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Lahaina

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Day or Night there is always something happening in and around Lahaina.  The front street is a bustling place of action.  During the day most of the museums, art galleries, shops, cafes and restaurants are open early.

You can enjoy your day under the banyan tree in the center of town where there is plenty of people watching to be had.  Each day there is something different going on from markets, to events, to presentations, tournament related events and even festivals.

Throughout Lahaina there are plenty of cafes and bars that are open late.  There is something for everyone in your group, from country to hip-hop dance.  Check out the hotel concierge often to see what’s going hot on what days.  There is no club that is going off every night so plan your days and check out things ahead of time to be sure you have a great night out.  Since most people are on vacation, waiting to the weekend to have a great time is not always necessary like in the cities.  Every day can be a party night in Lahaina.

This is the historic capital of the Hawaiian Islands so it has a lot more history. The old buildings, canal setup and unique architecture is a wonderful place to hang out for a day. This is much more of a tourist town then Kihei. There are little museums, galleries and many shops, cafes and restaurants.

The large banyan tree in the centre of town at the waterfront is a great meeting place and a perfect place to do some people watching.

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Paia

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I enjoy Paia and spent a lot of time in this little town.  I think it’s the best town, next to Lahaina,  for getting some good food and walking around in Maui.  There are lots of little shops, cafes and restaurants to check out.   During the day everything is open but by 7pm on most nights stores are closed.  The timing changes throughout the year so bet to head there a bit earlier.  It’s a great place to do a bit of shopping and then catch a bite to eat.

In the evenings the Moana cafe has something going on.  Along with their great food and beautiful presentations, they have Open Mic nights and live bands.  Check out their Facebook page to find out what new thing is going on that week.

My favorite pizza place on Maui, and possibly in the world is the Flatbread Pizza Company right on the Hana Highway.  It’s pomegranate mohitos are a local favorite.   They have many locations throughout the USA but they are not some big chain restaurant.  The use of local organic ingredients and the ever changing menu of fun pizza topping is what keeps me coming back each week.   I was introduced to the hamburger pizza here which has everything I love on a cheeseburger.  Yummy!

There are lots of little and big cafes, hole in the wall mexican or the fish stand at the main corner.  Get some Gelato ice cream too.

Now during the nights there are two places which have bands, music, dancing and late night menus.  Jaques and Charleys are right beside each other on the Hana Highway at the edge of town as you are heading out towards Hana.  Check ahead to see who’s playing and what the schedules are.   One is an open air fun, sushi club and the other is a down home country bar.  Both are a lot of fun on the right nights.

Besides eating and drinking, you can shop at the local grocery store.  They have decent prices and Mana Foods is a great place to grab things for a pinic lunch.  It’s a full service grocery and on most days have taste testings.  They encourage you to try out some of the tropic fruits before you buy so you really can tell the quality of the goods they get.

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Wailuku

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Wailuku is the capital of the county of Maui.  It has all the government offices, it’s the administration center for Maui county.   Wailuku has a long history and it can be seen at the Bailey House Museum during the day.  That building is also home to the Maui Historical Society.  You can learn all about Maui’s past and future here in Wailuku.

Up above Wailuku is a number of great parks to visit during the day.  The Cultural Heritage park that shows different building styles of the cultures that call Maui their home.  The Portuguese, New Englanders, Philippinos, Hawaiian, Japanese and Chinese all have a demonstration building that their community upkeeps.

Further up the valley is Iao State Park and the Iao Needle.  This park deserves a few hours to explore especially if you head upstream for a swim in the pools.  On most days you can watch some of the local kids jump off the bridge into a small pool, a fall of about 20 feet or so.

At night Market Street and the surrounding area has the concentration of restaurants, cafes and bars.  Market street is lined with little cafes and shops but it’s definitely not a touristy place.   The best spot to listen to new local talent is Marc Aurel cafe.  They have open mic nights and also some live music playing on the weekend.  Their menu is tasty and innovative.

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Kihei

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Hana

Going out to Hana to do things is the opposite to what you should be planning.  You should plan to do nothing when you go to Hana and just fill in some time checking out some of the local attractions.

During the Day

Hana Cultural Center and Museum

Red Sand Beach

Hana Bay

Oheo Gulch

Waianapanapa State Park

Hamoa Beach

At Night

There is not too much happening after sundown in Hana.  This is a sleepy little Hawaiian village as remote as you can get on Maui.  There is some live music at the Hana Ranch restaurant or at the Hana Hotel on most nights.  Other than those two places, unless you know some locals who are throwing a party, that’s about it.

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Parks and Playgrounds

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There is no doubt that a good park where children have a playground is alway a must while on vacation.  Children have their needs too when they are looking to get away and relax.  This playground, located in Kihei along the beach has not only a playground but a skatepark, an outdoor rollerskating rink, beach volleyball courts, tennis and basketball courts.  They also have lots of pinic areas spread throughout the park.

Our favorite thing to do in Kihei, is to hit the park and have a picnic.  There are plenty of great cafes and shops to pick up a great basket of good food.  Morning, noon or sunset, there is no bad time to hang out in this park.

The state of the parks and playgrounds in Maui is pretty good.  They are located in every little community or town.  Haiku has a big one, located near Giggle hill.  Kahului has several spread throughout the city.   Since there are no big amusement parks or other parks similar to that in Maui these parks are in pretty good condition and relatively new.  They are normally packed with children who are getting their yayas out.

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Makawao

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Located up on the mountain at 1600′ above sea level.  Makawao is an old cowboy town or what we here in Hawaii like to call Paniolos.   These cowboys of spanish descent came to Makawao to hunt the wild cattle that was brought and let loose on Maui in 1793.  The Paniolos of Spanish / Mexican heritage then began to setup ranches high up on the slopes of Haleakala.  Much of that land is still being grazed today.  You can see a lot of it as you travel up through Upcountry Maui on your way to the summit of Haleakala.

In town Makawao has many little galleries, stores, cafes and restaurants.  They are packed into an area about 1/2 sq mile so it’s easy to wander through all of them within a couple hours.   During the day many of the art galleries and jewelry shops are open.  In the evening the two restaurants at the crossroads of town and a local pub just up the street are open late.  It is definitely much more of a sleepier town then Paia which is 15 minutes down the mountain to the Northeast.

Some of the things to do in Makawao include hitting Cassanovas in the evening for some dancing and drinking.  Playing some sports at the ball park, as pickup soccer is played Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  Stopping in a Polly’s mexican for a drink and a burrito is always a nice way to end the day.  The sports bar always has something going on with some live rock music on most weekend nights.

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