Maui excursion question

Sailing the POA in Feb. We have 2 days in Maui. Whale watching is on top of our list and a must. I noticed that there are 2 bays from which the whale watching excursions happen - Lahaina and Maalaea . Which would you recommend ? I mean are there other fun things to do closer to one bay over the other ? The excursions are typically 2 hours long. What would you recommend we can do after the Whale excursions ? I'm thinking of taking the 12:00 pm excursion. After our ship docks and we get our rental car and drive to the bay I think 12:00 pm sounds like a fair time. So, if we are off the boat at 2:00 pm what can we do for the rest of the day around that area ? Beaches ?

I also want to do Haelakala crater. What should I do on day 1 and other on day 2 ?

Thank you all :)

A little map reading would show you Ma'alea has an aquarium immediately nearby, a restaurant or two. The nearest beach is Kihei, which is a quite adequate public beach. Kihei also has a variety of restaurants. Wailea is nicer, more expensive for the stores and restaurants, and a little further away.

Lahaina is a healthy tourist town. We like it a lot, in fact we will be there tomorrow. Lots of restaurants, shops, things to do. The nearest good quality beach is Ka'anapali, discussed here frequently.

As you will almost certainly rent a car, none of these options is difficult. Just a little mapping and research.

I would walk around Lahaina and go to one of the oceanfront happy hours on Front St. There is a lot to do and see in that area.

I would recommend scheduling your whale watch for Day 1. That way if there is bad weather or it is cancelled for any reason, you could reschedule it for your second day.

Sailing the POA in Feb. We have 2 days in Maui. Whale watching is on top of our list and a must. I noticed that there are 2 bays from which the whale watching excursions happen - Lahaina and Maalaea . Which would you recommend ? I mean are there other fun things to do closer to one bay over the other ? The excursions are typically 2 hours long. What would you recommend we can do after the Whale excursions ? I'm thinking of taking the 12:00 pm excursion. After our ship docks and we get our rental car and drive to the bay I think 12:00 pm sounds like a fair time. So, if we are off the boat at 2:00 pm what can we do for the rest of the day around that area ? Beaches ?

 

I also want to do Haelakala crater. What should I do on day 1 and other on day 2 ?

 

Thank you all :)

Are you at all interested in a luau? If so, you could head to the old whaling village of Lahaina which is not far from Maalaea, or just do your whale watch from Lahaina for more convenience. After your whale watch, you could snack, lunch or just grab a drink at one of the open air oceanfront restaurants. Lots of shopping as well. Or Kaanapali,Beach is nearby. Old Lahaina Luau is probably the most highly rated in the islands.

If you keep your car overnight, parking at the airport in the area adjacent to the rental car offices for a small fee, you could get a quick start in the am and head for Haleakala early. The only drawback to this plan is that it would require a taxi to get to the airport. There are companies which will meet you at the port gate. Or, just wait for the shuttles to start, but watch your time carefully.

You might not even NEED to go to sea to see whales...they were in an inlet right off the airport in Maui...just cavorting and playing! Too cool!

You might not even NEED to go to sea to see whales...

So true. Actually, the most common place to view whales from land on Maui is the stretch of highway 30 between Ma'alaea and Lahaina. There is a turnout right about at McGregor Point by the lighthouse (just past Ma'alaea when heading towards Lahaina) where you can safely stop your car and watch for whales for as long as you wish. You look down upon the ocean and (to our mind) can better see whale activity.

Thanks silver Sweethearts, this sounds like a very nice spot to try and find as we will be renting a car. We were on a whale watch tour in Alaska, but didn't see more than 2 whales and was hoping that this trip we would see more. Going in Feb.

You might not even NEED to go to sea to see whales...they were in an inlet right off the airport in Maui...just cavorting and playing! Too cool!

I agree that any time you can observe whales, even from a distance on land, is wonderful. But, I would encourage anyone who wants to see them to get out on the water. We have seen them up pretty close on snorkeling trips in Maui and Kauai, and a catamoran sail on Kauai, but your best bet is probably a whale watch tour. Although they can't actively pursue the whales, and must keep to a certain distance, they know how to position themselves and then sit and let the whales pass by, often breaching and slapping tails or fins on the water. It's quite a thrill to see them up close.

Thank you all for the input. So I'll plan on having the whale watching tour on the 1st day from the Lahaina harbor.

Do I have to take the road to Hana to reach the Haelakala crater ? Looks like on 2nd day I don't have enough time to do this.

You might not even NEED to go to sea to see whales...they were in an inlet right off the airport in Maui...just cavorting and playing! Too cool!

They might be there when anybody else arrives, or they might not. The far better chance to see them from land would be the road to Lahaina as described in the other posts.

And I agree, if at all possible, one should go out is a boat, and see them up close. Many people relate seeing 1 or 2 in Alaska...just their backs or an occasional tail show. Hawaii is totally different. This is a whale disco party...you have to see it to believe it.

Thank you all for the input. So I'll plan on having the whale watching tour on the 1st day from the Lahaina harbor.

 

Do I have to take the road to Hana to reach the Haelakala crater ? Looks like on 2nd day I don't have enough time to do this.

No, you don't take the Road to Hana to get Haleakala. You might drive on it for a mile or two in the Kahalui area, but not long.

Again, a little Google Mapping would be very beneficial.

No, you don't take the Road to Hana to get Haleakala. You might drive on it for a mile or two in the Kahalui area, but not long.

 

Again, a little Google Mapping would be very beneficial.

Thanks CruiserBruce. I'm researching google maps etc. It's just that I'm still having a hard time even remembering which island has what. Still very new and maps are not my strong suit :)

Thanks CruiserBruce. I'm researching google maps etc. It's just that I'm still having a hard time even remembering which island has what. Still very new and maps are not my strong suit :)

In Kahului, you'll want to head out on 36 toward Pa'ia, then watch for the turn off to 37 Haleakala Hwy well before you reach Pa'ia. There should be signs for Haleakala along the way, but you'll end up on 377, and the road into the park, 378, turns off of this road. Be sure to stop at the road side pulls offs on the way up, the views of Maui are spectacular.

There are some alternate roads you could take, from Pa'ia for example, but if you are short on time, I'd stick to the simplest most straightforward route. Depending on how long you spend in the park, you could backtrack a little and continue on down 37 past the winery and maybe stop for some pineapple champagne or wine. This is a drive I love.

Thanks Brenda. How much time do you think to the crater and back?

Thanks Brenda. How much time do you think to the crater and back?

According to a particularly helpful website I found, about 90 minutes to the summit, and this sounds about right. Check out paradise-found-in-maui.com. There, you can plug in a starting point and a destination and the website will give you travel times and helpful info about the destination. Of course, this estimate doesn't consider how much time you spend at overlooks, etc. or at the top. There are trails into the crater which you can take a short walk on, although they go on for miles.

So figure about 3 hours total just coming and going, plus the time you spend viewing, hiking, etc. Lots of other things in the area like lavender farms, Ulupalakula ranch and store, the winery, a nice restaurant near Kula with drop dead views.