1st time to Maui....what are the ';must do's'; in sightseeing

hello...i will be spending 1 week at the marriott maui ocean club with my husband and 1.5 yr old son. this will be our first trip to hawaii. what are some of the ';must do'; sights to see. what restaurants would you recommend...we are not looking for super fancy but just good food and nice atmosphere would be nice too.

any info would be much appreciated.

thanks

mina

1st time to Maui....what are the ';must do's'; in sightseeing

We just got back from Maui and enjoyed our trip tremendously. Pacific%26#39;O is definetely a great meal and awesome scenery. Depends on what type of food you want, your bill can run from $60 to $120 depending on what type of food you want, my husband and I both got the special that nite with dessert and lots of maitais so our bill was around $120. We also tried Aloha Plate, a bit further down down from Front Street, this is next to the Old Lahaina Luau, great great food if youre into Hawaiian and Asian Food plus they have the best Maitai for $3 bucks, cant beat that. We did snorkle but was disappointed on our boat trip, most people that we talked to told us to simply go to Wailea or further south and just do your own snorkling instead of paying for a snorkling trip. A trip to IAO Valley was pretty nice, we thought its going to be this huge valley but you can practically do a 25 minute tour, try to be there around 8 am to beat the tourist buses for great picture ops. I%26#39;d skip the Bailey Museum, Lahaina town was awesome, we went up and down the street a few times, we never got the chance to do the Crater tour simply because you have to get up at 230 am, maybe on our next trip, I have to be mentally prepared for that one...ahahaha. Drive the road to Hana, you, your husband and your baby will love it, goodluck and have a safe trip!

1st time to Maui....what are the ';must do's'; in sightseeing

Definetly do the road to Hana. But be sure to get out %26amp; hike to see the most coolest places. Especially at the end at 7 pools, go up the mountain through the bamboo forest. Some of the most beatiful spots are up there. Also go walking around the left side of black sand beach (theres a trail there %26amp; its spectacular!!) If you have a 1.5 year old maybe you%26#39;ll need a baby backpack. But SOOOOO worth the trip! Also another thing is to ride mountain bikes down the volcano, of course with a baby it maybe out. But its so awesome!! Have a great trip!!, but get out %26amp; explore the island!!!

Me to have a baby that 2 year old..does anyone has any other comemndation thatn the Hana trip? is there a map or address to hana? is ther link to this hikes? thanks

-kevin

Warning- Road to Hana is not for all, especially those who get car sick and with a 1.5 year old, being in the car all day may not be the most enjoyable thing. My sister went last week with her kids, 10, 8 and 4 and the 8 year old vomited 3 times and the 4 year old vomited twice! She said it was the road from He!!! but at the end they did feel it was worth it and the kids were proud. Dealing with vomit 5 times is not my idea of being on vacation but to each his own. Other alternatives are Iao Valley which is toddler friendly. Maui Ocean Center, Tropical Plantation, strolling Lahaina and hanging out at the beach is good for that age. There%26#39;s also parrots, swans and penguins at the Hyatt near the Marriot that your toddler would enjoy. My girlfriend has a Maui Marriot timeshare and they have a great pool area for kids, he%26#39;ll have fun just playing on the pirate ship! aloha!

Get Frommers Maui Day by Day- 17 smart tours- GREAT little book with maps and various tour ideas- with kids, historical tour, farmland tours... and check Mauiinfosource.com- good site!

We own at the Maui Ocean club and you couldn%26#39;t have picked a better place with a child. The pirate ship area will thrill your son! My kids (ages 4 and 6) spend all day on that thing! Get down there early for a good lounge chair to sit and watch him play in the 6 inch water with some sand toys - you%26#39;ll be two feet from him max. Definitely take in the sunset from Nalu sushi bar (on site) - they were so great with my picky kids and let them take a few things from the happy hour buffet at no charge - husband and I enjoyed Lava Flows and sushi. The Maui Ocean aquarium, I%26#39;ve never been but heard it%26#39;s great. Go to Lahaina for dinner, Lahaina Fish Co. or Kimo%26#39;s with a seat on the water is great. You probably won%26#39;t be able to do the Haleakala bike ride this time but the drive up to the crater is worth it to view the sunrise, it%26#39;s a long drive but better than Hana. Also, a great beach is in Napili, no waves, family friendly, a little hard to park, great sand castle building. Most of all, relax and enjoy Maui, take in every sunset cuz it doesn%26#39;t get any better!

We have been taking my now 6 yr old son to Maui since he was two. Here are the things he liked and the things he hated:

Liked:

activities

1. Marriot Luau - I think this doesn%26#39;t exist now but the Hyatt has a similar version with firedancers

2. Maui Ocean Center

3. Iao Valley

4. reefdancer glass bottom boat

5. sugar cane train

restuarants

1. cheeseburger in paradise

2. bubba gump shrimp

3. kimo%26#39;s

4. lahaina fish co

Hated:

1. Road to Hana way to long for a child this age

2. sunset cruise on a catamarran - very choppy scared him

3. old lahaina luau - i know this is the best luau on maui but not for a small child

There are a lot of great restaurants that i would recommend for adults but you should get a baby sitter for your child, they are:

1. Pacific%26#39;o

2. Sansei

3. Banyan tree in the ritz.

Goldbergd,

Thanks for your post. We will be arriving in Maui (staying at the Westin Maui Resort) with our 4 year old son in 2 weeks. We are actually planning to do some of the activities your son liked:

Maui Ocean Center

Iao Valley

Luau at the Hyatt - We were originally planning to do the Royal Lahaina Luau but I called the Westin on two occasions requesting information about Luaus and both times the person (different people) recommended the Hyatt Luau over the Royal Lahaina Luau. I was considering the Royal Lahaina because I had read that it was very kid friendly.

I had decided against the Sugar Cane Train because I read so many negative reviews. I have also decided not to do the Road to Hana.

The restaurants you listed are also on my list. Did you go the Hula Grill?

We are also planning to do a snorkel cruise on Trilogy.

Thanks again! Your post was helpful to me.

I also am going to Maui and trying to find a FUN luau for us and kids 8-10.

Buster,

Yes, Hula Grill is great for kids. Sit outside and you can watch the beach and walkway as you eat. It should keep a four yr old entertained. The Westin is great for a four yr old, many different pools and animals (ducks, swans, parrots). My son loves going there and to the Hyatt and just watching all of the animals. The Hyatt has penguins and a restuarant called swan court.

Spend some time in Whalers Village its nice and there is actually a mcdonalds there if you are in a pinch and need to get food your child wants to eat.

You can also stroll down the boardwalk to the Sheraton to see black rock. Go at sunset so you can see the cliff divers (they actually have a sunset luau twice a week here for another option).

Depending on how adventurous your child is at four you may also want to try the atlantis subamarine.

blush