To get to Valley Isle Resort from Kahului Airport follow the signs to Lahaina. Kahana is about 5 or 6 miles beyond Lahaina. You may take the highway all the way, in which case you continue on Honoapiilani Highway to the stoplight right after the West Maui Airport turnoff (where there is also a stoplight). There is the Gateway Shopping Center with a McDonalds there. Turn left on Hoohui Road, go half block to the end, turn left then immediately turn right into the Valley Isle parking lot. If you want to take the lower road, which we like to do, look for the car rental places on the right side of the highway just after Kaanapali. There is a light there. Go to the next light and turn left and you will be on lower Honoapiilani Road. Times Market is in the little shopping center on the right, just after you turn off the highway. This is a convenient place to shop and stock up on goodies. Valley Isle is a couple of miles down the lower road.
Stuff that is close by The Gateway shopping center is a block away, and has a couple of nice restaurants, a coffee shop, plus McDonalds among other shops. There is a dive shop for renting anything from boogie boards to complete dive outfits for certified divers. There is also a Boss Frog’s across the street from Valley Isle. There is a pizza joint, Dollies, which has a lot of local flavor directly across the street. There’s a bar in there too.
Farmers Market We like to go to the farmers market and get fresh Maui fruit & vegetables. There are two close by. The large one is held in a store parking lot Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 until noon about half way down Lower Honoapiilani road toward Times Market. It’s on the left, across from Honokawai Beach Park. There is a nice natural foods store there too. We park in the park’s parking lot. The other one is a little farther down the road on the right. It’s open every day except weekends. It has the basics, pineapple, papaya, bananas, etc. (We always buy the apple bananas – a little smaller but much tastier.
For a romantic evening, at least the beginning of one, Linda and I get in the car and go over to Napili beach, park in the Sea house Restaurant lot, and wander through the condos to the beach. We find a place to sit on the beach and then go to the bar and get a couple of mai tais to go and watch the sunset. They light the tiki torches when it begins to get dark. We like to have lunch outside under the umbrella tables every so often. Sometimes we’ll have dinner in the bar and watch the sunset. Still, we think, the best mai tais on the island.
Luaus There are quite a few luaus on the island. We have heard from many folks that the Old Lahaina Luau is considered to be the most authentic. Linda and I went to it before it moved to it’s new location in Lahaina. Any one of them would be a great first-time experience though.
Adventures The trip to Hana is a neat experience. If you do it, get an early start and plan to make stops along the way. You can rent an audio which gives you an idea of what you can do and see along the way. Hana isn’t much. It’s the journey that’s exciting. Two interesting places, and it’s interesting how you get to them, are the Blue Pool and Red Sand Beach. Blue Pool is just outside Hana, not too far from the airport, and Red Sand Beach is right in town. Recently, though, some locals on the private road to Blue Pool have been rather unfriendly to tourists. Seven Pools beyond Hana is also fun to see & hike around. And a hike in the bamboo forest nearby is awesome.
You might want to get up early (like 2 or 3 in the morning) and take a trip to Haleakala crater for the sunrise. Or go later if you like. It’s cool up there, take something warm to wear. Many times it’s cloudy. You can hike down into the crater if you like that sort of thing. It’s really awesome! Like a moonscape. There are tour outfits that will drive you up the crater and you can bike down, if you like that sort of thing.