General Geographic Area: West Maui

In a nutshell: West Maui is home to loads of beautiful beaches, and the towns of Lahaina and Ka’anapali. To the north of this region, Ka’anapali and Kapalua boast plenty of higher-end condos and resort hotels, plus four word-class golf courses. Lahaina, the most-visited spot on Maui, is midway around the head and where you’ll find lower and mid-range lodging options.
Minuses: Only one narrow two-lane road in and out makes for the most congested traffic in Maui.
Sound-bite: “Today: Golf lessons, shopping, then some beach time to rest up for party-time tonight in Lahaina!”

West Maui is a large area which has seen the majority of Maui’s hotel and resort development. Ka’anapali Beach Resort is Maui’s largest (and first) master-planned resort, boasting 11 hotels and condos. Lahaina, known as Maui’s old whaling, party and shopping town also boasts loads of history and is home to one of Maui’s two main recreational ports. West Maui has four world-class golf courses, including the world-renowned PGA championship Plantation Course at Kapalua.

West Maui has only one main thoroughfare: the Honoapiilani Highway (Hwy 30.) The Honoapiilani Highway runs right along the scenic shoreline, and in some places, right up to the shorebreak. It makes for fantastically unique drive. The highway continues all the way around the scenic West Maui Mountains, finishing up along a precarious cliff-edge drive that emerges back on the other side of Central Maui from where you started.

Being the most densely populated tourist area, and having only one narrow road in and out makes for heavy traffic. When there is an accident, forget about it – the road can be closed off entirely, cutting off access in or out of this side of the island for many hours at a time.

There are many opportunities for shopping and dining and new condos, hotels, time-shares, shopping centers and strip malls continue to spring up year after year.

For more specific information on West Maui, browse the West Maui category.

You may also be interested in:

• Scotch Mist Sailing Charters
• Fish Market Maui
• Lahaina Coolers

Alongside other sailing boats that rarely raise sail, Scotch Mist II not only sails, but
really sails!

Rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars

In a nutshell: Fun, fast and quiet – with a crew that is in love with Maui and sailing – and in love with sharing them both with our visitors.
Minuses: I’m coming up empty on a minus here…
Sound-bite: “It is a beautiful night, would anyone mind if we take our time and head back late?”

If you have never been sailing, you’re in for a treat. From the boat (a meticulously maintained, super-fast Santa Cruz 50 sailing yacht) to the crew (in love with sailing, Maui, and sharing both with visitors) Scotch Mist is the kind of top notch operation that makes my job of sending visitors to the best of the best easy – in a field of competitors that run the gamut, Scotch Mist has something going that I so very rarely experience from anyone I research and review: I don’t think a single person I’ve ever spoken to about them has done anything but rave fanatically about their experience.

Here is the deal, and why they have this category sewn-up tight as #1: Scotch Mist is intimate – their charters are limited to 25 max – and frequently can have half that many. It is also run by folks that absolutely love to sail, and are passionate about sharing their loves of sailing and Maui with visitors. You just can’t fake that level of passion when you do this every day. When you get on this boat it is as clear as the views of the West Maui Mountains: you’re sailing with friends, and not some folks punching the clock to put dinner on the table or beer in the fridge. Oh, and speaking of sailing – you might think it goes without saying, but they actually do sail their boat – not run on engines (believe it or not, many of the commercial sailboats here will raise the sail for show in between a mostly engine-run tour.) Now, to appreciate what this really means, you’re going to need to actually sail! The first thing you will notice is how quiet and peaceful it is out on the ocean. No engines droning in the background – and this brings you closer to the ocean, and the people you’re sharing this experience with. (It also brings the creatures in the ocean, like whales and dolphins closer.)

I highly recommend these folks to anyone who truly appreciates sailing (or anyone who wants to.)

Key Info:
Location: Slip #2, Lahaina Harbor
Phone: 808-661-0386
Rating source: Maui Guidebook & Google
Web: http://www.scotchmistsailingcharters.com
Price: $50 – $90

You may also be interested in:

• Lahaina Town
• Beaches: Ma’alaea to Lahaina
• Kamehameha Iki Park (aka Armory Park)

Don't judge a book by its cover!

Rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars

In a nutshell: The absolute freshest fish (prepared or not) in West Maui.
Minuses: Closes early.
Sound-bite: “I watched guys from a boat walk in and sell them their fish while I ordered!”

Fish Market Maui is a great escape from the pricey restaurants in the resort areas. This place is a non-assuming fish market and take-out joint in a strip mall north of Ka’anapali – so the ambiance isn’t what brings folks here – it’s the fresh fish! When we say fresh, we mean it – if you hang around, you’ll see it come in the door straight from the fishermen who just caught it. You’ll also see plenty of local residents coming in and out during lunch, and all day – always a good sign in a tourist area that the food is gonna be good.

The ono burger, oyster shooters and poke are favorites here, but they also have several non-fish dishes, like kalua pork, that are delicious.

Fish Market Maui got our #1 rating in two different categories because not only do they have among the best fresh fish for sale to the public, but they’ve also got killer, relatively inexpensive prepared food to eat-in or take-out.

Now, we must say that we’ve heard tourists grumble that this place isn’t really inexpensive. Well, my friend, welcome to Maui – nothing is inexpensive, and you definitely won’t get out of here spending under ten bucks a head. But I doubt you could do much better in price at the Safeway…and the quality – well, if you understand what quality is worth, this place is a square deal sitting smack in the middle of resort-inflated prices.

The Fish Market has a few indoor tables, and some outdoor seating – but the way we like to enjoy what these folks have to offer is at the beach. We always order to take-out, and sit down at one of the spectacular West Maui beaches to enjoy a tasty picnic lunch.

If you’re staying in a condo with a kitchen and plan on cooking during your vacation, super fresh uncooked fish is also available to take back with you.

Key Info:
Location: 3600 Lower Honoapiilani Rd., Honokowai Get directions
GPS Coordinates: 20.952439,-156.686759
Phone: 808.665.9895
Web: http://www.fishmarketmaui.com/
Meal Price: $10-$20/person


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The funny thing about this Google street-view is if you pan over to the delivery truck, you’ll see “Eskimo Candy” on the side of the truck. That is funny because Google caught our number one South Maui purveyors of fish delivering to the number one in West Maui! (See the Eskimo Candy review.)

You may also be interested in:

• Eskimo Candy
• Mana Foods
• Cilantro Mexican Grill

Jumping into a tidepool

Rating: 4.91 out of 5 stars

In a nutshell: Highly personalized touring, hiking and adventures.
Minuses: High quality isn’t ever cheap.
Sound-bite: “We all felt like we had done something truly amazing, adventurous and memorable.”

UPDATE, MAY 2010 – Looks like one of the bigger and certainly most aggressive players in the market is forcing Alicia out of business. Unfortunately the hike guide business is highly restricted by Maui law, and not a level playing field. A real shame, because exactly what Alicia offered was her taking you out to special places as a friend – something that Maui government, and one of the more established tour operators in particular don’t want to see.

DETAILS:
Awapuhi Adventures is a small one-woman operation, and let me be the first to tell you that one woman is precisely who makes it so spectacular. Alicia (owner and guide) is a well versed naturalist and has such a passion for the island that it is infectious. Alicia also takes the time to understand your abilities, needs and desires before she designs the perfect adventure for you.

Since this is such a highly personalized tour, you’ll also always get to go at your own pace. You won’t ever feel rushed to hurry up and move on, or pressured to do anything you aren’t comfortable doing.

Alicia has a true gift for understanding her guests, and making the spectacular wonders of Maui accessible to the full spectrum of travelers, whatever their ability. Believe it or not, you don’t even have to be a hiker or a swimmer to see spectacular hidden sights, to snorkel and to experience being under a hidden waterfall.

Aahhhhh...waterfall!

Awapuhi Adventures stands out because your day is tailored so that you visit more than one place and really get to experience Maui in all her glory. In the same day you can experience waterfalls, snorkel in tidepools, visit cultural sites, and have a picnic lunch on a secluded beach. If you find that one of the things scheduled along the way is somewhere you’d rather stick around, then by all means you’ll stick around. It is a whole lot more like coming to visit a friend who is sharing what they love than anything else you might go in to this expecting.

And you’ll actually become immersed in what you’re doing – eating wild fruits right off of the trees, learning about Hawaiian culture, the history, and the unique flora and fauna – oh, and you’ll have such a load of fun doing it.

Yummy picnic lunch.

The price is all inclusive, and includes healthy and yummy home-made food (tailored to your taste and any dietary restrictions), all the equipment you’ll need for your chosen adventures, and pick-up/drop-off from your hotel. Alicia is also trained as a wilderness first responder, and carries a first-aid kit. (Don’t take that for granted…I’ve found more than one guide that had no training for responding to an emergency.)

Definitely don’t let the price scare you off – if you’re a family or small group, it won’t cost more than the group tours. If you’re a couple or traveling alone there is an old saying that goes something like “you may not always get what you pay for, but you never get what you don’t pay for.” A day with Awapuhi Adventures is quite impressively ranked by every single customer review I could find as among the most special and memorable activity they did. If you need more convincing, see the link to their Tripadvisor reviews below, when I wrote this Awapuhi had 27 reviews on there and every single one was 5/5 stars. (I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before.) In fact, another theme runs though those same customer reviews: several who were initially tentative about the value came out so highly satisfied that they booked an additional day.

Key Info:
Location: Pickup or Meet
Phone: 808-269-6031
Rating source: Maui Guidebook & Tripadvisor
Web: http://awapuhiadventures.com
Price: $100-$200 per person (Typical, actual cost depends on your party size, tour time & destination.)

You may also be interested in:

• Maui Hiking Safaris
• Hike Maui
• South Pacific Kayaks

Guided hiking tours. Full or half-day.

Key Info:
Location: Throughout Maui
Phone: 808-573-0168
Rating source: Tripadvisor
Web: http://www.mauihikingsafaris.com
Price: $70 – $160

You may also be interested in:

• Awapuhi Adventures
• Hike Maui
• South Pacific Kayaks

The oldest, most experienced hiking company in the state.

Key Info:
Location: Meet at Park N Ride commuter lot., Kahului
Phone: 866-324-6284
Rating source: Tripadvisor
Web: http://www.hikemaui.com/
Price: $70 – $160

View Kahului Maui Park N Ride Lot in a larger map

You may also be interested in:

• South Pacific Kayaks
• Haleakala Crater (Haleakala National Park Summit Area)
• Awapuhi Adventures

Three horse riding tours w/great views

Key Info:
Location: Punakea Lp, Lahaina
Phone: 808-667-2222
Rating source: Google
Web: http://www.mauihorse.com
Price: $110 – $135

View Lahaina Stables in a larger map

You may also be interested in:

• Maui Stables
• Haleakala Crater (Haleakala National Park Summit Area)
• Pony Express Tours

Reported Closed.

Kayaking and snorkeling.

Key Info:
Location: DT Flemming Beach, Olowalu & Papalaua Beach
Phone: 808-891-2223
Rating source: Google
Web: http://www.mauiecotours.com
Price: $75 – $90

View Maui Eco Tours in a larger map

You may also be interested in:

• Hike Maui
• Kelii’s Kayak Tours
• South Pacific Kayaks