Location, Location, Location ...
Hawaii ... Maui ... South Kihei ...
If you know Maui ... you know it's the best !!!
If you don't know Maui ... let us show you some of what we've learned over the past 25 years !!!
This Beautiful one bedroom / one bathroom condo is owned and loved by us ... and we'd love to share it with you !!!
Maui4Sun.com website ... it's a work in progress !!!
Keep checking in to see how I progress!
Please understand ... this is not a discussion of South Maui vs. West Maui ... that argument has already been made and South Maui is the clear winner!
Oh, BEACHES. That’s why we’re going, right? (Nod your heads … “right!") There are beaches all around Maui. Many of the best beaches are close to the condo. In fact, fifteen of the best beaches in the world stretch the six miles from Kam I to Big Beach.
We'll get to the beaches soon. First, you have to get to the condo. Well …. Follow the signs from the airport to Kihei. You’ll drive up Dairy Road … past Home Depot … then a large church (both on the left) and you’ll turn left on Puunene Avenue (that’s right … poo-oo-nay-nay). About a mile up the road makes a big sweeping right turn near the old Puunene Sugar Mill. This is now the Mokulele Highway - which goes fairly straight for five or six miles -- until it becomes the Piilani Highway. Another time you might continue on the highway here … but not now. Turn right toward Lahaina … and then a nearly immediate left at the first stop light. Kihei Road … top end. You’re still a ways away (just under 5 miles) … but the scenery down the road is worth it. 2495 South Kihei Road … it’ll be on the left. When you pass Kamaole I beach park – you’ll be close. After two plus blocks of strip mall shopping on the left there’s a stone wall with a Kihei Kai Nani sign just before the driveway. Ta-da! … You’re there! ... I mean here !!! - Maui4Sun territory !!!
Ok … beaches. You’ve passed Kamaole Beach Park I (Kam One in local lingo) … Kam II is right across the street from Kihei Kai Nani … and Kam III is just ¼ mile to the south. These are all very popular locals' beaches … but Kam II is a little less
crowded because it doesn't have a parking lot. It's a good swim and sun beach ... and kids of all ages boogieboard when there is some wave action. The reef to the south of Kam II is great for tidepooling and snorkeling. There are better, larger, cooler, fancier, more rustic, etc. beaches … but don’t overlook the Kams just because they’re close.
Snorkel? … did someone say they wanted to snorkel? Do you want one of the best easy snorkel beaches around? … it’ll cost you! Ulua Beach in Wailea (vowels!) … turn south on Kihei Road. Once you’re in Wailea the road sweeps left and goes up a rise to a four way stop. Turn right. You’re now on the main drag through Wailea and Makena. Stay in the right lane and watch carefully for a sign denoting ‘Ulua / Mokapu beaches – turn right. … duh, turn right! Great parking facilities … if you get there early … say before nine. After ten – good luck. Follow the path (and people) down to the beach … reef goes straight out … fish start at three feet deep. This needs to be one of your first beach stops … ‘cuz you’ll be back. What have we seen here? … eels, lionfish, octopuses, manta rays, and a zillion others. Oh, Molokini Island is out there … maybe five miles out.
You can also start walks from here. North of the reef is Mokapu beach … then Keawakapu beach. Keawakapu is great for walking – firm sand, flat … and lined with multi-million $ vacation homes. The north end of Keawakapu is probably a mile from Ulua. There is also parking for Keawakapu along Kihei Road about ¼ mile south of the boat ramp.
Walking south from Ulua takes you through a hotel that has been an InterContinental, an Astin, an OutRigger … and it's a Marriott today. Great path and ocean views. After this hotel you head down to Wailea Beach … and the Wailea Grand Hotel. Check it out. The walkway goes and goes from there … take it as far as you like - past the Fours Seasons - all the way to the Fairmont Kea Lani at Polo Beach.
Oh … so you want to see the best beach in the world? Hmmmm … let’s see what we can do about that. Makena Beach … or Oneloa Beach … both are ‘official’ names … but everyone calls it Big Beach.
The road you were on to get to Ulua is Wailea Ala Nui. Keep diving south and when you get to Makena it becomes Makena Ala Nui. The last resort hotel you will pass is the Maui Prince. About a mile past the Prince the road becomes noticeably narrower. After making a final left bend watch for a red dirt road to the right. Don’t turn here now … it’s for future use. After that look for a nice paved right turn into the beach parking lot. Walk west … it’s obvious. Good beach for boogie boarding, walking, and intermediate plus level snorkeling. Toward the reef to the north is where we normally hang out … and if you are really adventuresome … over that reef is Little Beach and its famous (infamous?) clothing optional beach.
If you continue south on the main drag … this time or another … you get into a real driving and sightseeing adventure. The road is very narrow in spots. Ahihi bay is another treat for snorkeling. If you go all the way down you’ll end up at LaPerouse Bay. Really rustic … and it used to always be deserted. Last time we were there it was mobbed. Go figure! [note: The previous sentence was written in 2003. Since then commercial kayak and snorkel tours have been banished from La Perouse - so the mob scene is gone.]
Just north of Big Beach are two other beaches worth trying. The red dirt road I mentioned leads to a small black sand beach. Well, it’s actually black sand mixed with regular sand so it looks like a brown sand beach. Usually deserted … or nearly so. Back to the main drag … at the bend a road / driveway leads to paved beach parking behind the Maui Prince Hotel. This is a great beach with excellent snorkeling both straight out and to the left. The golf holes around here are the Makena South course. The 15th is a downhill 170 yard par 3 going straight toward the ocean. I’m sure you’ll try it. The one round I played there I hit three tee shots and made the green with every one. I made the birdie putt, of course!
That’s pretty much everything south of the condo. Not!!! It’s just all I’m gonna tell you about.
Do your beaching in the mornings … and touring or pooling in the afternoons.
Golf, golf, golf. You may have noticed golf courses on your drive to Big Beach. Wailea Gold, Wailea Emerald, Wailea Old Blue, Makena North, and Makena South. That’s just the real close ones. Seems some doofus put golf courses all over the island. If you play all of them, there’s two more on Lanai ... The Challenge at Manele and The Experience at Koele. Try http://www.makena.com/golf.htm or http://www.golf-maui.com. If you get a Hawaiian driver’s license I’m told you can play most courses for $40 to $70.
Lahaina in a must-do. The old whaling town is a wonderfully funky tourist trap. You’ll figure it out easily enough … our only suggestion is lunch at Kimo’s. Oh … also – about two blocks off Front Street on Prison Street is Dan’s Nursery. Check it out. They usually have exotic plants – and animals. Fishing boats and tour boats go out of the harbor at Lahaina.
Do as much as you can … but unwind, too. We knew twenty minutes after we arrived that we’d be back – so never felt we had to do it all in one trip. That said, here’s some brief ‘try its’.
Haleakala – dah Mountain. Unbelievable.
Hana – as in ‘the road to …’ and the road past Hana. It’s an adventure – but worth it. Be sure to pack an ice chest.
Ho’okipa Beach … the towns of Paia and Makawao … Sprecklesville Beach (right at the end of the runway!) … Maui Ocean Center at Maalea … and zillions more.
Last thing …. Eating. Plenty of restaurants … you’ll find what you like there. Safeway is behind the Azeka Mauka (pronounced a-zeck-a … not a-zeek-a) shopping center on Pi’ikea. If you like fish & chips try Alexander’s – ‘bout a mile and a half north of the condo across from Kalama Park. For a basket lunch or a burger and a couple of Steinlagers there’s always the Sports Page. Tell Jennifer and Denise at Sports Page that John & June say, ‘hi’.
Just email me!
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