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Frequently Asked Questions People frequently write email to me with questions about Maui. Many of the answers are in the Maui info paper on this web site (click here). But here is some additional information about the questions I get most often. What are the top things that I absolutely must do on Maui? Watch the sunset every night. (It's different every
night.)
What will the weather be during the month I am going to Maui? Average temperature and rainfall for each month in the town of Lahaina:
A graph of average monthly highs, low, and rainfall for
Lahaina (west Maui), is at this site:
What clothes should I bring? What to wear to dinner? Dress is very informal resort clothes everyplace. In the daytime, people are wearing shorts and t-shirts all year around. In the evening, guys do not need a tie or jacket in even the fanciest restaurants (but slacks and a shirt with a collar are advisable). You will see men and women in shorts and t-shirts in practically every restaurant, even for dinner, but my wife and I feel that something slightly nicer is more appropriate in the better restaurants at dinner time. What you consider a "nice dress" from the mainland will be too dressy for any restaurant on Maui, but you can wear a more casual dress, or a silk blouse over white pants if you want to be as dressy as it gets on Maui. Anything but shorts or jeans will work in the very nicest restaurants on Maui. Light colors are more common, so do not wear black or very dark colors. If you decide to buy any Hawaiian-style clothes while you are there, the best deals are usually at Hilo Hattie in Lahaina or Kihei, but remember that anything that looks real Hawaiian will look too loud and be almost unwearable when you get it back home!
What is the best restaurant on Maui? My wife and my favorite Maui restaurant is Plantation House. It has a variety of fabulous food, which at dinner includes several kinds of fresh fish in your choice of preparations. The food and the view at Plantation House are better than any other restaurant we have experienced in our many trips to Maui. Plantation House is located in the clubhouse of the Plantation Golf Course in Kapalua, about 15 minutes drive north of Kaanapali Beach. For especially great service at dinner, ask for Derrick or Vicky to be your waiter/waitress, and tell him/her you heard about Plantation House on Jon's Maui Info website. Also ask for the manager, Bob Jones, and tell him I sent you. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Phone for reservations: 669-6299. You may also enjoy the amazing Bananas Foster for dessert at dinner.
Why do you advise me not to drive back from Hana on the southern route? I advise against driving the unpaved southern route back from
Hana because:
Where can I swim with dolphins? Not on Maui. Your best chance is at Sea Life Park on the island of Oahu (where it costs about $100), or at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Oahu (where it costs about $140 to $200). They also offer it at the Hilton Waikaloa Hotel on the Big Island of Hawaii, but it's by lottery there and a lot more people ask for it than they have slots for, so most people do not get to do it there.
How can I get the best price on a hotel or condo? Never pay list price (called "rack rate" in the hotel business) at any hotel anyplace in the world. Always ask about package deals that may include a discount or a free night or free breakfast or a free rental car, etc. Also ask about AAA discounts and AARP discounts, if you belong to either of those groups. Call the hotel directly, as well as asking your travel agent what is the best price he/she can get you. Email Kay Ryan (Kay@mauikay.com) and/or Dave Williams (davewil@mc.net) and/or Bryan Brown (BBrown9825@aol.com) and tell them that I sent you (Jon's Maui Info website), and see what deals they can get you. Call Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays at 1-800-242-9244 to ask about package prices that include hotel and air fare and sometimes a rental car. Compare several different hotels or condos in whichever area of Maui you are considering. But make sure the hotel or condo you select is in the resort areas (not in town), and preferably that it is on a beach (not a walk away from the beach), and preferably that it has air conditioning (which I feel I need on Maui even in the winter).
Which side of Maui should I stay at, South (Kihei-Wailea) or West (Kaanapali)? There are two major hotel & condo areas of
Maui, so how do you decide which one to stay at for your Maui vacation? Here's my advice,
after having stayed in both areas several times.
Which hotel or condo should I stay at? I much prefer west Maui (Kaanapali-Lahaina area) over Wailea or Kihei, so I will suggest specific places on that side.1. The three top resort hotels, in order of my preference, are the ones on the main Kaanapali Beach resort strip: Hyatt, Sheraton, or Westin. (I don't like the Ritz because it is in a more isolated location, is not right on a beach, and it is more cloudy or more likely to rain or be windy in Kapalua.) 2. If you want to be right on Kaanapali Beach (where the Hyatt and Westin and Sheraton are located), but you want something less expensive, then I suggest the Kaanapali Beach Hotel. It is cheaper because it is older. But it is still a good hotel, the staff is exceptionally friendly, and of course the location is wonderful. 3. I suggest a condo instead of a hotel if you are traveling with children, or if you want a kitchen or more space in your room. If you are considering a condo instead of a hotel, then the most luxurious is Kaanapali Alii, located on the same beach strip as the Hyatt, Sheraton, and Westin. Also good and in the same perfect location is the Whaler. If those condos are both too expensive, consider the Maui Kaanapali Villas (right next to the Sheraton, so adjacent to the main resort strip like the others), or the Kaanapali Shores (a mile away), or the Mahana (best ocean views, but no shops or restaurant in the building). 4. If you need something less expensive than any of the above hotels and condos, then you will have less luxury, you will be further from the main Kaanapali area, and you may not get air conditioning. But be sure you are in a resort area (not in the city), and preferably on a beach (not across the street from the beach). Some possibilities include Papakea, Hololani, or Kahana Reef. There are many others, many of which are described and have photos on the Hotels-Condos section of this website. 5. The excellent book, Paradise Family Guides - Maui by Aluli, can help you decide where to stay, especially if you want information about condos and smaller places that are not on my list. That book has information about each of 200 hotels, condos, and B&B’s on Maui and Lanai. It includes descriptions, rates, and toll-free reservation numbers. Buy it at your local bookstore, or see the Books page of this website for a link to buy it online from Amazon.com. Top
Do I need air conditioning in my condo on Maui? I find that I need air conditioning most days, even in the winter. Some people feel comforable with just the breeze going through an ocean-front condo with the windows open, but most people feel too hot in the daytime, and sometimes even at night, without air conditioning. This is especially true during the warmest months (May through November). All of the major hotels and the top condos do have air conditioning. But many of the less expensive condos do not have it. So ask before you make your reservation.
There are a few whales around Maui from mid-November to mid-April. But there are only a LOT of whales around Maui from mid January to early March. If you want to be sure to see the most whales in the ocean, it is best to plan your trip for the peak whale times of mid-January to the beginning of March.
Can we use the pools at the Grand Wailea without staying there? Sorry, but no. The Grand Wailea has the most spectacular swimming pools on Maui, with multiple pools, water slides, swing, island, sand, water elevator, and more. If they let tourists staying at other hotels use their pools, they would not have room for their own hotel guests to use them. So they have a system of color-coded wristbands, and they check to see that anyone using their pools must be wearing one of their wristbands, to prove that they are really staying at the Grand.
What time is sunrise and sunset when I will be on Maui? You can get the time of sunrise and sunset for The times for the middle of each month at sea level on Maui
are:
Is there a
boat or ferry between Maui and Oahu (Honolulu)?
Can I see Pearl Harbor
while I am in Honolulu (on the island of Oahu) for a couple hours on my way
to or from Maui? You will need most of the day to see Pearl Harbor. The video and tour of
the Arizona Memorial takes 75 minutes, PLUS you will have to wait between 30 and
120 minutes for your turn for that tour, after you arrive at Pearl Harbor. (You
cannot make advance reservations for your tour time.) Therefore, you need at
least 2 to 3 hours just for the Arizona. If you also want to take the guided
tour of the battleship USS Missouri, that takes an additional 1 to 3 hours
(including getting there from the Arizona), depending on waiting time. You also
have to allow about half an hour to get to Pearl Harbor from the airport or from
Waikiki, and a similar amount of time to get back. Adding up all these times,
means that you need a minimum of four hours (if you go during a slow season with
few tourists and very little wait times), or up to seven hours in the busiest
times of the year (such as Christmas week), to do both the Arizona and the
Missouri tours. You can get recorded information about Pearl Harbor tours at
this phone number: 808-422-0561. Why do you tell people to avoid timeshare presentations? 1. You spent thousands of dollars for hotel and food and
activities to enjoy the beauty and fun of Maui, so why waste some of those precious hours
listening to a sales pitch.
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