Sea this, see that, then see more near beautiful Lahaina, Maui
By Carla Hinton
Published: November 5, 2006
LAHAINA, Hawaii — The sun and sand at Ka’anapali Beach Resort are fantastic. But if you want to see more of the area, there’s plenty more to see.
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Here are some of my favorite highlights:
1. Ride on the Sugar Cane Train, Hawaii’s last remaining excursion train. I parked at a train station not too far from the resort and rode the train to Lahaina. It was a nice way to see more of the island and do away with driving and walking.
2. Visit the Lahaina Marketplace. I did some window shopping there and eventually bought some souvenirs. The quaint downtown features high-end stores for those with deep pockets and shops where just plain folks like me could make a few purchases. I had received a shell lei at the Drums of the Pacific luau, but I bought a few flower leis and some Hawaiian coffee because my dad asked me to bring back some.
3. Check out the multitude of art galleries on or around Front Street in Lahaina. There were galleries featuring some pretty amazing paintings, including those by some talented local artists.
4. You can’t miss Hilo Hattie, “The Store of Hawaii.” I parked near Front Street in Lahaina, grabbed a bite to eat then headed there for almost an hour of browsing. You’ll find nearly everything from Hawaiian calendars to spices, to clothing (including matching shirts, dresses and other apparel for the whole family, which is apparently something fun that visitors like to do) and perfumes.
Can-do condo
There’s more to say about the accommodations at Ka’anapali Beach Resort, particularly The Whaler condominium resort, where I stayed one night.
My two-bedroom condo with a wrap-around patio featured a panoramic view of the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other. How could anyone ever leave this place?
Loren Shim, The Whaler’s general manager, sent me a food-stuffed gift basket. And in the refrigerator, I found a fresh pineapple awaiting me. I did what any self-respecting tourist would do: I kicked off my shoes and took my pineapple out to the lanai (patio), where I sat watching the antics of beachcombers below.
The condo came equipped with anything I might need for a “home away from home,” including beach accessories such as beach towels, chairs and toys. There was even an assortment of books for those who might like to catch up on some reading while on vacation.
When I told Shim I couldn’t imagine anyone spending just a few nights in such a luxurious setting, he grinned. They generally don’t, he said.
Shim took me to lunch at the Hula Grill, a beachfront restaurant at Whaler’s Village that is adjacent to The Whaler. We both had one of his favorites, the Island Fish and Chips. I had passed the restaurant as I walked back and forth on the Beach Walk during my stay but had not ventured in.
It was nice to sit only a few feet from the beach, watching people come out of Whaler’s Village with their packages and others stroll about on the walkway. The Island Fish and Chips was a fun treat, too — fish dipped in a sweet beer batter with a sweet lilikoi dipping sauce. I resisted the urge to spray the food with ketchup, opting instead to savor the different flavors on my last day in Maui.
Most Hawaiian
The Ka’anapali Beach Resort lived up to its name as “Maui’s most Hawaiian hotel.” It was there that I learned that I am “Kila Kila” — that’s my Hawaiian name.
As soon as I walked into the place, I was intrigued. There were pictures of historical Hawaiians prominently displayed on the walls in the lobby. A huge drum was encased in glass in one area.
I had come to soak up some Hawaiian culture through a tileaf skirt demonstration and a hula dancing lesson. Before we began, Luana Pa’ahana, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing, explained that the lessons and demonstrations are given during the week along with other complimentary activities. The hotel also offers an Ohana allyou-can-eat breakfast with music, hula and its specialty: singing employees.
There was much excitement in the air since the staff was preparing for a weekend crafts fair. Malihini Heath, the staff member who gave both the tileaf demonstration and hula lesson, quickly became my best friend. She seemed to remember everyone’s name as hotel guests sauntered in and out and participated in the activities.
We made a ti-leaf skirt; Heath was very patient. It’s amazing to learn that many of those skirts can be quite heavy, though the hip action of the dancers make them seem so light. I suppose some hula dancers don’t use ti-leafs for their skirts.
The hula lesson turned out to be hilarious. It was fun to goof off in the middle of the day and pretend that you could shimmy like the hula dancers. Heath smiled but never once laughed at us like she probably wanted to. I gave her four stars for keeping a straight face. She sat down and explained the background of the hula dance that we had learned. We each received a certificate for “successfully” completing a hula lesson and were given our Hawaiian names. I learned that Kila Kila, the Hawaiian name for Carla, means “strong” and “majestic.”
To round out a great afternoon, the hotel’s singing staff members treated me to a song as I sat relaxing under a tree on the hotel’s picturesque grounds. They were really good, even the new employee who had just joined the staff. It was through the singing that I learned that they had truly bought in to the hotel’s commitment to teaching Hawaiian culture and bringing a touch of homey charm to the resort setting.
It worked. That day, I could easily have made Maui my home.
Maui deals
Here are a few deals for those considering a trip to the Ka’anapali Beach Resort of Maui.
The Ka’anapali Beach Hotel has several vacation packages such as the Maui Getaway, three nights of ocean-view accomodations, compact rental car, daily buffet breakfast, and more for $450 per person, double occupancy. Another is the five-night Best of the Beach package that includes oceanview accomodations, daily buffet breakfast, three-day rental of snorkel gear or umbrella and chaise lounge for two, compact rental car, one lunch for two at the poolside Tiki Grill and more.
Sheraton Maui Resort offers the Ohana Suite package designed for the entire “ohana” (family). The package includes three nights in an Ohana Family suite equipped with two double beds, daily breakfast buffet for two adults and two children, four round-trip passes on the Lahaina-Ka’anapali Railroad Sugar Cane Train, a picnic snorkel cruise on the Teralani 3 catamaran and more. Package price is $2,780 through Dec. 23.
For couples, the Sheraton offers the Elements of Romance package: Three nights of ocean-view accomodation, a romantic dinner under the stars, sunset catamaran cruise on the Teralani 3 catamaran, daily breakfast buffet and celebratory champagne. Package price is $2,013 through Dec. 23.
It’s worth mentioning again — Starwood Maui’s “Stay at One, Play at All” program. As part of the program, guests at either the Westin Resort and Spa, Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas or the Sheraton Maui Resort can use the restaurants and spa facilities at all three facilities and also have signing privileges at all three.
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