Here Today, Gone to...Maui

Yes I know it's a really bad joke :11: And I'll cut you all off at the pass right now and say yes I did a search.

I will once again visit your beautiful state this coming April. Although most of my trip will be spent in Oahu as I will be accompanying other family members, on April 9-12 I will be able to do "my own thing." I had originally wanted to visit the Big Island again which I absolutely LOVED, but in searching for airfares I noticed that I could actually get better deals by visiting Maui. I've never been there before, so if it's cheaper and it's as great as everybody says, why not?

The info I'm looking for is not so much about which dive operator to use (plenty of that here already) but rather what part of Maui should I stay? Should I stay in town (Kahului) or go over to Lahaina or down to Kihei? When I was in Oahu, although I was staying with a friend in Waianae I found myself hanging out in Waikiki, since that's where the "action" was at night. While I'm not necessarily looking for Maui's own Waikiki (I'll be spending the previous 6 days there) I am looking for something a bit livelier than what I found in Kona or Hilo.

Along those lines I would also appreciate recommendations of any hotels or resorts. As I will be spending a pretty penny at the Hilton Hawaiian Village I will need this part of my trip to be more wallet-friendly. I am not looking for luxury (though I won't turn it down for the right price), but I am looking for something that's clean and affordable without wondering if I will survive to see the end of my vacation :11:

I recommend the Ohana Maui Islander, formerly the Aston Maui Islander. Wainee Street in Lahaina, just a block or so from the banyan tree downtown. Budget friendly. Easy walk to the low key bar, nightclub and restaurant scene of Lahaina.
Clean basic accomodations. Typical guests include lots of Europeans on cheap package tours and younger visitors from Oahu that are visiting Maui for a few days.

Kihei is like a long strung out strip mall without much character. Nice place to live and nice place to use as a base while exploring the island, but kind of bland.

Lahaina has a lot more character, as well as having a nice concentration of restaurants and bars along several waterfront blocks of Front St. Definitely a better place to "hang out". When traveling solo to Maui, I much preferred the downtown atmosphere of Lahaina than the couples and family resort atmosphere of Kaanapali.

For real low budget,there is a hostel in Wailuku, but I don't have any direct knowledge about it. You might also check out Paia, the windsurfer and "hippy town".

First of all I love your title...got a cuckle out of me

I was almost ready to tell you where I stayed last time and a quick search shows me that the hotel is no longer around....my how things change in a few short years.

Anyway, if I were to go again I would like to stay here:

http://www.theplantationinn.com/index.html

looks like a nice place

I don't think you want to stay in Kahului. There's a couple of hotel/motels there that are relatively inexpensive - but the area doesn't have a whole lot to offer to the tourist.

Personally, my favorite area is Wailea. If budget dictates it, then I'll stay in the more affordable Kihei. Lahaina has more to offer as far as night life goes.

I've stayed at the Maui Islander for at least a half-dozen times; no frills but clean and quite convenient. People who lived in the area have given me goofy looks about the Islander because it's not in a "good" area (i.e. crime) but I never had any problems and wouldn't hesitate to go there again. In Kahului, the Maui Beach Boy, Maui Seaside, and Sands are all in a row on the oceanside, across from the malls; they're cheap and are used by locals on business who have to stay overnight. They are a serious traffic jam away from the resorts on the southern shores, but on the other hand are the starting point for trips to Hana, upcountry, or the "backdoor" belt road to Kapalua/Kaanapali. Kihei is congested but that also means competition among the many motels/hotels -- I once got very good rates from the Maui Sun which is just about in the middle of the Kihei strip (the place had just opened and we pretty much had the whole hotel to ourselves).

Kihei is affordable and close to the diving. You can always do a search on Vacation Rentals By Owner or contact the Maui Dive Shop and stay at the Maui Dive Lodge which is fairly resonable since it gives you all the air you can breathe included in the price.

I prefer diving with B&B Scuba as I've said a zillion times on this forum. As an instructor I want to be a good resourse for our shops customers and no one has ever come back to Oregon complaining about B&B.

We stayed at the dive lodge for 31 days last year and enjoyed it so much we've reserved it for another 31 days this coming year. Check out the pictures on the site.

Al Mialkovsky:

Kihei is affordable and close to the diving.

I prefer diving with B&B Scuba as I've said a zillion times on this forum. As an instructor I want to be a good resourse for our shops customers and no one has ever come back to Oregon complaining about B&B.

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I agree with Al. I really enjoyed diving with B & B and highly recommend them. I have stayed at Kamaole Sands which is conveniently located to where the B & B (as well as Severns and ER) boat leaves from. You can actually walk to the boat with your gear if need be. You can find links to B & B, Mike Severns, Ed Robinsons as well as links to some other activities in the Hawaii Resources section of my web site.

Have a great time.

SwimsWithSharks:

I have stayed at Kamaole Sands which is conveniently located to where the B & B (as well as Severns and ER) boat leaves from. You can actually walk to the boat with your gear if need be.

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It's funny that you mention Kamaole Sands. I like Kamaole Sands a lot. So much in fact, that I bought a condo there. But I still stand by my recommendation of Maui Islander for the original poster.

If he likes hanging out in Waikiki, then someplace in downtown Lahaina (Maui Islander, Pioneer Inn, Lahaina Shores, etc) would probably be more suitable, particularly since his profile shows him as a member of the singles group and it sounds like he's traveling alone.

For others, and particularly large family groups, Al's suggestion of www.vrbo.com is a really good way to find inexpensive condo rentals in Maui.

Charlie99:

It's funny that you mention Kamaole Sands. I like Kamaole Sands a lot. So much in fact, that I bought a condo there.

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Hi buddy, pal.....

Thanks everybody. It looks like Lahaina and the Maui Islander is where I'll likely stay (I can't book anything until I can confirm my time off from work). I've stayed at another OHANA resort before (the Maile Sky Court in Waikiki) and I really liked how that resort offered exactly what I was looking for (clean, no-frills lodging for a reasonable price) so hopefully the Maui Islander will do the same for me. I'll also look into B&B scuba.