SuZan Klassen

You’ve taken 5 trips to Hawaii?

No. Not me. A couple I know. They have traveled to the island of Maui every February for the past 5 years. Maui is the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands.

Savvy savers, this husband and wife earn travel points with an airline and stay at a time-share vacation rental where they cook the majority of their meals in the condo’s kitchen.

Look for the husband’s travel suggestions contained within the narrative below. Also, see the list of links provided at the end of his story.

____________________

We prefer to go in February to get away from the dreariness of the winter weather in the Seattle area where we live. We utilize our membership in Worldmark by Wyndham.

Each time we’ve gone, we’ve stayed in Kihei, which is on the southern part of Maui. Our condo is right across the street from Kamaole 1 beach. For me personally, this nice sandy beach is one of the finest of all I’ve seen on the island. It’s about a quarter mile long and slopes off gradually into the water so that even children can go out with their boogie boards and try to surf.

Two more beaches, Kamaole 2 and 3, just a short distance to the south, are also nice. Farther to the south along the coast are some upscale hotels and condos for those whose tastes are a little more sophisticated. An upscale shopping center, Shops at Wailea is fun to walk through even if the prices cause you to pause.

One of my favorite things to do in this portion of the island is to stroll along a picturesque walkway between the condos and the beach. All beaches on Maui are public so you can enjoy the scenery while walking or while seated on beach chairs provided by the condos.

Lahaina, the oldest settlement, is on the north side of the island. You’ll find many unique shops, art galleries, and restaurants at this historic old town where the cruise ships land.

Excursions from the harbor include fishing boats and whale watching cruises. Take your pick of large and small vessels—sailboats as well as motorized. Some whale watching cruises include dinner onboard. We were blessed to see lots of whale activity both from our condo balcony and on a dinner cruise we took with friends.

North of Lahaina, long stretches of upscale high-rise condos offer additional amenities along the coastline.
Word of warning: the beach slopes off quite radically along this section of the coast.
It is recommended only for experienced surfers.
It is not recommended for children.

If you don’t suffer from a tendency toward carsickness, the infamous Road to Hana at the east tip of Maui is another popular tourist activity. Many souvenir T-shirts read: “I survived the Road to Hana.”

The Road to Hana has hundreds of tight curves (make that hairpin turns). It winds past waterfalls and over many narrow one-lane bridges to the little town of Hana. Once is enough, although being gluttons for punishment, my wife and I have done it twice. However, not this time, I know my limits.

Many people drive the road, but I recommend a small 10 or 12 passenger tour bus so you can sit back and enjoy the scenery with its lush and varied forests. If you go a few miles past Hana you can see the grave of Charles Lindberg beside a small church.

The best place to watch the serious surfers is a few miles outside the airport city of Kahului. Bring a picnic lunch and watch those brazen enough to venture out into the big waves.

Several locations around the island have ABC stores. These general stores contain food, clothing, trinkets, etc. at fairly reasonable prices. The busy one beside our condo came in handy for coffee, a straw hat to protect our friend’s balding head and some wonderful macadamia chocolates.

_____________________

Thank you for those ideas. Now I want some of those chocolates. Perhaps you have a craving as well. Tell me which activity or tour sounds most enjoyable to you. Leave a reply in the comment box following the travel links and be sure to follow this blog so you don’t miss out.

Travel Links for Your Planning or Enjoyment:
For Basic Information about Hawaii visit:
http://www.gohawaii.com/statewide/discover/

Kihei, Maui
http://www.gohawaii.com/maui/regions-neighborhoods/south-maui/kihei/

Maui Guidebook, link to Kamaole beaches
http://mauiguidebook.com/beaches/kamaole-beach-park-aka-kam-kam-ii-kam-iii/

Lahaina – the Lahaina Town video provides a view of the coastline and harbor accompanied by toe-tapping music. Or click through the 5 opening pages and read the list of 36 things that will kill you in Hawaii. The website suggests: It just might save your life. http://lahainatown.com

Shops at Wailea
http://www.theshopsatwailea.com
Even National Geographic has a gallery of fine art photography
http://www.theshopsatwailea.com/national-geographic-fine-art-galleries

Road to Hana – it takes approximately 2.5 hours to drive if you don’t make any stops.
Here’s a list of a few of the sights along the way: http://roadtohana.com/sights.php
5 Tips for a More Enjoyable Trip: http://www.aloha-hawaii.com/maui/road-to-hana/

Charles Lindberg’s gravesite
http://roadtohana.com/palapala-hoomau-church.php

Kahului Airport
http://hawaii.gov/ogg
Information for Surfers: Check the Kahului Harbor surf report, swells and winds before you surf
http://www.surfline.com/surf-report/kahului-harbor-maui_10816/

Big Wave Surfing – best places to watch
http://www.gohawaii.com/statewide/guidebook/watch-big-wave-surfing/
http://www.gohawaii.com/maui/guidebook/topics/watch-big-wave-surfing-on-maui/
http://www.travelandleisure.com/local-experts/maui/where-watch-big-wave-surfing-maui

ABC Stores – you can request a catalog on their website or use the store locator option on their drop down menu to plan your Hawaiian vacation https://www.abcstores.com

Disclaimer: Information links are provided on this blog post for your personal research before you travel. They are not intended as an advertisement or recommendation for vacation clubs or any other tourist organizations in Hawaii or elsewhere.

Until next time…Travel Light,
SuZan
© 2017 SuZan Klassen