Maui continues to be the bright jewel in the Hawaiian Islands chain. A 10,000 foot dormant volcano soaring above the clouds dominates the verdant island. Scalloped, white sands beaches seem to appear around every bend in the road. The faint scent of exotic blossoms lingers in the gentle trade winds. These are just a few of the reasons that Maui is the dream vacation site for visitors around the globe.
Where to Stay
The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua Resort, 1 Ritz-Carlton Dr. (tel. 800/262-8440; www.ritzcarlton.com) is currently closed for a renovation that will change the look of the nearly two-decade old resort from English country house to Hawaiian. The current 548-room hotel will have 107 units converted to one and two -- bedroom suites with private owners (some of the privately owned suites will be put back into the hotel's rental pool). The remaining 362-guest rooms will be totally gutted and redone with contemporary furnishings and a Native Hawaiian sense of place, including wood furnishing and coconut and sea shell accents and Hawaiian print artwork. In addition, the lobby will be renovated and a children's pool, a teen center and a Hawaiian cultural center will be added. The hotel is schedule t reopen by December 2007.
In 2003, Starwood Hotels bought the 345-room Renaissance Wailea Resort and initially planned to convert the property into a W Hotel. Then they got a better idea. They decided to tear down the resort and build a 193-unit "condotel" (a condominium, owned by individuals, which also can be rented out to visitors and run as a hotel) called Baccarat Wailea (www.baccaratwailea.com). The units will range from 980 square feet to 3,330 square feet with one to four bedrooms. When Starwood Capital Group put the units on sale in August, it sold 60 per cent in one week for an average of $5 million each. The new condotel is expected to open in 2010.
The 27-acre Royal Lahaina Resort, 2780 Kekaa Dr., Kaanapali (tel. 800/22-ALOHA; www.royallahaina.net) has finished phase one of this $330 million renovation. The year-long renovation remodeled the 12-story Lahaina Kai Tower and spent some $30 million total or $90,000 for each of the 330 rooms. Upgrades include top-drawer beds, 330-thread-count Egyptian cotton linens, 32-inch flat screen TVs, complimentary high-speed internet and an iPod/MP3 compatible sound system. Further work will include construction of 125 villas, a free standing spa, pool, children's center and new restaurants.
Where to Dine
Vino Kapalua, Kapalua Village Course Golf Club House, the Italian tapas and wine bar recently closed after 4 years. After receiving accolade from restaurant reviews across the country, E&O Trading Company, Lahaina Cannery Mall, 1221 Honoapiilani Hwy., closed after only one year. In Kihei, Tastings Wine Bar & Grill, which featured "island-inspired American cuisine" also closed.
The Four Seasons Resort Maui, 3900 Wailea Alanui, Wailea (tel. 808/874-2244; www.fourseasons.com/maui) debuted its new restaurant, Duo, located in the former Pacific Grill, which specializes in entrees like Keahole lobster, free-range veal chops and Kobe beef.
A great new family restaurant, just opened in Paia, is Flatbread, 89 Hana Hwy. (tel. 808/579-8989), featuring organic salads and 100% organic wheat flatbread pizza baked in a wood-fired oven.
What to See & Do
Sail like the ancient Hawaiian did with the Hawaiian Sailing Canoe Adventures (tel. 808/572-3098, www.mauisailingcanoe.com) on a replica of an ancient Polynesian outrigger sailing canoe. The two-hour tour sets sail from Polo Beach in Wailea. Guests can help paddle the canoe (or laze around on the comfortable trampolines) and learn about the boat's construction, ocean navigation and how the canoe fits both ancient and modern Hawaii culture. There's a stop at Wailea Point for snorkeling (gear is provided), cold drinks and photos (which will be e-mailed home). The cost is $79 adults and $59 children 5-14. The only caveats are you must be able to swim and the trip is not recommended for pregnant women or children 5 and under.
Shopping
On your next trip to Maui, be sure to stop by the Maui Coffee Company Store, 277 Lahainaluna Rd., Lahaina (tel. 808/661-2728, www.mauigrowncoffee.com). Housed in the old Lahaina Sugar Mill office and company store, Maui Coffee sells and serves MauiGrown Coffee, the only State of Hawaii certified Maui coffee.
Maui-made Roselani Ice Cream (tel. 808/244-7951; www.roselani.com) has introduced a new flavor, Aloha Cherry Truffle, a cherry-flavored ice cream with black cherry halves and laced with rich chocolate fudge (yum-yum). It's now being served in ice cream scooping parlors and restaurants across Maui. In late 2007/early 2008, Roselani will release a special retail carton of the Aloha Cherry Truffle in conjunction with a breast cancer education and awareness campaign.
The Maui County Store, in the Maui Mall, which featured Maui County Police and Fire logo T-shirts, plus logo wear from the University of Hawaii and other made-in-Maui items has closed.Molokai
The Molokai Ag Tour (tel. 808/553-8284, www.ohanaconcierge.com), a 5-hour tour, with lunch, of Molokai's most interesting agricultural endeavors, just got underway in July. The 10am-3pm tour picks up passengers either at the airport or at the Kaunakakai Harbor and takes them to the One Alii Fishpond, where Mervin Duduoit explains the restoration of the ancient Hawaii technique of raising fish. Next stop is lunch at Coffees of Hawaii (with sampling of the local grown java), followed by the Wagon Ride tour of the plantation. The last stop is at the Beach Boy Farm, where Jamie and Kealoha Peltier provide a tour of how hydroponics farming works in the arid land in central Molokai. Fee for the tour is $120 adults/$60 kids ages 5-12 years.
Lanai
Chef Beverly Gannon, of Haliimaile General Store and Joe's, both on Maui, is consulting with the new owners of Henry Clay¹s Rotisserie at Hotel Lanai (tel. 808/565-4700), on the restaurant's new makeover. The restaurant will close during the month of September for renovations and is scheduled to be open in October under the new name, Lanai City Grill.
Talk about Maui and Molokai on our Hawaii Message Boards today.