We’ve listed 6 of the most popular activities done on Maui in 2011.  We hope you’ll experience some of these when you visit Maui in 2012!

Big Aloha and happy 2012!!!

The Road to Hana is Maui’s number one attraction for a good reason. Cascading waterfalls, breath-taking coastal views, lush rainforest, and the untouched purity of the islands bring visitors back again and again. Hana is exactly what you imagine it to be. It’s home to local Hawaiians that pride themselves on keeping Hana undeveloped and untarnished by encroaching “civilization.”

Maui is world famous for the best whale watching in the world! Maui whale watching is what Africa is to safaris. You get a chance to not only see Humpback whales enjoy the freedom of warm waters with no predators, but you’ll most likely be given a show in acrobatics. Every year our Humpbacks journey to Maui in order to mate and give birth. If you haven’t witnessed whale surface behavior in Maui waters, you’re in for a treat!

Haleakala is Maui’s largest mountain/volcano with views of the surrounding islands and all of Maui. The best way to experience these views is by riding down the slopes of Haleakala on a bike. There are many Maui bike tours, and we recommend a self-guided tour for safety and convenience. Watch the sunrise from the crater, then bike downhill at your leisure through Maui’s Upcountry.

Molokini Crater is a volcanic atoll sitting just off the south coast of Maui. Conveniently, it harbors and protects some of the most awe-inspiring ocean life in Hawaiian waters. Snorkeling Molokini has become one of the most popular activities on Maui due to it’s incredible water clarity. Scuba diving is also a world famous activity for advanced divers on the backside of Molokini.

Maui is home to all kinds of surfing. Wind, kite, stand-up, longboarding, and shortboarding are all increasingly popular on the Valley Isle. You’ll find different areas attract different surfers and different skill levels. If you’re new to surfing, there are plenty of surf schools in Maui. If you have more experience under your belt, you can find great waves depending on season.

A few more things about the tour.  Expect to be picked up and dropped off at your hotel (no driving for you!)  Also, expect a delicious breakfast and picnic lunch.  There’s so much more that you’ll be doing on this tour, so we’ve listed a few more things you can expect:

• Watch waves being surfed at Ho’okipa Beach Park (often Huge waves!)
• Visit Charles Lindbergh’s Memorial
• Explore Hana Town
• See the volcanic village of the Keanae Peninsula
• and much more!

Get your seats today while they’re available!

We recommend going through Aloha Rents.

You can find competitive rates along with many options for makes and models. Their service was created to simplify the rental process while saving you money. Let them help you secure your discount rental car for the Hawaiian Islands.

Call 1-800-440-7029

Maui Driving Tips

1. Slow Down!! This ain’t the mainland.  It’s very easy to do, since a lot of our roads have lower limits than you’d expect. Keep in mind that if you go 30 miles over the limit, you’ll be getting mandatory jail time!  They’re serious in Hawaii about slowing things down.

2. Honk only in an emergency. Honking in Hawaii is considered very rude and is hardly ever done.  It’s not an easy thing to do, but t steady your hand and let go of the road rage.  You’re in Maui now.

3. Don’t trespass! A lot of places you’ll find in the guidebooks make it look like you’ll be on public land, but it’s not always true. The last thing you want is to piss off some locals or violate your car rental agreement.

4. Don’t leave valuables in your car. We don’t have much crime, but the little crime we have is usually nonviolent. Maui theives know what a rental car looks like.  Please keep your valuables in your hotel or on your person when you travel.

Maui Visitors

We’ve seen a lot of people get hurt on Maui while doing activities.  If you think that you were put in a dangerous position without warning, call Jan.  He can help you get compensation you may deserve.

Local Residents

Be protected! If you’ve experienced any kind of personal injury or have a family member that has died wrongfully, you should have a lawyer.  Jan K. Apo is your man.

Jan K. Apo
Hawaii Attorney at Law
24 North Church Street Suite 302
Wailuku, HI 96793
Ph: 1-808-244-6073

The main map, shown above, is a composite of hundreds of photos of Maui.  It was built using Photoshop, then converted to Flash.   Once you visit the site, you’ll see that everything moves, and when you put your cursor over different bubbles, you’ll find interesting things happening.

We’re hoping this grows to be a viral sensation for Maui.  Also on the site, we’ve added panoramic photo galleries of Maui photos taken all over the island this year.

Here are a few recent reactions to the site:

“This is a great site and for those tourists who haven’t been to Maui what a great idea for them to explore before traveling to the island.  Very clever and well created!”

JoAnn

“wow. you’ve got some skills.”

Mark

“Congrats on finishing the site Berg!! It’s been a long time in the making and it is awesome!!! You are such a talented web designer!”

Natalie

“Great site design Chris (even I can navigate it) and beautiful photos Natalie.”

Jinx

“Very Impressive! Definitely will be tweeting about it! (Love those Twitter streams in some pages ( love the Lahaina one)”

Liza

“That’s a really amazing job you did. I’m not surprised, all your sites are great, but this one stands out.”

Jared

“LOVE the map!! It’s the coolest thing on the internet right now… WELL DONE!”

Greg

“That’s a great site.  Good job!”

Patty

“This is a great site and for those tourists who haven’t been to Maui what a great idea for them to explore before traveling to the island.  Very clever and well created!”

JoAnn

Below is a screenshot from one of our pages.  We hope you like the site!  Please tell your friends!

Maui, Hawaii, USA

$85/hour

We’ve been testing out massage parlors on Maui for years now.  Most are outrageously expensive (ex. at the big resorts.)  But we just found one that does incredible massages for a decent price.  Massage Maui in front of the Sugar Beach Resort is outstanding.

The location is great because it’s easily accessible for anyone on the south side (Makena, Wailea, Kihei), not more than 30-45 minutes from the West side (Lahaina, Kaanapali, Kapalua), and a short hop from the North side (Kahului, Wailuku, Paia.)

The inside is large enough for at least a few people to get massages simultaneously.  The Asian decor and ambiance is quiet and soothing.  Our Masseuses were ready for us right away for our appointment.  They asked how hard a pressure we preferred, and I told her my preference for really getting in there.  She knocked out some serious knots, and somehow knew exactly where they were.  She asked what I did for a living and about any troubled areas.  I gave her pretty general areas, and she found the exact points immediately.

If you want to save money while getting a great massage in Maui, go to Massage Maui at the Sugar Beach Resort.  The big resorts charge a lot more for 1/2 the massage.  We were really pleased and plan on going back. Call them at (808) 357-7317 to book your massage.

THE WORST

Dalian, China

Cost: $15/hour

Visiting friends in the tier 2 city of Dalian, we were taken to the best spot in town for a massage.  We walked past a dozen or so piles of burning trash to a dirty sliding glass window in a large industrial building.  OK, first signs of discomfort reached.

We walk into a small room (100-150 sq ft) with 4 people, and 2 massage tables.  Our masseuses were blind (the leading job for blind people in China.  In fact, I’m pretty sure this job is reserved for blind people.)  We lay down on our respective tables and the massage begins.  The massage was actually pretty good (they practice more medicinal massage, which hurts like hell, but I like it.)

My wife told be about 2 things that disturbed her.

1. In some massage parlors, the hole you put your face through when lying down sometimes will have a bowl of water and flowers under it for you to look at.  My wife had the lovely view of a box holding dirty, smelly jars.
2. She also made the mistake of using the bathroom.  She’s still scarred from the experience.  Apparently, it was a hole in the ground and the entire room was beyond filthy.

Our massage ended with us getting up and dressed with close to 20 people crammed in the room.  Most of them had been smoking and conversing loudly in Mandarin during our last half of the massage.  The room was hardly large enough for 4 of us, but they were all fascinated to see westerners in these parts.  People were all over, sitting on tables, on file cabinets, and practically squeezed into every nook smoking feverishly.  Needless to say, we won’t be getting a massage there again.

THE BEST VALUE

Bali, Indonesia

$3-250/hour (depending on location)

Though you can get massages for as little as $3 on the beach, or as much as $250 at a resort, finding a good masseuse in Bali has nothing to do with price.  Most massages you’ll get are by untrained hands trying to make a buck.  Even the expensive resort massages (though better than the ones on the beach) sometimes are not all that great.

The best massage we had was at a hole in the wall spot in Seminyak (many of the best spots are in places you wouldn’t think) with a bunch of young girls.  My wife and I each had a 4 hand massage (20 fingers each) for 1 1/2 hours at $15 per client.  Incredible value because these girls knew what they were doing.  If we can find this place again, we’ll be back.

On the other hand, we had a different 4 hand massage at a place in Kuta with a bunch of similar girls.  Unfortunately, these ones were loud, laughing and talking the whole time.  They were not well trained, and at one point I found an unwanted fist up my bum.  We’ll stay VERY clear of this spot.

COMMENTS:

Great tips. Will certainly check out Bali. There’s nothing like a great massage while you face the ocean and hear the waves crashing on the shore. You may also want to know that some massage establishments also offer soothing sounds that help you relax. These are actually quite effective. Brian

If you hear the Tsunami sirens going off, make sure to check the time and date.  Every month, Hawaii Tsunami sirens are tested at 11:45am on the first weekday of the month for around 1 minute.  They do this to test them and make sure they’re working.  If you hear them at this time, don’t worry!

If you hear them at any other time, it would be wise to move safely up from sea level.  The photo below shows the coastal sirens on Maui.

If you’d like to learn more, read about Hawaii Tsunami History.

We just received our new Soma Airbag Designs Surfboard bags.  They’re 6’6″ and can fit 2 boards in each bag.

After close inspection, inflation, and testing, we think Soma has come up with the best board bag on the market.  What makes it so great is its durability and light weight as well as its compact size when not in use.  Often, when we travel inter-island, we have an over-sized bag with a couple boards inside of it that have their own smaller bags or socks on.  When arriving at our surf destination, we have our boards out and a huge bag that wont fit anywhere.  With Soma we can deflate the bag and throw it in the closet.  Fantastic idea!

The bag has inflated rails, top and bottom.  It fits 2 boards easily and has room for fins, leashes, wax and other small items.  Another side benefit to the bag is that it works very well as a mattress if you plan on camping out or just don’t want to sleep in a nasty bed at some 3rd world hotel.  It’s very comfortable and even has a separator pad between the boards that can act as a blanket.

These board bags are relatively inexpensive and very sturdy.  We’ll be taking our bags to Bali from Hawaii and from California without worries.

Contact them today to order your next board bag at support@airbagdesigns.com, (877)320-7478 or go to their website and order now at AirBagDesigns.com

COMMENTS:

Bali Traveler: We took the Soma Airbags to Bali and traveled for almost 3 weeks. 2 bags for 4 boards. We arrived safely back in Ca and Hawaii (respectively), with our boards completely intact. We took 6 flights and surfed everyday at different locations with out a problem. These are great bags!

Check them out at Discount Car Rentals in Hawaii or call them for the best rate.

How It Works

You take a bunch of video footage while in Hawaii, as well as a bunch of photos.  You come home and look at the mess of media and realize that you have to go back to work tomorrow.  When will this stuff get put together so you can show your friends and family? This is where Family Flix has proven to be very useful.

You send your photos and/or video to Scott at Family Flix and he will put it together for you in a timely fashion.  They can make video slideshows of your photos along with clips of your footage edited for the most impact.  All of this can be put into DVD menus like a real movie.

They’ve mastered the editing process.  No longer will your videos be dragging while your audience looks at their watch.  It’s not that your vacation wasn’t interesting, it just needs to be cut correctly and put to music.  This way, you’ll enthrall anyone who’s watching!

We’ve found this service to be EXTREMELY valuable.  Do you know how much time you waste editing video and going through digital photos?  It’s pretty ridiculous.  Take advantage of their services before they get booked up for months!  Summer’s over and there’s tons of vacations needing editing.

Call Scott at 1-877-FMLYFLX or email him at info@familyflix.com

HISTORY

In the past, we’ve flown with Island Air and incurred long delays lasting up to 6 hours!  If you’re deciding between another carrier and Island Air, you will probably get there faster with a stop over and 1 hour layover than with a direct flight on Island Air.

RECENT EXPERIENCE

Our flight to Kauai was delayed by 2 hours without notice.  I mean, no one told us anything and instead had us sit and wait with no idea of what was going on.  Then, on our flight back to Maui, we arrived at the ticket check in counter to find a sign saying our flight was cancelled and that no one could check us in for an hour and 20 minutes.  We sat and waited and couldn’t go into the airport till we had a boarding pass.  Finally, we got checked in and got to our gate with no one there.  25 minutes after our flight was supposed to leave, a message over the intercom explained that our flight was delayed by over 4 HOURS!  Meanwhile, other flights with Island Air to Maui continued to board in front of us throughout the day.

We spoke with a supervisor (a major ordeal to obtain an audience with, but we had the time.)  The only solution he came up with was to buy a ticket with a rival airline!  Yes, it’s true!  The supervisor of Island Air told us if we really need to get to Maui in a timely manner, we should consider buying a ticket with another airline.

We also overheard a TSA employee mention that most locals know to use Hawaiian Airlines because of their punctuality.  He said, “It’s worth the extra few bucks to make sure you get there.”  So our day concluded with over 6 hours of delays and cancellations.

THE FUTURE

It pains us to watch Hawaii businesses go out of business in these harsh economic times, but if Island Air dies, (with a smile) I’ll chalk it up as Economic Darwinism.

The Hawaii Supreme Court struck down a new law that allowed the Alakai to run operations in Hawaii waters without an official Environmental Impact Report (EIS.)

The Hawaii Superferry ran its last voyage between Maui and Oahu on Thursday March 19th, 2009.  236 employees were laid off, and no future Hawaii service can be expected without an EIS. The Alakai, which ran for over a year and booked over 250,000 round-trip voyages in that time, will be leased for commercial use outside of Hawaiian Waters or by the US military. Hawaii Superferry President and Chief Executive Tom Fargo has hopes that his vision of an interisland ferry system can be met in the future by his organization, though the possibility of this happening is doubtful at best.

Concerns for the environment as well as danger to our visiting Humpback Whales has raised concerns particularly with both Kauai and Maui residents.  Protests and legal action have ensued from environmental groups after the state exempted the Hawaii Superferry from having any type of environmental review in 2005.  Controversy has grown seeing that the State had dealing with the Hawaii Superferry as far as investments.

From the beginning, the Hawaii Superferry has been a Maui Lawyers dream situation.  This will continue to be litigated over for years if the owners feel like putting the time into it.  Though it looks like they’re going to pursue other ways of making money.  The way things have been going, we can’t blame them.

Hands down, bar-none, Aloha Airlines are the best to fly to and from Hawaii with.  Aloha is by no means the perfect airline, but when looking at the alternatives, they’re pretty close.  Service, punctuality, and quality aircrafts all play factors.  Unless you can find a deal with them, Aloha is usually a little more expensive than the other airlines.  Another downer is that they don’t fly into as many airports as some other Mainland airlines.  If you wait till the last couple weeks before flying, they occasionally have good deals.  Aloha serves real food, which is a nice change.  I’ve also heard that the older planes in their fleet are sold to Hawaiian Airlines.

The worst and usually least expensive airline to fly with is ATA.  I regularly find myself booked with them because I use Expedia to find flights.  I choose the least expensive route, which puts me on and off of planes.  Even a straight shot with ATA is not worth the cash you save.  They seem to be the least organized of all the airlines.  They’re the mutt of airlines, often poaching another airlines terminal.  I’ve been postponed and told to wait more with ATA than any other airline.  No one seems to have a straight or true answer for anything that’s going on.  If you’re hungry, you may want to pack a lunch.  Their “Gourmet Pack” of food consists of pretzels, and other items that you used to get for free.  Now it’ll cost you close to $8.  For those of you that surf, don’t take ATA. My last trip with them resulted in my new, well-packed surfboard being completely crushed.  No money, no apology. Add that to an already horrible flight, and you’ve got a recipe for a miserable experience.

Since we wrote this, both airlines have gone bankrupt.