Driving and Discovering Hawaii: Maui Maui Beaches you didn’t know about, bargain gourmet restaurants, exceptional sightseeing, cool-temperature upcountry destinations, and accommodations reviews.

Driving and Discovering Hawaii: Maui

Maui Beaches you didn’t know about, bargain gourmet restaurants, exceptional sightseeing, cool-temperature upcountry destinations, and accommodations reviews.

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Hawaii

Travel Prices

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Hawaii

Travel Prices

11 Terrific BARGAIN-PRICED

Eating Places on Maui

1. ALOHA MIXED PLATE

1285 Front St., Lahaina (behind the Lahaina Cannery Mall); (808) 661-3322

Price: $6.25 to $13.95. Features inexpensive local style plate lunches with a view worth a million bucks, especially at sunset: tiki torches, crashing waves and Hawaiian music from the luau next door.

2. SUNRISE CAFE

Sunrise Cafe, 693-A N. Front St., Lahaina (around the corner makai from Lappert's ice cream place); (808) 661-8558.

Price: $5.95 to $9.95. Tiny hole-in-the-wall. Great Eggs Benedict. Breakfast is served until 3 p.m., when the place closes for the day. The lunch menu of soups and sandwiches kicks in after 11:30 a.m. Cash only accepted.

3. PAUWELA CAFE

375 W Kuiaha Rd # 37

Haiku, HI 96708-5131

(808)575-9242

Do not miss! On the way to Hana uphill from the highway. See the extended review on this page BELOW.

4. CAFE DES AMIS

42 Baldwin Ave

Paia, HI 96779

(808)579-6323

Do not miss! Average price: $8.00. See the extended review on this page, BELOW.

5. BA-LE FRENCH SANDWICHES & BAKERY

Ba-Le French Sandwiches & Bakery, 1221 Honoapiilani Road, Lahaina (in the Lahaina Cannery Mall); (808) 661-5566. Also, 4b: 270 Dairy Road, Kahului (in the Maui Marketplace); (808) 877-2400

Price: $7.75 to $8.25

Vietnamese/ French/Hawaiian. Yummy sandwiches are served on French-style baguettes. Pastries and croissants round out the menu. Fast service. Try the Ba-Le Corn Puffs and the Kiawe-smoked Pastrami Banh Mi Rolls.

6. FISH MARKET MAUI

3600 Lower Honoapiilani Road, Lahaina; (808) 665-9895.

This market has a take out counter with sandwiches, fish tacos and pizzas, including crab and avocado, lobster salad, poke (Hawaiian ceviche) and smoked fish. For a great fish dinner without paying a fortune, this tiny shop in a West Maui strip mall makes it simple. Convenient to Napili/Honokowai, near the West Maui Airport.

Price: $8.99 to $12.99

7. HONOLUA STORE DELI

502 Office Road, Kapalua. Phone 808-669-6128

Price: About $7.00. Located within the Kapuala Bay Resort property, Chef Romeo Arruiza, formerly of the Westin Kaanapali, offers a changing menu of lunch plates, pizzas and creative sandwiches. Stop on your way up to Mokuleia Marine Life Conservation District Beach and Honolua Bay and enjoy the food while looking at the dreamy view of Molokai across the channel, and in the surfers and snorkel boats in the bay below.

8. MAUI CULINARY ACADEMY

Maui Community College, 310 W. Kaahumanu Ave., Kahului; (808) 984-3225, open during the school season. The best affordable gourmet food on the island. Call ahead to make reservations. Located near the Kahalui Airport. Visit the website to see the menus.

Price: $5 to $8.50, more for the multi-course dinners.

9. KOMODA STORE

3674 Baldwin Avenue

Makawao, HI 96768

(808) 572-7261

Do Not Miss! Uphill from Paia Town is the cowboy town of Makawao, where Komoda Store sells luscious creampuffs and light as a feather malasadas. We bring a styro ice chest and fill it up, then freeze or refrigerate the cream puffs in our condo or hotel fridge. Whether eaten ice cold or room temp, these little puako are to die for.

10. CASANOVA DELI

1188 Makawao Ave

Makawao, HI 96768

(808) 572-0220

Located just around the corner, uphill from Komoda Store, is a good place for breakfast, with great coffee and baked goods.

11. MAUI TACOS

Lahaina Square, 840 Wainee Street

Maui, HI 96761 Phone: 808.661.8883

Kahului Kaahumanu Center, 275 Kaahumanu Ave.

Maui, HI 96732. Phone: 808.871.7726

Kamaole Beach Center 2411 S. Kihei Road Maui, HI 96753,Phone: 808.879.5005

California-style burritos, tacos, enchiladas, et al, with a Hawaiian flair: Dependable and cheap: tastes great and fills you up. Salsa bar. We have eaten at virtually every Hawaii location, and the quality is consistent.

Birthing Whales & Kalepolepo Beach

Kihei is South Maui’s commercial hub, with numerous shopping malls and thousands of condo units. For this reason, many people stay here but head elsewhere on Maui to dine, explore, or hit the beach. It’s true that Kihei can’t match Wailea or Makena’s amazing beaches, but here’s a hidden gem that is at the same time beautiful, highly photogenic and close: Kalepolepo Beach. The bonus is, after your swim and taking photos of each other in this postcard-picture-perfect setting, walk next door to the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, at 726 S. Kihei Rd. Whales give birth right here in Ma`alaea Bay.

PAIA: Cafe des Amis

Paia is Maui’s windsurfing town, just 10 minutes from the airport.

Even though we’d been to France three times, we thought that crêpes were...well...kind of silly. I mean, pancakes for dinner?

One day around the turn of the century we were ambling down Baldwin Ave. and were mesmerized by the strong earthy smell of Lavazza coffee. The smell brought us immediately back to France, so we stopped for a cup, and ordered a chocolate strawberry crêpe to go with it, just to have a little treat before dinner. It was orgasmic.

So we studied the menu on the chalk board, and read aloud the delicious-sounding ingredients of the crêpes being offered that day by the French chef. We ordered a shrimp curry crepe with coconut milk, cilantro, and rice, and the fresh tuna confit [not from a can] with potatoes, aioli, and tomato. Both disappeared in minutes. So then we had the authentic salad Niçoise. Just like we had in Paris! Other choices at Café des Amis were equally inventive and unique, such as mushrooms in a cream and wine sauce, and brie and avocado with apples and black pepper. We returned the next day. And the next. Since then, there’s never been a trip to Maui that did not include a wonderful meal at Cafè des Amis. Under $10 including a salad. Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. Bon appetit.

Where the heck is Pauwela?

You want off the beaten track? We’ll give you off the beaten path. On the very first leg of your Hana Drive, you’ll pass through Pauwela.

the Pauwela Café nestles in an industrial-looking complex that houses furniture and cabinet makers, surfboard shapers and other interesting businesses. The food at the Pauwela Café is delicious and inventive and well worth the short jog off the Hana Hwy. to get there. Make an uphill/ / mauka turn from the Hana Hwy. at MM 3 onto W. Kuiaha Road. We loved our meal, but lost our notes on what we ate...so we are quoting Frommer’s review from the New York Times:.

AROUND THE BEND from Kapalua / Napili / Honokowai, in West Maui, near the apex of West Maui’s North Shore, lies Mokuleia Marine Life Conservation District Beach with great snorkeling and surfing. And a very fine beach it is, especially in summer when all the sand comes back. Next door, wondrous Honolua Bay is Surfer Heaven, and tour cats bring snorkelers there to explore the underwater scenery. The point immediately past Honolua Bay, after the road climbs past it and begins curving up to the left, then to the right, is Lipoa Point. Stop here to watch surfers, drink in the magnificent views of the bay and distant Molokai, and if seas are calm, drive out toward the point a little further to experience this little protected crystal-clear natural swimming pool in the photo, and hike a little past that to see the unnamed beach. We may or may not have swum naked around here...that’s all we’re sayin’.

The Google map couldn’t find the beaches, just nearby Honolua Place...and Google misspells Mokuleia Bay as “Makuleia”.

Photos, Clockwise from Top: Roadside MLCD sign for Mokuleia and Honolua Bays; Stunning turquoise Honolua Bay; Mokuleia Beach in summer is much wider than in winter; “The Brain”, an amazing stone formation at Lipoa Point; a tiny unnamed beach at Lipoa Point; natural swimming pool protected from surf at Lipoa Point is safest in summer. Below, Honolua Bay snorkelers.

THE BEST OF MAUI

Read:

Driving & Discovering Maui & Molokai explores every corner of both islands, with gorgeous eye-popping photos of every wondrous beach, as well as both islands’ Best Hiking Trails and Best Waterfalls. The Maui Film Office uses our book to promote Maui and Molokai as TV and Film Production destinations. Take a tour of the book by clicking here.

Hotels: The Maui Seaside; Hyatt Regency Maui; Hotel Hana Maui; Menehune Shores Condos.
Restaurants: Cafe des Amis, Casanova’s, Komoda Store, Pacific O, Lahaina Grill, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Sam Sato’s, Umalu, Maui Tacos, Plantation House Restaurant; Sunrise Cafe.
Beaches: Sprecklesville, Ho`okipa, Makena’s Big and Little Beach, Kalepolepo, Wainanapanapa Black Sand Beach, Red Sand Beach

Towns: Makawao, Paia, Lahaina

Samantha Brown’s Top 5 Maui Travel Channel Video

Don’t settle for published room rates! Search online for your luxury hotel of choice and you’ll find prices often half that of the published rate, or even less. Try expedia.com, travelocity.com, priceline.com and hotels.com for starters. Don’t forget condos as a bargain-priced alternative to hotels. Also search for religious organizations’ accomodations, as well as hostels.

Maui Seaside Hotel: BEST BARGAIN ACCOMMODATIONS
Amazingly inexpensive, charmingly retro / tiki, with a super-central Maui location equidistant from everything, close to the best shopping on the island, movie theaters and restaurants, the Maui Seaside might be overlooked for entirely the wrong reasons, such as the low room rates. We have stayed here eight times since 1990, and it remains our #1 choice for working visits...and working for us means sun-up to sun-down exploration of Maui island. Make sure your room is located in one of the older wings surrounding the pool; there is no air conditioning in these rooms [the newer wing is air-conditioned, but has no charm at all] but we’ve always enjoyed brisk tradewinds through the louvered windows during our many stays over the years. The pool is oceanfront, there’s a small beach with lovely views, but better quality ocean swimming can be had away from the harbor. Click here to visit the website.

Hyatt Regency Maui
The Hyatt Regency Maui is still our favorite upscale Maui hotel, almost 20 years after our first stay. Unlike other hotels its age, the Hyatt in Kaanapalii is luxe, sparkling and bright, with a gorgeous open-air inner atrium filled with gardens and sculptures. The super pool has a grotto with a swim-up bar, onsite shops and restaurants are top-notch, and brunch -or any meal for that matter- in the stunning Swan Court is unforgettable. So much so that I chose it as the the site for my sister’s wedding reception. And the beach? Hyatt’s “Dig Me” Beach is the place to see and be seen.

Hotel Hana Maui
Pricey and very secluded, this is an ideal choice for those who really want to get away and stay put in one location. It’s location in isolated Hana ensures serenity, except maybe for the day-trippers who zoom by between 11 am and 4 pm on their way to and from the Oheo Pools. Our main complaint is poor service at times by employees who don’t seem to appreciate having a job in an often wobbly economy, and the employers who justify and enable their sometimes rude behavior.

Cafe des Amis
See review to the left.

Casanova Deli
Located at the corner of Baldwin and Makawao Ave. in the cool upcountry cowboy / paniolo town of Makawao, Casanova’s serves a great breakfast on your way to Haleakala Crater. We hate the fact they have no bathroom, pretty much an essential for hygiene and comfort! Hey, Casanova people! Break through the wall to your other restaurant next door to give your customers access!

Komoda Store
A few steps away from Casanova’s at 3674 Baldwin is the memorable Komoda family store, which purveys luscious creampuffs and light-as-a-feather malasadas. We love this place so much that no visit to Maui takes place without a run to Komoda Store. We bring a little ice chest and fill it with creampuffs. Half get eaten within hours, and the others go into the refrigerator -or better yet, the freezer if we have one that trip- for never-ending gastro-orgasmic satisfaction. Komoda Store malasadas, a Portuguese / Hawaiian mainstay, are the best we’ve ever had in Hawaii.

We then take our treats and slowly head up the extension of Baldwin Ave., which changes names to Olinda Rd., into astonishing Olinda, a cool, verdant green, eucalyptus-scented wonderland of ranchlets, horses, ethereal views and blessed serenity. Or, we may head up toward Haleakala, enjoying the grazing cattle and horses with an other-worldly lush backdrop of upcountry mountain slope, clouds whizzing by in the trades, and dizzying views that encompass the entire west Maui as well as and a good slice of the North Shore.

Wainanapanapa Black Sand Beach; Red Sand Beach
Hana is a sleepy little town; pretty, with some wonderful views, but sadly lacking in both recommendable restaurants and friendly locals. We’ve racked up approximately 40 visits over the years, and what we can get excited telling you about is its natural beauty, including these two very unique beaches. Waianapanapa Black Sand Beach [click for lots of photos] is located right before town, and features inexpensive cabins for rent, a unique snorkeling experience, and a highly photogenic coastline.

Red Sand Beach is in Hana town itself, and harder to find: next to the Community Center on Ua Kea Rd., a path/trail begins at the fence at the entrance to the Hana Maui Hotel Plantation Cottages. Follow the fence seaward, staying as close to the fence as possible all the way to the water. The path will be obvious, and will parallel the water toward the left. This muddy, extremely slippery and precipitous route must be avoided after a rain. Red Sand Beach attracts nude sunbathers, due to its extreme isolation, and snorkelers because of the clarity of the water. Hillary Clinton and her elderly mother made this hike on their last visit to Hana. The secret

service preceded Hillary and politely requested that people cover up while the First Lady was there. Those present grumbled a lot, but complied. The contrast of the brilliant turquoise and aquamarine colored seas, set against shimmering bright red sands, is very unique and quite beautiful.

Kihei: An Idyllic Beach Right by the Whaling Venue

Frommer's Review:

It's easy to get lost while searching out this wonderful cafe, but it's such a find. I never dreamed you could dine so well with such pleasing informality. The tiny cafe with a few tables indoors and out has a strong local following for many reasons. Three local boys purchased this well-loved cafe from the original owners in 2004. Brandon Shim is the chef (formerly with Tommy Bahamas in Wailea) and trained under previous owner Chris Speere at the Maui Community College Culinary Arts School. Nearly everything in this tiny cafe is made from scratch. Breakfasts feature such scrumptious items as pain perdu (French bread in orange vanilla custard), veggie frittata, and Belgian waffles. Lunch is a great collection of salads and sandwiches, where the scene-stealing Kalua turkey sandwich consists of moist, smoky shredded turkey with cheese on home-baked French bread and covered with a green-chili-and-cilantro sauce. Also available are burgers (including a vegetarian taro burger), chicken quesadillas, and veggie burritos. Dinner entrees include a range of items, from chicken quesadillas to veggie lasagna to Cajun-grilled mahi. Because this cafe is located in an industrial center of sailboard and surfboard manufacturers, you may find a surf legend dining at the next table.

MOKULEIA: WEST MAUI’S WATER WONDERLAND

KIHEI: Menehune Shores Won’t Bust Your Budget!

We liked the idea that every unit here at the MENEHUNE SHORES CONDOS has a view of the water, and that the property itself is right on the shoreline. Other Maui condo and vacation rental websites we searched didn't produce a lot of promising leads, as many places in Kihei that were located across Kihei Rd, far from the water, wanted about twice as much as we paid at Menehune Shores, for their so-called "ocean view" unit.

Keep in mind that in condo developments the units are privately owned and each is decorated and equipped in a unique way. It all depends on the owner, so ask questions when booking.

The Menehune Shores is a very well kept property, attractively situated in North Kihei. The view from unit #516 was gorgeous. Windsurfers skirted past the backdrop of the West Maui Mountains, men with their faithful dogs cast their lines into the ancient Hawaiian fishpond at shore's edge, and the beautiful sunsets were framed by swaying palms.

The only drawback to our Menehune Shores unit [#516] was that there is no air conditioning. Ceiling fans are fine, except at night when you are trying to keep mosquitos away. How they were getting in we could never figure out, but every morning brought a new crop of fresh red bites. So we invested $20 at Kmart in a large box fan that has a high setting. Sleeping with a strong fan blowing directly on us was one way we found to successfully keep the critters at bay.

The unit had a full kitchen, equipped with everything you'd want for casual meal prep, a washer and dryer [essential since there were only two bath-size towels and 2 face towels in this unit, and they were really threadbare], a TV but no cable, and a phone with free local calls. There is free parking on site, a decent sized swimming pool near water's edge, and an on site restaurant in case you're too tired to go anywhere else. The views are stunning.

We highly recommend Menehune Shores for its reasonable prices and gorgeous oceanfront setting:

PROS: Convenient central location, large size of unit, low price, wonderful views, nice pool, washer and dryer, full kitchen, large lanai, quiet, friendly, lots of extras unique to our room such as boogie boards, ice chest, and more. The Whaling Center is right next door: see article above.

CONS [unique ONLY to Unit 516]: Lousy towels, mosquitos, no portable fan, no cable TV.

Kihei basically rolls up the sidewalks at 9 PM, so keep this in mind if you're used to eating late or expect any kind of nightlife. With some exceptions, most of the restaurants close at by 9:30.

Above: The Menehune’s pool; another unit we stayed in, but we lost track of the number; the oceanfront lawn area; view from the unit in the photo above this one.

Kalepolepo Beach

Pauwela Cafe

Honolua Bay

Alexander’s Bath

Mokuleia Beach

Napili Surf Condos are situated on perfect little Napili Bay with stunning views of Lanai and Molokai Islands in a lovely area of Maui too few visitors know about.

We loved this place, and no, we did not get a freebie or even a discount, but took advantage of an online special. Click the large photo to visit the Napili Surf site. The Napili / Honokowai / Kapalua area boasts some of Maui’s best beaches and eating places, from the unforgettable Pineapple Grill to Maui Tacos.

FREE WiFi On Maui:

Hale Imua Internet Cafe 1980 Main St, Wailuku, HI, 96793

SurfandSip The Coffee Store 275 Kaahumanu Avenue, Kahului, HI, 96732

Borders Books Dairy Rd. 270 Dairy Rd. Suite 190, Kahului, HI, 96732

Hale Imua Internet Stop and Shop 2496 S. Rd HI, Kihei, HI, 96753

Aloha Business Centers @ The Westin Maui Hotel 2365 Kaanapali Parkway, Kaanapali Resort

Westin Maui Hotel 2365 Kaanapali Parkway, Kaanapali Resort

Aloha Business Centers, Maui One Ritz-Carlton Drive Kapalua Resort

Embassy Vacation Resort 104 Kaanapali Shores Place, Kaanapali Resort

SurfandSip The Coffee Store 5095 Napili Hau Street, Lahaina, HI, 96761

SurfandSip The Coffee Store 1279 S. Road, Kihei, HI, 96753 Ashley's South Shore Cafe 362 Huku Lii Place, Kihei, HI, 96753

Hawaiian Village Coffee in Kahana and Kaanapali

Queen Kaahumanu Shopping Center Coffee Shop ( near T-Mobile) - Kauilui

Lighthouse Maui Cafe - 70 E Kaahumanu Ave, Ste A - 808 871 0875 - Kahului

Kahului AleHouse - 355 E Kamehameha Ave - 808 877 9001 - Kahului

Maui Coffee Roasters - 444 Hana Hwy - 800 645 2877 - Kahului

Maui University - Kahului

Cafe Cafe - Dolphin Plaza - 2395 South Kihei Rd - (808) 879-4700 - Kihei

Days Inn - 2980 S Kihei Rd - 808 879 7744

Hawaiian Village Coffee - 2580 KEKA'A Dr, Suite 120 - (808) 667-2003 - Lahaina

Penny's Place Bed & Breakfast - 1440 Front St. - 808-661-1068 - Lahaina

Best Western Pioneer Inn - 658 Wharf Street - (808) 661-3636 - Lahaina

Pateys Place - 761 Wainee Street - 808.667.0999 - Lahaina

Mahina Surf #102 Condominium Resort Rental - 4057 L Honoapiilani Road - Lahaina

The Mauian Hotel - common area/Ohana Room - 5441 Lower Honoapiilani Rd - 808 669 6205 - Naplili

Anthony's Coffee Co. - 90 Hana Way - 808 579 8340 - Paia

Paia Inn - for guests - 93 Hana Highway - (808) 579-6000 - Paia

WEST MAUI’S ASTONISHING NORTH SHORE

Honolua Bay

Lipoa Point Beach

“The Brain” at Lipoa Point

THE ROAD TO HANA is a Maui adventure you should not miss. There really is no destination, but rather a journey that won’t be soon forgotten, as the narrow, cliff-top-hugging road winds its way past hidden beaches, waterfalls too numerous to count, gorgeous spring-fed swimming holes, tiny hidden hamlets, 19th century churches, local fruit and lei vendors, and plenty of primeval beauty. The town of Hana boasts a world class hotel and spa, the Hotel Hana Maui, and beautiful beaches with names like Koki and Hamoa await. You’ll enjoy the adventure far more if you spend the night close to Hana Town in a B&B, guesthouse or hotel, as it is a long single-days’ drive.

THE BEST MAUI BEACH YOU NEVER HEARD OF:

SPRECKLESVILLE

From Kahalui Airport: turn left/east on the Hana Highway, traveling toward Paia Town, turn left on Nonohe, right on Paani, then left on Kealakai. There is parking out on the point. No facilities, but man, what an amazing beach!

Holuaoa Bay