The Best of Maui
October 26, 2009 By: Maureen JonesMaureen Jones of All Horizons Travel in Los Altos, California, gives her picks for the top hotels, condos, dining and golfing on Maui.
I have been to islands over 100 times and many times to Maui. I have just returned and thought it might be of interest to colleagues to get my recommendations.
I prefer the north end of the island, west Maui. It is more green and lush, with gorgeous flowers and it's not as hot and humid. It's about 50 minutes from the airport to the Napili area. There are lots of great properties on the island but the three I am recommending are all next to one another and I have stayed there many times. They are all in a perfect spot for whale watching, December to April, which is the time the whales give birth in the channel between Maui, Lanai and Molakai.
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Lobby of The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua |
Best Five-Star Hotel – The Ritz Carlton Kapalua: Gorgeous location, great grounds and the ultimate in what you expect from an outstanding luxury hotel. The best location for a wedding is at The Ritz-Carlton. You have the choice of the beach, on the cliffs, in lovely gardens, or in a little chapel. They do a fantastic job of catering a reception whether it be for two or a hundred and two. We went to a wedding ceremony on the beach, then to the reception at the golf club. It was fun to see everyone wearing shorts, or a mumu, and of course, a flower lei and bare feet.
Best Luxury Condo – Kapalua Villas: These have a high standard of elegance in furnishings. They also have six absolutely gorgeous luxury homes for rent; seven nights for $35,000. They sleep eight, and have a pool. They can also come with a chef if needed. These are like something out of Architectural Digest magazine, all in a gated community.
Best Value - Napili Kai Beach Resort: One-, two- and three-bedroom units with kitchens. No resort fees, no parking fees, or a daily fee for a beach chair. Best of all, it has the safest and most gorgeous beach in all the Hawaiian islands. Snorkel equipment is also free. It has lovely grounds, buildings are one and two stories high, with a nine-hole putting green.
Food is not inexpensive on Maui, since 85 percent of it has to be shipped in. We usually go to the Napili supermarket and buy items for breakfast and lunch, and go out to dinner. Three great restaurants close by are Sans Sei, a Japanese restaurant which gives 25 percent discount if you make a reservation and dine early; Merrimans; and Sea House at Napili Kai Resort. The restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton is also excellent and the one at the Golf Clubs is also good. You should make a reservation no matter which one you go to.
I recommend you make a reservation for dinner on the patio at Sea House, then go to the Slate Key Guitar Concert, which is held every Wednesday at 7.30 p.m. on their grounds. They bring in guitar experts from all over the islands and it's a wonderful show.
Helpful Hints: Tell your clients to be prepared to pay for every suitcase on United Airlines. One family of five just had to pay $600 roundtrip, and were charged $156 for one case because it was overweight. Look carefully at where you book clients. You can pay $26 a day for resort fee, and $35 a day for a chair on the beach. We no longer take our golf clubs when we go. Of the 14 courses, the two best are at The Ritz-Carlton; both the Bay Course and the Plantation Course are outstanding. This is where the PGA and the Mercedes Championships are held. Call ahead of time to 808-665-0800 and rent your clubs; it's $20 a day for the best equipment. They deliver them to the hotel the morning you want to play, and then pick them up. We take only our shoes.
If your clients want to try ziplining from the Adventure Center at The Ritz-Carlton, you must book them weeks ahead of time because it's impossible to get a reservation otherwise. A great tour is the Maui Gold Pineapple. You learn a lot about the early history of the island and at the end of the tour you get to pick three pineapples which you can put in a box to bring home, free.
Go into Lahaina, the little town 20 minutes away which is full of history. At the height of the whaling era, 1840-1865, as many as 500 ships would be anchored in the port. Visit the Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum; the Whalers Village Whaling Museum is also worth seeing. Take the ferry over to the island of Lanai, which has two great golf courses. There are lots of tours to take to see other parts of the island but once you are staying in West Maui, you will be so content you will not want to move. Kaanapali Beach tends to be very commercial and crowded with all the different resorts, shops and restaurants.
First-time visitors should go to a luau – a Hawaiian feast with a concert. Most of the hotels have one. Enjoy a Mai Tai while you watch the wonderful dancing and music of the Islands.
