Money Saving Packages

Special-Interest Trips

If you want nothing more on your vacation than a fabulous beach and a perfectly mixed mai tai, you're in luck -- Maui has some of the most spectacular beaches (not to mention the best mai tai) in the world. But Maui's wealth of natural wonders is hard to resist: The year-round tropical climate and spectacular scenery tend to inspire even the most committed desk jockeys and couch potatoes to get outside and explore.

If you have your own snorkel gear or other watersports equipment, bring it if you can. If not, don't fret: Everything you'll need is available for rent.

Setting Out on Your Own vs. Using an Outfitter -- There are two ways to go: Plan all the details before you go and schlep your gear 2,500 miles across the Pacific, or go with an outfitter or a guide and let them worry about the details.

Experienced outdoors enthusiasts can follow their noses to coastal campgrounds or even trek into the rainforest on their own, but it's often preferable to go with a local guide who is familiar with the conditions at both sea level and the summit, knows the land and its flora and fauna in detail, and has all the gear you'll need. It's also good to go with a guide if time is an issue. If you really want to see native birds, for instance, an experienced guide will take you directly to the best areas for sightings. And many forests and valleys in the interior of the islands are accessible only on guided tours. If you go with a guide, plan on spending at least $100 a day per person;

But if you have the time, already own the gear, and love doing the research and planning, try exploring on your own. I recommend that you always use the resources available and inquire about weather, trail or surf conditions, water availability, and other conditions before you take off on your adventure.

For hikers, a great alternative to hiring a private guide is taking one of the guided hikes offered by the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Pukalani Square, 81 Makawao Ave. Suite 203A, Makawao, HI 96768 (tel. 808/572-7849 on Maui, 808/621-2008 on Oahu, or 808/553-5236 on Molokai), and the Hawaii Chapter of the Sierra Club, P.O. Box 2577, Honolulu, HI 96813 (tel. 808/579-9802 on Maui; www.hi.sierraclub.org). Both organizations offer guided hikes as well as 1- to 7-day work trips to restore habitats and trails and root out invasive plants. It might not sound like a dream vacation to everyone, but it's a chance to see the "real" Maui -- including wilderness areas that are usually off-limits.

All Nature Conservancy hikes are free. However, you must reserve a spot, and a deposit is required for guided hikes to ensure that you'll show up; your deposit is refunded once you do. The hikes are generally offered once a month on Maui, Molokai, and Lanai (call the Oahu office for reservations). There's also no charge for the trips to restore habitats. Write for a schedule of guided hikes and other programs.

The Sierra Club offers weekly hikes on Maui. Hikes are led by certified Sierra Club volunteers and are classified as easy, moderate, or strenuous. These half-day or all-day affairs cost $1 for Sierra Club members, $3 for nonmembers (bring exact change). For a copy of the newsletter, which lists all outings and trail repair work, send $2 to the address above.

Fun for Less: Don't Leave Home without a Gold Card -- Almost any activity you can think of, from submarine rides to Polynesian luau, can be purchased at a discount by using the Activities and Attractions Association of Hawaii Gold Card, 355 Hukilike St., No. 202, Kahului, HI 96732 (tel. 800/398-9698 or 808/871-7947; fax 808/877-3104; www.hawaiifun.org). The Gold Card, accepted by members on all the Hawaiian Islands, offers a discount of 10% to 25% off activities and meals for up to four people; it's good for a year and costs $30.

You can save big bucks with the Gold Card. For example, if you have your heart set on taking a helicopter ride that goes for $149, you'll pay only $119 with your Gold Card, saving you $30 per person -- that's $120 in savings for a family of four. With just one activity alone, you've recovered the cost of the card back in savings. And there are hundreds of activities to choose from: air tours, attractions, bicycling tours, dinner cruises, fishing, guided tours, horseback riding, kayaking, luau, snorkeling, rafting, sailing, scuba diving, submarine rides, and more. It also gets you discounts on rental cars, restaurants, and golf.

You can get the card from the Activities and Attractions Association . You contact the activity vendor directly, give them your Gold Card number, and get discounts ranging from 10% to 25%.

Using Activities Desks to Book Your Island Fun -- If you're interested in an activity that requires an outfitter or a guide, you might want to consider booking through a discount activities center or activities desk. These agents -- who act as a clearinghouse for activities -- can often get you a better price than you'd get by booking an activity directly with the outfitter yourself.

Discount activities centers will, in effect, split their commission with you, giving themselves a smaller commission to get your business -- and passing, on average, a 10% discount on to you. Good activities centers should also be able to help you find, say, the snorkel cruise that's right for you, or the luau that's most suitable for both you and the kids.

But it's in the activity agent's best interest to sign you up with outfitters from which they earn the most commission. If an agent tries to push a particular outfitter or activity too hard, be skeptical. Conversely, they may try to steer you away from outfitters that don't offer big commissions. For example, Trilogy, the company that offers Maui's most popular snorkel cruises to Lanai (and the only one with rights to land at Lanai's Hulopoe Beach), offers only minimal commissions to agents and does not allow agents to offer any discounts at all; as a result, most activities desks on Maui will automatically try to steer you away from Trilogy.

Another important word of warning: Be careful to avoid those activities centers offering discounts as fronts for timeshare-sales presentations. Using a free snorkel cruise or luau tickets as bait, they'll suck you into a 90-minute presentation -- and try to get you to buy a Maui timeshare in the process. Not only will they give you the hard sell, they also won't be as interested, or as knowledgeable, about which activities might be right for you. These shady deals seem to be particularly rampant on Maui.

On Maui I recommend Tom Barefoot's Cashback Tours, 834 Front St., Lahaina (tel. 800/895-2040 or 808/661-8889; www.barefoothawaii.com). Tom offers a 10% discount on all tours, activities, and adventures when you pay in cash or with traveler's checks. If you pay with a credit card or personal check, he'll give you a 7% discount. The two showrooms are loaded with pictures and maps of all the activities the company books.

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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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				Frommer's Maui 2008 Author: Jeanette Foster Pub Date: September 04, 2007 Price: $18.99				Related Titles: Frommer's Hawaii 2008 Frommer's Hawaii 2009 Frommer's Hawaii with Kids, 2nd Edition