Restaurants and activities in Maui

aylee · July 2010

Hi! We're going to Maui for our honeymoon. I wanted to ask if you can recommend restaurants in and around Kaanapali and Lahaina. And also if you have any recommendations for activities or places to see anywhere in the island. TIA!

mauidandy · July 2010

There is so much to do and so many places to eat in Maui!! Here's what we did on our wedding/honeymoon. I have a really awesome Maui restaurant guide that I could email you, it's a PDF and it's huge! Just PM me if you want it. I printed it out at work because it's over 200 pages long, haha.

Here are my suggestions. I didn't add anything that I wouldn't recommend doing or places I wouldn't recommend eating at! You will have a blast!

Restaurants:

Kaanapali Beach area:
Leilani's on the Beach is a must! The food is great!
Hula Grill is pretty cool. We went at night and there was a hula dancer and you sit at a table in the sand (Barefoot bar area)
Duke's is kind of hidden, but it's very Hawaiian and the food is amazing. Cool t-shirts for a souvenir!

Front Street (main shopping street near the resorts):
Kimo's is romantic, great views off the deck and good prices/drinks!
Longhi's is a bit pricey but has good food and a neat atmosphere.
Old Fish Co. has the best fish and chips I have ever eaten! Great view.
Bubba Gumps is kinda touristy, but fun and great views. Food/drinks are great.
Cilantro is in a strip mall near front street, cheap and delicious Mexican food.
Lahaina Pizza Co. has amazing views at sunset, cheap and delicious pizza.
I'O is soooo romantic and it's a bit pricey but so worth it. The view is magical at sunset.

Near the airport:
Mama's Fish House was so expensive but SO GOOD!!!!!!!

Activities-
Parasailing with UFO off Kaanapali Beach was so much fun! Not scary at all.
Snorkeling at Black Rock by the Sheraton is great. Buy snorkeling gear at Costco!
Old Lahaina Luau was kinda overpriced, but I'm still glad we went. It was cool.
Snorkeling at Molokini with Four Winds II company was amazing!
Ziplining was ok...I had never been, and it wasn't scary. Not as fun as I thought though.
South Maui sightseeing, visit the different hotels and Makena Cove!
Road to Hana is a MUST! Take a whole day and do it, you won't regret it. Pick up a copy of "Maui Revealed" at a bookstore before you go to Maui. It has tons of great tips and suggests places to stop along the way to Hana.

kaesha · July 2010

Go Kayaking with Maui Eco Tours - they snorkel with you during the stops and teach you about the eco system and the sea life. They're AMAZING.

Snorkel at Honolua Bay & Kapalua. The latter has a natural breakwater so its great for newbies.

Try the beers at the Maui Brewing Company. Their food is so-so, but the local beer is awesome.

Eat at Roy's! View sucks but the food is killer. Also, Sansei is great for sushi, and it's half priced after 9 pm.

If you go to the North side of Black Rock (Kehakili Beach), you'll find that the beach is way less crowded. It's a great place to go paddle boarding or jump in the waves.

aylee · July 2010

Thank you mauidandy and kaesha!

Mauidandy... yes please, I would love for you to email me your restaurant guide. My email is is aylee@gnyc.net. Thank you so much!

cherrymoo · July 2010

Huge splurge, but every bite gets more worth it: Hali'l Maile General Store. Unfortunately, it's close to nothing.

Sunrise at Haleakala. Yes, it requires getting up at 3, but it's just about as impressive and peaceful as it gets. I've heard sunset is just as nice, without the pain of getting up. Maybe someone here can comment.

Road to Hana -- Personally, I feel this is totally overrated, especially if you're in a dinky rental car that doesn't handle very well. If you decide to do this, I highly recommend having a purpose for the drive -- eg, staying there for the night, eating at a particular restaurant, or taking a hike. We took an incredible hike just past Hana which made the whole drive worth it (if you want more details, message me). Otherwise, if you're just doing the drive, I don't think the pain to beauty payoff is worth it.

There was a place in Lahaina -- Kahuna Kabob's or something next to a giant banyan tree -- it has since closed, I think. Does anyone know where they ended up? It was like psuedo-gourmet food in a takeout box. *loved it*

ETA -- I'd love a copy of the restaurant guide, too! Sent you my email via PM...thanks!

carrieoz_76 · July 2010

You should for sure buy the Maui Revealed travel guide by Wizard Publications. We ate, snorkeled, explored and sunbathed at places recommended in the book when we went last time, and they never once led us astray.

aylee · July 2010

Thank you cherry and carrie

carrieoz_76 · July 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_hawaii_restaurants-activities-maui?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:73Discussion:214af829-7c96-4492-8f9d-5a4c1e9ad5fbPost:afb25a8f-1a89-4ab0-9429-919fbcd25faa">Re: Restaurants and activities in Maui</a>:
[QUOTE]Road to Hana -- Personally, I feel this is totally overrated, especially if you're in a dinky rental car that doesn't handle very well. If you decide to do this, I highly recommend having a purpose for the drive -- eg, staying there for the night, eating at a particular restaurant, or taking a hike. Posted by cherrymoo[/QUOTE]
I can see why the Road to Hana is definitely a YMMV situation, but the day we we went was probably our *favorite* complete day on Maui. We had a regular rental - no 4x4 or anything - and did fine. We're used to hilly/curvy driving, though, so it didn't bother us much.

The trick, which we learned from Maui Revealed, is that the road isn't about getting to Hana - it's about all the stuff you see, do, and eat along the way. So make sure to get up early (we were on the road past Kahului by 8), and stop anyplace that looks interesting to you. The book has great recommendations and directions for where to stop. We walked in lava caves, swam in freshwater pools, walked on the black sand beach, swam under a waterfall, ate warm homemade banana bread and pork tacos and just generally had an amazing day. This area is what I imagine Hawaii was like before it got all developed, and it's a great break from all the tourist stuff you'll do elsewhere.

jackcody · July 2010

I have the food guide on the planning website.

Also, the road to Hana, pick up an audio guide at the Shell station on Dairy Road (in Kahului) it will provide directions, and if there isn't too much traffic is perfectly paced to show you the sites and history of what you're passing while you drive. Also, it recommends many many stops for pictures, etc.

aylee · July 2010

Thank you jackcody!

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