Please Critique:)

[cgattis]

I bought the R2H CD and the Shaka app and enjoyed the narration on the app more, plus it's cheaper. It drove my kids (15&13) crazy though!! They just wanted to listen to music LOL

We left from the port (near the airport) between 8-9, and it took us all day, even though we turned around at Hamoa/Koki Beach. We just back at sundown, so about 11 hours. If you don't mind driving back in the dark, you could go farther, but DH was not going back the way we came in the dark. Maybe if you drive on around the bottom, but lots of rental car companies don't allow it, so just think about that before you rent.

I don't think you'll regret seeing Haleakala at all, just wanted you to be aware the kids might get a tad bored. Maybe if they have a movie to watch on the way there, they'd be content. After driving to Hana the day before, there wasn't as much for them to look at on that drive.

I'll have to load my rock pic later.

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Just wanted to agree with PP about Waimea falls hike on north shore day.
It is about $16 pp but the walk is truly beautiful, walking through a botanical garden to the waterfall. The walk is better than waterfall imo.

Also if you go to food trucks on north shore , and u MUST if you like shrimp.
Giovanni al the way to right crazy lines... my guide said go to one all the way to right.... best garlic shrimp of my life. I want to go back just for that shrimp lol!
We also stopped at mobile Leonard masalada truck on way to north shore. Amazing!!!! He said locals go there.
Happy planning
Kerri

I've added Waimea Falls to our list, thank you! So many rave about it, so I guess we better go lol
I LOVE shrimp and have Giovanni's on my list of food places. I'm so glad you loved it!! I'm sure I will be addicted too!!
Can't wait to try the Masalada's!!

Thank you Kerri

 

[flinkerfrosch]

I bought the R2H CD and the Shaka app and enjoyed the narration on the app more, plus it's cheaper. It drove my kids (15&13) crazy though!! They just wanted to listen to music LOL

We left from the port (near the airport) between 8-9, and it took us all day, even though we turned around at Hamoa/Koki Beach. We just back at sundown, so about 11 hours. If you don't mind driving back in the dark, you could go farther, but DH was not going back the way we came in the dark. Maybe if you drive on around the bottom, but lots of rental car companies don't allow it, so just think about that before you rent.

I don't think you'll regret seeing Haleakala at all, just wanted you to be aware the kids might get a tad bored. Maybe if they have a movie to watch on the way there, they'd be content. After driving to Hana the day before, there wasn't as much for them to look at on that drive.

I'll have to load my rock pic later.

I think I will download the app. I do want something to guide us as we go.
Wow, 11hrs, sounds like a long day, but fun!!!!
Thanks for the rental info. I will check with the rental car company when we rent at the airport.
My husband and I will probably appreciate Haleakala more then the boys, but I really do want to see it. They can play on their IPods for the car ride there lol

Can't wait to see the pic!! Thanks

 

[islandsnoopy]

Here it is...

Maui

•Snorkel Trip to Molokini

•Haleakala National Park

•Road to Hana

•Napili Bay Beach (Great for Boogie Boarding

•Kapalua Bay Beach (Great for Snorkelling)

•Makaluapuna Point (Dragons Teeth)

•D.T Fleming Beach

•Honolua Bay (Great for snorkelling)

•Nakalele Blowhole

•Wailea Beach***Great for Snorkelling, Boogie Boarding

•Makena Beach


Food Places- Maui
*Ululanis Hawaiian Shave Ice- 10 mins from Resort
*Paia Fish Market (Good food/cheaper)•••Right beside Hapa Shack Shave Ice
*DA Kitchen
*Teddy's Bigger Burgers
*Coconuts Fish Cafe
*Lahaina Pizza Company (Good food/great views of the Ocean)
*Zippy's Kahului
*Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman (Good to go at Happy Hour)
*Cool Cat Cafe (Good food/Best burgers/fun for kids)
*Ono Tacos (Food truck)

We're staying at the Westin Nanea Ocean Villas on Ka'anapali Beach, so we also plan on spending time at this beach as well.
Most of the beaches I have listed above are fairly close- within 10-20 mins from where we're staying. A few of them are about 45 mins away, but only a few I believe, so we figure we could probably hit a few beaches on any given day.
I've already figured out the exact distance from the resort to each beach, so we can easily plan out our day.

Went to Monkeypod Kitchen for lunch on Maui and went back again for dinner! It's become a family favorite as is Cool Cat Cafe. There's also a Monkeypod Kitchen on Oahu. It's across from Aulani in the little shopping area. An easy walk.

A Maui favorite for us is Aloha Mixed Plate (http://alohamixedplate.com/). It's a small place right on the water. Nothing fancy just delicious food. Two other favorites are just down the street from AMP: Mala Ocean Tavern (https://www.malaoceantavern.com/) and Honu Seafood and Pizza (https://www.honumaui.com/)

On the snorkel trip to Molokini: We sailed with Trilogy (http://www.sailtrilogy.com/tour/molokini) a few times to Molokini and once to Lanai. Outstanding service and food. We're early risers and always chose the first sailing of the day. Waters are usually calmer too. Plus homemade cinnamon rolls in the morning!

Have a fantastic trip!

 

[Midoria]

If possible, I'd actually do SNUBA on Molokini. Both times I went, I ended up swimming with honu. Snorkeling is nice, but if you have the chance to go deeper down without needing PADI, then I'd recommend jumping on it. Even more so since you're going to be snorkeling in multiple places so SNUBA would give more unique and memorable experience.

If you like lavender, think about going to the Lavender Farm while you're in Kula. They give tours about the different kinds of plants and have a scavenger hunt for kids. Kula is also a great place to zipline if you're into that. Don't forget to eat at Ulupalakua.

 

[blondietink]

For Maui I would add a trip to Iao Valley. It reopened earlier this month after it was closed due to a landslide/flood. We did the road to Hana once .... never again. The best part was the road beyond Hana and the backside of Haleakala with the 7 pools and Lindburg's grave. If anybody is prone to car sickness, skip the road to Hana. Love the town of Lahaina, but traffic can be an issue at times. We have never had a problem, but have heard some horror stories about the traffic.

We are also staying at the Westin Ka'anapali resort north in September for the 2nd time. It's a great area and a nice resort.

 

[NewEngland47]

Here it is...

Maui

•Snorkel Trip to Molokini

•Haleakala National Park

•Road to Hana

•Napili Bay Beach (Great for Boogie Boarding

•Kapalua Bay Beach (Great for Snorkelling)

•Makaluapuna Point (Dragons Teeth)

•D.T Fleming Beach

•Honolua Bay (Great for snorkelling)

•Nakalele Blowhole

•Wailea Beach***Great for Snorkelling, Boogie Boarding

•Makena Beach


Food Places- Maui
*Ululanis Hawaiian Shave Ice- 10 mins from Resort
*Paia Fish Market (Good food/cheaper)•••Right beside Hapa Shack Shave Ice
*DA Kitchen
*Teddy's Bigger Burgers
*Coconuts Fish Cafe
*Lahaina Pizza Company (Good food/great views of the Ocean)
*Zippy's Kahului
*Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman (Good to go at Happy Hour)
*Cool Cat Cafe (Good food/Best burgers/fun for kids)
*Ono Tacos (Food truck)

We're staying at the Westin Nanea Ocean Villas on Ka'anapali Beach, so we also plan on spending time at this beach as well.
Most of the beaches I have listed above are fairly close- within 10-20 mins from where we're staying. A few of them are about 45 mins away, but only a few I believe, so we figure we could probably hit a few beaches on any given day.
I've already figured out the exact distance from the resort to each beach, so we can easily plan out our day.

For the snorkel trip I highly recommend Trilogy. Best sail/snorkel trip I've ever had and I've been on at least 20.
And it's pricey but you might want to add Mama's Fish House for a nice dinner with a stunning view.

 

[Amw1064]

Sounds like a great trip and so jealous. We did a lot of things you mentioned. We have been fortunate to avoid the lines at Matsumotos by going in the morning before North Shore. (we kind of ate our way to the North Shore) We stopped at Dole Plantation and then Matsumotos. I hate wasting time standing in lines. My daughter made a video from our trip this past summer which has some of your spots in it. I posted a link of it in another thread. It is kind of long and made by a 14 year old so she picked the pictures and videos but you get the idea. Definitely do the outrigger canoe ride in Waikiki. It is so fun and on the video.

 

[nkereina]

1. I see you have AMA AMA for breakfast @ 10am one day. Because of the time difference, my family was up early most days and 10am would be to late for breakfast for us. I know some other families on here have mentioned theirs getting up early, as well. Once you get onsite and see what your routine is, you may want to move it up earlier.

I agree with this, especially if you're having a resort day after AMA AMA. We got chairs around 9am every morning, after breakfast. If we were much later, chairs would have been tough to come by. The exception to this, however, are beach chairs. Chairs on the beach were always plentiful. So a late breakfast followed by getting a spot on the beach would work out fine.

Diamond Head was also on my list, and again, I took it off. Not sure if it was smart, but I can only fit in so much, and we really want just as many resort days as excursion days.

We did Diamond Head and it's not something we'd do again if we go back. The view was beautiful but the hike itself was hot, crowded, and frankly tougher than I expected for something many tourists do. We are in average shape but don't hike at all, and we came with sneakers and workout clothes on to be prepared, but we were sweaty messes afterward! lol! If I were going to that area from Aulani, I'd rather spend the day at Waikiki Beach followed by walking the strip shopping and having dinner after.

That's a great idea to do Kualoa Ranch in the am and then hit Kailua afterwards. I will look into this. What tour did you do?

We did the Premier Movie Site tour, I think there is details and photos on it in the trip report in my signature. The movie sites were about the only thing we were interested in at the ranch, and this tour visits all of them. It's also limited to 12 passengers so it was nice to be able to ask questions, stop for photos, etc. We really enjoyed it. We also had the buffet lunch at the Ranch which was delicious. On our way to Kailua afterward, we also stopped at the Byodo-In Temple which was beautiful.

The only reason we have Sat, Nov 11th as a 'resort day' is because we will be spending all day Friday the 10th travelling (appx 15hrs from start to finish) and my husband asked that we do nothing on the Sat but relax and swim lol..but thank you for the advice about the resort being busier on the weekends vs during the week.

Gotcha. We did the same thing, so I definitely understand that. In this case, I would suggest going down early (8am) to get chairs or look into booking a cabana, casabellas, or the executive lanai. November 11th is Veterans Day which may mean a long weekend for some people so I'm not sure how the crowds would look that weekend. It's a toss up, but its very doable if you're expecting it!

Here it is...

Maui

•Snorkel Trip to Molokini

•Haleakala National Park

•Road to Hana

•Napili Bay Beach (Great for Boogie Boarding

•Kapalua Bay Beach (Great for Snorkelling)

•Makaluapuna Point (Dragons Teeth)

•D.T Fleming Beach

•Honolua Bay (Great for snorkelling)

•Nakalele Blowhole

•Wailea Beach***Great for Snorkelling, Boogie Boarding

•Makena Beach


Food Places- Maui
*Ululanis Hawaiian Shave Ice- 10 mins from Resort
*Paia Fish Market (Good food/cheaper)•••Right beside Hapa Shack Shave Ice
*DA Kitchen
*Teddy's Bigger Burgers
*Coconuts Fish Cafe
*Lahaina Pizza Company (Good food/great views of the Ocean)
*Zippy's Kahului
*Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman (Good to go at Happy Hour)
*Cool Cat Cafe (Good food/Best burgers/fun for kids)
*Ono Tacos (Food truck)

We're staying at the Westin Nanea Ocean Villas on Ka'anapali Beach, so we also plan on spending time at this beach as well.
Most of the beaches I have listed above are fairly close- within 10-20 mins from where we're staying. A few of them are about 45 mins away, but only a few I believe, so we figure we could probably hit a few beaches on any given day.
I've already figured out the exact distance from the resort to each beach, so we can easily plan out our day.

We stayed at the regular Westin just up the street. Loved it! We ate at Lahaina Pizza Company and it was a great casual stop. We also loved strolling Front St, stopping for shave ice, and checking out the banyan tree. We also did the Feast at Lele luau in Maui which was amazing, and the Old Lahaina Luau is just a little further up Front St and is supposed to be one of the best, most authentic luaus in all of Hawaii. If you won't have a car or want to have a few drinks, the Starwood shuttle goes between all Starwood properties on Kaanapali beach so take advantage. It was very convenient. Also, if you get off at the Westin's stop, you can walk to Whaler's Village which has quaint beachfront dining and some shops as well. We ate at Hula Grill and it was great.

 

[TheHulamuffins]

One thing to consider for the final day, depending on your return flight time: You enjoy having a spa appointment for the afternoon of the last day.

The first time we went to Aulani, we did not do this. While there is a departure lounge where you can take a shower (indoors) and change clothes, the key card that lets you in is only good for one use (at least, that was true when we were there). There were quite a few people leaving for flights near the same time, so there was quite a line for the showers. I think there were only two or three showers for the women. There was also a line for the spinning tub that removes the water from your suits. There was a rather large group in the locker area.

The second time we went to Aulani, we arranged for spa appointments for the afternoon of the last day. While this was somewhat expensive, for us it was worth it. The rain garden is incredible! The spa experience was great--extremely relaxing, not crowded, just lovely all around.

They do have couples spa experiences, though you might arrange for the spa just for the women, and let the men work things out on their own.

You might find the departure lounge that Disney provides totally fine--that depends partly on your departure time, and partly on what you are looking for. Also, I would guess that if you are an athlete, you will be accustomed to quick changes of the type the lounge is designed for. On the other hand, you might be somewhat impatient with the people in line for the showers ahead of you, who may take what seems like a very long time.

 

[flinkerfrosch]

One thing to consider for the final day, depending on your return flight time: You enjoy having a spa appointment for the afternoon of the last day.

The first time we went to Aulani, we did not do this. While there is a departure lounge where you can take a shower (indoors) and change clothes, the key card that lets you in is only good for one use (at least, that was true when we were there). There were quite a few people leaving for flights near the same time, so there was quite a line for the showers. I think there were only two or three showers for the women. There was also a line for the spinning tub that removes the water from your suits. There was a rather large group in the locker area.

The second time we went to Aulani, we arranged for spa appointments for the afternoon of the last day. While this was somewhat expensive, for us it was worth it. The rain garden is incredible! The spa experience was great--extremely relaxing, not crowded, just lovely all around.

They do have couples spa experiences, though you might arrange for the spa just for the women, and let the men work things out on their own.

You might find the departure lounge that Disney provides totally fine--that depends partly on your departure time, and partly on what you are looking for. Also, I would guess that if you are an athlete, you will be accustomed to quick changes of the type the lounge is designed for. On the other hand, you might be somewhat impatient with the people in line for the showers ahead of you, who may take what seems like a very long time.

Thank you for that tip! The spa sounds amazing and something I would most definitely like to try. Ive read so many postive reviews.

 

[flinkerfrosch]

I agree with this, especially if you're having a resort day after AMA AMA. We got chairs around 9am every morning, after breakfast. If we were much later, chairs would have been tough to come by. The exception to this, however, are beach chairs. Chairs on the beach were always plentiful. So a late breakfast followed by getting a spot on the beach would work out fine.



We did Diamond Head and it's not something we'd do again if we go back. The view was beautiful but the hike itself was hot, crowded, and frankly tougher than I expected for something many tourists do. We are in average shape but don't hike at all, and we came with sneakers and workout clothes on to be prepared, but we were sweaty messes afterward! lol! If I were going to that area from Aulani, I'd rather spend the day at Waikiki Beach followed by walking the strip shopping and having dinner after.



We did the Premier Movie Site tour, I think there is details and photos on it in the trip report in my signature. The movie sites were about the only thing we were interested in at the ranch, and this tour visits all of them. It's also limited to 12 passengers so it was nice to be able to ask questions, stop for photos, etc. We really enjoyed it. We also had the buffet lunch at the Ranch which was delicious. On our way to Kailua afterward, we also stopped at the Byodo-In Temple which was beautiful.



Gotcha. We did the same thing, so I definitely understand that. In this case, I would suggest going down early (8am) to get chairs or look into booking a cabana, casabellas, or the executive lanai. November 11th is Veterans Day which may mean a long weekend for some people so I'm not sure how the crowds would look that weekend. It's a toss up, but its very doable if you're expecting it!



We stayed at the regular Westin just up the street. Loved it! We ate at Lahaina Pizza Company and it was a great casual stop. We also loved strolling Front St, stopping for shave ice, and checking out the banyan tree. We also did the Feast at Lele luau in Maui which was amazing, and the Old Lahaina Luau is just a little further up Front St and is supposed to be one of the best, most authentic luaus in all of Hawaii. If you won't have a car or want to have a few drinks, the Starwood shuttle goes between all Starwood properties on Kaanapali beach so take advantage. It was very convenient. Also, if you get off at the Westin's stop, you can walk to Whaler's Village which has quaint beachfront dining and some shops as well. We ate at Hula Grill and it was great.

Thank you for all the info, you've been an amazing help

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Sounds like a great trip and so jealous. We did a lot of things you mentioned. We have been fortunate to avoid the lines at Matsumotos by going in the morning before North Shore. (we kind of ate our way to the North Shore) We stopped at Dole Plantation and then Matsumotos. I hate wasting time standing in lines. My daughter made a video from our trip this past summer which has some of your spots in it. I posted a link of it in another thread. It is kind of long and made by a 14 year old so she picked the pictures and videos but you get the idea. Definitely do the outrigger canoe ride in Waikiki. It is so fun and on the video.

I watched your video, and wow! Simply amazing! It helped me so much actually being able to see a lot of the places I'm hoping to visit.
Your daughter is very talented and a beautiful young lady.
Thank you!!!

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Went to Monkeypod Kitchen for lunch on Maui and went back again for dinner! It's become a family favorite as is Cool Cat Cafe. There's also a Monkeypod Kitchen on Oahu. It's across from Aulani in the little shopping area. An easy walk.

A Maui favorite for us is Aloha Mixed Plate (http://alohamixedplate.com/). It's a small place right on the water. Nothing fancy just delicious food. Two other favorites are just down the street from AMP: Mala Ocean Tavern (https://www.malaoceantavern.com/) and Honu Seafood and Pizza (https://www.honumaui.com/)

On the snorkel trip to Molokini: We sailed with Trilogy (http://www.sailtrilogy.com/tour/molokini) a few times to Molokini and once to Lanai. Outstanding service and food. We're early risers and always chose the first sailing of the day. Waters are usually calmer too. Plus homemade cinnamon rolls in the morning!

Have a fantastic trip!

Thank you for the links. I'm going to check them all out.
Many people now have recommend Trilogy, so I've decided to book with them. They have amazing reviews on Trip Advisor as well.
Thank you for all you info and help

 

[flinkerfrosch]

For Maui I would add a trip to Iao Valley. It reopened earlier this month after it was closed due to a landslide/flood. We did the road to Hana once .... never again. The best part was the road beyond Hana and the backside of Haleakala with the 7 pools and Lindburg's grave. If anybody is prone to car sickness, skip the road to Hana. Love the town of Lahaina, but traffic can be an issue at times. We have never had a problem, but have heard some horror stories about the traffic.

We are also staying at the Westin Ka'anapali resort north in September for the 2nd time. It's a great area and a nice resort.

Ioa Valley looks so beautiful!!! I've added to my list for sure
I'm brutal with motion sickness and always carry meds with me...hmmmm kinda rethinking the road to Hana lol

I'm so excited for you! Your trip is coming up any day, woohooo!

Would you mind reporting back on the resort next door- Westin Nanea Ocean Villas? You will have access to this property as well.

I was originally staying at the Westin Kaanapali North, but switched to their newest resort (The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas)

Have an amazing trip!!!!

 

[flinkerfrosch]

If possible, I'd actually do SNUBA on Molokini. Both times I went, I ended up swimming with honu. Snorkeling is nice, but if you have the chance to go deeper down without needing PADI, then I'd recommend jumping on it. Even more so since you're going to be snorkeling in multiple places so SNUBA would give more unique and memorable experience.

If you like lavender, think about going to the Lavender Farm while you're in Kula. They give tours about the different kinds of plants and have a scavenger hunt for kids. Kula is also a great place to zipline if you're into that. Don't forget to eat at Ulupalakua.

Thank you! We're very excited about going to Molokini, and will mention the SNUBA to my kids and hubby. I think my 10yr old would love it!

I love Lavender and love to zip line! More things to check out!! Thanks again!

 

[flinkerfrosch]

For the snorkel trip I highly recommend Trilogy. Best sail/snorkel trip I've ever had and I've been on at least 20.
And it's pricey but you might want to add Mama's Fish House for a nice dinner with a stunning view.

Awesome, thank you!

 

[Amw1064]

Don't skip the road to Hana. Just take your motion sickness pills. I attempted it without and figured out very quickly I would most likely need it. Took Dramamine before any issues started and it was fine.

 

[blondietink]

Ioa Valley looks so beautiful!!! I've added to my list for sure
I'm brutal with motion sickness and always carry meds with me...hmmmm kinda rethinking the road to Hana lol

I'm so excited for you! Your trip is coming up any day, woohooo!

Would you mind reporting back on the resort next door- Westin Nanea Ocean Villas? You will have access to this property as well.

I was originally staying at the Westin Kaanapali North, but switched to their newest resort (The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas)

Have an amazing trip!!!!

Yes, we will for sure be visiting the Nanea resort. I hear that we will have pool privileges when we are at North. I also hear that it is a stunning resort. We'll see and will report back.

 

[Spring0799]

Wow sounds awesome. I want to go with you, I can be your nanny, lol.

Thanks for posting this. My husband and I want to take the kids when they are bigger since this Disney experience probably won't happen too often. My littlest is just 4 months old. So much info in one post, I love it. I'll be saving this.