We had a funny thing happen to us when leaving Tasmania. I had decided that flying from Tasmania to Melbourne to Honolulu to Maui in one ‘jump’ would be too much. So, I booked a one-night stay at a Hyatt hotel in Melbourne AU, to break up that journey. Arriving in Melbourne, I called the hotel to check on their airport shuttle and discovered that the reservation had been made for their Melbourne FLORIDA location! Stupid international website! With Hilton and Marriott, I had no problem booking internationally, but Hyatt goofed up.
Dawn and I got help from the airport information people and were easily able to book a night at the Ibis Styles hotel which was within walking distance from the airport terminal. The room there was very nice, and we had a delicious meal at their bar. The day ended well.
Overnight flight to Honolulu on Qantas in business class, but neither of us were able to sleep. The guy in an adjacent ‘pod’ coughed sporadically all night long. The lay-flat seat was not all that comfortable, and the ‘whoosh’ of the jet was loud. At Honolulu we had to pick up our luggage, then go through security again to transfer to a Southwest flight. Avis rented us an electric car, and we GPSed to our Hilton Resort
The resort is well-positioned at Kihei, allowing convenient access to all part of the island. They are currently expanding the resort and would like everyone to buy into their Vacation Club. (We didn't, but that doesn't mean that it wouldn't be a good option for some people.) They have a small restaurant right on the beach which was convenient for dinner. Our unit had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, full kitchen, and washer/dryer. We did not want to come home with suitcases full of dirty clothes.
We had been to Maui three times previously. On our first day, we visited Lahaina to view the fire damage; we had stayed there at the Pioneer Inn many years ago and remembered the huge Banyan tree there. It is still there and ‘re-greening’ from the fire. Lahaina is showing progress in being rebuilt. Then we drove to Kaanapali, where we had also stayed previously, and went for a long walk on their ocean-front boardwalk. The walk was longer than we remembered. Whaler's Village hasn't changed.
The following day, we went to a craft fair at Kula, on the west slopes of Mount Haleakala at altitude. The fair was a local event, not widely announced. (We heard of it from a resort employee who lives in the area.) The day was beautiful, the views were spectacular, and the temperature was perfect. The event was held in an open field, using tents, adjacent to a 'pick-your-own' strawberry patch.
Nearby was a private botanical garden (admission) where we could take a walk and admire the plants and views. Next, we took a long winding drive, checking out some non-tourist residential communities along the way. We considered driving up Mount Haleakala, but as soon as we pointed our electric vehicle upslope, the battery level plummeted.
It was time to "charge" our electric car, a Chevy Bolt. What a nightmare! You don't just pull in and "fill 'er up". First you get a QR code which gets you to a website. The website wants to know your name-address-telephone-number-credit card number (incl. exp. and CVV). Then you can start the six-step electric charge delivery sequence. Some of the buttons on the panel are not labeled as to function. Different vehicles use different type plugs.
After several missteps, fortunately, an electric vehicle owner parked nearby, and I asked (begged?) him for help. We got the charge started. Be sure you do this in the parking lot of a large shopping center. You will be waiting for about an hour to recharge that battery, if you are lucky. It is nice to have something to occupy yourself.
We attempted to charge the vehicle again, just before return, and were unable to get any electrons flowing. We had a charging company representative on the telephone; he gave us instructions; then tried to get the charge unit to start manually from his office. Did not work! We turned in the car with only a 70% charge and were then told that even a 50% charge was acceptable! Hours of electric rental frustration, not the vehicle but the charging requirements.
Hawaii in general is expensive, and we were told that Maui is more expensive than most. It is popular for a reason. One of the more upscale sections of the island is Wailea-Makena, south of where we were staying. We had been there previously. A beautiful shoreline walk exists in that area, but parking and access are restricted by the grand beachfront hotels on that coast. Best to park at the Wailea Shopping Mall and walk downhill to the coast, then filter through the nearest hotel. Good exercise, great scenery, and the mall has good restaurants.
On our final day on Maui, we drove to the Iao Valley. This valley is a gap in the wall of the extinct volcano that forms the western portion of Maui. Lush, misty, steep, slightly higher elevation. Initially, you encounter a park dedicated to all the different ethnicities that have created the local culture. To venture further into the valley, you need a reservation and a fee payment.
I doubt that we will return to Maui; four visits are enough.
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