Portland to Honolulu to Auckland

September 17-19, 2013: HONOLULU to AUCKLAND

 

We arrived in Honolulu on time after an uneventful flight from PDX. The walk to baggage claim was a long one, but our bags came through quickly. Honolulu International Airport is a complex place and its different terminals and the need for WikiWiki shuttles careening around the roof from gate to gate lead to confusion- a confusion that plagues even local residents as our experience the next day would demonstrate.

 

We got aboard a shuttle to the Alamo car rental office a few blocks away and despite the long line we were able to get our paperwork done in a few minutes in a kiosk as we were members of the Alamo frequent renter program. Two rentals a year make me frequent? Go figure. Our car was a white Fiat 500, a car I have seen advertised at home. Room for two people and three bags. The engine sounded like a sewing machine and it really revved up going up the hill onto the H1 highway, one of the busiest in the states.

 

Our destination was Aulani, a Disney resort we had stayed at in 2012 not long after it opened. We'd be there less than 24 hours. After a stop at Safeway for some snacks that we would convert into a meal later in the day, we arrived at Aulani, situated on one of the small coves carved into the Pacific shore at Ko'Olina west of Honolulu. As we had pre registered, all we had to do was mention our name and the attendants at the porte cochere called us by name. Our bags were retrieved and we were presented with our room keys and resort map and briskly taken to our room on the 7th floor.

 

The room was a studio with queen bed, large bathroom, and a sleeper sofa. Dark woods and tropical greens and browns predominated and a white and blue quilt with decorative "hidden Mickey" designs lay at the foot of the bed. The room looked out at the Pacific with the resort's water park and recreational area spread out between our tower and another across the way. The Waikalohe Valley water park below features luxurious foliage surrounding pools, hot tubs, a lazy river water feature where guests can float along its stream, and a mountain where more adventurous souls plunge down water two water slides- on for folks with inner tubes and another for those without.

 

Our first activity was to check out the gift shops for some Disney pin trading, an activity that we enjoy. Later after some wine, cheese, and apples, we tried the hot tub and a circuit around the lazy river in a tandem inner tube. Very refreshing.

 

After a little television and the fact that we had been up since 2 AM we were asleep rather early.

 

So early that I arose about 4 AM. Better, I guess, to make the most of the day.

 

We had a small breakfast and checked out the gift shops again and I even had time to visit the hot tub. We left by 9:30 AM or so and stopped for gas. The Fiat took all of 1.07 gallons. Of course, we then took a wrong turn off the H1 and proceeded up another highway (the H3) which had no turn-offs until we were in sight of the north side of Oahu, a detour that was unplanned but which provided some beautiful views of the North Shore and some towering cliffs.

 

We turned around and headed back and arrived at the Alamo office where our fuel gauge still red full despite the side trip. Thank you Fiat for making this trip economical.

 

Once at the terminal we were deposited at the "Hawaiian Airlines International Check-in area" by a driver who seemed to know where we were to go. This was not correct. Once we found we could have been dropped off at an earlier stop, we trudged with our four bags (yes, we moved some things into another small duffel) toward the counter, where we were told to reverse our path toward the north end of the facility where another person told us to go back. Finally we asked a Hawaiian employee to escort us to where we should be- an anonymous kiosk. At that point it would have been easy to check in except for the fact that the device could not read our passports. Time passed and eventually we were given our luggage tags, made our way through the TSA line, and through the use of the WikiWiki shuttle on the roof, made our way to Gate 25, one of the    International Gates at HNL.

 

At the gate we met another couple from Salem. The husband looked familiar but I could not place him. After a chat we learned he is a defense attorney in Salem. His clients were described as "bad guys" and included the father and son who had bombed a Woodburn bank killing two police officers a few years back. He and his wife flew First Class. Apparently crime pays in mysterious ways.

 

The flight to Aukland took nine hours though it left Wednesday afternoon and arrived Thursday evening because we crossed the International Dateline.

 

We arrived in the rain and customs did not take long. But because we had packed some leftover cheese and salami in a bag and been foolish enough to declare it, we spent some time in line while a customs agent inspected our food. Do you know what trans Pacific cheese and salami looks like? Not pretty.

 

A SuperShuttle to our hotel was obtained outside the terminal and we quickly found ourselves zooming around the city. We had no sense of direction or distance and arrived at the Best Western President downtown within 45 minutes.

 

The hotel was a business oriented one and our room in the tower was on the first floor which was on the second floor in our view. It was like a dorm room and Donna was not pleased. I trudged down to the desk and after some lengthy discussion with the international night crew of Yang Yang, Raj, and Peter, we were able to get a room on the fifth floor with a living room, kitchenette, and bedroom. Very Spartan. But roomy.

 

Having been up since 2 AM Auckland time, we slept soundly.

REVIEW: Sheraton Waikiki

We stayed at the Sheraton Waikiki for three nights in early January. We used SPG Starpoints (10,000 per night.) The receptionist offered us the opportunity to use the 30th floor Leahi Lounge for breakfast and dinner for only $55 per night. However, after having a "dinner" of potstickers and cold cuts, we told them we'd pass for the remainder of our stay. There are dozens of restaurants nearby in the Royal Hawaiian shopping area in clouding a reasonably priced food court serving Korean, Japanese, American, and Mexican fare.

By using Starpoints we missed the obligatory resort fee of $30 or so per night. We had free self-parking services as well as wifi and other perks. This was included in the resort fee of $25 per night.

Our upgraded room was very spacious, over 900 square feet with beautiful views of Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head in the distance. The neutral colors of the rooms were in need of upgrading and the rug had seen better days. The bathroom with small tub and toilet was cramped, though the suite featured a large dressing area.

The suite featured a large living room with lanai, flatscreen TV and both a full sofa, love seat, and murphy bed. The bedroom had a king bed, lanai and TV. There was ample closet space.

The hotel features multiple pools including and activity pool with slide and a quiet pool with infinity edge near a bar area. This latter pool was crowded. The nearby Royal Hawaiian shopping area includes many moderate and high end shops with sky bridges to help guests cross streets.

Disney's Hawaiian Resort and Spa, AULANI

Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa, in Ko Olina, Oahu, Hawaii, represents Disney's first major resort not affiliated with a theme park. (Its Disney Vacation Club has timeshare resorts in Vero Beach FL and Hilton Head SC.)

Set on a man-made lagoon about a half hour west of Honolulu, the resort is comprised of a central lobby area and two 14 and 16 floor towers featuring both Vacation Club studio, one, two, and three bedroom units and hotel rooms.

As this is written in January 2012, many rooms in the east Ewa tower are still undergoing interior construction though there appeared to be no exterior cranes or site work underway. For all practical purposes the resort is complete for the average guest.

When complete, the resort will include 360 hotel rooms and 481 Disney Vacation Club two-bedroom equivalent timeshare villas.

Our room was a deluxe studio on the third floor, the lobby level, which made access to most public areas very easy. The room had a queen bed and a sleeper sofa, flat screen TV and full bath. The WIFI was excellent both in the room and in public areas, even by the pool near the beach.

The decor aims at authentic Hawaiian style and the use of native woods, rock, and artwork throughout set this resort apart from the gleaming white (and sterile) look of the J. W. Marriott resort next door. Lush landscaping and use of water in ponds, fountains, and streams belie the fact that this resort has been open only five months.

We are DVC members and had an eight night reservation following a three day stay in Waikiki. Ko Olina is an exclusive tourist area much like Kaanapali in Maui and there is a security gate needed just to enter. A common complaint of some reviewers has been that there is not much to do here unlike busy Waikiki or a Disney theme park. We didn't find this a problem; while a concierge and tour desk can arrange trips around the island, we enjoyed lounging by the pool and making use of the resort's own amenities.

Chief among these is the Waikolohe Valley pool area. This is called a valley as it resides between the two massive resort towers, Ewa and Wai'anae, akin to a tropical space between two Hawaiian mountain ranges. Within this valley is children's water play area where staying dry would be a great challenge. Two infinity spas overlook the lagoon and there are two other spas in the valley, one almost invisible from nearby trails.

For security hotel guests are issued different colored wrist bands each day when they use the pools. This is to dissuade non-Disney folks from using the pool. And, thank goodness, there is a policy against "towel on the lounge chair" saving of pool chairs. Items are removed after an hour of non-use. The message: use the chair or use it. This will be even more important once the resort is fully finished. And with fewer nearby attractions available, there will be more people staying in the pool areas.

A lazy river, Waikolohe Stream, surrounds a huge mountain that includes both an inner tube slide and a standard water slide (though this second slide is totally dark as it winds through the mountain.) Occasionally the mountain erupts with some mild fire effects and there is a small cave where one can see some lave and fire effects close up. Like the Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom, the mountain and rock work around it feature well concealed carved sea life much of which I did not see until I had taken a few trips around the river. There is even a chicken, a reference to the wild birds that roam neighboring Kawai.

Some of these carvings include whales that "blow" occasionally as a result of guests playing the Menehune Adventure Trail, a KimPossible type activity involving a smart phone device which leads guests around the Valley to activate fires, rocks, music, and even whales carved in rocks. The host is a pleasant Hawaiian woman known only as Auntie. This is same character in Auntie's Beach House, the children's child care and activity center. Guests may use these facilities including the child care free (for children 3+ years and potty trained) just like on Disney Cruise ships.

One activity that is fun (and free) is locating the little Menehune statues throughout the resort. These mythical Hawaiian sprites can found lounging around the gardens in Waikolohe Valley, asleep atop a moulding in an elevator, or riding a decorative outrigger near the water slide. Hidden Mickey's? I haven't seen many, though the Disney characters are available for photos during the day and there is a musical revue with them and native musicians three nights a week in a lawn area near the quiet pool.

Two admission fee based activities are the Rainbow Reef and the Makai Reserve adjacent to the pool area. Rainbow reef is akin to the salt water snorkeling area of Typhoon Lagoon. For $20 guests can swim with multicolored tropical fish ($39 for a length of stay pass.) Two aquarium type windows are available for landlubbers to view the many small multicolored species that inhabit the pool. This may be to your liking if swimming in the lagoon a few hundred feet away does not appeal to you. But the lagoon is free and, while cloudy due to guest activity in the near shore, there are plenty of fish out by the rocky areas that mark the mouth of the lagoon. My advice is to walk to either side of the mouth and swim toward the middle. I saw lots of fish and even a three-legged turtle that I discovered goes by the name of Lucky. The Makai Reserve is an area where for $50 one can interact with sting rays in a pool.

On a couple of evenings each week a musical show, "Starlight Hui," is presented on a stage by a grassy area on the west side of the property. This mix of Hawaiian storytelling, hula, ukulele playing, and audience participation was a pleasant way to spend an evening. Of course, Mickey and friends came to the stage at the end of the program.

If the costs of some activities seem high, well, welcome to Hawaii. Though even for Hawaii, local prices are higher due to the fact that this area is tourist oriented and, at least for the near future, is in a place that is away from much of the commercial activity. As we were staying in a DVC unit, we had a modest kitchen area with microwave and refrigerator. About four miles away are a number of shopping sites such as Costco, Safeway, and Target as well as nationally recognized fast food places. An ABC store is across the street north of the resort. A small gift shop is near the main lobby .

The resort also features a full service spa called Laniwai (varied treatments for a fee) and an exercise area (free.) Near the spa is a pleasant teen lounge, Painted Sky, with computers, games, and a frozen yogurt bar.

We only tried one of the restaurants at Aulani. As frequent visitors to both Maui and Disney World where prices can be high, we were taken aback by the cost of onsite dining here. The Makahiki dinner buffet is $43 and the beachfront Ama AMA restaurant has entrees in the $30-80 range.

We had a dinner at the Makahiki buffet on the lower level near the lobby. This is an Asian/Pacific/Japanese buffet in a restaurant partially inside and partially on the patio adjacent to the Waikolohe Stream and koi ponds. The menu featured sushi, sashimi, a variety of fish plates, fish and pork lau lau (wrapped and steamed in leaves), beef, vegetables, and a good array of desserts. We initially were seated inside it the area was quite loud due to the hard surfaces and busy clientele; we asked to be seated on the patio. Once on the patio our dinner was accompanied by a phalanx of pre-schoolers running around and, by all appearances, were intent on re-enacting the Battle of Midway. (Think Chef Mickey's without the peace and quiet.) Parents, part of a wedding party, were oblivious to their activities. A manager we contacted seemed distressed to have to deal with the issue, but things seemed to calm down a bit.

The big problem here is that around Ko Olina, there are not many child-friendly restaurants and hotel restaurants are expensive. Our advice is to observe a dinner here when you are not dining and see if this is your cup of tea. If it looks okay to you, try it. If you are looking for a quiet dinner, go elsewhere. Plans are now underway to install another quick service station near the pool deeck and I received a note the other day that Makahiki is now offering an ala carte menu.

Menus can be viewed online at a number of websites.  I was told by a DVC staffer that the resort will install electric barbecues when the Ewa Tower DVC room are completed.

If Aulani is your sole target for a Hawaiian vacation, a car is a must. Shuttles from the airport run about $70 each way. Parking at the resort is $35 per day (free for DVC members using points for their stay.) An Alamo car rental is onsite. Some people rent a car on a daily basis on the resort and avoid the parking charge. A day long shopping tour into Honolulu is a featured activity that the resort offers. The bus travels to a few big malls including the Ala Moana Mall near Waikiki; the cost is $30 per person for a day of shopping. There is a strong draw here for tourists from Japan, a demographic to which Disney is aiming a great deal of marketing. Signage around the resort is in both English and Japanese.

Staying at Aulani is not cheap. Rates for standard rooms, ocean view, is about $400 per night that adds up to about $3,500 a week with taxes. A studio like ours runs about $600 per night. We were lucky; we used points for a pool view room and, while we are on the lobby or 3rd floor, we still see the ocean as well as parts of the Waikolohe stream and children's water play area.

Having stayed at many Disney resorts in the US, Asia, and Europe, this resort ranks in the top tier. And in Aulani Disney has found a surefire ticket to providing a quality vacation experience that does not require a theme park.





Hits and Misses at Aulani
Hits
Overall environment and theming
Room quality and comfort
Pool area with easy beach access
Staff service and hospitality

Misses
Lack of nearby activities
Restaurant prices
Need for a car

REVIEW: Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas

Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas actually includes two time share resorts- the original and the Westin Kaanaapali Ocean Resort Villas North built a few years later than its sister property. The resorts timeshare properties managed by the Westin and its parent organization Starwood. Each is comprised of a number of six story buildings on the beach about two miles from the main part of Kaanapali. This leads to some confusion as there is a Westin Hotel in Kaanapali and some guests assume they will be able to amble down the beachfront walkway to their resort. It will be a LONG walk.

The resort includes hundreds of studio and one bedroom units that can be combined into spacious two bedroom suites. Studios include a queen be and sofa bed in the room and the one bedroom has a separate bedroom with a king bed. Each unit has a kitchen area though the studio features a small rangetop and microwave. All units have washers and dryers which can be a godsend to families with small children. Televisions are in every living room and separate bedroom.

A significant difference between the two resorts is that the Noth property has studios with small lanais; the south resort studios have a patio door and a railing to allow fresh air but no chairs. All one bedroom units have lanais. the grounds are luxuriantly tropical with palms and other foliage that whisk in the wind.

As the resort is on the west side of Maui, guests have a beautiful view of the islands of Lanai and Molokai across the strait. There are several large pools and a kiddies' pirate ship play area. A full range of resort activities is published weekly and the resort offers free shuttle buses to Kaanapali and Lahaina- a boon as parking can be difficult in these tourist meccas. Snorkeling is exceptional here as there are schools of tropical fish as well as a number of green sea turtles.

The resort has several restaurants and bars as well a a spa in the North property. There is a business Center and free WiFi for guests.

During holiday seasons and Spring Breaks the resort is apt to be crowded and getting a poolside lounge chair can be a challenge.

This is not an inexpensive resort- studios range from $300 to $450 per night depending on view to $500-$700 for a one bedroom. Units can be rented through the Westin or Starwood's SPG.com website though you might find better buys on sites like VRBO.com where owners (like us) rent their units out to others.

Room Tip: Upper floors are best as is ocean view. Island view rooms in the South property may face a parking lot and highway. In the North property all units face the ocean or pool/garden area.

Kauai: A Fortnight in Princeville (with Chickens)

With tourism still slow domestically, trips to the Hawaiian islands can still be bargains if you plan ahead and shop around on the Internet or use a good travel agent. During shoulder seasons airfare can run as low as $400 from the west coast and lodging can, depending on the level of amenities, range from $100 to $400 a night.

While we have spent most of our Hawaii time on Maui in recent years, this Spring we decided to try the island of Kauai. The island has been used in movies from "South Pacific" to "Jurassic Park" to several movies with Elvis Presley. At the time we visited George Clooney was in Princeville filming "The Descendents." And local residents were eagerly anticipating Johnny Depp who would be arriving soon for his fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. Visitors can even take a Kauai "Movie Tour" bus around the island and check out the filming locales).

The largest town and the principal airport is Lihue on the southeast shore. Lihue is a small town that appears to be sliding down a hill into the ocean were it not held back by the overgrowth of vines clinging to buildings and anything with a vertical height over two feet.

As we were staying for two weeks, we stopped at the island's Costco for supplies. This warehouse store is about ten minutes northwest of the airport. Although we were very familiar with Costco stores, we were unprepared for dodging wild chickens with our rental car in the parking lot. Hmmm...something was very different here.

There are two major resort areas on Kauai: Poipu, on the south point of the island not too far from Lihue and Princeville on the north coast. We were headed north. Highway 56 winds around the east and north side of Kauai and passes through small towns like Kapa'a and Wailua. Traffic was slow- 25 miles an hour in many places, lower in the numerous construction sites.

We crossed several rivers flowing into the ocean to the right. But the wonder was in looking to the left and imagining the sources of the streams and what views are to beheld on their way down these oldest mountains in Hawaii. Local adventure outfitters provide both ocean and river kayaking experiences in the interior and along the rivers.

A cursory look at a map shows the Hawaiian islands extending like a series of sprayed paint drops on a field of blue from southeast to northwest. The islands were created by a volcanic "hot spot" on the earth's crust pushing hot magma up through the crust into the sea. The oldest islands are in the northwest. Islands actually extend thousands of miles to the northwest but the oldest ones have eroded away by wind and water and gravity. Midway Island is over a thousand miles away from the major chain, but it, too, was near present Hawaii at one time. Hawaii (the Big Island) is the newest and it still growing as evidenced by its current vulcanism at Mount Kilauea. The next youngest island, Maui, had its last eruption in the late 1700's.

This northernmost island is called the "Garden Isle" for its lush green ground cover. On the day we arrived the temperature was about 80 degrees and quite humid- great weather if you are a green leafy aralia or fan palm. Where there are dry expanses of grass field tumbling down the hills on Maui, on Kauai there are blankets of green extending up to the craggy mountains at the island's center.

The mountains were verdant almost vertically wrinkled colossi extending into a cloudy sky. Rain intermittently covered the windshield on our thirty mile drive. The sun peeked out from behind the clouds from time to time. This brightness with the shadows of the trees directly in front of our rental car made driving the two lane road challenging. It's not that the sides of the road have lots of trees, it's that the trees by the sides of the road appeared to be being absorbed by more primal foliage growing out of a more ancient part of the island.

We were staying at Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas, one of the Starwood Corporation's ever-growing network of vacation ownership (read "timeshare") resorts. Built on one of the last undeveloped ocean front parcels in Princeville, the resort is comprised of several three story buildings with studio, one bedroom, and two bedroom condo units on a picturesque bluff overlooking the Pacific. The resort ambience in understated elegance. Rates on its Starwood Preferred Guest website (www.spg.com) website ranged from $320 per night (studio) to $750 per night (two bedroom villa). People we met at the resort claimed they'd received a $120 per night rate through Priceline.

The main resort facility has a restaurant, workout area, upscale barbecue grill facilities, three pools each with an "infinity" feature with cascading water, and expansive lawn areas upon which many geese and chickens have taken up residence. It takes only a few roaming chickens to remind a guest that Hawaii and especially this smallest island are very rural environments broken up with occasional high-end resort properties of which Princeville is one.

There is a full complement of concierge staff able and willing to assist with activities and restaurant reservations. Featured are helicopter rides (about $200 per person) and a variety of boat rides for snorkeling and viewing the towering cliffs on the NaPali coast west of Princeville. (Eighty percent of the island is accessible only by helicopter.) A nearby horse ranch has day trips into the interior for viewing of the tropical jungle and scenic waterfalls. Many activities are located back in the Lihue and Poipu areas but some are now available in and around Hanalei (less travel, more activity time). Two well-manicured golf courses are nearby and two of these border each side of the Westin.

One advantage of staying at the Westin Villas is that guests have access to the nearby St. Regis Resort to the west on Hanalei Bay. This is the only five star resort on the island and the Grill restaurant we visited on Mother's Day left my wallet $200 lighter after trying the "tasting" menu. While they do not have pool privileges, Westin guests have a special area of the lawn between the pool and the bay on which to luxuriate. This is intended to compensate for the Westin's not having easy ocean access as it rests on a bluff above the sea. There is a steep dirt (or muddy when wet) path that extends down about a quarter mile from the Westin to one terminus of Anini Beach where there is very calm water due to a reef about half a mile out. The beach can also be reached by car by driving east to an entrance a few miles away.

The first hundred yards or so into the sea are very shallow though there is a coral and rock bordered channel. Both times we snorkeled there were disappointing as few fish were present and the silted bottom and even the coral outcroppings were a monochrome brown.

It must be noted that in Hawaii, all beaches are public. However, nearby parking and access is sometimes difficult unless the beach is part of a state park. Reaching the beach often requires traversing a long path or accessing a trail between private homes. Never leave valuables in your parked car when you head to the ocean.
Hanalei
Hanalei is the small town just west of Princeville though many signed seemed to indicate that Princeville is a region of Hanalei. Very touristy with abundant t- shirt, sun wear, and art boutiques, Hanalei is as laid back as one can get here. There are several restaurants but, as the noon hour arrived, Bubba's Burgers fit the bill. The burger was good though overpriced. The place has been a popular dining spot for celebrities (Bill Clinton, Jack Black and Ben Stiller, for example) given the photos on the wall. The road into the town passes some extraordinarily beautiful scenery of acre as of taro plants in patchwork of bogs backed by sweeping tall mountains. The area is reminiscent of theLi River Valley in the Szechuan province of China. And, yes, there are plenty of chickens scurrying around.

Beyond Hanalei are a number of beaches and the Limahuli Gardens; a tour through a fascinating tropical botanical garden runs $15. (The gift shop proudly featured more photos of Bill and Hillary Clinton ambling through the gardens.) A favorite beach in this region is "Tunnels" Beach which is the informal name for the eastern stretch of Ha'ena Beach State Park. As in many public beach venues in Hawaii, the access trail can be difficult. The best way to get there is to park in the lot past Tunnels then walk about a quarter mile. There is ample parking (at least early in the day.) Avoid parking near private residences. Snorkeling here is much better than on Anini Beach. Large coral outcroppings extend up to twenty feet above the sea floor and the fish variety is significant due to the coral on which the fish feed.

Travel to Kauai
There are no direct flights to Kauai from the mainland U.S. though there are seasonal direct flights from Vancouver, British Columbia. Travelers will need to fly first to either Honolulu on Oahu or Kahului on Maui. The inter-island flights are short and our flight to Kauai was not much longer than our taxiing at the Lihue airport. United, Delta, American, Alaska, and Hawaiian are the major airlines from the states. As we live on the west coast, we like Hawaiian. Most car rental companies are represented at the airport and can be reached via a short van ride.
Shopping
Costco is ten minutes northwest of the airport; there is a Safeway and Foodland in Kapaa and a smaller Foodland in the Princeville Shopping area. Prices for food and gasoline are higher than stateside as might be expected. The Kukui Mall across from Costco contains a Macy's department store and several other small retailers as well as a Borders Books and Music at the mall's south end. Art shops with paintings, crafts, and Hawaiiana abound in each small town. We picked up some nice items in Kilauea east of Princeville.

Lodging
The only major hotel brand in Princeville is Starwood with its Westin Villas and St. Regis resort. Hyatt, Marriott, and Sheraton can be found at Poipu. However, there are many condo developments and timeshare resorts. Future visitors can look up these rentals opportunities through querying Expedia or other travel search engines such as Vacation Rentals by Owner (www.vrbo.com.) Rates for ocean view condos can run as low as $100 per night.

While it is true that Kauai like all the Hawaiian Islands will someday erode into the sea from which they came millions of years ago, there is still plenty of time to enjoy this island which derives its magic and charm from its primordial beauty.

And its ever-present chickens!

Kapalua: Maui's Hidden Treasure

With airfares getting higher and higher and the economy slowing down, a trip to Maui in the Hawaiian Islands might seem a little unrealistic. But dreams are dreams and some dreams are worth waiting for.
Long rated one of the world's best islands by Conde Nast Traveler magazine, Maui remains one of the best vacation spots in the United States. Due to its small size but unique shape and geography, Maui has many different facets and some areas seem very unlike others, from the more urban Kahului and Wailuku, to far remote Hana with its rain forest in the east, to the barren moonscape of Haleakala, to Kapalua with its quiet elegance and view of the neighboring island of Molokai in the distance. Where is Kapalua? Imagine Maui as an hourglass tilted to the left about 45 degrees, with its top half slightly smaller than its bottom half. Kapalua is toward the top of the upper half of the glass. The larger, lower section is dominated by Haleakala volcano and its Upcountry region, with the town of Hana on its bottom shore. Kahului and its airport are at the narrow space between the two halves. (Maui was originally two islands until volcanic activity from Haleakala joined the two.) Situated in an area that was once pineapple fields and rocky coastline, Kapalua is a community and resort built around the three world-class courses of the Kapalua Golf Club. Most of the development is on the ocean side of the highway. Some expensive homes and the Plantation course (home of the PGA season opener, the Mercedes Classic) are on the mountain side of the highway on the outskirts of town.

A short distance past the Plantation course we turn right onto Office Road. A small shopping area featuring Guest Services for the Kapalua Resort and the Honeloa Store, which has been in operation since the early 1900s when it served the pineapple crews and few residents of the area. A bit farther down Office Road on the right is the Ritz-Carlton Resort, and straight ahead are the Kapalua Resort's Bay Villas, Ridge Villas, and Golf Villas. Most of the resort'srental units are in these villas, though some homes are available as well.



One reason the tourist crowd prefers Kaanapali Beach five miles to the south is that most of Kapalua Resort's villas are not right on the beach. The trade-off is in Kapalua's having about one-tenth the crowd of Kaanapali. However, there are several beach access paths, including one to a public beach on Kapalua Bay, an easy stroll from most units. Snorkeling in Kapalua Bay is exquisite, with schools of fish including the striking Moorish Idols and occasional honu green sea turtles. An activity station offering kayaks and other gear (a remnant of the former Kapalua Bay Hotel) can service your equipment needs.



While the hotel pools at the busier Kaanapali hotels are generally filled to the brim with tourists during most of the year (high season lasts all year with Christmas being even higher!), staying at Kapalua Resort's villas allows a guest to use one or more of the many smaller pools around the resort. Many times my wife and I were the only persons by a pool for most of the day. And each pool area has a covered patio, some with barbecues and other kitchen amenities. Each guest's room key allows entrance to each gated pool area. There are many units in each building and all buildings have been situated on the slopes overlooking the bay to allow ocean views. There are one, two, and three bedroom units, all with lanais (patios). Only the Golf Villas are air conditioned, but the steady breeze generally makes cooling unnecessary. All units have full kitchens and many have sleeper sofas, so even a one bedroom unit can sleep four.

While these facilities were built in the 1970s and 1980s, they are kept in great condition. Even the smaller one bedroom villas are selling at about $1 million when they are put on the market. (Keep that checkbook ready!)

There are a few restaurants in Kapalua. The Plantation Restaurant in its namesake course clubhouse features great Asian fusion cuisine with panoramic views of the golf course, ocean, and Molokai. Sansei is one of a local chain of seafood restaurants. Sansei is noted for its early hour (4 to 6 PM) dinner specials. There are upscale restaurants in the Ritz Carlton Hotel, and the Honeloa Store has a snack bar and a la carte items.



Because Kapalua is on the far northwest coast of Maui's smaller half, day trips to places like Haleakala National Park and Hana on the far eastern shore require the better part of a day. Whale watching is a big attraction from November through March. On our last trip we took a snorkeling cruise to Molokini and saw dozens of whales jumping, slapping their fins, and cavorting on our way back to Maalea, our port. Later in the evening from our lanai we could hear whales slapping their fins and flukes in the dark waters between Maui and Molokai.



If you want the busy crowds of Kaanapali and enjoy having access to a concierge and full hotel amenities, the Villas are not for you. But if you want a little privacy, a leisurely walks to the beach, or luxuriating in a near-private pool, Kapalua may be your cup of tea. What's our choice? My wife and I own two time share units in Kaanapali; we rent both out and prefer to stay in Kapalua.



Some money saving tips:

• Kapalua has its own airport but flights from the mainland are routed through Honolulu. Airfares are generally $100 additional to fly to Kapalua rather than Kahului.

• Car rental is a necessity, though there are shuttles from Kahului Airport (OGG) to Kapalua. The trip from Kahului takes about 45 minutes, although the traffic through Lahaina can cause long waits.

• Most of the rental units in Kapalua are privately-owned condos, with the exception of the Ritz-Carlton that has partially become a "fractional ownership" property. The Kapalua Bay Hotel featured in some earlier tour books has been torn down and is being replaced by high end fractional ownership condos.

• Condos can be rented through Kapalua Resort, which manages the privately owned units, though there are third party agencies such as Sullivan Properties (www.MauiResorts.com) and Vacation Rentals By Owner (http://www.vrbo.com) where prices are generally lower, with one bedroom units as low as $150 per night and two bedroom units as low as $225 per night. There is one season in Maui, with Christmas holidays featuring higher rental rates.

• Staying for a while? Just outside the Kahului Airport is a Costco warehouse. Load up the groceries!