Casual Dinner Ideas?

We are so looking forward to our Maui trip in late October. I have made reservations for several tours and ';nice'; dinners. I am looking for ideas for casual, not too expensive, dinners near the sheraton. We like interesting, not chain like food. Thanks

Holly

Casual Dinner Ideas?

Hula Grill Barefoot Bar, Leilani%26#39;s downstairs, Lagoon Bar (Sheraton), Castaway Cafe (about 7 minutes north) There%26#39;s a start for you! Have fun

Casual Dinner Ideas?

My first thought was Hula Grill%26#39;s Barefoot Bar. It%26#39;s a fun place with a great view. A good place to people watch as well.

We just mosey down to Whaler%26#39;s and eat at the Hula Grill outside. Call it laziness. Call it good food, view or music. It%26#39;s time for us to venture out and try new places ... but heck, I don%26#39;t want to. I just want to mosey down to Whalers%26#39;s Village ...

I don%26#39;t know how late the pool bar/grill is open at the Sheraton, but their food is very good, and it%26#39;s a great place to be lazy as well.

expand your horizons and drive down to kehei and try cafe o lei -- make a reservation --very popular and a very broad menu

BLBL -- I%26#39;ve forgotten. Can you explain how to %26#39;mosey%26#39;? Can just anyone do it? Can I simply %26#39;mosey%26#39; or do I have to %26#39;mosey on';? Must I always %26#39;mosey on down%26#39;; how do I get back? LOL LOL

How casual do you want to go?? If you happen to go to Kihei, one of the greatest places to eat is Da Kitchen!!

Sue -- Hawaii is all about ';mosey.'; You can mosey any way you want. I rarely mosey here at home, so it%26#39;s a real treat!

It%26#39;s not mosey on down in Hawaii.....it%26#39;s hele on down........

If you decide to go somewhere else besides Kaanapali you might want to try Aloha Mixed Plate in Lahaina. There are numerous restaurants on Front Street!!

You could try a fairly new restaurant in Lahaina called The Mai Tai Lounge. Sounds quite casual and quite good.

MsFuzz - I stand corrected!

Jeans in Maui???

My DH and I leave for maui in the morning, we are almost all packed and ready to go but do we need to bring jeans?

Any input would be great as we have never been to maui/hawaii before.

Thank you

Jeans in Maui???

Aloha emtangel,

I wear my jeans and hoody on the plane with a sleeveless top and bring a pair of lightweight shorts in my carry on and the minute we get to the Maui airport I change into my shorts. The 10 day forecast for North and South Maui is 85-87 degrees daytime and the coolest at night will be about 75 degrees. The only time I see my jeans again until we leave is if we go to Haleakala for sunrise or hike in an area with heavy brush and mosquitos. If you wear them on the plane at least you have them if you need them and you don%26#39;t have to take up precious space in your suitcase.

Jeans in Maui???

You%26#39;ll only need jeans if you are going to Haleakala at sunrise. They are way, way to heavy for general use. Take light cottons and breathable fabrics. Shorts, capris, T-shirts and light-weight tops/polos, Aloha shirts. Sandal, tennies. Bathing suit.

We wore jeans and sweatshirts on our first trip from Sacramento. Early morning November flight - so jeans, polo and sweatshirt. Our connection was through LA, so when we saw all the passengers get on the plane there in T-shirts, flip-flops, shorts, etc ... we realized that the blue jeans were a bad move.

I%26#39;m with the other posters. I love my jeans but I would never ';pack'; them for a Maui trip. I wear them on the plane just in case the cabin is kept cold. If we go on a sunrise trip up the mountain I can use them. Other than that, wearing long pants or heavy material is out of the question. I seldom even do t-shirts. I opt, instead, for very light weight aloha shirts. The ones sold on the mainland are a bit too heavy for me so I%26#39;ve been known to make a quick hop over to the Ross store in Kahului. They have a massive aloha shirt selection. 20 minutes and very few bucks later I%26#39;m set.

Have fun!

Mike

I live in jeans here from October to April. Then it gets too hot to wear them and I switch to lighet cotton pants. It has always been too warm and humid for me to be comfy in jeans in Hawaii in January...so about 16 years ago I stopeed wearing them on the plane or taking them along.

This is a tough one for me. I LIVE in jeans!!! I was hoping I could wear them (nice designer ones) when we go out at night with a cute shirt....DARN!!!!

rellyrooly

I LIVE in jeans!!! I was hoping I could wear them (nice designer ones) when we go out at night with a cute shirt....DARN!!!!%26gt;%26gt;

you can wear them if you like but you will really be more comfortable in something lighter like linen or shorts - you can wear shorts to any restaurant on maui in the pm

rellyrooly: You do realize that very few folks here have lived through a 115+ degree Arizona summer... If you can ';live in your jeans'; through that you might possibly feel just fine on Maui.

Aloha

Mike

this is just my opinion and you can wear whatever makes you happy, but designer jeans don%26#39;t look right in Hawai%26#39;i, although in Arizona is a different story.

If I wore any jeans here it would be a variation of classic Levi%26#39;s, no bells and whistles, stitching, designer name, any of that. Jeans are for working and traversing rugged terrain.

The only reason they%26#39;re needed in Hawai%26#39;i is for their toughness, to protect people from thorns, rocks, etc.., and the designer look is too city.

If you want to look island dressy with a cute top, you might try a sarong (lava lava, pareu), or lightweight pants.

That said, if I go to the mall, plenty of teenage girls in trendy jeans. The thing is, the majority of the teenagers all want to look like they live in LA or SF, not in Hawai%26#39;i. They don%26#39;t dress island style ... to them it%26#39;s not cool. They grew up here.

When you visit, it%26#39;s fun to go light with the clothing. At sea level, jeans are a heavy fabric, so when you wear them you kind of look like a fashion victim, as there%26#39;s no practical reason to be wearing them.

I know, I know, it just hurts....(JK)

Really though, I do know that jeans are really not island wear as I have been to Maui before. In fact, I found this to be true in places like Paris as well. You really would never see a parisian in jeans there either. It does scream ';American'; (not that it is a bad thing, just that you are not a local). I think I will ditch the jeans. You know what they say...';When in rome...';

I am just trying not to buy a lot of stuff before I leave and I am trying to figure out what I will wear at places like David Paul%26#39;s. Guess I%26#39;ll be shopping this week!

But a pair of black cotton slacks or jean-cut pants. Wear them with the same shirts you were going to wear with the jeans. They make them for men and those are easy to find if you can wear men%26#39;s jeans/slacks.

Or if it%26#39;s all too stressful, just bring the jeans and decide once you are there if they are comfortable. If not, those cotton slacks will come in handy.

zipline adventures

Does anyone know of any zipline adventure tours on Oahu?

zipline adventures

hi

as far as i know there are not ant ziplines on oahu.

aloha marie

zipline adventures

None right now, but there is talk about a company starting one up in Koko Head area.

Don%26#39;t know if the public would support or oppose the idea of a zipline there.

North Shore Makahiki Festival

We attended the 2006 Op North Shore Makahiki Festival. Is there a festival every year to kick off the Triple Crown of Surfing? If so does it move from town to town?

North Shore Makahiki Festival

There used to be an annual festival to kick off the Triple Crown of Surfing.

I may be wrong, but I don%26#39;t think there was one last year because of a lack of sponsorship.

Haven%26#39;t seen any info about a festival this year.

nail polish

Wailea Marriott vs. Maui Prince

I have read the reviews for both the Wailea Marriott and Maui Prince and cannot decide. My husband and I are planning our first trip to Maui in October (obviously last minute) for 7 days. We don%26#39;t have kids. We are looking to snorkel, hike, relax on the beach, and will rent a car. From the reviews, it seems like the Maui Prince has a nice beach, no extra fees, but the facility is outdated. The Marriott seems closer to other restaurants, which is very appealing, recently underwent renovations, but some felt nickle and dimed, and the service can be poor. Can anyone share their perspective or experiences that might be a dealbreaker for me? I realize there are things I might not be considering and I need to decide soon.

Wailea Marriott vs. Maui Prince

We stayed at the Maui Prince and loved it. It%26#39;s very quiet and laid back, which is what we wanted. The room was nice, especially since we had oceanfront. If you want oceanfront, I think the Maui Prince is your best bet. Another thing we liked was how close the parking lot was to the hotel. We come and go a lot and it wasn%26#39;t a big hike to get from the car to the room.

The Prince is a bit away from anything else though. We had to drive to get to restaurants and shopping. There are a couple of restaurants at the Prince but we wanted some variety. The drive was only a couple of miles tho to get to other hotels or the Shops at Wailea so even that wasn%26#39;t too bad. But, if you want to be able to walk to other places you might be happier at the Marriot.

Wailea Marriott vs. Maui Prince

Maui Prince has 80%26#39;s Japan-inpired architecture and simple furnishings that focus attention on the atrium, outdoors. Rooms have been refurbished. Look at recent guest photos. It is emphatically NOT glitzy marble and brass glamor. I did a review as a repeat customer in January, Bips was just there.

I have stayed at Four Seasons and Grand Wailea but prefer Makena. You might choose based on the location you prefer--Wailea (in the thick of the resorts) or Makena (remote in that it is a 5 min drive to Wailea or a 20-30 minute walk to the Shops there). Prince has a free shuttle.

We are leaving this Friday for the Maui Prince! We stayed there for our honeymoon about 5 years ago and loved it.. It depends on what you want but we enjoyed that it was a little further..felt more secluded.. the hotel was nice and quiet last time we were there..nothing glitzy as others have said but the beach is awesome, service was great and I felt very relaxed.. we debated this time about staying somewhere else jsut to try it out but as my husband always says, why fix it if it aint broke:-)..so we are going back to the Prince..

I love the location/beach of the Prince for swimming with the turtles. At the Marriott, you have to walk to the beach. Since I usually drive to restaraunts, I would choose the Prince.

My choice would be the Maui Prince too! It has been a number of years since we stayed there but it was beautiful...it was quiet and peaceful with beautiful gardens and great views of the ocean from the room! I wonder if they still have those louvered ';back'; doors. With the balcony door open the breeze used to whisper through and it was just beautiful! To some the more ';remote'; location might be a problem...to us it was a bonus!!

Okay - so here is a different perspective. We stayed at the Grand Wailea and the Marrott last May and thought the Marriott was so wonderful that we have already booked for next May. The hotel has been completely redone, the rooms are good size and very clean, the adult pool is by far one of the nicest in the Islands and the staff were 100 times nicer than those at the Grand. We did not feel nickeled and dimed although food service at the pool was not inexpensive(after all this is Hawaii). Although there is no beach directly IN FRONT of the hotel it is just steps to either side and there is a wonderful beach walk in front of all the Wailea hotels. I really loved the idea that I could walk up to the Shops at Wailea in the morning and get my morning coffee and bagel for a very reasonable price at Whaler%26#39;s little grocery. There are also some great restaurants at the shops and you don%26#39;t need to get into your car and drive, it%26#39;s just steps away. So my vote would be for an updated, great hotel just steps away from shopping and eating.

Novice we just got back from our 3rd stay at the Prince. this is our goto location on Maui, with a rental car it is the best out of the way location, no crowds, stay on the other side from the pool because of the construction going on on new townhomes 100yrds away. We would also recommend to check out ';Ocean Riders'; for snorkeling tours they are the only ones to go around the whole island of Lani, outstanding snorkeling and saw dolphins 3 times. The snorkeling on the beach at Maui Prince is great, hot spots are south end by the construction areas and by the tie up bouy for the sail boat that is in front of hotel (turtle hotspots as well) hope this helps most of all remember your on Vacation

Maui Prince is it for me!! They have the best Sunday Champagne Brunch on the island. Get reservations, you won%26#39;t be sorry.

I stayed at the Wailea Marriott this past May using points, and I thought it was a great hotel. The hotel is within walking distance to the Wailea Shops and to various beaches via a paved path in which the Marriott is on one end and Grand Wailea on the other end. The area is pretty, and I like the piped-in fragrance that you can smell as you check in. It immediately puts you in the Maui mood. The adult pool is a definite plus. The Grand Wailea seems like a great place for a spa day -- expensive but the facilities looked very pretty. The Marriott is also 5 minutes from Kihei for more dining options. The only negative is the stupid $25 (I think) daily resort fee.

Fishing questions

First, does anyone know of any of the snorkel boats that throw of a hook and line on their snorkel trips. A couple on Maui do but it is not a guaranteed thing. We will have our youngest son and nephew next June with us an I didn%26#39;t want to commit to a fishing charter if either have seasickness issues. The older son had problems with a charter boat out in open water. But the snorkel boats generally stay closer to shore in calmer waters and we have never had problems. And since snorkeling is a main reason for the trip we could double our fun in one trip.

The other is if there is a good area for fly fishing. Like some shallows for some bonefish or others. I have heard there is some bonefishing flats on Oahu but haven%26#39;t seen anything on Kauai. Trying to figure out if it%26#39;s worth it to try and pack my rod. It doesn%26#39;t take up a lot of room but with the baggage issues these days every square inch of room is a commodity now days.

Fishing questions

I have not heard about your first question but here%26#39;s a site for fly fishing that Koloagirl found for someone last year.

http://www.bonefishkauai.com/

Fishing questions

Capt Sundown out of the North Shore says they will put a line in on the way out---I am pretty sure there is at least one boat tour out of the the south that does the same thing.

Flyfishing would be better off with a guide and there is a few on the island... put some key words in search box above (peacock, bonefish etc.) most supply you with gear....

jebett, thanks for the link. Looks like the Bone%26#39;s will be safe while we%26#39;re there. Too much time fore just a few hook ups and I%26#39;m not into spending that much for a guide. It is ironic that that guide also guided on the Umpqua river which I live literally right next to.

slh55, thanks for the tip about Captain Sundown. Found the website and it looks like a real possibility. Price is up there so we%26#39;ll have to see how the budget is when the time comes.

The top photo in the link jebett posted, is Anini. You don%26#39;t need a guide. If you have room, pack the rod %26amp; reel. I just posted our trip report - we bring our own fishing gear, but not flyfishing. Any chance you get to fish, go for it!

Here%26#39;s a site on Hawaii fishing including fly fishing:

hawaiibeachcombers.com/hawaii-fly-fishing.ht…

3Chihuahuas

As rec. in website above (hawaii beachcombers) when unfamiliar w/flyfishing in Kauai--go with a guide/they will provide the flyfishing gear. It is expensive, usually $200 half-day trip..

Besides the www.bonefishkauai.com here are some others that may be helpful...

www.sportfishinghawaii.com and www.flyfishingconnection.com

A warning though, thoroughly research the guide you choose for other opinions. Some have not been happy w/their fishing expeditions. My son is a rabid flyfisherman and TU member--he will be looking for spots in October!

Hate to burst your bubble, but if snorkeling is the main reason that you are taking a napali coast tour, you might think about other options.

The snorkeling on those tours is just so-so, and you can get better snorkeling off the beaches. Now, many tourists have never been in the ocean before, so it is exciting to them, but those who have snorkeled will understand what I am saying.

The idea that is is calmer nearer shore on board a boat is not really all that accurate. As the seas get closer to land, and it begins to get shallower , the friction slows the travel of the wave and it starts to build higher, until it breakes.

Closer to shore is rougher. That is usually evident when departing, or returning to the channel entrance.

So, just be aware of that. Unless it happens to be a quite unusual day, and dead calm, you are going to get some uncomfortable seas and spray later in your passage.

We love the Napali trips, and have been on 11 of them now, and they were all great.

Also, went out on a friend%26#39;s 53 foot sport fisher a couple of weeks ago, and had seven lines trolling, and not a nibble. I guess that can happen, but, as you mentioned, paying a hefty fee for a charter boat, and getting skunked, well the luck of the draw. Our trip was free, and still lots of fun.

On any of our Napali trips, we never saw them trail a line astern for fishing. Not that it might not happen, but we have never witnessed it.

I believe I have heard of a place that rents fishing gear and perhaps someone can assist you with that.

But please understand that our ocean will produce a rough ride later in the day. Last trip, on a 50 plus catamaran, sunset, snorkel trip, several were ill, wet, and did not look like they were having fun.

Did not effect any of our family group, we had a great time, wet or not. But, we all brought (back up) clothing, and it was no biggie.

Plenty of information on previous threads about where to snorkel from land.

No worries, have a grand time, with whatever you chose to do.

Denny

Thanks for all the info. If the snorkeling along the Napali coast is not as good as shore snorkeling that saves us a bunch of money. The Captain Sundown snorkel trip does say they put out lines but it seems pretty expensive as snorkel trips go. Since we only have 7 days on this trip and it%26#39;s the first for the boys we will have plenty of stuff to do. Thanks again for the info everyone.

snorkel gear reviews?

We have decided to invest in snorkel gear for our upcoming trip to Oahu and the Big Island. Does anyone have a site to recommend where they review snorkel gear? I have researched a bit but would still like to read some opinions of folks who%26#39;ve bought and tried the gear. I%26#39;ve tried googling snorkel reviews but haven%26#39;t had much luck. Thanks for any help!

snorkel gear reviews?

Ok, no responses, so I%26#39;ll try again. Does anyone have any recommendations of brands to try, to stay away from, websites to look at, or costs? We are not professional snorkelers, but think we might enjoy having our own equipment for our many beach vacations where opportunities may arise. Hope someone might chime in! Thanks!

snorkel gear reviews?

everybody is different.....and needs to be fitted to your face and body type....

Go to a real dive shop and try on a lot of masks.. each maker has different features and lasts....This is where a professional makes a difference.

try on a lot

Don%26#39;t by snorkel gear over the internet or that is pre packaged. You MUST try on your mask. Go to any reputable dive shop and they will be able to get you into the right equipment. If you don%26#39;t have any dive shops in KY, go to one immediately after arrival in the islands. I got my gear on Maui at a dive shop. Mid range masks retail for approx. 40$.

Thanks for the advice. We do have a dive shop about 20 miles away, I%26#39;ll make a stop before we leave for Hawaii in a couple of weeks.

If you belong to Costco, their packaged US Divers mask/snorkel/fins is worth the price just for the fins and snorkel. Do not count on the mask fitting; get that fitted professionally. You might also find a good deal on snorkel and fins at the dive shop.

Well, if you want to do some online research before purchasing, there%26#39;s Rodale%26#39;s Scuba Diving magazine%26#39;s gear reviews:

http://www.scubadiving.com/gear/

But do as others suggest and go to a dive shop to purchase a mask that fits properly

As for snorkels, and I%26#39;ve tried many, I settled on what I think is the best snorkel (which I recently used on Maui)...one that would allow me to snorkel for hours if I so chose to due to increased breathability:

http://www.kapitolreef.com/snorkel_info.html

Personally, I think the technology works, but it is expensive. So if you snorkel a lot over the years, it may prove to be a good investment (like a good mask).

Scuba reviews won%26#39;t work for fins. Dive fins are much heavier than snorkel fins and can be difficult to keep just below the surface of the water. Dive fins also tend to be MUCH more expensive than snorkel fins, and they%26#39;re sized to fit over booties, which most snorkelers don%26#39;t have or use.

First, to qualify everything that follows...I%26#39;m cheap.

Shallow-water free diving uses such simple technology. The goal is to get equipment that does the job and fits. That%26#39;s it.

It%26#39;s not landing on the moon complexity or ski boots and bindings sensitivity, its just rubber, glass and some plastic put together to accomplish a simple purpose; form a gasket between water and air.

Its more important to know and feel comfortable with what you are doing. Geez, almost any gear will do the job more than adequately.

Don%26#39;t buy ABC Store cheap, but the mask and snorkle packages (often US Divers) at Costco, larger sporting goods stores and elsewhere, sometimes with fins, will be successful in meeting the needs for probably 90+% of the adult population.

If you got a long nose it can be a tough fit for any mask.

You will have to decide if its worth dropping a few hundred for something you may only use a couple dozen days or so, when $40 can do the trick.

I use cheap stuff because it has worked over thousands of dives, and I don%26#39;t have to worry about friends not returning it (several sets), or getting stolen/left at the beach (also a couple sets).

And, I endorse using body surfing fins for snorkeling. They are specifically desgned for moving on the surface and near-surface where almost all tourist snorkeling is done, particularly if there is any ';chop'; at all, they are lightweight and shorter so you can kick consitently for hours, with a strong supporting spine that comes in handy.

Plus, you can use them when you go body boarding/surfing; which is what the ocean is primarily meant for.