what to do when Help!!!

We are coming to Maui July 28th, and getting really excited. With a lot of help from you guys at TA, I have my trip planned...doing some sightseeing, but leaving pleanty of time for relaxing on the beach.

We are staying 4 nights in Kaanapali at the SHeraton, and then

nights at the Fairmont in Wailea. I am leaving the first day empty to relax at the hotel. Then I planned on driving up around the NW drive to Kapalua and as far as the blow hole, stopping to do snorkeling along the way...any suggestions on where to stop? After the blow hole, should i turn back, or continue around to Wailuku and back that why?

My real dilemna is whn to go to the Haleakala Summit. Should we go from Kaanapali, or wait til we are in Wailea? Or,should we do it the day we are driving from Kaanapali to Wailea? I am so confused!!!!!!

what to do when Help!!!

Oh, you are going to have SO much fun!

On your trip up and around the West Knob, definitely stop and snorkel at Honolua if the conditions allow. You can stop at the lookout between Slaughterhouse beach and Honolua bay to check conditions and water clarity. If there are surfers out, don%26#39;t bother. You should be able to clearly see the coral formations under the water from there. Be aware that Honolua bay doesn%26#39;t really have a beach so entry and exit can be tricky, but not as bad as you might think. The old boat ramp actually offers a nice platform to sit on while you put on your fins, then you just shove off and snorkel out to either the right or left hand sides of the bay. Don%26#39;t be too alarmed if it looks murky really close to shore, it will clear out in about 10 feet or so. The small ';beach'; off to the left side looks like a tempting entry point, but there are lots of large rocks between you and water that is deep enough to float in, and walking in or out with flippers on is an invitation to certain injury. The boat launch (if someone isn%26#39;t hogging it as sometimes happens) is your best bet. Or you can boulder pick your way to the right and go in from shore, but you%26#39;ll have to be careful of the rocks in the water until you get out to depth.

I would also continue past the blowhole. The scenery is fabulous, so long as the road doesn%26#39;t intimidate you. There are sections where you%26#39;ll swear it is really a bike track and not a real road at all. The ';Maui Revealed'; guide book (blue cover with a satellite photo of Maui) has a really good nearly turn-by-turn section on this trip. On your way through Wailuku you should then go up the I%26#39;o Valley to see the needle.

Be aware that the wind on the north side can be punishing as can be the surf. Judge the conditions for yourself. And the trails down to the blowhole and the olivine pools can be challenging if you%26#39;re not used to that sort of terrain. One time at the blowhole the wind was blowing so hard I felt like it was going to pluck me right off the cliff so I refused to go more than halfway down. Two days later, the wind was still blowing, but not as hard so I felt OK to go all the way down. The sights are well worth it. Bring water because it is a long thirsty hike back up from the shoreline.

Get an early start, because you%26#39;ll spend at least an hour or two at Honolua Bay, and then another hour at the blowhole, and who knows what else along the way. It makes a good day%26#39;s worth of quality and leisurely sightseeting, and you%26#39;ll be back to your room well before dinner. My husband and I did this in half a day with no stops for snorkeling or extended sightseeing at either the blowhole or the Olivine pools.

If doing Haleakala at sunrise isn%26#39;t a priority for you, I%26#39;d recommend driving up there on the day you%26#39;re transitioning from Kaanapali to Wailea. I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ve got something like an 11AM checkout time at one place and a 2PM check in time at the other, so going to Haleakala with all your stuff [acked in the car would be a great way to spend the time, and that way you don%26#39;t have to worry too much about leaving everything in the car like you would if you went to the beach in the intervening hours.

what to do when Help!!!

Thanks for your response. I hadnt thought about our belonging in the car! It probably wouldnt be a good idea to do the beaches between the 2 resorts with a trunkful of luggage!! It does make much more sense to do the summit that day.

I am soooo looking foward to this trip!!

If you%26#39;re planning to do the Haleakala Sunrise, go on your first full day on island. Coming form NY, you are 6 hrs ahead. That coupled with your excitment for being on Maui will probably have you up very early anyway. Kaanapali, early in the morning, will add less than an hour onto your drive verses Wailea.

I totally agree with Dengay, if you are planning on doing theHaleakala Sunrise , I%26#39;d go in the first day or so you%26#39;re there. It is spectacular, not to be missed, and since the time difference is so vast (NY vs HI) , I%26#39;d even do it on you%26#39;re first or seond night there so the time difference isn%26#39;t so drastic.

I%26#39;m on the west coast and we took a tour that picked us up at something like 2:00 am Hawaii time from the Kahana area. It was still difficult trying to adjust to the time, so early in the morning......but well worth the sunrise.

Thanks for your input, but Im not going to try to do the sunrise. Even with the time difference,its still too early for us. Especially since I usually have no trouble falling back asleep if its still dark!!! I really want to relax our first full day, so I wont be to wiped out to enjoy the rest of my time!!

Hey Rock-----I know you said you do not want to get up early and do the sunrise at Haleakala on the first day, and that you have no trouble sleeping in. Well, I don%26#39;t know if this is your first visit to Maui or not......but your body will be on NY time the first couple of days and trust me, you will wake up early! You might as well get up and start playing. You can relax later in the week.......

Just my opinion. The other posters are right on!

We snorkeled at kapalua bay on the way to the blowhole. Loved it. easy access, restrooms and great sea life. We also snorkeled Honoloa from a boat. I saw turtles at Kapalua and mom saw one at Honoloa. I liked Kapalua better as it wasn%26#39;t as cold and I didn%26#39;t have to work as hard to see the same stuff. We thought about doing the sunrise on the mountain but even with two kids we didn%26#39;t get up early enough and they were up by 3:30. We got in about 9 pm. the night before and just didn%26#39;t have the energy but maybe if we were sans kids. the drive is shorter from wailea. I wouldn%26#39;t go on the way unless you want to bring your luggage with you. I dont think it would save you that much more time than going from Wailea but my memory could be off. It%26#39;s only been a month but I%26#39;ve got a 7 month old so things tend to get forgotten. Maybe when you get there you will just find the right day to go. I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;ll save yourself more than 45 minutes so just go when you feel like it.

If you plan on having breakfast at the famed Gazebo restaurant in Napili, it%26#39;s much easier on the body to go your first morning or two while your internal clock is still on east coast time. The line starts eary there - 6:30 or so I think.

We%26#39;re always up at 4:00am the first couple of mornings, and we only have a 3 hour time difference being on the west coast.

Have a great trip!