These comments are based on 3 visits to the islands over 10 years. The last visit was 3 weeks in February 1998, staying on 5 of the 6 main islands. We have stayed on all 6 of the main islands since 1995. Every island and every visit is a unique experience. We can recommend Hawaii without hesitation.
Good Guidebooks: Fodor's, Frommer's, & Hidden Hawaii. Use the latest editions for hotels and restaurants. Also the AAA Tour Book and map. Use at least 2 books for a variety of choices. Always pick up the little free vacation booklets at the airports and some hotels for useful local maps, hula show times and locations, and meal discount coupons.
Best Time to Go: In and around February if humpback whale watching is important to you. Otherwise any time. We make all our own reservations by 800 phone calls or by fax. We have found it needlessly stressful and time consuming to arrive somewhere without a place to stay. Better to have reservations with flexibility.
Best Length of Stay: 3 weeks. More if you can. You won't want to leave.
Good Things to Bring: Travel binoculars and a small camera, if you have them. Money and a sense of adventure help as well. Depending on your plans you may need some warm clothes for high altitude weather.
Transportation Between The Islands: Hawaiian Air was the better airline on our last visit, but Aloha Air has also been okay. Hawaiian Air had a good coupon price deal, good jet service, and good connections. The one way price between any 2 islands is about $50-$70, but sometimes cheaper. Be aware that if you are going to travel on Island Air, Aloha's affiliate, there can be a baggage weight restriction. Try to avoid going back and forth to Honolulu by picking flights directly between the islands. You can check schedule options on the airline web pages.
Geography: These islands are the tops of dormant and, on one island, active volcanoes. There is a dryer westward side and a wetter eastward (windward) side on all the islands. Generally stay where it's dry and sunny. The older islands are the westward ones, starting with Kauai, then Oahu, then Molokai, then Maui and Lanai, and finally the Big Island of Hawaii. The older islands (Kauai and Oahu) have more eroded, jagged, mountainous scenery; the younger islands (Maui and Hawaii) have more rounded volcanic scenery. Only the Big Island of Hawaii has active volcanoes. People basically live on the sides of volcanoes everywhere on these islands.
Costs: Hawaii is not a cheap place to vacation because it's a world class destination in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. If you shop around, however, costs are very comparable with many other nice places such as Australia, New Zealand, California, Europe, the Caribbean, the South Pacific and Florida. Expect to spend $30-$40 per day for a car, and $70-$140 per day for a comfortable hotel (double occupancy). Dinner can cost anywhere from $10-15 per person upwards for a nice sit-down meal, sometimes with entertainment. In many places you can choose to eat a bit cheaper, such as fast food, but food is generally expensive. A good thing to do is stay at places with kitchens, eating in sometimes and out sometimes. This helps control the calories as well.
Leis & Hawaiian Shirts: Definitely enjoy these on your visit. Leis of many beautiful types are commonly available at prices of $2-$10 apiece. Buy at least one on each island. Hawaiian shirts can be pricey, but some nice designs can be had cheaply at the flea markets. Observe what the locals are wearing for what looks good in both items.
Luaus: These have generally evolved to become dinner buffets on the lawn with hula and song entertainment, at about $40 per person up. Okay to do once.
General:
We've always enjoyed our visits to Oahu and the Capitol City of Honolulu. Not everyone does. We enjoy the cosmopolitan, Asian, and island mixture. You can mess with the crowds and the freeways only when you want. Definitely worth at least a 2-3 nite stay every visit; you'll want more time. Call ahead to arrange a lei greeting on arrival at the Honolulu airport (companies exist for this - see your guidebook). This is a great attitude changer you really won't regret. A rental car is a must to see the island, but remember to drive carefully because you'll likely be jet lagged the day of arrival. If you are staying at a hotel where parking is unavailable or way too costly, such as in the middle of Waikiki, you may be able to rent a car as needed there; ask the hotel staff when making reservations. Ask about getting to and from the airport if you don't get a car. Avis is the biggest renter, but most of the major companies are here. Check prices and car types for the best AAA deal.
Hotels:
We can recommend the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel, a Japanese-run international hotel at the base of Diamondhead, a nine-story tower on the ocean, within walking distance of Waikiki. Disadvantages are valet parking (necessary), smallish standard rooms, and louver-type bathroom doors. Advantages include: relatively good prices (AAA rate), an excellent location, comfortable clean modern rooms, a good beach, a small Koi pond, a good restaurant, and stunning views. One visit we had a balcony with ocean view; another a top floor balcony view of Diamondhead. We haven't stayed at the big resorts on Waikiki, but have visited the Hilton (first choice) and Westin resorts there, which appear very promising if you can afford it. These two companies seemed to consistently have fine but expensive resorts on the major islands.
Restaurants:
We can recommend breakfast at the hotel Otani Kaimana; try the omelets. And go to dinner at the Singha Thai restaurant; they have a wonderful Thai costumed dance show and a great ahi spring roll appetizer. The all you can eat buffet at the Pagoda Floating Restaurant, amid Koi ponds and japanese landscaping, was enjoyable. You absolutely need reservations for dinner at nearly all restaurants during the winter season and generally it's a good idea anytime. Get in the habit of making dinner reservations on all the islands; it's not that hard and it saves a lot of waiting and disappointment.
Places To See & Things To Do:
Don't spend all your time in Waikiki, which is a crowded, noisy, busy beach district in Honolulu. It's fun to visit but it can get on your nerves. Instead drive thru the pineapple fields along the way to the beautiful beaches and waves on the north shore, and maybe continue your drive clockwise around the island using your guidebook. Around town, be sure to see the Kodak Hula Show, the Lyon Arboretum in Paradise Valley above Honolulu, the flea market at the Aloha Bowl stadium, the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, and the classic beautiful green mountains and banana groves along the new H3 Freeway on the windward side near Kaneohe (weather permitting). Even do a little shopping in Honolulu: the Ala Moana Mall is okay, craft jewelry is a good buy at the entrance to the Kodak Hula show, and you can often find new inexpensive hawaiian and tee shirts at the flea market (here and on all islands). There are plenty of fun things to do, including day hikes. You probably will need a special guidebook for hiking and/or look at your AAA map for hiking trails. The hike to Manoa Falls was fun, near the arboretum. So was the trail up Diamondhead (more difficult than you'd think - a real workout but a great view amid WWII ruins at the top). A lot of hikes are vertically challenging on these mountainous islands.
General:
So different and so much variety. Much more laid back than Oahu or Maui. Don't expect a Honolulu-type experience. The only island with 4 volcanoes, one of which is very active. You will need a rental car. We suggest arriving and staying in the sunny Kailua-Kona area first, driving clockwise around the island, departing at Hilo or returning full circle to Kailua-Kona. You need at least a week to 10 days to enjoy things. Watch out for speed traps on the road from the Kailua-Kona airport.
Hotels:
When you arrive at the Kailua-Kona airport, you will notice it's in a lava desert. You can turn left (northwest) thru the lava desert to go to the major lush resorts that have been carved like little edens out of the lava fields at the blue ocean's edge. These are all probably very nice; the Hilton looked very enjoyable. Turn right at the airport to go to the main town of Kailua-Kona. Watch for the speed traps on this road. There are many smaller hotels and low rise condos in the Kailua-Kona area for tourism and retirees, especially southeast of town for quite a way. We can definitely recommend the Kona Billfisher Condos in Kailua-Kona as comfortable, centrally located, quiet, friendly and spacious. There was construction going on next door during our last visit, but this will pass. South of town the Kona Surf Resort looked promising.
In Hilo we can recommend the Dolphin Bay Hotel. You can get good information here about visiting the volcano and this small motel type building has a very nice garden setting. Take the best room available; the lower cost rooms aren't nearly as nice. All have kitchens. You can use Hilo as a second base after Kailua-Kona. You can travel back and forth about 35 miles to Volcano National Park from Hilo, but it's better to stay closer to the Park for serious visiting there.
In the Volcano area we can recommend Volcano House for basic accommodations, right on the edge of Kilauea caldera. Otherwise there are B&B places to stay in the nearby village of Volcano.
Restaurants:
In Kailua-Kona, the Kona Ranch House, Fisherman's Landing, and the Subu Cafe (no credit cards) were all worth a visit; we would definitely go back to all. Many locals have lunch at the downtown green painted diner with a view, at the Oceanview Inn on Alii Drive.
In Kamuela to the north, Merriman's is definitely a dinner experience. Also the Paniolo Country Inn is a place for a good, relatively inexpensive meal in that town.
In Hilo, Uncle Billy's was enjoyable with good food and hula and song entertainment, and Cafe Pesto is good for upscale pizza.
In the volcano area, the restaurant at Volcano House has a fine view, an okay breakfast buffet, and an okay but pretentious dinner. Lunch there must be early or face the tour bus crowds. Better to pack up a simple picnic lunch. In the village of Volcano nearby, we can definitely recommend the Kilauea Lodge for dinner, although a bit expensive.
Places To See & Things To Do:
We would suggest staying a few days in the Kailua-Kona area first. There are many tacky tourist shops to explore for fun and a souvenir. Don't miss the shaved ice place downtown on Alii Drive; the friendly owner will make a special flavor concoction if you ask. Walk a little further downtown along the seawall out onto the city dock. The view and the ocean can be very beautiful here. On certain days there is a open farmers market in a parking lot southeast of the shops downtown, on Alii Drive. Here, beautiful cut tropical flowers, fresh pineapple, and the best roasted macadamia nuts in the world are for sale at very reasonable prices, especially if you go late in the afternoon when they're getting ready to close. Take Captain Dan McSweeney's whale watching excursion one morning. In February you'll usually see pilot whales, humpback whales and spinner dolphins. In other months sometimes only the pilot whales. The whales are protected; the boat can't legally come within 300 feet, unless approached by them, and Captain Dan is very whale-protective. The trip is very worthwhile, for the scenery as well as the whales. Visit one or two of the plush resorts northwest of the airport. Also, visit one of the Kona coffee plantations up on the slopes above town and definitely buy some coffee right from the source at the best price. There are art galleries in little towns along the upper slopes of the local dormant volcano. Locals will note that sometimes there is "vog", volcano smog, in the air from Kilauea, miles away. South of Kona is the Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, an ancient Hawaiian house of refuge complex, well worth a visit. Pick a sunny day.
Take the high scenic highway 190 northward to Kamuela on a day trip. Continue on scenic route 250 along the Kohala Mountains, another dormant volcano. Stop along the road near the beginning and look back for great views of the coast and three volcanoes on a clear day: Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Honuaula (back behind Kona). Continue on to the Pololu Valley overlook and take a hike down to the beautiful black sand beach. Come back to Kona along scenic coast road 270 and then route 19. Whales can be spotted in the winter season along 270.
On leaving the Kona area, we prefer highway 190 northward again to Kamuela, then east on route 19 to Honokaa and the scenic Waipo Valley overlook. There may be some good B&B's or other rentals in this area. We intend to go back and try one. You can walk down into Waipo Valley or take a van trip down or take a horse trip. We took the van trip, but the horse trip looked interesting. If you have 4-wheel drive, you can drive down. Whichever way you go, insist on spending some time on the beautiful black sand beach, framed by high cliffs and the deep blue ocean.
There are 4 wheel excursions from Kamuela and Hilo to the top of Mauna Kea, but the weather wasn't cooperative when we tried to go. High winds cancelled the trip. Maybe next time.
Continue on southward towards Hilo. There are three outstanding places along the way: Laupahoehoe Beach Park, Akaka Falls State Park, and the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. Laupahoehoe Park is a great place for a picnic one day, even though a tsunami tragedy once occurred here in the 1940's. This side of the island is normally very wet, except during El Nino winters. It usually rains at least once or twice a day, so be prepared with rain gear. Hilo is a nice kind of very laid back and local-oriented town. Visit the downtown flea and veggie market when it's open for bananas, flowers, and all sorts of great stuff. You can spend one or two nites using Hilo as a base to see the things we've already mentioned and maybe also drive the Puna Coast backroad along the ocean, at the end of route 130. There are great tropical places for a picnic lunch on a sunny day along that small coastal backroad, kind of an out of the way but nice area.
Another wonderful but expensive thing to do from Hilo is to take a helicopter ride to the volcano area. Spectacular views. Really the only way to see the main Pu'u O'o vent with lava flowing out and on towards the sea. The whole trick is to get a window seat; without one you'll be disappointed. Since the crew randomly assigns seats on the bigger copters, maybe the best strategy is to fly with a company that uses smaller copters with only window seats.
Finally it's time to really visit the active volcano area in Volcano National Park. They only sell a multi-day pass for the park, but it's pretty cheap. You can go in and out after dark without any pass. It's definitely best to stay awhile here because there are great things to see. There is the higher plateau area with Kilauea crater, many other smaller craters, and a walk-thru lava tube. Take a hike from the west end thru Kilauea crater itself, if you can take the fumes venting from cracks in the crater floor all around you. A fantastic landscape. Visit the volcano observatory. Then drive down Chain of Craters Road about 30 miles to the huge lower coastal plain of massive lava flows. The road ends at a recent lava flow. In 1995 we were able to see lava flowing right there into the sea, within feet of where you stood with your shoes melting. In 1998 the active flows were three to four miles away over dangerous ground. Your life here is at your own risk. They warn you about the poisonous fumes; a shift of wind can kill you. Crazy people hike a rough path along the ocean for nite views of the lava flows. Very, very dangerous but beautiful. We saw the lava at nite in 1995 when it was close by. It was awesome, but the current conditions are just too dangerous. Be sure to stop and look at the newly formed sparkling black sand beaches at the base of the lava cliffs. Another safer but still awesome hike is available. Two trails meet and go to within about a mile or so of the massive Pu'u O'o active vent, which looks like the volcano you've always wanted to see. One trail goes 5 miles (each way), mostly uphill on the way in, over tricky older lava flows and thru rain forests to an overview of the main vent area. The other goes 7 miles (each way), across a dramatic lava moonscape, meeting up with the other trail to reach the same overlook. Bring binoculars and a picnic lunch and wear hiking shoes. You need a hiking permit (free) from the park rangers to do it; this is a safety measure. There are many other hiking trails in the park, but the hike into Kiluaea and this set of trails are absolutely great ones.
One final stop after doing the volcano is to travel further southwest on route 11 to rest up and relax for an hour or two at Punaluu Black Sand Beach Park. It's an unassuming lovely tropical spot with coconut palms and lots of big green sea turtles visible from the beach or via snorkeling. Another nice picnic spot. The tour buses will stop here, but only for short times. The black sand is particularly glassy here.
You can continue on around to Kona or back to Hilo to fly out.
General:
This is definitely what we would call an out-island. There are two very expensive resorts, the Manele Bay Hotel on the beach and the Lodge at Koele in an alpine setting just outside Lanai City. Lanai City itself is really just a small but very pleasant village. There is only one other hotel, the Hotel Lanai, interesting and moderately (relatively) priced, just off the town's central park. The town is famous for its' wonderful huge Cook's Pine trees, which frame the town central park and are scattered around town and on the small hotel's grounds. Stay at any of the three places and a free shuttle bus connects all three places on a frequent schedule. You will need to rent a 4 wheel drive jeep for at least one day to really see the island; they are available from a place in town. A scheduled shuttle bus takes you to and from the airport to your chosen hotel by prior arrangement with the hotel. Outside of the town and resorts, there's a lot of open ground with few trees. These are abandoned pineapple and sugar cane fields.
Hotels:
We stayed at the Hotel Lanai, the small one in town. It has a very good restaurant. Continental breakfast is included. The building is wooden and dates back to the Dole Pineapple Plantation days. There are nice, clean, comfortable rooms with windows that open and modern bathrooms. The main drawback is that the sound insulation is not great. This is an island where for some reason most flights come and go at odd hours. People leaving at 6 AM, unavoidably making some noise, were common. We were among them.
The two big resorts are ritzy golf oriented places, trendy and expensive. The beach at the Manele Bay Hotel is public and usable via the shuttle. The Lodge at Koele has the look of a large plantation in an alpine setting. Both places are nice but not our style or price range.
Restaurants:
We can definitely recommend the one at the Hotel Lanai, where we stayed. We also had good takeout pizza from a local place on the town square another nite. We had sandwiches for lunch at a local deli, and picnic stuff from the local grocery store. We tried one of the places for dinner in the Lodge, but didn't really enjoy it. Too formal and they crowded several couples together while most of the tables went empty.
Places To See & Things To Do:
Walk about the town and the two big resorts. Catch some sun on the beach and snorkel with tropical fishes (equipment available free to all hotel guests at a place on the beach). Rent a 4-wheel drive jeep for a day or two for off the beaten track adventures. One of these is a dirt road that goes up along the old volcano ridge above the town. Very steep in some places and nice views along the way. Another road leads to the shipwreck beach area, with nice coral beach walking and clear water and views of Maui and the shipwreck. Yet another dirt road leads to the Garden of the Gods and beyond. It's well worth the trip to see this fantastic eroded rock landscape. Picture thousands of rocky snowmen of all sizes and shapes. The road goes further on from here to other secluded parts of the island but we ran out of time and daylight on our one-day rental.
General:
Definitely a Hawaiian out-island. Very quiet and laid back. Takes a little time to appreciate properly, but we wouldn't mind going back. We saw the best and biggest rainbow of our lives here one day. Stood right at the end of that huge rainbow, but no pot of gold except in our minds and hearts. You will want to get a rental car. There are few places to stay and few restaurants. The best arrangement is to rent a comfortable condo unit (these aren't high rises) with a kitchen, and relax. For a lengthy stay, eat in most of the time. Watch cable TV or rent a movie at nite. Sometimes there are real cheap regular flights to and from Honolulu, mostly for the local people, many of whom are native Hawaiians. There's a central small town, Kaunakaka, very locals-oriented; most of the condos are nearby. There's a pretty eastern coastal road (route 450) area, a nice alternative place to rent but some distance from groceries. There's the national historic site below massive cliffs on the north side, which is the old leper colony of Father Damien fame (and still a place where people live), accessible only by foot or mule or plane with prior arrangements. Finally there's a drier west coast area with some very interesting beaches, a moderate-sized golf resort, and a safari park in an African-like savannah setting. Sounds a lot more developed than it actually is.
Hotels:
We can definitely recommend the Molokai Shores Condos, which are kind of basic, three story, blocky wood frame condo units, located just east of the central town, on the ocean but not really a nice beach, very comfortable and relatively affordable, with most amenities including a pool. There were some interesting but much more remote places with more beautiful views for rent along the east coast road, but remember the distance to town and groceries. We visited the Kaluakoi Hotel and Golf Club resort on the western end of the island on a windy, somewhat cloudy day. It wasn't our style, but is a viable option. It's not ritzy; mostly two story town house type units with a golf course and interesting beaches nearby.
Restaurants:
When we visited in February 1998 for several days, the only restaurant in Kaunakakai open for a sit-down meal was a combination pizza and diner type place, modern, with about 20 tables, located near the town pier. A gold mine for the owner. We can definitely recommend it. Otherwise there was a local-oriented breakfast and bakery place in town; we bought pastries there but didn't get around to trying the breakfasts. Generally a filled house of customers so probably okay. We did breakfast on the road twice at another interesting place, the Kualapuu Cook House, in another small town nearby, and can recommend it as not fancy but with a lot of local atmosphere. We didn't try the resort restaurant on the west side of the island, but it looked like it may be okay for a more formal but still relatively casual dinner.
Places To See & Things To Do :
The central, local oriented town of Kaunakakai is mainly for practical use such as gas, food, and small but interesting local stores.
We visited the historic park on the north coast, the old leper colony area, by mule. Wouldn't do it again because of feeling sorry for the mules, and the cost, but it was an adventure. The place lies at the base of 1000-foot lushly vegetated cliffs. There's a nice overlook at the top, not to be missed. You can hike down and up again if you're in good enough shape, but it is difficult. Probably flying in is best. Access is strictly limited and controlled. Once down the cliffs, a rickety old school bus and a tour guide takes arriving groups to see the sites. No walking about allowed at all. Our guide was kind of a tour nazi, with unconcealed contempt for us lowly tourists. People still live in the modern village here; we guess they don't want to be disturbed. Probably the only reason tourists are tolerated is because it's within a national historical park, and there's a little money to be made. The sites are probably worth it but we really can't strongly recommend the trip without prior warnings, and wouldn't do it twice.
We can recommend driving along the increasingly narrow and scenic east coast road all the way to the end and back. Watch for whales in season. Some of the places to pull over along the road can be trashy, which is a shame. If you make prior arrangements with a local guide, lush Halawa Valley at the end of the paved road can be visited by jeep. The valley is privately owned and was not open without a guide to the general public except at the small park at the beach end, which is not spectacular but is pleasant.
We didn't try the safari park on the west side of the island due mainly to lack of time and some uncooperative weather. It may be interesting if you like animal parks of this type; we would ask somebody who went before trying it. We never even saw the entrance, so it's kind of a low profile thing apparently, like a ranch. However, the very nice beaches and coves along the west coast past the golf resort are definitely interesting and worth a return trip and another picnic. Especially Papohaku Beach.
General:
Maui is the second most developed island after Oahu. The mostly two lane roads can get pretty jammed with traffic on a frequent basis, especially during any rush hour and during peak tourist season. However it remains a delightful place to visit and should not be missed under any circumstances. You will need a rental car.
Hotels:
The island can be seen easily by day trips from almost any hotel. We can definitely recommend the Mana Kai Hotel and Condos in the Kihei area near Wailea, and the House of Fountains B&B in Lahaina. The Kihei area is below the Haleakala Volcano, in a mostly dry area with some pretty nice beaches and a lot of high and low rise hotels and condos. In the afternoon, brisk trade winds can roar thru the isthmus between the West Maui Mountains and Haleakala, right into and thru this area. This can make water and beach activities a problem in the afternoons. Many of the higher cost Mauna Kea condo units have balconies with stunning views. The place is about 20 plus years old but in okay condition, with several stories. The building sits out on a lava outcrop, facing a nice tropical beach with palm trees, offshore islands, and a volcanic cinder cone. It also has an okay pool and a very pleasant grassy sunning area, with torches often lit at nite. The restaurant there was said to be quite nice but somehow we never got around to it. We had a kitchen and there are lots of restaurants nearby.
In Lahaina the weather is generally warm and rarely windy. It can get hot at times. The House of Fountains is a modern, immaculately kept, good size B&B in a neighborhood on the slopes above Lahaina, with nice views and very pleasant rooms with private baths. The only fault was a somewhat creaky/noisy bed in our room. Definitely would go back.
In the nearby Kanapali beach resort area the Westin resort looked promising, although this resort area is generally crowded and not our style. In this area there's a lot of high rise hotels and condos, a full scale shopping mall, not much space between hotels, and a narrow beach. A pleasant but narrow beach walkway exists in front of the hotels/condos along the ocean.
Restaurants:
In Lahaina we can generally recommend the Lahaina Fish Company for dinner, and Cheeseburger in Paradise for lunch. Neither was particularly special but we were happy. In Kaanapali, the Hula Grill was okay, but it was very crowded and we did not have a very good table location. The chocolate brownie pie could feed at least 4 people per serving. In the Kihei area, the Kihei Prime Rib and Seafood House had good early specials including grilled fish dinners and a very nice salad bar.
Places To See & Things To Do:
There are some very nice options on Maui. One of the best is to drive up to the top of Haleakala Volcano in the national park. Visually look at the top of the volcano before going, and pick a clear day or a clear morning. Often clouds will move into the crater so you have to pick a good time and have a little luck. It's about 10000 feet up; you can look down on the clouds from the high slopes and see much of Maui as you drive up, and gasp at the stunning volcanic landscape at the top, the House of the Sun. Bring a sweater or jacket, depending on what you're doing. The altitude can make exertion a little more difficult. You can take the magnificent Sliding Sands Trail down into the huge crater with a little advance planning. A day hike of about 2 or 3 miles in is possible for those in reasonably good shape; remember it's a easy walk down all the way but a tough walk up all the way back, at relatively high altitude. Another option is to arrange a horse ride in, which may be the best idea for a day trip here because the horses can go much further. We've hiked it but next time we'll try the horses. There's also a nice garden to visit on the drive up or back, the Kula Botanical Gardens. One of the big tourist things to do is bicycle down from the park at dawn or during the day with one of the many tour operators in that business. Remember that the bikes share the winding road with cars and buses all the way, and this doesn't look all that much fun, frankly.
A definitely great thing to do is go whale watching on a boat and from land in the winter season. There are only two harbors on the west side of the island, and Lahaina is the larger with more options. It is possible to rent binoculars for as little as $2 per day while on the island. Check at water gear rental places. Better to carry your own travel pair if you have them. Go watching by boat in the morning if possible; there are many boats to choose from and great views of the island and the whales.
While in Lahaina there are plenty of small shops and tourist art galleries to wander thru, looking for the trinket or shirt of your choice.
A simple but relaxing thing to do is find a nice cove beach park such as Kapalua Beach, and settle in for a few hours of sunning, swimming, picnicking and snorkeling. A couple of such coves exist along the road in northwest Maui. Also maybe drive to the end of the paved road while up there. Wonderful views and some magical places along the way to stop and wander and relax. Another very good beach option is in the Kihei to Wailea area, but beware the afternoon winds.
Speaking of driving, there is the inevitable Road to Hana along the northeast coast. Hundreds of narrow bends. Miles and miles and miles of narrow winding road. Hana itself is no big thrill, just a sleepy little town with not much to do. Consider going halfway and stopping at a couple of the beautiful little towns along the way on the ocean, such as Keanae, and visiting the arboretum near there. Also look for the small waterfalls along the way. Don't miss stopping to see the world class windsurfing at the very beginning, on the roadside near the surfing town of Paia.
You might want to visit the flea market when it's open in Kahului, the workingman's town on the wetter side of the island.
Another thing to consider doing is going on a snorkeling or diving trip. Big green turtles are common, and a lot of snorkel boats go out to the Molokini crater for fish watching. We've done some diving here, which is okay but not the Caribbean, and is fairly expensive.
General:
We haven't been back since 1995, so our info is a bit dated here. Some things aren't likely to change, hopefully, so here goes. This is the oldest of the main islands and is somewhat of an out of the way island well worth a visit. There is one pretty well developed main hotel area in Poipu, and a big resort in Princeville, but some other options exist near Kapaa. You will want a rental car.
Hotels:
We can definitely recommend the Kapaa Sands Resort/Condos near Kapaa as quiet, comfortable, centrally located, with a small beach, a garden setting, a pool, and kitchens. These are two story townhouse type buildings.
Restaurants:
Other than picnics and cafe lunches, we ate in our whole stay, maybe because we were tired of restaurants at that time. There was a supermarket nearby in Kapaa. There was also a traveling farmers market that we lucked into finding our first day. Lots of salad stuff and vegetable choices and wonderful cut tropical flowers to buy, but a very strange routine of opening. Nobody can buy anything until after a bell rings at a prearranged time. Then there's a mad rush for about 10-15 minutes. This appears totally unnecessary since you can still get everything you really need well after the rush. Very un-Hawaiian anxiety here for unknown reasons. Maybe they've changed this by now.
Places To See & Things To Do:
There are two great and one minor attraction, all very worthwhile.
Because this is the oldest of the main islands, the mountains of the old volcano have been eroded into spectacular scenery. You do have to travel somewhat to get to see it properly. On the northeast side the road ends at the famed Na Pali Coast. You've got to see this one way or another. We took both a helicopter ride above, and a day hike into it. Somehow make sure you get a window seat on the helicopter, even using a smaller one to improve the odds if necessary. The hiking trail starts at the end of the road and goes 2 or 3 miles along rough ground in spectacular scenery, ending the day-reachable part at a beautiful cove beach for a swim. Another option in calm seas is by boat from Hanalei, the town of Puff the Magic Dragon fame, located just a couple miles before. Small shops and food and maybe a little peace of mind can be found here in Hanalei; worth another visit surely.
Somehow find some time to stop along the road for awhile at one of the unmarked but wonderful beaches between Hanalei and the end of the road. We particularly liked Tunnels Beach. This is Bali-Hai country. Part of the movie South Pacific is said to have been filmed in this area, and there's no wonder why.
On the other side of the island there's a road into the high country where the Grand Canyon of Hawaii, Waimea Canyon, can be found. We need to go back because some clouds moved in before we had our fill of this wonderful place.
A minor attraction, still fun, was to visit the Fern Grotto on one of the tour barges, usually filled with quite a few fellow tourists. The grotto is pretty nice but not spectacular, and the short boat trip is also fairly enjoyable. This is located off route 56, about midway between the Canyon and Na Pali, not far from Kapaa.
The Opaekaa Falls are worth a visit off road 580 near Kapaa. There is also an okay garden to visit on route 50, the Olu Pua Gardens.