What to do while on Kauai and Maui?

Question

What are the things to see and do on these islands that you wouldn't want to miss?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Just got back from Kauai this morning. Buy the book "Ultimate Kauai Guidebook." Try to get the 6th edition (2008) if you can. If you can't, it's still really good. They also publish one for Maui. It has lots of good descriptions of activities to do and recommendations on tour guides. I used it for directions to get to some out-of-the-way beaches. There are not very many big established beaches, but most of the coast is accessible from one place or another. There are many private residences right up next to the beach, so don't tread on private property, but all the coastline is public property from the water to the high surf line. Many neighborhoods have public access and don't mind at all if you visit. (Just don't leave your trash around and be courteous when you visit) If you are not staying at a beachfront hotel or want to visit a beach away from where you're staying,  this guide was great.

Spend a day in Hanalei - quiet little town with a little bit of shopping and a nice big wide beach (with facilities) rough surf in the winter, but nice on a calm summer day. The drive to the north shore is scenic and you can also stop by Princeville (if luxury is your thing)

Spend a day to drive to Waimea Canyon (the dry and usually sunny side of the island) It's got spectacular vistas, some nature trails and day hikes and there's a little musuem at KoKee.

Plan a day at South shore, Drive through the tree tunnel, go to Poipu Beach - you can park just past the Sheraton for day access, or go to the main County Beach. Make a short trip over to Spouting Horn ( a blowhole that shoots water up into the air as the surf hits it. On your way back, stop at the Lapperts ice cream shop in Koloa. (fresh and island made.)

If you like hiking, try the Kalaulau trail (far north shore) for the first 2 miles to Hanakapi'ai Beach or the O'kolehau trail which leads to an overlook of the Hanalei valley.

If you like to shop, visit downtown Kapaa, old Koloa town, and the Kilohana Plantation. There's also a commercial shopping mall in Lihue.

For adventure, Kayak up either the Hanalei or Wailua river, try scuba diving or snorkeling, take a helicopter tour or the movie tour mentioned below, and go to a luau. For a nice day trip along the coast, rent a bicycle in Kapaa and travel up the old cane highway. It's a paved path now.

Don't forget to visit Wailua Falls (the turn off is near Lihue) It's only about a 15 minute drive from Lihue and a quick roadside picture stop. You literally park at the scenic overlook and your pictures are perfect right there.

Most of all... RELAX!! Don't rush around trying to see and do everything. Pick a couple of things to do & plan the rest to just sit on the beach and relax. Remember sunscreen (you are much closer to the equator) and always have a couple of bottles of water with you to stay hydrated. (you can buy one of those collapsible coolers and pack it with you)

Have fun!

Answer 2

Try http://www.AmericaCheapHotels.com/USA/St...

Answer 3

On our last trip to Maui, we tried to cram in as many activities as we could...

Since I'm not sure if you're interested in adventurous things or relaxing things, I'll give you my recommendations for both:

1) We went to the Old Lahaina Luau, and it was BY FAR the best luau we have EVER been to... for me, it is something that is on my must-do list for every future trip to Maui...

Why was it so great?  The setting was truly first class... picture the luau grounds: perfectly manicured lawns, a sandy beach, palm trees, thatched rooftops, tiki torches... you get the idea.  You're greeted with a beautiful fresh flower lei as well... the sea shell ones you get at the other luaus are ok, but I'm a sucker for fresh flowers any day! :)

Also important, the entertainment was fantastic, and of course, the there was lots of food (both quantity and variety).

2) We drove the road to Hana... I know everyone and every tour book recommends this drive,  but it really was worth doing at least once in life! :)  One mistake we made was not leaving enough time for the drive though... if I was to do it again (and I plan to some day), I'd book a night in a hotel in Hana, so I could spend a leisurely day making all of the scenic stops along the road to Hana.  Plus, I'd want to spend a day exploring the Hana area... especially the Red Sand Beach, as it looks absolutely magical in the photos I've seen.... I'm not sure why I'm so drawn to that beach, but I'm dying to see it!

3) This is sort of related to #2, because it's located along the way to Hana... we went on a tour of the Hana Lava Tube... not the self guided one, but the "Wild Cave Adventure"... I swear, it was one of the COOLEST THINGS I have EVER done!  I think this activity alone was worth the long drive on the Road to Hana.  We got to explore hidden lava caves that the average person (that includes me!!) would NEVER have seen without our guide.  At some points in the tour (all optional of course) we got to climb up the cave walls to explore hidden caves - one cave was found up a twenty foot ladder!  We even got to slither on our bellies through to yet another hidden cave... very cool! (although not for the claustrophobic!)

4) We drove to the summit of Mt. Haleakala.  We stopped at all the scenic lookouts along the way too... totally worth it!  The view from the summit was incredible!  We didn't go at sunrise, because that seemed WAY too early for us, but going late morning as we did turned out well because it was a bit warmer up there than it would have been at sunrise.  This activity can be as relaxing or adventurous as you want it... drive and stick to the scenic look-outs along the road = easy and relaxing.... or, go on one of the longer hikes up there = more physical and adventurous :)



5) We splurged and went on a helicopter tour of east Maui... we'd never been on a helicopter before, and it was well worth it... at least to do ONCE in your life! :)

6) We went on a daytrip to Lanai for some snorkeling and whale watching.  This was FANTASTIC... we even ended up having dolphins swimming within arms reach alongside out boat on our way back to Maui... I'd never seen them so close before so this was especially exciting and memorable for me!  We snorkeled in two different spots at Lanai, and enjoyed a picnic lunch while we were there... it made for a great day, and I'd happily repeat the experience!

Sorry this is so long, but it was tough to choose the absolute BEST activities heehee!  I hope this was helpful anyhow!  Enjoy your trip… Maui is a great place!

The link below is to my website… it’s still fairly new, but you may find some other Maui info that’s of interest to you there.  The parts that are most likely to be of interest to you are the buttons on the left side regarding Maui Adventures and Maui Relaxation... there are links on those pages to our personal experiences with the various activities.

Sheralyn

http://www.paradise-found-in-maui.com

:)

Answer 4

On Kauai be sure to visit the Kilohana Plantation and have lunch or dinner at Gaylord's.  The helicopter tours of the island are spectacular.

On Maui take the ferry over to Molokai and check out the island.  It is very quiet and more traditional Hawaiian.

Answer 5

There's a lot to do on Maui. On Maui, there is a really cool aquarium. The drive to Hana is beautiful. You can take a trip snorkeling to Molokini (you can do this cheaply through one of the dive shops- Snorkel Bob's or something like that, for less than $20- ask about the deal where you "rent snorkeling equipment for about $10/wk."). There are other snorkeling and fishing trips you can take. You can hike the volcano, or ride bikes down it, or hike the Io valley, take dinner and other sunset cruises, scuba, and snorkel around Wailea for free. The beaches are great for boogie boarding, body surfing, or just swimming- Kamaole beaches are great. There is shopping, The Whale Center, Lahaina, Kaanapali, and lots more!    

Answer 6

On Kauai, we did a movie tour which was really cool. We did two different ones where one was on a 4x4 vehicle and the other was in a regular van. Really great tour. As must see the the Napaili coast which you can see by helicopter or by boat or hike it. The grand canyon of Hawaii is also a must see. Driving to hidden beaches is also great. On maui it has been years since I was there, but the town of  Lahina is wonderful with lots of shopping. Whale watching during the right time of the year is also great. We went in spring and saw whales right from a restaurant(eric's seafood grotto). Maui also has wonderful beaches and snorkeling.

Answer 7

My recommendations:

Maui;

Spending time at the beach, snorkeling/SCUBA diving are great particularly at Molokini is great. The road to Hana is a great trip too, but leave early because it will take the entire day. You can get a guide from your hotel concierge.

One of the more unique things to do is to take a bike ride down Mt. Haleakala. Maui Mountain Riders or another similar service will pick you up at your hotel early in the morning and take you up to the summit of Mount Haleakala where you will watch the sunrise. Then, you’ll take a bike ride down the mountain and have breakfast at the end of the trip. This is a great experience, and I recommend it highly.

Old Lahaina Luau is the best in the islands.

My restaurant recommendations:

Paia Fish Market at 100 Hana Hwy in Paia is a great place to dine. It's rustic, the prices are reasonable, and the locals eat there.

Mamas Fish House along the Hana Highway is great. It’s pricey, but they have their own fishermen that catch the fish in the morning that will be served that day.

Cheeseburger in Paradise on Front St. in Lahaina is good.

They say Aloha Mixed Plate in Lahaina is excellent and with reasonable prices, but we’ve never eaten there.

Kauai;

Waimea Canyon *****

http://www.hawaiistateparks.org

/parks/kauai/index.cfm?park_id=4

Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

/Kilauea Point Lighthouse*****

http://www.fws.gov/refuges

/profiles/index.cfm?id=12530

Visit the The Hanalei Valley*****

http://www.kauaidiscovery.com

/virtual_kauai_tour/hanalei+

princeville+kilauea/Hanalei_Lookout/

Tour The Napali Coast*****

http://www.kauaidiscovery.com

/virtual_kauai_tour/hanapepe

+waimea+kekaha/Napali_Boat_Tours/

Answer 8

I have been to the Hawaiian islands several times and here's what I recommend.

On my first trip to Kauai we did a boat ride up a river to the Fern Grotto.  It was nice but that year was a kinda dry year and so the ferns were not that lush.  We are headed to Hawaii again in about a month and this time plan to visit Kauai and go to the Waimia Canyon, the Grand Canyon of Hawaii.   Here's a link to Kauai island activities:  http://www.kauai-hawaii.com/

I have been to Maui on every trip to Hawaii and there is a lot to do there.  If you go to Maui, you gotta do the downhill bike ride. There is one that you can do at sunrise but you have to get up at 3:00 AM to get started up the mountain and its cold up there that early. There are different bike companies and some don't take you all the way to the top, and some don't guide you back down. You can come down by yourself, there's only one road with just a little traffic, but if you are squeamish about riding in the street, a company that accompanies you down will help watch the traffic for you. I have been twice and prefer Maui Downhill to the others. These companies have web sites They will pick you up at your hotel, take you to their shop to pick out a wet-suit (for the cold and mist/rain shower maybe) and gloves and helmet; then take you up the mountain; then follow your group down so they can block traffic for your ride; then afterwards take you back to your hotel. Expect this activity to take 75-80% or more of the day.

Another great activity is the Road to Hana.  Its is a great drive; about 45 miles on winding road that takes 4 hours to drive.  Its like driving through the jungle; has a bunch of one lane bridges. Then drive past Hana to the Seven-Pools attraction and go for a swim.  

Maui also has an great aquarium called  Maui Ocean Center.  There is also a winery in Maui.   You should be sure to go to the  Kaanapali beaches and also stop in the town of Lahaini and see the huge Banyon  tree that covers an entire city park.  You will find some other activities on these web sites.

http://www.visitmaui.com/

http://www.travelhawaii.com/