Maui - The Magic Isle

Maui, ahhhh my favorite island of them all. Maui offers visitors a little of everything on one island. Where Oahu has lots of night life and Kauai offers the quite solitude, Maui offers both. When you land in Maui you feel like you are on an island. It's a small airport with warm tropical breezes that will meet you as soon as you step off the plane.

Before you get on the plane you have a lot of decisions to make. This is a large island and when you book a hotel you must choose the right part of the island. So, what questions do you ask? What time of the year are you travelling? How much or little action do you want around you? What type of experience are you looking for? The two basic areas in Maui are Kaanapali and Wailea. Wailea is the quieter side of the island and it also will typically have the most sun and least wind in the winter. The hotels tend to have less floors giving you more of an island feel. Kaanapali has lots of action. It boasts a beautiful white sand beach with restaurants, water activities and shopping galore. While you will need a car for both sides of the island, Kaanapali will will require less driving.

Once you choose an area as your base now you must choose a hotel. I've had a lot of fun on both sides of the island and there are some fantastic hotels to stay in. In Kaanapali I would recommend, Hyatt, Marriott or Westin if you are travelling with children because they have fantastic kids clubs and pool areas. They also have timeshare units which may sound like a deterrent but if you can avoid the salesmen it will give you the spaciousness of a condo with the activities and services of a hotel. Looking for a condo property only? The Kaanapali Alii is on Kaanapali beach and if you don't mind not being in the main area then check out the Embassy Suites.

Travelling without children? Sheraton has a beautiful property on Kaanapali beach. Located at Black Rock, this hotel gives you more privacy then those further down the beach. What do all of these hotels (except the Embassy Suites) have in common? Golf! Nearby and world class Golf.

Activities abound in this area. At your hotel or nearby you can arrange for Snorkeling or Surfing equipment and/or lessons. Lahaina has lots and lots of shopping and restaurants, so many you won't be able to eat at them all. My favorite activity of all is Trilogy! Trilogy is a company which provides tours such as snorkeling to Molokini or Dinner cruises but my absolute favorite is the cruise to Lanai. This tour takes you out on their catamaran all day. You start in the morning with fresh, hot, Cinnamon buns, fruit and coffee. You cruise to Lanai and sometimes you see dolphins and you will have time for pictures then when you arrive in Lanai you will choose whether to take the short tour of the town (the town is so small!) or go straight to the beach. All your snorkeling equipment is provided and the beach is at a cove which is home to dolphins so many times the dolphins will approach you (please do not approach the dolphins). Lunch is prepared there for you and it is soooo good! There is just something about eating freshly cooked food outdoors. Then at the end of the day you are on your way back to Maui. Make sure to save room for the ice cream! This was a highlight of a recent trip I took with 3 of my close friends. We all turned 40 the year we went and we needed to somehow make this milestone paletable. So we spent 4 nights at the Grand Wailea and took a daytrip to Lanai with Trilogy. It was well worth the money!! We look forward to turning 45!!

I suppose at this point you are ready to settle down in Kaanapali but.....Wailea has it's own special features. In fact Wailea is my favorite spot. Why? Because it doesn't seem as crowded and it has great weather even when it's raining in Kaanapali. Plus my favorite hotel in all of Hawaii is the Grand Wailea. I have stayed here with and without children and it's just as special either way. The Grand Wailea has one of the, if not the best spa on the island and maybe all the islands. I just love it! The pool is second to none; not only does it offer 3 slides but also a water elevator. Yes, a water elevator. I don't think that I can properly describe how wonderful this hotel is, plus they have a new section with 2 and 3 bedroom units with fully equiped kitchens and full access to the hotels activities. This is not the only hotel in Wailea but it is my favorite. The next one on my list and if you are looking for a smaller hotel this may be the best one for you. The Kea Lani. This hotel is actually all suites and very luxurious. If you are celebrating a special occasion with your special person this is the spot. They also have 2 and 3 bedroom villas right at the beach and each unit has it's own bbq and plunge pool. Need something more economical? Marriott Wailea is the spot. The beach is next door but a great place to snorkel. It's a beautiful hotel with a relaxed atmosphere.

Ready for more activities? Well there is one more in the Kaanapali area that is good for everyone. The Old Lahaina Luau. This is the more authentic luau in all of the islands and it's well worth the money if you are looking for a great luau. Close to Wailea is the Maui Downhill. This is a good one for early risers. The van will pick you up in the early morning and take you up to the top of Haleakala where you may or not see the most beautiful sunrise of your life but whether or not you can see it you will head down the mountain on a mountain bike (with wide seats) then depending on what package you chose you may have breakfast at the end. You should be back to your hotel by 11 am or so, just in time for a siesta on the beach! Make sure to get a picnic lunch and take a day trip to Hana. Take your tennis or hiking shoes and bathing suit and get ready for a fun day on the road. There are plenty of waterfalls and other places of interest along the way. Make sure to be safe when pulling over for pictures.

Maui has so much to offer that you could return over and over and still feel like it's the 1st time. Remember the rule, don't feel like you have to do everything at once. Choose your favorite activity, enjoy your hotel offerings and if you don't have time do it next trip.

Well until next time, travel safe and travel often.

Oahu - The Gathering Place

Oahu is probably the most visited isle with Maui being a close second. Why? Because it's so easy to get a flight there, it's cheaper than flying to the outer islands and most of the specials you see in the newspaper or on TV are priced for Oahu. Not to mention that most Travel Agents don't know the difference from one island to another unless they have been there or done their homework. The Oahu that most people see is as I call it "L. A. with Palm Trees". They land in a huge airport, get their bags and if they have paid for it they get a traditional lei greeting if not they get nothing (leaving most disappointed!). Then they go outside to a maze of cars, buses, taxi's and car rentals. As they leave the airport they see crowded streets, freeways and the occasional traffic jam. This may leave some asking, did I even leave home? Oh yes, how do you know? Because there is no snow and everyone has a tan! But there is more to Oahu than this!

I have a cute story about peoples perception of Hawaii. When I was 19 my parents celebrated their 25th anniversary and my gift to them was a trip to Hawaii. As a poor 19 year old I had saved for a year every dime I made to pay for this week long vacation to Paradise and I had done my homework. I sent them to Kauai (The Garden Isle) because I knew it was what they would enjoy most. It was my mothers dream and Kauai was what she dreamed of. Now my dad never wanted to go, because his idea of Hawaii was what he saw on Hawaii five-O. Which was exactly what I described above!

Well the day arrived and I had a party at the house for them, all their friends were there and some family. They all knew about the surprise and I had even arranged for my dad to have the week off. I then packaged the tickets and hotel arrangements in a huge box, because my mom just knew I was getting her a microwave (we didn't have one). Well, they couldn't believe what the gift was. But my dad was thinking, oh no Hawaii! I bet the theme song to Hawaii Five-O was playing in his head with a picture of Jack Lord in all his glory and perfect hair standing there. What a sight! He played it off though because his little girl had saved so dilligently to send them to Paradise! Well skip to a month later when they are in Hawaii, I get a call from my dad who said "you need to get a 2nd job so we can stay here!" Why, because not all of Hawaii is what you see on Magnum P.I. when he's in Chinatown! Even on Oahu where big business is situated you can find absolutly beautiful areas to destress, have a 2nd honeymoon or have a much needed girls week! So what is the key?

No matter where you book your hotel plan on getting a car for at least a day or two. If you decide to stay on Waikiki Beach, great but get out and explore for a couple of days. You don't need a car for the rest of your stay. Take a taxi or book the shuttle service with your package and get to your hotel. There's lots of nightlife to be had and for that matter daylife too!! They have a pretty famous flea market or swapmeet in Oahu that will afford you an opportunity to pick up some pretty economical keepsakes. Although the beach is pretty covered with hotels, in Oahu the beach itself is open to the public so you don't have to pay top dollar for a beach hotel to enjoy the beach. Don't be fooled by the hotel that says they are 1, 2 or 3 blocks from the beach. Those are VERY LONG BLOCKS! If you are not in some kind of shape or used to walking you will not be happy! But if you don't mind the walk and want to save money go for it. Just remember that the cheapest package advertised is usually cheap! You get what you pay for! You may find yourself wishing for Motel 6! Do your homework before taking that cheap package. Ask what you can get for $50 or $100 more. It's probably worth it.

Now, my favorite hotel in Oahu is the Marriott Ihilani. It is not on Waikiki Beach and is actually about 30 to 45 minutes away. Now you know the 1st reason that it's my favorite. The other attraction is the location. The Ihilani is built on 1 of several man made coves. They were created in order to develop into a tourist area but the investors pulled out and only the Ihilani was left. Over the years there has been talk of several different hotels going in but until now the hotel has stood alone. Marriott recently built timeshares alongside the hotel which allows families the opportunity to relax. Recently Disney announced that they would build timeshares on one of the coves as well and it should be opening in 2011 unless there is a delay. There is also the Paradise Cove Luau located nearby. Why is that significant? Because it's probably the best in Oahu. Lots of people are bussed from their hotels in Waikiki to this popular excursion and from the Ihilani you are steps away!

The Cove offers a safety factor that you don't have on Waikiki Beach. From the early morning on you will find people of all ages snorkeling and Kayaking in the cove's calm warm water. I can just feel the gentle breeze, warm sun with Mai Tai in hand. This is the life! But if you want to be in the middle of the action, I have a few suggestions. The Hilton Hawaiian Hotel is a resort unlike any other in the area. It is comprised of several towers each offering a different price point and value. While other hotels have a concierge floor, they have an entire tower with its own pool! This is a great hotel for families, couples and singles because of the range of activities. It's on the beach, and in the middle of the action. One of my favorite restraunts is nearby, Benihana! If you like to be busy you will enjoy this location! If you are looking for upscale, I really enjoy the Halekulani. This is more than just a beautifully apponted hotel, it also offers unparalled service and amenities. If you want to be on Waikiki Beach but not so overwhelmed with the outside world, this is your hotel. It's sister property the Waikiki Parc is across the street. A very little street. It's a boutique hotel with, small but beautiful rooms. The price is significantly lower than the Halekulani but with the same service, attention to detail and many upgraded amenities. Just because I haven't mentioned a hotel, doesn't mean that it's not good, I just don't have the time, or space to talk about them all.

As for activities, there are so many I couldn't talk about them all but I will mention a couple of my favorites. I've already talked about the Paradise Cove Luau, but there is another wonderful excursion on Oahu that I stumbled upon, called Kualoa Ranch. This is a 4000 acre ranch, that offers horseback riding, ATV tours, movie set tours and also has a gun range. We had so much fun here, it was amazing. But two words of caution to you women out there. Sports Bra! When they say offroad, they mean off road. It's worth the pain though and what an awsome day for the entire family.

My other must-go is to the Dole Plantation. I was surprisingly pleased with our stop here. First of all I finally learned how to cut a pineapple properly. There is a pretty incredible maze for you and your kids to get lost in and after all when you think of Hawaii don't you think of pineapple? Today, Hawaii isn't the super pineapple producing state it once was but, just think of how happy your family and friends at home will be when you ship them their very own ripe pineapple straight from Hawaii!!

Your question is probably, how long can we stay? My answer is at least 3 nights. Many use Oahu has a jumping off spot to the outer islands and some spend the entire week here. The minimum flight time from the continental U.S. is 5 hours so you obviously don't want to stay 3 nights and go home but you could add an additional 4 or more night on another island to complete your stay. Fall is the cheapest time to travel and Summer and holidays are usually the most expensive, but this year I have seen specials in every season. Take advantage of the low prices. Well that is it for this installment. Next time we will travel to Maui. Until then travel safe and travel often.