Quick Couples Trip

[Sean81995]

Hi all. My wife and I are going to Hawaii for the first time, spending most our vacation at the Westin in Maui but then spending 2 nights at Aulani in mid-August. Any tips/recommendations for folks doing a short stay? I think we'd probably stay at the resort most of the time but might make one trip to a restaurant etc. on the island. We won't have a car as it costs $200/day from what i can see.

Thanks!

 

[GoofyFD]

Hi Sean, We literary just did the same thing. We spent five nights at the Westin on Maui and then three nights at Aulani. we just returned home from Aulain on Wednesday. We had a fantastic time. The travel days were a big-time sucker. I would recommend planning on hanging at the resort since you are only there for two days. There is a great shopping center right across the street where you can pick up everything you will need. We woke up and went for a walk along the ocean every morning that was wonderful. The path is just like the path that is by the Westin on Maui. We went to Pearl Harbor and used Charlies Taxi https://charleystaxi.com they charge a flat rate of $60 each way. You will also LOVE Maui. walk the path down to Whales Village and eat Hulagrill https://www.hulagrill.com for sunset. Also, check out the Podcast Aloha360 it's a couple that lives on Maui and they put out some fun Podcasts. Hit me up if you would like more info. Aloha Mark

 

[Sean81995]

Thanks, Mark. This is great. Yeah I guess any insight you might have on fun things to do that won't break the bank/require a car would be appreciated. I'll check out the podcast too.

 

[nkereina]

We also stayed at the Westin Maui and it was probably my favorite resort out of the 4 that we stayed at during our trip, including Aulani!

With only 2 nights at Aulani, I'd suggest just enjoying the resort and Ko Olina, which is walkable. Any place worth going is going to be logistically challenging and expensive to do without a car. As mentioned, there's a few restaurants across the street - we loved Monkeypod and they had a great happy hour while we were there. There's several restaurants between the Four Seasons and the Marriott. There's Roy's for fine dining. There's Paradise Cove luau in walking distance. You can't go wrong with any of those.

I know that Aulani is a destination for us Disney fans, but honestly, Waikiki is better for a two night stay and no rental car for two adults IMO. Ko Olina is a dead zone after 8pm in our experience. Waikiki is entirely walkable with tons of restaurants and bars, and some night life. It would be easier to use tour companies or ride shares from Waikiki if you wanted to venture out some place. You could even Uber up to Aulani to check it out if you wanted to, although I believe only Ulu Cafe is open for non-guests at the moment. If you're there when the spa opens, you could also book a spa treatment as a non-guest to check the resort out.

 

[Sean81995]

We also stayed at the Westin Maui and it was probably my favorite resort out of the 4 that we stayed at during our trip, including Aulani!

With only 2 nights at Aulani, I'd suggest just enjoying the resort and Ko Olina, which is walkable. Any place worth going is going to be logistically challenging and expensive to do without a car. As mentioned, there's a few restaurants across the street - we loved Monkeypod and they had a great happy hour while we were there. There's several restaurants between the Four Seasons and the Marriott. There's Roy's for fine dining. There's Paradise Cove luau in walking distance. You can't go wrong with any of those.

I know that Aulani is a destination for us Disney fans, but honestly, Waikiki is better for a two night stay and no rental car for two adults IMO. Ko Olina is a dead zone after 8pm in our experience. Waikiki is entirely walkable with tons of restaurants and bars, and some night life. It would be easier to use tour companies or ride shares from Waikiki if you wanted to venture out some place. You could even Uber up to Aulani to check it out if you wanted to, although I believe only Ulu Cafe is open for non-guests at the moment. If you're there when the spa opens, you could also book a spa treatment as a non-guest to check the resort out.

Thanks for the tips!

Are monkeypod and those suggestions in your second paragraph in Maui or Oahu? We're doing the westin luau one of those nights.

And yeah I realize Aulani isn't an economical choice but curiosity got the better of us on this trip.

 

[cgattis]

Hi Sean, We literary just did the same thing. We spent five nights at the Westin on Maui and then three nights at Aulani. we just returned home from Aulain on Wednesday. We had a fantastic time. The travel days were a big-time sucker. I would recommend planning on hanging at the resort since you are only there for two days. There is a great shopping center right across the street where you can pick up everything you will need. We woke up and went for a walk along the ocean every morning that was wonderful. The path is just like the path that is by the Westin on Maui. We went to Pearl Harbor and used Charlies Taxi https://charleystaxi.com they charge a flat rate of $60 each way. You will also LOVE Maui. walk the path down to Whales Village and eat Hulagrill https://www.hulagrill.com for sunset. Also, check out the Podcast Aloha360 it's a couple that lives on Maui and they put out some fun Podcasts. Hit me up if you would like more info. Aloha Mark

Jump onto the Maui thread and give us some tips and reviews!!

 

[nkereina]

Are monkeypod and those suggestions in your second paragraph in Maui or Oahu? We're doing the westin luau one of those nights.

Monkeypod and all the places I suggested are on Oahu. Ko Olina is the area in which Aulani is located.

If you haven't already paid for the luau at the Westin, I would suggest the Old Lahaina Luau or Feast at Lele on Maui. They are both in Lahaina, about 10 minutes from the Westin. When I stayed there, they offered a free shuttle to Lahaina though I'm not sure if its still offered. OLL and Feast are two of the highest rated luaus in Hawaii. OLL is a traditional Hawaiian luau and Feast incorporates multiple South Pacific cultures. We chose Feast, but you can't go wrong with either.

I also second the above recommendation of Hula Grill at Whaler's Village on Maui. Leilani's at Whaler's Village is another great option. Both are literally right next door. There's also tons of good options on Front Street in Lahaina.