My wife and I visited Maui for our honeymoon last week. We stayed for 7 days at this condo and it was absolutely amazing. Firstly, the LOCATION alone is probably one of the best parts about it. Kihei sits in the bend of the island as it turns north and south, and the town has so much to offer. The airport is only 10-15 minutes away. Wailea (where we spent a lot of our beach time) is only 10-15 minutes away. Pa'ia, a cool surf town on the north shore, is only 15 minutes away. Kula, a small town in the upcountry and home to the best, and affordable, restaurant on the island (Kula Bistro) is only 30 minutes away. (Seriously, make this one of your dinner spots. We went two nights in a row). Lahaina and Kaanapali are about 30 minutes away also. You will not be disappointed by your location should you stay here in Kihei.
The AMENITIES are also fantastic. The apartment was perfect for us as a newlywed couple. It might be a tad bit small for a family of four. The KING SIZED BED in the single bedroom was very comfortable and the bathroom was plenty spacious, as well as the walk-in shower. The closets in the bedroom offer a lot of space for your hanging clothes, shoes and suitcases, while the dresser next to the bed has a ton of space for all your other stuff. The closet also has a SAFE, which was great for us as we traveled with cash for our spending. Additionally, this is where you'll find beach chairs, coolers, towels, boogie boards and snorkeling equipment (although you might want to rent snorkeling gear elsewhere, it's inexpensive and sanitized and they can fit you better than what's provided). The FULL KITCHEN was well equipped and gave us the money saving option to cook breakfast at the house every morning as we watched the sun come up. We were also able to heat up our leftovers from Kula Bistro both days after our dinner from the night before. There are TVs in the condo, but we never turned either on. You do have that option though. The highlight of the condo is the BALCONY. What a view. The sunrises and sunsets from this balcony are stunning. You can watch the boats come in and out of Ma'aleaa Harbor everyday, the Canoe Club rowing each morning between their flags that stretch across the front of the property, many beach walkers/runners, and if you're visiting in the winter, WHALES! Probably the coolest thing you'll see in your time in Hawaii, especially if you've never seen them before. All of this from your own, personal balcony. Absolutely incredible. The check out process is much like a hotel, as you are not required to do anything, but you should definitely clean up around the place prior to leaving. We put all of our towels in one spot, made the bed, washed our dishes, took out our trash, etc. Just be respectful of the cleaning lady, who was really nice I might add. Request a late check-out, if possible. We had a red-eye flight (7:45p) on our departure day, but had to be out of the apartment at 11a. This was poor planning on my part. Upon further research, some people will book an extra night just to have a place to leave your bags and clean up before you go to the airport, so that may be a viable option for you as well if you have a late flight. I also saw some folks book a cheaper hotel for their departure day in Kahului, again just to have a place for bags and showers.
The property as a whole: 10/10 would recommend. The property is clean and well taken care of. The elevator was a nice perk when you're carrying you luggage or your beach chairs up to your space on the 3rd floor. Parking was plentiful for us and free (don't forget to register your vehicle with the office). Trash and recycling bins are in a designated space on the south end of the parking lot. There is a general store, farmers market, bakery and shaved ice stand across the street as well, which we visited at least a few times throughout our stay. And again, the location of the property is excellent.
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Recommended Food Spots
Kihei: Da Nani Pirates (Food Truck), Miso Phat (Sushi), South Maui Fish Company (Food Truck, but best Ahi Poke we had), Coconuts Fish Cafe, South Shore Tiki Lounge (Pizza is great)
Kula: Kula Bistro (Amazing)
Lahaina: Mala Ocean Tavern (Primarily Seafood)
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Recommended Activites:
PacWhale Eco-Adventures Molokini & Turtle Arches Snorkeling (Excursion)
PacWhale Eco-Adventures Sunset Sail (Excursion)
Garden of Eden (Road to Hana)
Road to Hana - This drive is beautiful, but we only went halfway. Kind of a dangerous road and the Hana locals aren't exactly friendly drivers. We definitely recommend going to at least the Garden of Eden if you decide to explore the Hana Highway.
Snorkeling (DIY) - Plenty of locations
Makena State Park (Hiking)
Relax on Beach - We drove down to Wailea for a bigger beach spot. Our favorite spot was just outside of 5 Palms restaurant. Great beach spot. Note: Either take your own lunch/drinks or you can get drinks/snacks at Zack's Deli & General Store next to 5 Palms for a fraction of the price compared to 5 Palms.
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We had a fantastic honeymoon at this AirBnb location and we know you will too. In fact, next time we go to Maui, we will try to book this exact space because we loved it so much.