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Lahaina

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Click for Lahaina, Hawaii Forecast

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.

Kannapali

Wailea

Click for Wailea, Hawaii Forecast

During the day in Wailea there are not a lot of options besides the beach activities that Maui is famous for.  You can visit the Wailea Shops where you can peruse the high end shops and watch for celebrities.  They also have a great little deli that always has a line at lunch and some tasty pineapple topped burgers at the restaurant.

The number of high quality golf courses here will astound even the pro golfers.

Some of the best things to do in Wailea is to hang out at the Hotels.  Their lobbies are open to the public and they have plenty of great restaurants with great lunch deals if you are local and can show a Hawaiian driver’s license.

At night there are parties at most of the big hotels and everyone is invited.  You can be guaranteed that the prices for drinks will be much higher then anywhere else on the island and there will probably be some cover charges.

If you want a great overall experience then stay at a little Bed and Breakfast place called the Pineapple Inn.  This little inn is located in a beautiful Wailea neighborhood and has only a 4 guest suites and a cute two bedroom cottage.  They will make you feel right at home and give you all the scoops on what to do, when and where to do it.  The beauty of this place is that the backyard pool, hot tub, grill, lounges and everything you would dream should be in a backyard in Maui.   The views from the hottub, the privacy and incredible setting for the pool beats any other hotel hands down.  If you are traveling with a family then the two bedroom cottage is perfect for you to rest and relax.

There are some restaurants, golf courses and a mall to visit during the day but nothing really happening otherwise unless you are staying or doing activities through one of the major hotels. This is a high end area so be prepared for that. The best thing to do is Wailea is to hang out in the mall and spot celebrities. Be prepared to be disappointed, they don’t look like they do on TV, in the movies or on the concert stage.

Kihei

Sunrises and Sunsets

If you want any sort of sky watching activity.  If that star gazing, sun or moon rising, the best place is definitely at the summit of Haleakala.  The views from up there with the scenery and the whole mystic power of the place definitely puts you into a trance that you will not forget.

The sunrise comes up from beyond the crater and you are transported into another world.   The view and the experience can not be fully explained and the photos do not do it justice.   It’s an experience that you may grumble a bit about because of the time it takes to get up the mountain and the hour at which you need to get up to do it.  The grumbling and pain of that will be long forgotten while the vision will stay clear in your memories for a lifetime.

The sunset from up on the mountain is pretty speculator too.  You can see from below that the sun sets a bit later up on the mountain then down at the beach in Kihei.  If I am going to enjoy a sunset at the beach, then being in Kihei is the place year around.  Otherwise, my choice is definitely up on the mountain where I can see the transition to night happening far below in the towns of Kahului, Wailuku and Kihei.

Check out this sunrise / sunset tool.