Maui First Timers

SehlinBride

We are honeymooning in Maui and this will be the first time either one of us has been there! Any tips/advice on best attractions to see or do? We need a good luau suggestion??

OliveOilsMom

I have heard good things about the Old Lahaina Luau.  I haven't been myself, we went to a luau on a different island.  Other things to do would be to do the sunrise at Haleakala.  It will be close to freezing up there, so pack a pair of pants and a sweatshirt! 

Other things to do would be the Road to Hana.  A tip is to driver all the way around and not turn around once you get to Lindburg's grave.  The road around can be a bit bumpy, but it's better than driving back through the windy cliffs.  It is very easy for passengers to get car sick due to looking at all the views.

Take the drive around the West Maui mountains too.  Take a scuba or snorkeling adventure out to Molokai. 

JoanE2012

We're going next month and doing pretty much everything @OliveOilsMom mentioned.  We also heard that Old Lahaina Luau is one of the best and, as such, often sells out....so you may want to book in advance.  We booked our reservation a couple months ago.  

klk111415

Old Lahaina Luau is a must! Also Lahaina is a really nice town to walk around (they have really cool trees).  I've been to Haleakala we will be going there to do the sunrise bike ride.  You have to be up really early but totally worth it!  Road to Hana has some pretty amazing stop also.  They have a lot of excursion activities like horseback riding to waterfalls and all that kind of stuff which is nice.  The snorkeling is really great there also.  I've actually been using pinterest to find other things to do when we go for our honeymoon.  Lots of great ideas on there and don't be afraid to look at the 'off the beaten path' options.  Make sure to have the shave ice while you're there!

Miclan88

kkramss said:

 I've been to Haleakala we will be going there to do the sunrise bike ride. 

My parents did this before I was even born and STILL talk about how amazing it was! We went to the big island and oahu for our honeymoon. Not that we didn't have an incredible time, but haleakala is definitely something I wish we could have done!

daria24

We went to the Old Lahaina Luau. It is the most "authentic" luau you will see, so that means no fire knife dancing. If you want the more "daredevil" type stuff, they won't be doing it. But the performances are very beautiful. You have to book a few days in advance, a week or two if you want a really good seat.

We did sunset at Haleakala instead of sunrise, it's less crowded and warmer. We didn't get a chance to do it, but you can take a horse back ride across the Sliding Sands trail which I am dying to do. We only did about a mile of it on foot and it was my favorite place on Maui.

I agree about driving the whole way around in Hana and not turning back-the unsaved section is actually pretty easy to get through, there are paved parts that are worse. But it is sooooooo much less stressful than turning back. There's barely anyone going that way. If there's been heavy rains lately though and you are in a sedan I dont know that it would be a good idea. You will void your rental car warranty if something happens but personally, it was worth the risk.

Rent snorkeling equipment for a week-it's super cheap and just bring it with you to every beach, there is so much great snorkeling right off many of the west side beaches-the best is at the black rock in Kannapali.

Knottie46098568

You should definitely do the road to Hana depending how long you will be there for your honeymoon. Try to see the eucalyptus trees they are amazing! And if you want an amazing cheeseburger go to cheeseburger in paradise, it's located on front st I believe. Also for the best shaved ice you will ever eat go to ulalanis Hawaiian shaved ice also on front st. Black rocks and ironwoods beach are also amazing beaches. There is so much to do there! Have an amazing honeymoon

Knottie46098568

Also don't rent a jeep. All tourists do it and it looks tacky and it opened yourself up to have your car broken into. I have family that lives there that I stayed with and they taught me all the things to avoid. That was one of them lol.

JoanE2012

Knottie46098568 said:

Also don't rent a jeep. All tourists do it and it looks tacky and it opened yourself up to have your car broken into. I have family that lives there that I stayed with and they taught me all the things to avoid. That was one of them lol.

We're renting a convertible.  Life's too short to worry about what people will think....we're enjoying it to the fullest!  Will it give us away as tourists?  Probably.  Do I think it's tacky or care?  Not one bit.  We've never rented a convertible, and if there's any place to do, Hawaii is it.  

We plan on leaving the car unlocked/windows down in an attempt to avoid broken windows.  We will never leave anything behind of value in the car that we would be upset to part with.  

klk111415

I rented a Jeep when I was going to UNH on Oahu.  It was a blast and our vehicle was never broken into.  If you get a chance to ride mopeds that's an awesome way to get around.  I had so much fun just zipping around on a moped.  We are hoping to do that on either the big island or Maui.

glitch104

If you are into great seafood Mamas Fishhouse is amazing! How long will you be on your honeymoon? When I went to Maui I was there for 10 days and that was a bit long bc we ran out things to do lol. We should have island hopped. I've been to the big island I wasn't as impressed, Maui by far is my fav place to vacay.

hugsy76103

Can I ask where you are staying or what the best placeto stay is? I'm considering Maui for honeymoon and it would be our first time in Hawaii

SehlinBride

We stayed for 5 days which we felt was not long enough!! We also rented a jeep which we will do again! We loved where we stayed The Royal Kahana and we will be staying there again!! Definitely want to island hope when we go back and we will be staying 7-10 days!! My husband does not do hot weather but he absolutely loved Maui!!! We went snorkeling in Molokini and that is what sold him!! We both agreed that we could have done that everyday!!!

glitch104

SehlinBride said:

We stayed for 5 days which we felt was not long enough!! We also rented a jeep which we will do again! We loved where we stayed The Royal Kahana and we will be staying there again!! Definitely want to island hope when we go back and we will be staying 7-10 days!! My husband does not do hot weather but he absolutely loved Maui!!! We went snorkeling in Molokini and that is what sold him!! We both agreed that we could have done that everyday!!!

When I went to Maui with my ex we went snorkling 3x thats how much we loved it. 2x in Molokini and 1x elsewhere. Its one of my favorite things ever to do.

klk111415

@misspinxie18 The last time I was in Maui, I stayed at the Sheraton Maui.  I absolutely loved it and they had cliff diving in the evening at sunset.  The beach was amazing and had great snorkeling, and the pool was a lot of fun.  We are considering there and might stay for a night or two at the Royal Lahaina Resort where the luau is.  Still deciding though and haven't been to the Royal Lahaina.

E71126

We honeymooned in Maui for 7 days and stayed at the Four Seasons in Wailea.

We did the Haleakala sunrise and rode bicycles down the volcano. That was definitely a highlight of the trip!

We snorkeled and scuba dived off of Wailea beach and Molokini.

Road to Hana was long and tiring but we were glad we did it.

Old Lahaina Luau

Restaurants:

DUO at the Four Seasons

Ululani's Shaved Ice

Mama's Fish House

Coconuts Fish Café (Best fish tacos I have ever had)

Koiso Sushi Bar (must make reservations in advance)