and took great care of us. Two evenings later we had a server who literally came to our table twice in over 2 hours. I spoke with the manager about that experience & he offered us one free dessert for our troubles (?!?). Needless to say, we would have much rather had attentive service than a free slice of cheesecake.

Finally, and most astoundingly, we made reservations at the spa for massages for each of us. At the end of my massage, the therapist opened the door and I see my wife standing there in tears. She says we need to talk & comes into my treatment room. Through sobs & profuse tears, she proceeds to tell me how, halfway through her massage, her therapist asked her if she was bleeding. She stated "no" and informed the therapist that her cycle had been 2 weeks prior. Extensive evaluation by the therapist and my wife of my wife's body revealed not so much as a tiny scrape. The problem is, the sheets on the massage table had blood spots in multiple places. It turns out that the massage therapist had some cuts on her hands & that these were the sources of the blood.

I spoke with hotel management immediately, who stated that they would involve hotel security and inform us how they intended to handle the matter. Hotel security, after extensively questioning us, asked us what we feel would be appropriate resolution. Naturally, we told them that something should be comp'd from our bill, whether room nights or restaurant tabs or whatever. Hotel security felt that was an appropriate request and said they would have to put it to hotel management. We received a letter under our door 2 days later stating that they would be unable to offer us any compensation for this travesty, other than the accommodation (?!?) that they would not charge for the massage received. Other than that, they simply provided us with the name, address and telephone number of Fairmont Hotels' corporate insurance carrier, located in Canada.

When I spoke directly with hotel management about this situation, they were extremely cold and did everything possible to avoid saying almost anything to me, repeatedly telling me that they should not discuss the matter on the advice of their attorneys. When I told them how abundantly displeased we were with their response, especially considering that we did not want to pursue this matter via litigation, but were satisfied to accept some manner of local comping, they simply repeated that they were unable to accommodate us beyond removing the spa charge for the massage, and that we should contact their insurance company if we wanted to pursue a legal claim.

Needless to say, we will never return to the Kea Lani, and will utilize the Four Seasons or the Grand Wailea in the future. Everything we have heard and read about those properties seems to indicate to us that they know how to handle unfortunate circumstances that arise because of their OWN FAULT. Sadly, the Kea Lani has apparently decided that it would rather pursue a cold, hostile, and legalistic approach to problem resolution than simply reaching out to its customers and making right what they made wrong. For $500 per night, you can do much, much better in the way of amenities received and service provided than the Kea Lani.

From the lastest on the "Maui Revealed" blue book updates, it's still closed at mile marker 40 due to danger of rock slides. If anybody in Maui has any updates please let us know. Thanks

Road stay pau. No fixum yet. :(

Kaukau - to get to Hana, would you suggest driving southwest from Lahaina? We thought one day we would drive the road to Hana as far as we could go but still want to see Hana. Or, is there another road we can take off the Hana hwy? Thanks.

Aloha!

The only road to Hana is via the Hana Highway, which begins in Kahului at the intersection of Dairy Road, close to the airport, and heads East to Hana through Paia and Ho'okipa. From Lahaina, one may drive to Kahului either by taking the Honoapiilani Highway through Olawalu and Maalaea to Kahului - the "normal" route: fast and easy - or drive the "back way" through Kapalua, Nakalele and Kahakuloa via the Kuhilani Highway: slow difficult and treacherous, but incredibly scenic. FWIW, the back road on Maui's West side was washed out in Kahakuloa two weeks ago in a Kona storm, and may or may not have re-opened! http://gohawaii.about.com/library/ma...ap_of_maui.htm

Sorry Kaukau - I meant southeast around from Wailea to Hana.

No worries!

There's no shortcut anymore from Wailea: there used to be, but not anymore: the shortcut is gated and locked. You can see it on the map: the small winding road going up Haleakala from Makena to Ulupalakua. http://gohawaii.about.com/library/ma...ap_of_maui.htm But even if you could drive from Makena to Ulupalakua, it wouldnt do you any good, as the road is still closed at Kaupo Gap/Kipahulu. So it's a long drive around Haleakala, clockwise to Hana, from Wailea.: you have to drive to Kahului via the Piilani and Mokulele highways and get on the Hana Highway in Puunene via the old mill road, or in Kahului on Dairy Road.

Great - thanks again for the useful information.

The drive to Hana is well worthwhile, though the passengers should all consider taking dramamine or wearing one of those car sickness prevention bracelets :D

But there is really too much to see in a day, even if you get an early start, plus you really don't want to do the return drive when you are fatigued (or worse at night) so I would strongly recommend a night at one of the overpriced lodgings in Hana.