Maui Transportation

Planning a Trip

Maui, also called the Valley Isle, is just a small dot in the vast Pacific Ocean, but it has the potential to offer visitors unforgettable experiences: floating weightless through rainbows of tropical fish, standing atop a 10,000-foot volcano watching the sunrise color the sky, and listening to the raindrops in a bamboo forest.

Whether you want to experience the "real" Hawaii, go on a heart-pounding adventure, or simply relax on the beach, this book is designed to help you create the vacation of your dreams.

Maui has so many places to explore, things to do, and sights to see that it's hard to know where to start -- that's where I come in. In the pages that follow, I've compiled everything you need to know to plan your ideal trip to Maui: information on airlines, seasons, a calendar of events, how to make camping reservations, and much more (even how to tie the knot).

A couple of suggestions: First, if you can fly direct to Maui (the airport is Kahului and the airport code is OGG), do it! If you fly to Honolulu, you will have a 2-hour layover, and then have to take an interisland plane to Maui (not a great way to start your dream vacation). And second -- don't plan to go island-hopping. This is not the Caribbean, where the islands are close together and easy to get to. You can consider going from Maui to either Molokai or Lanai, two close islands. Save the other fabulous Hawaiian islands for another trip; otherwise, you will spend your precious vacation time touring our state airport facilities waiting for your plane.

Daylight Saving Time -- Since 1966, most of the United States has observed daylight saving time from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October. In 2007, these dates changed, and now daylight saving time lasts from 2am on the second Sunday in March to 2am on the first Sunday in November. Note that Hawaii does not observe daylight saving time. So when daylight saving time is in effect in most of the U.S., Hawaii is 3 hours behind the West Coast and 6 hours behind the East Coast. When the U.S. reverts to standard time in November, Hawaii is 2 hours behind the West Coast and 5 hours behind the East Coast.

What to Pack

Maui is very informal: You'll get by with shorts, T-shirts, and sneakers at most attractions and restaurants; a casual sundress or a polo shirt and khakis are fine even in the most expensive places. Dinner jackets for men are required only in some of the fine-dining rooms of a very few ultraexclusive resorts, such as the Lodge at Koele on Lanai -- and they'll cordially provide you with a jacket if you don't bring your own. Aloha wear is acceptable everywhere, so you may want to plan on buying an aloha shirt or a muumuu (a Hawaiian-style dress) while you're in Maui.

So bring T-shirts, shorts, long pants, a couple of bathing suits, tennis shoes, and rubber water shoes or flip-flops. Don't forget a long-sleeved cover-up (to throw on at the beach when you've had enough sun for the day). If you plan on hiking, bring hiking boots and several pairs of good socks. You might also want to bring binoculars for whale-watching.

The tropical sun poses the greatest threat to anyone who ventures into the great outdoors, so be sure to pack sun protection: a good pair of sunglasses, strong sunscreen, a light hat, and a canteen or water bottle if you'll be hiking -- you'll easily dehydrate in the tropical heat, so figure on carrying 2 liters of water per day on any hike. Campers should bring water-purification tablets or devices.

Don't bother overstuffing your suitcase with 2 whole weeks' worth of clothes: Maui has laundry facilities almost everywhere (except Hana). If your accommodations don't have a washer and dryer or laundry service (most do), there will most likely be a laundry nearby.

One last thing: It really can get cold on Maui. If you plan to see the sunrise from the top of Haleakala, bring a warm jacket. Even in summer when it's 80°F (27°C) at the beach, 40°F (4°C) upcountry temperatures are not uncommon. It's always a good idea to bring long pants and a windbreaker, sweater, or light jacket. And be sure to toss some rain gear in your suitcase if you'll be in Maui any time between November and March.

Getting There

If you think of the island of Maui as the shape of a head and shoulders of a person, you'll probably arrive at its neck, at Kahului Airport (OGG). If you're headed for Molokai or Lanai, you'll have to connect through Honolulu.

At press time, the following airlines fly directly from the U.S. mainland to Kahului: United Airlines offers daily nonstop flights from San Francisco and Los Angeles; Hawaiian Airlines has direct flights from San Diego, Portland, and Seattle; Alaska Airlines offers flights from Anchorage to Seattle to Kahului; American Airlines flies direct from Los Angeles and San Jose; and Delta Air Lines offers direct flights from San Francisco via Los Angeles.

The other carriers -- including Continental Airlines and Northwest Airlines -- fly to Honolulu, where you'll have to pick up an interisland flight to Maui. (The airlines listed in the preceding paragraph also offer many more flights to Honolulu from additional cities on the mainland.) Hawaiian Airlines offers jet service from Honolulu.

Interisland Flights -- Since September 11, 2001, the major interisland carriers have cut way, way, way back on the number of interisland flights. The airlines warn you to show up at least 90 minutes before your flight, and believe me, with all the security inspections, you will need all 90 minutes to catch your flight. Also, be sure to book your interisland connection from Honolulu to Maui in advance.

In 2008, Hawaii lost one of its major interisland carriers, Aloha Airlines, but three other carriers remain: Hawaiian Airlines (tel. 800/367-5320; www.hawaiianair.com), Mokulele Airlines (tel. 866/260-7070; www.mokuleleairlines.com), and go! (tel. 888/I-FLY-GO-2 [435-9462]; www.iflygo.com).

Visitors to Molokai and Lanai have commuter airlines to choose from: Mokulele Airlines (tel. 866/260-7070; www.mokuleleairlines.com); go! (tel. 888/I-FLY-GO-2 [435-9462]; www.iflygo.com); Pacific Wings' PW Express services (tel. 888/866-5022 or 808/873-0877; www.flypwx.com), with daily nonstop flights between Honolulu and Molokai and Lanai, plus flights from Kahului, Maui; and Island Air (tel. 800/323-3345 or 808/484-2222; www.islandair.com), which serves Hawaii's small interisland airports on Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. However, I have to warn you that I have not had stellar service on Island Air.

Immigration & Customs

International visitors arriving by air should cultivate patience and resignation before setting foot on U.S. soil. U.S. airports have considerably beefed up security clearances in the years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, and clearing Customs and Immigration can take as long as 2 hours.

Landing at Kahului Airport

If there's a long wait at baggage claim, step over to the state-operated Visitor Information Center, where you can ask about island activities and pick up brochures and the latest issue of This Week Maui, which features great regional maps of the islands. After collecting your bags from the poky, automated carousels, step out, take a deep breath, proceed to the curbside rental-car pickup area, and wait for the appropriate rental-agency shuttle van to take you a half-mile away to the rental-car checkout desk. (All major rental companies have branches at Kahului.)

If you're not renting a car, the cheapest way to get to your hotel is via SpeediShuttle (tel. 877/242-5777; www.speedishuttle.com), which can take you between Kahului Airport and all the major resorts between 6am and 11pm daily. Rates vary, but figure on $35 for one person to Wailea (round-trip), $49 to Kaanapali, and $67 to Kapalua. Be sure to call ahead of time to arrange for pickup.

You'll see taxis outside the airport terminal, but note that they are quite expensive -- expect to spend around $60 to $75 for a ride from Kahului to Kaanapali and $50 to Wailea.

If possible, avoid landing on Maui between 3 and 6pm, when the working stiffs on Maui are "pau work" (finished with work) and a major traffic jam occurs at the first intersection getting out of the airport.

Avoiding Kahului -- If you're planning to stay in Kapalua or Kaanapali, you might consider flying Island Air (tel. 800/323-3345; www.islandair.com) from Honolulu to the Kapalua-West Maui Airport. From this airport, it's only a 10- to 15-minute drive to most hotels in west Maui, as opposed to an hour from Kahului.

Pacific Wings (tel. 888/575-4546 or 808/873-0877; www.pacificwings.com) flies eight-passenger, twin-engine Cessna 402C aircraft into tiny Hana Airport, in east Maui, and also flies into Kahului.

Agricultural Screening

Note that at all airports in Hawaii, baggage and passengers bound for the mainland must be screened by agricultural officials. Officials will confiscate local produce like fresh avocados, bananas, and mangoes, in the name of fruit-fly control. Pineapples, coconuts, and papayas inspected and certified for export; boxed flowers; leis without seeds; and processed foods (macadamia nuts, coffee, jams, dried fruit, and the like) will pass.