Maui vs. Oahu....Which Island to Visit?

When you first think of going to Hawaii...you must decide which Island you are going to visit.  This is a tough decision and one that you may spend much time making....after all it's not a cheap vacation and could be a once in lifetime trip so you want to be sure you are making the right decision!

I have been fortunate enough through the years to have gone to Oahu twice and Maui once.  Here are my thoughts on the differences between these two popular Islands.  Hopefully it can help you with your decision making process!

Oahu

Weather

The weather in Hawaii is pretty darn close to perfect no matter which Island you choose.  It ranges from about mid 70's to mid 80's year round.  Winter may bring a few more clouds and raindrops but the temps are mild.  The first time we went to Oahu it was mid-August.  Weather was great (other than the full day of rain and flooding that we had from a close call with the first hurricane in Hawaii in 50 years!...figures!) The second time we went was the first week of January.  Big waves were on the North Shore and were absolutely amazing. Weather was mid 70's and there were a few clouds and raindrops but mostly it was just perfect!  I actually preferred the winter visit more...you just don't get to see 20 foot waves every day!

Hotels

There are all kinds of hotels and resorts in Oahu.  Most tourists head toward Waikiki Beach and stay there.  You will find high rise resorts, regular hotels, big hotels...small hotels...you name it...it's there.  There are other resort areas that are less highly populated in other parts of the Island but the vast majority of visitors congregate in the Waikiki area.  The beach is long and is very accessible.  The weather is nice and waves are small enough to handle...unlike the North Shore waves.  If you are a Disney fan, Disney has recently added a new Resort the Aulani which is in Kapolei.

Attractions

There are many attractions on Oahu:

1.  Pearl Harbor is perhaps the most well known.  It is definitely a "must see" if you are on this Island.  It is educational, emotional and beautiful at the same time. 

2.  Diamond Head is another favorite area.  You can take a hike up to the top or just look at it from the bottom...either way it is a beautiful sight.  

3.  Polynesian Cultural Center - This is a fun day trip for the entire family.  You can learn about the culture and history of the polynesian people and enjoy a luau and spectacular nighttime entertainment.  It is run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints so there is no alcohol served. 

4.  Dole Planation - What says Hawaii more than pineapples?  Head to the Dole Plantation if you want to see how they grow and are harvested.  They have a terrific gift shop and you can even buy Dole Whip there!

5.  USS Missouri - visit this real battleship to get an idea of what it's like for our Navy at sea.  It's near Pearl Harbor and another place to stop if you are out and about.

Restaurants

There is no shortage of restaurants in Oahu.  You name it...they have it!  There are local favorites like Duke's on the beach in Waikiki and there are chains like the Hard Rock Cafe.  There are luaus at various places on the Island.  The luau's provide transportation from many hotels so make sure you check that out when book one.  You will not be disappointed with your dining options in Oahu!

Shopping

There is also no shortage of shopping in Oahu!  There are shopping malls like the Ala Moana Shopping Center which is huge and offers high end as well as regular stores.  There are really high end shops on the main street in Waikiki....you can literally spend at least an evening, if not more, just strolling down the street and heading into some of the shops.  There are touristy shops in Waikiki also....here you can buy any touristy souvenir you can imagine....from bamboo wind chimes to t-shirts to ukeleles.  Oahu is definitely a shoppers delight!

Maui

Weather

The weather in Maui is virtually identical to the weather on Oahu.  The islands are not far from each other so they both enjoy the same beautiful weather year round.  We were in Maui at the end of November/beginning of December and temperatures were still in the mid to upper seventies.  There were a few overcast days but no real rainy weather to speak of.  it makes the perfect place to visit no matter what time of year you are planning to go!

Grand Wailea Resort and Spa

Hotels

There are two main areas of hotel concentration in Maui.  The Wailea area and the Lahaina area.  From what we were able to see, these areas are quite different,  If you are looking for high rise hotels....book your room in Lahaina.  If you are looking for a sprawling resort with beautiful gardens....book in Wailea.  The rest of the Island offers a few hotels but certainly not the variety or quantity that Oahu offers.   (See my previous blog on the Grand Wailea  http://travelswithmel.blogspot.com/2013/02/maui-day-2-grande-wailea-little-slice.html

Hotels on Maui are quite a bit more expensive than those on Oahu so be prepared for the price difference.  The supply is lower on Maui so you will pay!

Attractions

There are more limited "attractions" on Maui.  The attractions that do exist are more of a nature variety. They also involve some travel time.

1.  The Road to Hana:  Plan a whole day to head to Hana from any of the more populated areas of the Island.  It is a long and winding road that leads to the small city of Hana.  It's not about the destination....it's about the journey.  As long as you keep that  in mind you will enjoy your day.  This trip is not for everyone...it's full of one lane bridges and big bends and it requires you to give up an entire day at the beach.  However...the payoff is big for those of you who enjoy nature.  If you would like to read more about the Road to Hana please visit my previous blog http://travelswithmel.blogspot.com/2013/03/maui-day-4-road-to-hana-its-about.html

2.  Haleakala Crater:  This is a "must see" when you visit Maui.  If you do no other day trip....make sure that you take time to visit the crater at sunrise.  It is unreal and possibly the most beautiful sunrise that I have ever witnessed.  Please visit my previous blog for more information http://travelswithmel.blogspot.com/2013/02/maui-day-3-part-1-sunrise-at-haleakala.html

3.  The beach in Paia:  This is a great spot to stop and watch the surfers.  It's beautiful and entertaining at the same time.  Definitely a worthwhile stop to put on you list!

Restaurants

The restaurants on Maui are not nearly as diverse or in as great of quantity as on Oahu.  There are restaurants...there are chains and local restaurants...there just aren't as many of them as you will find on Oahu.  Lahaina offers the most variety so if you are looking for a nice restaurant or some nightlife you will probably want to check out that area.

Shopping

Again, shopping is an area that Oahu wins hands down.  Maui has shopping but not nearly the amount that Oahu offers.  There are some high end shops in the Shops at Wailea and also in the Lahaina area.  There is a shopping mall near the airport but it's not nearly as nice as anything in Oahu.  You can shop....so don't worry about not being able to get your shopping fix....it's just a different experience.

Oahu vs. Maui.......My Thoughts

I have been to Oahu twice. Both times that I was there I enjoyed my time but was ready to head back to the mainland.  I have been to Maui once and I didn't want to leave.....in fact the valet had to console me as I was leaving the resort LOL!  

If you are looking for action, nightlife, hustle and bustle, and the draw of the big city.  Oahu is the place for you.  If you are looking for relaxing, beautiful, tropical and what most people think of when they think Hawaii....Maui is your spot.  That being said, I think everyone should visit Oahu at least once.  It's a great Island and has so much to offer.  Once you have done that....head to Maui for a real Hawaiian adventure!

Coming up Next:  Colorado Springs on a Budget

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Maui Day 8: Our Last Day in Paradise

As the saying goes...."time flies when you are having fun" and this week was no exception.  Much sooner than I was ready for it...our last day in Maui had arrived and I found that I was more than a little saddened by this fact!

As our last day dawned I found myself reliving the past week in my mind.  It was absolutely wonderful in every way!  It was so wonderful in fact that I found it difficult to leave the view from our lanai!  It was like I wanted to burn the memory of the view into my head to keep with me during the long winter months in Ohio!

One Last Walk Around the Grand Wailea Resort

We had asked for and received a late check out for the day.  Our flight didn't depart till 9:30 PM (which is very common for flights to the Mainland from Hawaii) so we had the entire day to enjoy the Island.  Once I was finally able to drag myself away from the lanai...I wanted to take one more walk around the beautiful grounds of the Grand Wailea Resort just to enjoy the place that we had called home for a little more than a week.  Here are some of the parting shots that I was able to take.....

Believe me it was not a pretty site when my hubby finally dragged me out of the room and loaded me in car to head out for the rest of our day!  Even the valet kept telling me it was ok...I could come back...LOL.  I really just wanted to stay!

Heading back to Paia

Once we got on our way from the resort we decided to head back up to Paia to catch some more of the big waves and watch the surfers.  When we got there we were greeted with lots of vehicles in the parking area by the beach.  Turns out we were there just in time to watch a Kite Surfing Championship!  Now that's not something you see in Ohio!  

The sadness of leaving the resort quickly was replaced by the excitement of watching World Class Kite Surfers handle some big waves!

The sights and sounds were like nothing I had ever experienced.  The bright colors of the kites....the warm breezes...the deep blue of the water...the sound of waves crashing.  There is nothing like it!  Here are some of the photos that I took....it doesn't do it justice but perhaps will give you an idea of the beauty of Paia!

Of Pineapples and Bringing them Home

We had time to head out to dinner after watching the kite surfing and then before we knew it, it was time to head to the airport for our flight.  Just a couple things to remember when you head to the airport in Hawaii...get there ahead of time.  Your baggage must go through a US agricultural inspection which is an extra step in the process.  You cannot pack produce in your bags.  However...there are ways to bring a bit of Hawaii home with you.  If your friends are like mine....they will appreciate the fresh pineapple you can bring home!  There are a couple of ways that you can do this.  You can purchase your pineapples ahead of time and pick them up to take as a carryon on your flight home or you can have them shipped home.  There are pros and cons to each method.  We were bringing a dozen Maui Gold pineapples home with us so carrying on was really not an option for us.  We read other travelers advice and headed to Mr. Pineapple.

Mr. Pineapple

Oahu has the Dole Plantation so it's really easy to find a way to ship some pineapples home.  Maui is a bit of a different story.  They sell the Maui Gold Pineapples but it isn't real convenient to find someone who sells and ships.  We found a brochure for Mr. Pineapple.  It was near the airport....you could buy and ship home...sounded perfect.  We actually went a day or two before we left and placed our order.  First of all Mr. Pineapple isn't exactly easy to find.  It is true that it is near the airport.  You will see a van parked in the parking lot.  The actual store is above a gas station in a small room.  Once we located it...we headed up and spoke with Mike who was running the store.  He was the only one there and was frantic with phone calls and other customers.  We waited our turn...tried the samples that were out and finally were able to place our order.  Now...the price of the pineapples isn't too bad....the cost to ship them home is slightly on the outrageous side...like about $100.00 or more so be prepared.  We wanted pineapples so we paid for the shipping.  We paid and headed off.  

Once we got home the pineapples arrived as scheduled.  There were two 6-packs taped together.  I opened the top pack and started passing them out to friends and family.  They were great...beautiful...fresh.  When I opened the bottom box...which was leaking (my first clue that something was out of whack)....four of the six pineapples were rotten.  I was able to save a little from each pineapple but certainly wasn't able to give them out as gifts.  I made a couple of attempts to contact Mr. Pineapple since their brochure indicated "satisfaction guaranteed" but alas...no one ever returned a call or email.  Left me feeling a bit rotten about Mr. Pineapple I must say!  So buyer beware...maybe it was a fluke...maybe not.  Just be careful if you are using Mr. Pineapple to 

There are also stores to purchase pineapples (same Maui Gold) in the airport.  I do not know if they ship them or not but certainly if you wanted to purchase a small box to carry on the plane it is possible to do that at the airport.

The Long Flight Home

So once you get to the airport it's time to prepare for the long trip home and it is long....even if you live on the west coast you still have a 5 hour flight back to the mainland.  Luckily our flight home was uneventful and our flights were on time unlike the trip there so about 15 hours after we left Maui we arrived in Cleveland.  This included our 5 hour layover at LAX.  Once again we were very happy that we has used the miles to  upgrade to First Class so that we could at least have more room to stretch out and get some rest on the way back.  It's a long trip to Maui (or anywhere in Hawaii for that matter) but it's a trip that will always be remembered!

Next up:  Maui vs. Oahu

Follow me on Twitter @travelswithmelb

Maui Day 7: The Spa Grande Experience...Hold onto Your Bathing Suits!

As the relaxing part of our Maui vacation continued, we decided to give the Grande Spa at the Grand Wailea a try.  We had read nothing but wonderful reviews of the Spa but had a few concerns before we booked.  Hopefully this will explain the process for those of you who may be a bit timid as well as answer questions for those who are not.

Booking your Spa Date

We  decided to book our spa treatments on our last full day at the resort.  We figured that this would be a wonderful way to end our vacation.  It was not a bad idea at all but I would say....any day that you can book this spa experience....do it!  

You can book your spa date before you leave from home.  We chose to wait till we got there so we could see how the days worked out with weather dependent activities such as the Road to Hana or Sunrise at Haleakala Crater.  I would recommend booking your visit close to when you first arrive at the resort so that you get the day that you want.  When we arrived the resort was not full at all.  Half way through our stay a convention descended onto the premises and things were packed.  The day that I ended up going to the spa....the place was full and there were guests who said they had been turned away on a certain day and had to book another.  If you are going to be at the resort during a peak season I would call ahead and book your spa treatments ahead of time.

We booked our spa treatments in person and the staff was wonderful about explaining the treatments and suggesting treatments that we would enjoy.  They were also very in tune with our comfort level and booked us with therapists they felt would be the best for us.  Based on their recommendations we booked the Duo Pala'au Journey.  This was explained as a couples Lomi Lomi massage with a body wrap and foot massage.  Ok.....sign me up!!!

How is The Spa Grande Experience Different?

I have been to spas before..mostly a local de Spa which has wonderful services but I have gone to some in places where we have traveled.  Some have been extravagant such as at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs and some have been a little toned down such as just in a specially designed guest room as in the Embassy Suites in Oxnard, California.  The Spa Grande was just a bit intimidating when we first started to look into it.  Let me ease your mind about those differences!

Terme Baths

When you book your spa treatment the staff will tell you to come about an hour or so early to enjoy the Terme Baths.  I wasn't familiar with this term (no pun intended) so I had them explain.  There is a women's side and a men's side which have identical facilities.  As part of your treatment, you can arrive early and will be treated to full use of the spa facilities before your treatment begins.  This area has many different kinds of baths that can be enjoyed.  There is an area with bath salts from each of the different Hawaiian island, a Roman Spa, Japanese Spa, shower areas, a steam therapy room, a waterfall and a room for your full body exfoliation treatment (which is included).  This area helps relax you and release tension in the muscles before your treatment so the therapists can work the muscles better and it's not so hard on your body.  

Clothing or No Clothing

Ok...I have to admit this was the biggest sticking point for me.  I am not a person who is comfortable walking around nude in front of other people and was afraid that I would feel very uncomfortable when I read that clothing in the spa area was "optional".  I asked about that during our booking process also.  It was explained to me that most people wear bathing suits for the Terme Baths and the pre-spa treatments but they are optional if someone choses to not wear one.  Towels are provided so it's not an awkward experience and there are changing rooms in the spa area so you don't have to change in front of other guests if you don't wish to do that.  Treatments are done without clothing but you are given a robe to wear as you travel to and from the treatment areas.  Ok....this eased my mind immensely.  It was also nice to know what to expect before going.  

The Smells

Ahhhh....the smells of the Spa Grande.  You can seriously "follow your nose" to the spa!  It just smells so wonderful...so clean and so relaxing and so perfect!  I seriously wanted to bring the smell home with me just so it reminded me of Maui!

Spa Day Arrives

So we booked our treatment the first day we arrived at the resort and then waited for the day to actually arrive.  We were so looking forward to it!  Here is how the experience unfolded for us.

Arrival

We arrived at the spa about 1.5 hours before our treatment time to check in.  There were some other guests checking in so there was a bit of a wait but nothing too long.  Once we checked in...we were directed to the correct changing/spa areas.  Like I said above...the first part of the experience is separated by gender so if you are doing one of the couples experiences you will be separate at first and then meet up on the Lanai for the couples part of your day.

The Terme Baths

Once you get through the doors of the women's or men's side of the spa there will be an attendant at a desk who will take you to your locker and show you the locker room area  amenities.  You will be shown how to set your combination on your locker and will be given a towel.  This attendant will then tell you to go into the spa area when you are ready and check in and they will show you around.  

Now this is where my experience and my husband's experience differed greatly.  What we didn't know when we booked our spa day was that there was a very large convention that was coming to the resort during the last part of our stay (which was when our spa date was).  The good thing was that we had booked enough in advance that our times were not affected.  The bad thing was that the women's side of the spa was PACKED!!  The men's side was not affected as much and my husband experience a much better level of service in the bath area than I did.  I spent much of my time confused and feeling a bit awkward I have to admit.

I put my things in my locker...got my spa shoes out and headed into the check in area.  I stood there for several minutes while an attendant was finishing up some paperwork before she noticed me standing there.  Once she did, she asked my name and showed me around a little bit.  I was shown the different bath areas, told to use the shower by the baths between baths in order to keep the salts from mixing together and then was told that I could enjoy everything and I would be called for my exfoliation treatment.  As soon as she stopped showing me around...before I could even get into anything, I was called for my exfoliation because they were expecting a crowd and wanted to get me in before the group came.  Ok....so off to exfoliation.

Exfoliation

This was an odd experience.  It was nice but a bit like something out of a SCI-FI movie.  I was led into a separate room which had a large table in the middle covered with rubber sheets.  I was told to lay on the table....ok...then they started the scrub and rinse process.  I do believe this was the first time that I have ever rinsed off while laying on a table!  It really was quite nice.  It was about a 5 minute procedure then I was told I could go ahead and enjoy the other areas till I was called for my treatment.  

The Car Wash

So here I am on my own....I figured I would go ahead and start with the baths with the different bath salts in them.  I decided I would spend about 5 minutes in each and then go ahead and rinse off.

Here is a tip....BE PREPARED for the high powered rinsing shower!  I was not.  My initial guide just told me to select the water temperature on the outside by pressing a button...Cold....Warm....Hot and then stepping into the shower.  That was it.....seemed pretty easy....um....

So I get out of my first bath and head to the power rinser (that is a nice term for it!)..I push the button for Warm...not knowing how Hot..Hot would be and certainly not wanting a cold rinse.  Nothing happens.  I push it again...and step into the shower....still nothing.  I step out and push it one more time and step into the shower.....nothing and then.........all of sudden there were sprayers coming out of everywhere (and I do mean everywhere) that were like pressure washers!  They went from over my head to my knees and hurt!!!  This space was barely large enough to fit a person into and these jets were coming out at some ungodly pressure!  I had no clue how long I was going to be in there with these things on and finally couldn't stand it any more so I got out of the shower and tried to shut the door.....now I guess in hindsight I should have figured that high pressure water jets and a door probably wouldn't work well.  I couldn't get the door to stay shut and the stupid jets kept pushing the door open and spraying me in the face.  It must have looked hilarious!  Finally the jets stopped and hurried up and shut the door and ran (well as fast as one can run in spa shoes!) away from it.  It was like some sort of water torture chamber as far as I was concerned! You would think they could have warned you about that!

I went back into the next salt bath...dreading the next power rinse.  Luckily another guest was in another of the baths and said...."I hate that shower too".  Obviously I had been witnessed during this horrible experience!  She told me she refused to go back into it and found the regular showers in the next room and just used those between the salt baths.  AH....thank goodness!!!  Once I did that...it was much better!  As I was sitting in the baths...."the group" came in and were being shown around.  It was explained to them that if you are height challenged you should use the car wash on the right hand side (there were two) because the top jets were turned off...otherwise they would hit you in the eyes.  Now I am all of 5'2 1/2"  again....you would have thought that someone could have pointed this out to me before I hopped in the LEFT side!

Lesson learned....If I am ever lucky enough to return to this spa I will NOT be using the water torture chambers to rinse off but rather the regular showers!

The Waterfall and the Roman Spa

After the bath experience...I decided that I had pretty much had enough of the rinsing thing so I headed to the waterfall area.  It's a big pipe with lots of water falling from near the ceiling.  It comes down with quite a bit of force.  You sit in the bottom and can move to adjust where the waterfall hits you.  This was amazing!  It felt like a back massage in and of itself!  I would definitely recommend this part of the experience to everyone!

I finally ended up in the Roman Spa.  It was basically a large jacuzzi/hot tub.  There was a cold rinse area beside it which they tell you you should do because it enhances your circulation...um...not sounding real appealing at this point.  Much better sitting in the warm part!  

The strangest part of this area for me was that it was difficult to get a dry towel.  They give you one towel to start with.  Well after the power wash that one is pretty much trashed.  I carried a wet towel around with me for quite awhile.  Only thing it was good for was a slight squeegee effect.  I never saw an attendant the entire time I was in the baths after my exfoliation.  I am guessing this is unusual and not quite the normal service..probably due to the group that had descended on the place.  The reason that I think this is because my husband said his attendant checked on him multiple times and brought him dry towels and drinks.  I finally located an area where there were dry towels hanging on the walls.  I grabbed one and used it for awhile.  Just kind of awkward.

The first time I saw any spa employee was while I was in the Roman Spa.  They were looking for people who needed exfoliated and people who were going to their spa treatments.  Finally my name was called for my treatment and I was given a towel and a robe and told to go change, put my robe on and meet them at the bottom of the steps.  I went to get my spa shoes which I had left by a chair and realized that someone from "the group" must have walked off with them and left me a pair that was 2 sizes too small.  I went to the front desk area.  People there looked a bit scared that I was standing there but did find me a pair of shoes in my size.  I headed to the locker area, put my wet swimsuit in a bag that was provided and headed out to the steps.

The Spa Treatment

Now this is where the real relaxation began.  I was taken up to the lanai, given some water and told to wait till the therapists came to get us.  I met up with my husband there.  He asked how the bath experience had been for me....I said...a bit weird.  He looked at me kind of funny but just said that his was very nice.  Neither of us elaborated at the time.  

We sat for awhile (not long at all) and then were greeted by our therapists.  They led us to our treatment room (it was quite a walk...lots of treatment rooms!) They showed us the lotions they would be using...let us choose our favorites, explained the treatment and told us to disrobe and climb between the sheets on the treatment tables (tables are separate). The reentered and began the massage portion of the treatment....it was HEAVEN!  Absolutely wonderful!  Next thing I know I hear my husband snoring away on his table.  I was fighting it but I know I fell asleep for at least a portion of it.  

After the massage they wrapped each of us up in a "cocoon" which they accurately described as feeling like a burrito!  The blankets and sheets were warm and you feel completely encased.  They place a warm cloth over your eyes so it is totally relaxing.  They told us they would not leave the room because occasionally someone feels claustrophobic and they are there to remove them from the wrap.  During this time they did the special foot massage.  Again...amazing!  They wrapped our feet and then let us stay in our cocoons for awhile.  I hear my husband struggling to get his arms out...a little too close for him. The therapists helped him get his arms out and he was fine then.   I on the other hand loved the warm protected feeling of the cocoon.  

They unwrapped us and then left us to dress and fill out the bill and the gratuity section at our leisure.  

This is when we started noticing the differences between our services in the bath area.  

The bill listed spots for gratuities for each of our therapists.  Ok....get that.  Then there was an area that listed the names of the spa attendants.  I said, "Who is that?"  Hubby says "Mine was David...he was great...got me everything I needed.  Definitely want to leave him a tip!"  I said, "I don't even recognize the name that's listed as my attendant.  I never really saw anyone after I checked in."  Hubby says..."They didn't take you for your exfoliation?"  I said, "Yeah...it was a lady but I didn't know her name and I never saw her again after the exfoliation was done."  Hubby says, "Oh..David was with me the whole time...got me dry towels...got me things to drink...we had a great talk about the Island."  I just looked at him and said, "Really?? I don't even know who was supposed to be with me.  It was really awkward...I just kind of wandered around not knowing what I was supposed to do."  He was shocked at the difference in the level of service as was I.  

We finished filling out our gratuities and headed back out to the lanai to relax for a few minutes before heading back down to our separate areas to shower and change back into our regular clothes. 

Leaving the Spa

I headed back down to the women's area, quickly got a shower and changed into my clothes as I was leaving someone asked if I had enjoyed the day...I said yes I had.  Again, another person altogether.  I really have no idea who the person was that I tipped for being my attendant.  My husband said David met him when he got back to the men's area and again checked on his experience as he left.  

Overall....

It was a fantastic Spa.  The facilities were the best I had ever experienced.  The massage therapy was fantastic.  The baths were nice and relaxing.  Other than the spa attendant or lack thereof on my side everything was just perfect.  I probably wouldn't have even realized that it was lacking had I not had my husband's experience to compare.  I am pretty self sufficient so it really didn't bother me that I was pretty much left alone to find my way except that there was a certain "awkwardness" about it.  If I am lucky enough to return (and I certainly would if given the chance) I would know what to expect a bit more and feel much less inhibited or awkward with the bath area.   I would highly recommend spending a relaxing day here if you can fit it into your Maui schedule you won't be sorry!

Next:  Maui Day 8:  Last Day in Paradise

Follow me on Twitter  @travelswithmelb

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Maui Day 6: A Relaxing Day at the Grand Wailea Pool

After several days of travel and hitting all of the Maui sites away from the water....we decided it was high time to start the relaxing part of our vacation!

One of the great draws of the Grand Wailea Resort and Spa are it's many pools.  It is also one of the areas that guests complain about the most on TripAdvisor.  Here is our experience and some tips of what to expect to ease the stress of the pool!

The Grand Wailea Pools

All of the pools at the Grand Wailea are in one general area.  There are however two totally different experiences that await you.  

Grand Wailea Canyon Activity Pool

This pool area is 2,00 feet long, 25,700 total square feet and holds 770,000 gallons of water.  It is one large pool area that consists of 9 separate pools on 6 different levels.  The pools are connected by a river that carries swimmers along whitewater rapids and gentle currents.  There are lots of activites for kids and adults alike.  There are four jungle pools, four intertwining slides, a whitewater rapids slide, a Tarzan pool with rope swing, a sand beach, six waterfalls, caves, three jacuzzis, an infant pool, a water elevator and a swim up bar.  What more could anyone possibly want???!!  It's a great area with lots of nooks and crannies.  

The Hibiscus Pool

This is the adult pool area.  It is reserved for guests 18 years of age and older.  This is a great relaxing area with a romantic setting.  The pool is typically quieter and much more relaxing than the activity pool area.  The 4,850 square foot Hibiscus pool is named for the giant Hibiscus flower inlaid on the bottom of the pool made from over 630,000 pieces of Mexican glass mosaic tile.  There are two jacuzzis in this area. 

These are beautiful areas and are only footsteps away from the Wailea beach where you can also sit and relax if you prefer the ocean to the pool areas.

So with all these options....what's the problem?

If you read TripAdvisor or any other website with reviews you are bound to see lots of posts from guests who are angry about the pool policies at the Grand Wailea.    I am not sure what exactly has them all riled up as we didn't experience any problems but let me try to explain a bit....

1.  There is a check in required at the pool. 

This check in is simply to show a room key and provide your information so they know that you are a guest of the hotel.  You are then given a wristband to wear for the day.  The color changes each day so you must follow the same check in process each day.  If you look at the photo above showing the beach area.  You will start to understand why this is important.  The hotel pool area is separated by a thin rope and a walkway from the public beach area.  The key word here is PUBLIC.  Anyone can go there.  The hotel has to have some way to monitor the area so that only their guests are using the pool!  My thought is that guests would be even more upset if there were hoards of locals or people from other nearby hotels that were taking up spots at the pool.  

2.  This check in is a multi-step process.  

There is a line to check in to get your bracelet and then once you have your bracelet you stand in line to get your towels.  Ok....maybe a bit redundant but it allows employees to focus on one thing.  The problem is that sometimes the lines back up early in the day when everyone is headed to the pool.  As we were standing in line there was a guest who was screaming (and I do mean screaming) "How long are we supposed to stand in this line???"  Now we were ahead of her and had only been there maybe 5 minutes tops.  Really?  It just didn't seem to be that bad to me.

3.  There are limited chairs around the pool.  

There is a limit to how many chairs can fit by the pool.  Some of these areas are taken by cabanas which are rented by the day.  The normal size cabana has 6 chairs (3 inside and 3 outside).  Guests get put off because they are not allowed to use these chairs even if the cabanas are not rented.  One of the big complaints is that you have to go down to pool so early in the day in order to get a chair.  My thought on that is....if you know that ahead of time (and it's certainly out there to read in the reviews) then you have to plan on that.  People get really bent out of shape about it though!

Our Experience and Tips for a Relaxing Day at the Pool

I admit that our experience may not be the typical pool lover's experience but knowing the above issues...this is what we did to avoid a stressful pool day!

1.  We decided to pamper ourselves and reserve a Cabana for our pool day.

Cabanas at the Grand Wailea do not come cheap (this is also one of the complaints you will read about).  The cost for the entire day is $300.00.  This includes 6 chairs with towels, a fruit plate with fresh fruits and banana bread, bottles of water delivered in an ice bucket, and cool towels that are brought around in the afternoon.  It is certainly not something that most people could afford every day.  Since we were driving around Maui the other days of our vacation, we decided that for one day it was a special splurge and it would help us to avoid the guests who were worried about grabbing chairs!  

2.  We booked our Cabana the day before. 

We knew which day we were going to be spending the entire day at the pool so we simply went down to the pool check in area the morning before and reserved a cabana for the next day.  There was a convention at the resort at the time so the hotel itself was very full but we didn't have any trouble with availability.  They asked where we would like to have our cabana.  We indicated that we would like to be at the adult pool.  They let us choose which one we wanted (making suggestions for the best locations available) but also indicated that location is not guaranteed depending on if other guests who are members of the hotel would select that cabana.  They called and left a message on our room phone the evening before to tell us that our location was set.

3.  We headed down to the pool fairly early.

Even though we knew we had chairs, we wanted to make the most of our cabana so we headed down to the pool early and hopped in line at the check in desk before it got too crowded.  If you are paying that much for a cabana rental....you want to make the most of it!!  At this time we were asked when we wanted our water and fruit plate delivered.  Lunch is available from a menu at the restaurant nearby and is not included in the cost of the cabana.  The resturant begins taking orders at 11 AM so plan your fruit plate around when you might want to eat your lunch.

4.  Make sure to enjoy the "Tiki" Drinks

Nothing says tropics like a Tiki Drink!  Sipping a Mai Tai by the pool is absolutely wonderful.  The Grand Wailea offers two types of specialty glasses.  You can bring them back to the pool for your entire stay and enjoy a small savings on drinks.

Any time there is a savings involved...take advantage of it!

5.  Enjoy your day!

This was a wonderful day. It was totally relaxing.  The service was great...the pool was amazing and it was just an amazing day.  You can spend part of the day at the pool and part at the beach or the whole day at the pool. Enjoy the birds that will come and sit with you.  Enjoy the food and the drinks, the refreshing pool, the relaxing jacuzzi... No matter what...just relax and enjoy it!  This is how paradise must feel!

Coming Next:  Maui Day 7:  The Grande Spa Experience

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Maui Day 5: A Day in Lahaina or How to Buy a Ukelele in Maui

Day 5 in Maui...how quickly the week was going already.  We had traveled to Haleakala Crater for sunrise.  We had gotten up at the crack of dawn to travel the Road to Hana.  Day 5.....the beginning of the slow down....a day to shop and check out the other resort area on Maui....Lahaina.

View from the Hard Rock Cafe in Lahaina

After all the hustle and bustle of the previous days...it felt like heaven to sleep in later than 4:00 AM and take a little slower approach to the day.  Of course with the 5 hour time difference it still felt like sleeping in when I was up by 6:00 AM!  Our plans for the day were to head to Lahaina.  There are two main resort areas in Maui....Wailea and Lahaina.  Since we were staying in the Wailea area we wanted to see exactly what we were missing by not staying in Lahaina....so off we went.  We had dinner reservations in Lahaina for the evening but decided to make the 45 minute drive earlier in the day to see what it was like during the day.

Of Ukeleles and other things Hawaiian

First order of business for the day was to locate a "decent" ukelele.  A friend of mine was interested in a ukelele and what better place to find the genuine article than in Hawaii?  Now there are all kinds of ukeleles in Hawaii....head into your local ABC store and you will find any number of them on the shelves.  These range in price from $5.00 to about $40.00 and from the research that I did are basically toys.  They are not something that a serious musician would consider.  However...if you are just looking for a cool souvenir that screams "I was in Hawaii", this will certainly do.

However....if you are looking for a real ukelele there are a couple of places that are highly recommended.  Mele Ukelele is located near the airport in Wailuku and Lahaina Music is located in Lahaina.  Since Lahaina was in the travel plans for the day....it was Lahaina Music that I decided to check out.  The store was easy to locate in a plaza on one of the main roadways through the city.  It is located at 10 Honoapillani Hwy, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii in a shopping plaza.  Easy enough to find.  I don't know anything about ukeleles except what I had read online but I was about to learn a lot!

I went into the store and was surprised to find that there were several other customers there looking for ukeleles also.  Some played ukeleles and were looking to add to their collections and some were strictly looking for a souvenir from their time in the islands and had never played before.  I had lots of questions and the employee who waited on me was very patient and informative.  The main things that I learned is that mahogany is one of the best woods for ukeleles.  It has a very mellow sound.  Ukeleles are not high priced items but come in prices that are in quite a range.  (Anywhere from $25.00 on up to $500 and above).  I was told that there is a huge difference between a $25.00 ukelele and a $150.00 ukelele but not so much between a $150.00 instrument and a higher end one.  She was also able to play several and let me hear the differences before I made my final selection. She also explained that there are soprano ukeleles and tenor ukeleles.  Since I was purchasing this one for an adult male...she recommended that I go with the tenor as it is a little bigger and works better for adult hand sizes.  I settled on a $175.00 instrument that was on sale for $125.00 and came with a soft case and some music.  They even offered a free lesson so you had an idea of how to play it before you got it home.

Once I chose an instrument she told me a couple of other things to help with the trip back to the mainland. Ukeleles have nylon strings which need to be stretched.  She did that for me but then did not tighten them completely so that they would break in the change of air pressure on the flight home.  Another thing with the nylon strings, ukeleles need to be tuned often when you first buy them.  I asked if I needed to purchase a special tuner but was told that a guitar tuner would work just the same.

All in all it was a stop of about 30-45 minutes but well worth the time.  I felt much better about my purchase at a music store than simply at the ABC store.  All my questions were answered and the whole process was informative and painless and actually quite a fun little diversion!

Downtown Lahaina

After purchasing the ukelele it was time to head to downtown Lahaina and find some lunch.  I kind of had a different idea of what the shops in Lahaina would be like.  One of the employees at our hotel said that she decided to live in the Lahaina area because there is so much more to do than in Wailea and things were just a bit more "happening.  Well if "happening" means crowded than yes it was.  However, I really didn't see a whole lot of shopping areas.  They had some small touristy type shops that you could walk to if you could get around the hoards of people that were also trying to get there.  The shops themselves were not anything special in my opinion and several of them in some areas were out of business.  It was an interesting way to spend some time but not somewhere that I felt I would need to go back and visit a second time. 

There were lunch options there.  We chose to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe.  It was a different experience as the windows were completely open and it came with a wonderful view of the ocean right across the street.  As far as food goes....it was a HardRock....no better...no worse.  They had a few local options on the menu but for the most part it was your typical HardRock.  

Hard Rock Cafe Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii

 After lunch we walked around a little more and then decided to head back to the car and head a little further north on the Island.  Just north of the downtown Lahaina area there is an area with all the resorts.  (More on this a little later).  We stopped at Whaler's Village which is an outdoor mall to do some shopping.  We found that the shops there are a little higher end with a mix of your typical mall stores and local stores.  This was a nice way to spend some time and was worth the stop.  Personally, I preferred this type of shopping to the shops that were in downtown Lahaina.

After a drive a little further north of Lahaina, we decided to head back to our resort in Wailea and relax and get ready to head back to Lahaina for our dinner reservation.

You Never Know What you Might See

When you are driving in Maui always keep your eyes open....the terrain changes very quickly and you never know what you might run across.  As we were headed back to our hotel....just outside of the Lahaina area....we ran across a small beach on the side of the roadway.  Out of the corner of our eyes, we say someone kite surfing and some windsurfers so we quickly turned around and headed back to watch and grab some pictures!  Not something you see everyday in Ohio!

 Heading Back for Dinner at Ruth's Chris Lahaina

We headed back to the hotel and had a little while to change for dinner and head back out.  The sun was just beginning to set as we started our trek back to Lahaina. Not the most spectacular sunset we saw but they all seem beautiful in their own way.

One thing that I would suggest if you are making the trip from Wailea to Lahaina is to give yourself plenty of time.  In good traffic the drive is about 45 minutes....during rush hour....it takes a little longer.  You will also have to give yourself time to park in a public parking area and walk to the restaurant of your choice.  

As you all know if you have read any of my blogs...we are Ruth's Chris Steakhouse fanatics!  If there is one in the area where we are staying...we will visit it!  We had already been to the one in Wailea so tonight it was time to check out the one in Lahaina.

We found a parking lot and made it there just in time for our reservation after a short delay due to heavy traffic.  The area was very quaint and the ambiance great both inside and out.

The food was very good. This is usually the case but in comparison to the quality and service at the one in Wailea...this one won hands down.

It was beautiful inside and we couldn't have asked for better service or food.

After dinner we walked back to our car which was parked relatively close and were met by a person who was giving out "free" advice on where we should have parked.  Turns out this person was looking for some money for his advice and followed us to our vehicle until we gave him some.  Note....just be on the lookout for people doing this....even though it's Hawaii...they are not immune to some of the same problems as cities in the mainland encounter.

Wailea or Lahaina

You look at the travel information online or in travel books and you make the best decision you can on where to stay based on the information that you can gather but you've never been there before so how do you REALLY know the best place to stay.  Maui is not cheap and the resorts are pretty expensive per night...you really don't want to screw it up but what's the difference between the two main areas?

My thoughts on this were that Wailea is a bit more laid back.  There aren't as many "touristy" things to do....little shops....nightlife....restaurants...bars....it's more of high end resort feel.  It offers beautiful scenery and wonderful tropical gardens at the sprawling resorts.  There are beaches and high end shops nearby.  A short drive to Kihei will take you to lots of chain restaurants and grocery stores.

Lahaina on the other hand does offer the touristy things listed above.  There is more going on.  The resorts however are not the sprawling variety.  They are large high rise hotels for the most part that are located on or near the beach depending on which one you choose.  It's a bit of a more crowded feel but there are beaches nearby.  

My personal opinion is that I loved the Wailea area and was happy that we had chosen it over the Lahaina area but that's just me.  I loved that it was less crowded and more relaxing and even though there was a drive to some of the areas, nothing is that far on an island!  However...it is really a personal choice as to which area is right for you so just be sure to check out your options as best as possible and know yourself and what type of a vacation you are looking for!

Next:  Maui Day 6:  A Relaxing Day in the Cabana

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