Oahu has more to do. More attractions, more restaurants, etc. The beaches are more crowded. Maui, for the most part, is slower paced. It is lovely though. I prefer Maui slightly over Oahu, but we enjoyed both.
Travel MAUI! tips - questions - advice
- Thread starter queenvictoria2
- Start date
Oahu has more to do. More attractions, more restaurants, etc. The beaches are more crowded. Maui, for the most part, is slower paced. It is lovely though. I prefer Maui slightly over Oahu, but we enjoyed both.
We did talk about that, but I keep hearing and reading that it's very commercialized and that we wouldn't get the full Hawaii experience. Not sure if you can agree to that or not? We're also planning to go in December, and we've been reading that Big Island is a bit colder and has more possibility rain.
No, I think the Big Island is less commercialized. Maybe you are thinking of Oahu, where Waikiki is? The Big Island (Hawaii Island) has Kona, Waimea, Hilo, the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. the Kohala Coast on the Big Island has lots of resorts, but its nothing like Waikiki or parts of Maui.
Bentley, dh's comments (Honolulu is Cleveland with palm trees) aren't exactly true for everyone. Honolulu is a large city with a wonderful, often crowded beach, but Oahu has lots of different places to see and go that aren't urban. Maui has some built-up areas; for example Kahului looks suburban with a lot of chain stores! Kihei is a bunch of strip malls. But you're still surrounded by incredible beauty and lovely people. Oahu is worth a visit just to see the USS Arizona Memorial, IMO.
~Wedding dinner~
I am in need of opinions on a great dinner place.
I am getting married on Maui soon..have made all arrangements so far..but wanted to make reservations somewhere soon for our dinner.
It will just be him and I.
We have been to Maui before and usually do the local thing..Sansei's..etc..so I'm unfamilar with where to go as far as a more upscale dinner, and was wondering if anyone has had an amazing meal somewhere they want to share.
We are staying in Kihei as usual so something on the South side would be nice so we can go there fairly soon after our sunset ceremony.
Suggestions I have heard from different people(not on here) have been Gannon's,Four Season, Sarento's, Five Palms, Capische. We LOVE any seafood..steak,etc...but might prefer some amazing seafood.
Probably something that isn't crazy OTT pretentious..but somewhere still very,very nice
Any ideas?
Thanks!
I am in need of opinions on a great dinner place.
I am getting married on Maui soon..have made all arrangements so far..but wanted to make reservations somewhere soon for our dinner.
It will just be him and I.
We have been to Maui before and usually do the local thing..Sansei's..etc..so I'm unfamilar with where to go as far as a more upscale dinner, and was wondering if anyone has had an amazing meal somewhere they want to share.
We are staying in Kihei as usual so something on the South side would be nice so we can go there fairly soon after our sunset ceremony.
Suggestions I have heard from different people(not on here) have been Gannon's,Four Season, Sarento's, Five Palms, Capische. We LOVE any seafood..steak,etc...but might prefer some amazing seafood.
Probably something that isn't crazy OTT pretentious..but somewhere still very,very nice
Any ideas?
Thanks!
~Wedding dinner~
I am in need of opinions on a great dinner place.
I am getting married on Maui soon..have made all arrangements so far..but wanted to make reservations somewhere soon for our dinner.
It will just be him and I.
We have been to Maui before and usually do the local thing..Sansei's..etc..so I'm unfamilar with where to go as far as a more upscale dinner, and was wondering if anyone has had an amazing meal somewhere they want to share.
We are staying in Kihei as usual so something on the South side would be nice so we can go there fairly soon after our sunset ceremony.
Suggestions I have heard from different people(not on here) have been Gannon's,Four Season, Sarento's, Five Palms, Capische. We LOVE any seafood..steak,etc...but might prefer some amazing seafood.
Probably something that isn't crazy OTT pretentious..but somewhere still very,very nice
Any ideas?
Thanks!
**Oh just thought of a couple of other places too..that we could make it to..Mama's Fish House..(is this just super busy and loud or could it be a bit romantic?..have never been)
Lahaina Grill?
You ABSOLUTELY need to go to Mama's Fish House! The food is amazing, the views are amazing, and overall it is a fantastic experience! Highly recommended! Been there 3 times already and every time is just as amazing! Make sure to make reservations around 6:30 or 7:00 so you can see the sunset. Absolutely breathtaking!
Thanks, ladies...after thinking about it, Mama's, I think, will be too far away for dinner since we are getting married at sunset. I wish it wasn't though..it sound great!
Has anyone been to one of Bev Gannon's restaurant?
I'm kind of after something outside, a bit romantic..but I'm totally not super picky and would be up for anything...the meal is the most important part
My fiancee and I are going to Hawaii for our honeymoon and plan on spending a week or so in Maui. The thing is we are stuck on where to stay. We are looking at Waldorf, Fairmont and Four Seaons on the South and Sheraton, Hyatt, Westin or Ritz on the West
IDEALLY we want to wake up in a nice non-standardlooking hotel room be able to walk onto our balcony and look over the ocean. I want to be able to walk down to the resort and have breakfast in a clean space and be able to spend the morning/afternoon on the beach/pool wandering the area doing activities, maybe eating lunch in a nice walkable area. At night we want to have a nice dinner and be able to go out for drinks and maybe dancing.
We want to be close enough to things that we can go to our room between pool/food/drinks etc. I mean it is our honeymoon. However, we arent the type to like sitting at the pool all day long. So I guess we want a place that has nice/clean facility and room but is not too isolated that we would get bored. If people have comments to share it would be greatly appreciated. I apologize for the longggggg random post.
Things to keep in mind. We are both in our late 20's. We arent super concerned about the "best" or "top of the line" but are clean freaks. We get bored sitting still for too long and like activities or being near activities (granted activities can be super corney).
SOUTH SIDE
Four Seasons
Fairmont
Waldorf
I keep hearing that Wailai is beautiful and has all of the picturesque hawaii mood. The hotel rooms look more romantic and picturesque and the facilities look cleaner. BUT we are concerned that it is far away from "anything" and there is no nightlife.
What does that actually mean?
I know its 45 minutes from Lahanaii but what about other towns?
Will we feel stuck on our resort?
Will we be unable to go for mini adventures or need to drive everywhere?
Do the near by hotels have music and drinks at night?
What does no nightlife mean? Does that mean by 9PM everything is closed?
My fiancee and I are on our honeymoon so we dont need crazy partying ( we will have other adult activities )BUT we dont want to feel like there is nothing to do in the evening or that it needs to be a full out drive.
WEST SIDE
Sheraton
Westin
Ritz (is it as far as people say?)
Hyatt
We hear that the hotels are walking distance from the town and constantly that this is a fun place to be and that all the hotels are walking distance from each other etc. But are the hotels still nice and are they too party like/ kid crowded? THe websites make the hotel rooms look pretty drab. Our the suites nicer than the average chain hotel room?
IDEALLY we want to wake up in a nice non-standardlooking hotel room be able to walk onto our balcony and look over the ocean. I want to be able to walk down to the resort and have breakfast in a clean space and be able to spend the morning/afternoon on the beach/pool wandering the area doing activities, maybe eating lunch in a nice walkable area. At night we want to have a nice dinner and be able to go out for drinks and maybe dancing.
We want to be close enough to things that we can go to our room between pool/food/drinks etc. I mean it is our honeymoon. However, we arent the type to like sitting at the pool all day long. So I guess we want a place that has nice/clean facility and room but is not too isolated that we would get bored. If people have comments to share it would be greatly appreciated. I apologize for the longggggg random post.
Things to keep in mind. We are both in our late 20's. We arent super concerned about the "best" or "top of the line" but are clean freaks. We get bored sitting still for too long and like activities or being near activities (granted activities can be super corney).
SOUTH SIDE
Four Seasons
Fairmont
Waldorf
I keep hearing that Wailai is beautiful and has all of the picturesque hawaii mood. The hotel rooms look more romantic and picturesque and the facilities look cleaner. BUT we are concerned that it is far away from "anything" and there is no nightlife.
What does that actually mean?
I know its 45 minutes from Lahanaii but what about other towns?
Will we feel stuck on our resort?
Will we be unable to go for mini adventures or need to drive everywhere?
Do the near by hotels have music and drinks at night?
What does no nightlife mean? Does that mean by 9PM everything is closed?
My fiancee and I are on our honeymoon so we dont need crazy partying ( we will have other adult activities )BUT we dont want to feel like there is nothing to do in the evening or that it needs to be a full out drive.
WEST SIDE
Sheraton
Westin
Ritz (is it as far as people say?)
Hyatt
We hear that the hotels are walking distance from the town and constantly that this is a fun place to be and that all the hotels are walking distance from each other etc. But are the hotels still nice and are they too party like/ kid crowded? THe websites make the hotel rooms look pretty drab. Our the suites nicer than the average chain hotel room?
The Ritz is isolated.
Kaanapali is very busy, very commercial but because of this lots to choose from.
Wailea is the most upscale. We prefer the Four Seasons over anything on Maui, 2nd would be the Fairmont Kea Lani. Everything doesn't close at 9, but there aren't a lot of drunks wandering about.
Plenty to do in Wailea and Kihei IMO and between the several properties {FS, Fairmont and Grand Wailea} and the Shops of Wailea has some high end shopping and restaurants. Not sure about dancing, but if you only want to go out dancing a night or 2 you could drive into Lahaina, you'll probably want to anyhow.
We had drinks and dinner most nights over looking the sunset at Spago and the lobby sushi bar at FS. They offer free snorkeling and an outrigger program you should check out.
To visit Haleakala or the Road to Hana it doesn't matter where you stay, you'll need a car to drive it either way.
Bottom line, you get what you pay for. It's less expensive in Kaanapali so it's more crowded, more kids, louder, etc. . . which is perfect for a lot of people. My BFF prefers it over Wailea. We prefer Wailea, still plenty of life, just not so crowded or commercial feeling. It's more romantic there.
Is the Waldorf the Grand Wailea?
Kaanapali is very busy, very commercial but because of this lots to choose from.
Wailea is the most upscale. We prefer the Four Seasons over anything on Maui, 2nd would be the Fairmont Kea Lani. Everything doesn't close at 9, but there aren't a lot of drunks wandering about.
Plenty to do in Wailea and Kihei IMO and between the several properties {FS, Fairmont and Grand Wailea} and the Shops of Wailea has some high end shopping and restaurants. Not sure about dancing, but if you only want to go out dancing a night or 2 you could drive into Lahaina, you'll probably want to anyhow.
We had drinks and dinner most nights over looking the sunset at Spago and the lobby sushi bar at FS. They offer free snorkeling and an outrigger program you should check out.
To visit Haleakala or the Road to Hana it doesn't matter where you stay, you'll need a car to drive it either way.
Bottom line, you get what you pay for. It's less expensive in Kaanapali so it's more crowded, more kids, louder, etc. . . which is perfect for a lot of people. My BFF prefers it over Wailea. We prefer Wailea, still plenty of life, just not so crowded or commercial feeling. It's more romantic there.
Is the Waldorf the Grand Wailea?
^^ Yes the Waldorf is the Grand Wailea.
The Grand Wailea is my favorite hotel I've ever stayed at. Wailea is more upscale and quieter than Kaanapali, but the Grand Wailea is probably the most active hotel on Wailea beach, so that might be ideal for you and your fiance. It's still upscale, clean, and romantic, but it has more to do than other hotels on the beach, so it's sort of like the best of both worlds. They have a great pool with a swim up bar, a water elevator, caves, waterfalls, water slides, and all that jazz, and then also a smaller, more isolated adult only pool if you want some quiet relaxing time. They also have a scuba pool where you can learn to scuba dive, and then they take you out into the ocean. There's two pool side bars/cafes, one of which has live music most nights if I remember correctly. The shops at Wailea are right next door. There are lots of dining and shopping choices there from local, to casual, to upscale. The spa there is world renowned and absoluetly AMAZING, if you'd be interested in that. You can walk to other hotels on the beach which have some good restaurants (like the four seasons, which is right next door). They have snorkels, kayaks, paddle boats, and the like available on the beach. They have a golf course if you or the fiance are into golf (I'm not, so I cannot comment personally, but my uncle was over the moon about it). There's tennis courts too I believe. So bottom line, there is always something to do there. You will never get bored.
The four seasons, on the other hand, is quieter and more intimate. It is mostly honeymoon couples there. The pools aren't quite as nice, and the activities aren't quite as abundant as at the Grand Wailea, so it sort of depends on what kind of atmosphere you want.
Most of the hotels on Kaanapali beach don't even compare to the ones on Wailea IMO (although I've never been to the Ritz or Hyatt, which are supposed to be the nicer ones). That being said, they are still very nice, particularly the Westin. However, they are a lot louder, more crowded, and cater more towards families and kids.
The Grand Wailea is my favorite hotel I've ever stayed at. Wailea is more upscale and quieter than Kaanapali, but the Grand Wailea is probably the most active hotel on Wailea beach, so that might be ideal for you and your fiance. It's still upscale, clean, and romantic, but it has more to do than other hotels on the beach, so it's sort of like the best of both worlds. They have a great pool with a swim up bar, a water elevator, caves, waterfalls, water slides, and all that jazz, and then also a smaller, more isolated adult only pool if you want some quiet relaxing time. They also have a scuba pool where you can learn to scuba dive, and then they take you out into the ocean. There's two pool side bars/cafes, one of which has live music most nights if I remember correctly. The shops at Wailea are right next door. There are lots of dining and shopping choices there from local, to casual, to upscale. The spa there is world renowned and absoluetly AMAZING, if you'd be interested in that. You can walk to other hotels on the beach which have some good restaurants (like the four seasons, which is right next door). They have snorkels, kayaks, paddle boats, and the like available on the beach. They have a golf course if you or the fiance are into golf (I'm not, so I cannot comment personally, but my uncle was over the moon about it). There's tennis courts too I believe. So bottom line, there is always something to do there. You will never get bored.
The four seasons, on the other hand, is quieter and more intimate. It is mostly honeymoon couples there. The pools aren't quite as nice, and the activities aren't quite as abundant as at the Grand Wailea, so it sort of depends on what kind of atmosphere you want.
Most of the hotels on Kaanapali beach don't even compare to the ones on Wailea IMO (although I've never been to the Ritz or Hyatt, which are supposed to be the nicer ones). That being said, they are still very nice, particularly the Westin. However, they are a lot louder, more crowded, and cater more towards families and kids.
When did you go to GW last?
We went last summer and it was a dive
Literally.
Wallpaper in the restrooms peeling off by the sheet, piles of soiled towels poolside, unworking electronics in guestroom, 2 days old room service plates piled outside doors, drunk men everywhere doing cannonballs, etc. . . never saw the water elevator in working order.
We were SHOCKED.
We didn't last 18 hours, we slept and ran back to Four Seasons next door.
The only good thing I can say about it is they have a good Luau.
We went last summer and it was a dive
Literally.
Wallpaper in the restrooms peeling off by the sheet, piles of soiled towels poolside, unworking electronics in guestroom, 2 days old room service plates piled outside doors, drunk men everywhere doing cannonballs, etc. . . never saw the water elevator in working order.
We were SHOCKED.
We didn't last 18 hours, we slept and ran back to Four Seasons next door.
The only good thing I can say about it is they have a good Luau.
Oh my! It's been almost two years since I've been there. It's been absoluetly amazing every time I've stayed there. I've never had one bad things to say about it. It's seriously one of my favorite places on this Earth LOL. We have friends staying there next month (off of our recommendation); I'm curious to see how their stay is now.