First trip to Maui? Been there, done that, my first time was my own honeymoon. It is tough to plan if it is your first time, and I remember at the time that it would be great if someone could provide a little advice. Having been there...

1 - You can't get a mental scale on things, so getting from one place to another, and making plans, takes a leap of faith. How far is Lihue from Wailea, and then how far in terms of time? Answer here!

2 - The place names are in a foreign language, and associating a word you have to concentrate on merely pronouncing makes it difficult to associate with a point on a map. Wailea, Wiamua, Wailua... tomatoe, tomato, potato! Answer here!

3 - Everyone makes everything sound wonderful. Any negative info, if you can find it, is contradicted by other travelers. Anyone with something to say has something to sell. How can one make an informed decision without reliable input? Answer here!

4 - Pressure. Maui is not cheap, and even if you love it, you might not get to come back. Others may depend on your ability to research and do homework online. For me it was a honeymoon, and for you it might be an anniversary or dream trip. You want to do it right. Answer here!

5 - What to do once you are there, or, how am I supposed to know what you can do where? Answer here!

6 - How are the locals and is my sensitivity and open mindedness going to be reciprocal? Is there racism in Hawaii?
Answer here!

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1 - Maui is two islands joined by overlapping ancient lava flows. Your mental scale needs to be circular, not linear. With a couple of exceptions, everything is located along the shore. There are 120 miles of coast, but keep that number out of your head, you won't be using it.

Think of a figure eight, that is what you will be driving on. Maui is 48 miles long and 26 miles at its widest, about the size of of a large metropolitan city, and your drivetime is about the same. The traffic is not caused by a large quantity of cars as in a city, it is a limited amount of roadway. Same effect.

Unless you go to Hana at the far eastern point of the island, you will will only be staying in parts that have been developed. It is surprising to know that there are rural parts of Maui. Some parts would even be called "the banjo-pickin' sticks" back on the mainland! If you go far enough, the road you are on will end in a mud track....

2 - "Hano'amu'uamaka'pukalini'iakuna... Oh, forget it" - Check out the red highlight in the minimap; that's about it, that's where you'll be staying. But there is alot there and it is bigger than it looks.

From top to bottom, the upper red highlight is Kaanapali ("Can-A-Paulie") and Lahaina ("La-Hi-Nah").

The lower highlight is Kihei ("Key-High) and Wailea ("Why-Lay-Aah").

You will be flying into Lihue ("Lie-Who-E"). You need these five place words.

Check out the hotels map at the page bottom, it is actually the same map.

3 - There's no straight info - I admit it, I am selling too, but I don't want you to not like what you get.

Writing from experience of having visited Maui is best, reviews are second best. I have either been to these places or have read all the reviews that have been written. If something is a repeated point of negative attention by reasonable people, I will condense it and write about it.

It is in my best interest to pass information along and be balanced about it. And by balanced I mean to throw out some of the negative reviews by hysterical, cannot-be-pleased types and overly positive reviews from the easy to please, don't know any better crowd.

I have also paid professional writers to write about their experiences in specific accommodations.

Pretty spiffy, huh?

Using the links at the bottom of the travel page, I have written up what I know about the places you can stay. If you have time, read the reviews on the hotel reservation page too.

4 - Pressure is on - I have two points about pressure, the first is that there is no wrong place to stay on Maui, and no wrong activity to do.

You are not going to be in the hotel room much. Seriously. It will be coffee, sleeping and showering. The rest of the time you will be on the beach, shopping, eating out, or in transit. Your lodging will be a base of operations, even if those operations only cover a city block and you eat only at the resort restaurant. You have paid for a vacation to Maui, and Maui is what you will see... you won't sit in a hotel room all day.

Your common sense will not let you down, you get what you pay for in lodgings here as anywhere. My friendly advice is to give yourself permission to spend a little more outside of your budget; your trip to Maui will gain in importance to you later. It is worth it. It was worth it.

The second is that sea changes are not impossible. You can always find new digs if it is really unacceptable where you are.

5 - What to do - If you are doing a sunset cruise, snorkeling, or anything water related, it will depart out of Lahaina. Whale watching is during winter months. Be in good physical shape if you are doing a zip line, long hike, downhill Haleakala bike trip, etc. Get a base tan at a tanning salon back home before coming and bring sunscreen.

That's it. Now relax and book something.

Be sure to book online, it is cheaper and the activity aggregator that we work with offers good discounts on combo packages (for example, a Luau and a sunset cruise).

We did the submarine ride just to say we had done it. Tech minded folks should give that a try!

6 - Locals have good flavor - It's a two way street, and everyone is well aware of how things run. Locals are going to be outgoing and friendly, will give you the benefit of the doubt and will assume you are an okay human being until you prove otherwise yourself. They are famous for being really, really nice to you.

Hawaiians understand that mainland tourists save for their Hawaiian trips for years, and really just want someone to be nice to them someplace pretty. Mainlanders really work hard, sometimes too hard. And they make a huge contribution to the Hawaiian economy. They could easily go elsewhere, and will if they are treated rudely. It isn't just the Aloha spirit, it is a working relationship.

Keep in mind that anyone in the hospitality industry deals with tantrums and arrogance on a daily basis. Sometimes people are jerks, and that will wear anybody down after a few years. Cut the hotel attendants some slack if there is a grey area. If you have a complaint to issue, smile. It helps. Really.

Many know that our government stole the islands from a legitimate monarchy through nefarious means (president Clinton issued a formal apology in 1993) and has been squeezing the islands economically ever since. Locals know that mainland visitors do not personify mainland government.

A frank note on racism in Hawaii: Racism happens here, but is subliminated to a larger culture. A lot of people from all over the world live on Hawaii and quarters are close. Racism is reserved for caucasians that call the islands home, they are seen as priviledged squatters by the natives.

No matter what color you are, if you don't live there, you will be treated as a guest. It will not be an issue for you.

The word for a foreigner is "haole" (pronounced "howl-lee"), and despite a huge immigrant population from all over the world, from Portuguese to Japanese, the Hawaiian word for foreigner is reserved for whites.

Hawaiian words have different meanings based upon context. So if you are called a Haole, don't necessarily take offense (unless is it preceeded by profanity) as it is also used in a nonoffensive descriptive manner.

That is the extent of the matter. It's a non-issue. Now go to Maui.