It Has Been Years Since We Have Been Tropical Vacation

S., I will be watching for the answers you get because I'm interested in going to Atlantis or somewhere similar next year. I did laugh a little because my family just got back a week ago from vacationing where you LIVE!! Man I wish it were green here, Spring is just around the corner, right???

:)M.

We love Maui!!! We have been there four times, twice with kids similar in age to yours. My husband likes it better than Oahu because it isn't as crowded. Don't get scared away be web sites that say Maui is not for kids. The weather has been fabulous when we have been there in February, March, April, and July. In all of our trips I think we have had rain two days and both times it lasted for a very short time. July was a little hot for my liking, but the spring has been perfect weather!

We always stay in Kihei. I think it is a little cheaper than staying in Ka'anapali and definitely cheaper than Wailea. We stay at the Maui Banyan which is a condo/timeshare. For us that is a better deal. We like having a washer and dryer (don't need to pack as much) and a kitchen (saves lots of money on eating out). We probably ate out for breakfast once and dinner 3-4 times not counting the luau. It was also nice to have the kitchen so we could have lunch things to throw together on beach days.

Maui Banyan in just across the street from a great beach (about two blocks if you are at the far end of the property). They also have two pools that also have barbeque areas. I think the Hyatt in Ka'anapali might have a kids' program. I think they have penguins and flamingos on site. The Four Seasons in Wailea has a kids program, but I'm guessing it is pretty expensive. Those hotels tend to have just one restaurant on site and they are very spendy! We don't use kids' clubs or babysitting so I don't know what their programs are like. I'm just not comfortable with leaving my kids with total strangers!

The beaches in Maui are great! All of their beaches are public and well maintained. We like the beaches in Kihei. They are good for swimming, snorkeling, and wave jumping. There have been times in the morning and afternoon that we are about the only people there. Big Beach and Makena Beach farther south are great too. The surf at Big Beach can get pretty big so it isn't the best for kids to swim. There is a Baby Beach in Lahaina that is pretty sheltered and a great beach for kids. There are several shops on the island where you can rent beach gear (umbrellas, chairs, snorkeling gear, etc.) for the week for pretty cheap. We have also bought cheap umbrellas and then passed them on to people just getting to the island.

The Maui Ocean Center is a nice little aquarium that can fill about 1/2 a day. In that same area there is a mini-golf place that also has trampolines and I think bumper boats. We have never gone there.

If you are there during whale season you must do a whale watch with Pacific Whale Foundation. We have never had a disappointing tour with them. They also have dolphin tours and snorkeling tours if it isn't whale season. The crew is great with kids! At the end of the tour they always do a kids' program that is really good. The bay that the tours leave from is the windiest in the world, so the ride can be a little rough. If kids tend to get sea sick use the motion sickness bracelets. We didn't use them on one tour and everyone got a little woozy. Used them on another trip and had no problems.

Luaus are great fun! Our favorite is the Old Lahaina Luau, but it is the most expensive and not the best one for kids. Last time we went to a luau at the Hyatt at Ka'anapali Beach. They have a kids' buffet with kid friendly food and I think the kids were free with paying adults. The kids loved the fire dances!!

There is a lot to see in Lahaina. Our kids loved running around the HUGE banyan tree at Banyan Park. Across the street there is an upstairs shop (Dan's Greenhouse) where kids can feed exotic birds and pot bellied pigs for a small fee. There are a lot of shops in downtown Lahaina, but a lot of them are art studios and jewelry stores that are not all that kid friendly. Walking on the sidewalks can be a pain because it gets really crowded (especially if there is a cruise ship in port), but there are a lot of fun things to see on the street. My kids loved watching the crabs on the rocks. There are also some good family friendly restaurants, ice cream shops, and shaved ice stands. There is a huge Hilo Hattie store that is a good place for souvenirs. There is also a mall where they have free hula shows. One day a week they have one specifically for kids.

There are some swap meets on the island, usually on Saturday, that are another good place for souvenirs. There is a daily swap meet type of setup in Kihei and a couple of outdoor shopping areas that are lots of fun for kids. They also have a farmers' market where you can buy yummy fresh fruits. Just be aware that unless is it pre-certified you cannot take it back on the plane. We have had to throw out fruit (or stuff ourselves full with it!) at the airport because they wouldn't let us take it on the plane.

Our next trip we are planning a day at Iao Valley State Park. We haven't been there yet, but we have heard great things about it! There are easy hiking trails, you can swim in waterfalls, and there is a nature center and a gardens. We also want to visit Surfing Goat Dairy sometime. There is a Sugar Cane Train that you can ride, but we have heard mixed reviews about it and it seemed a little spendy so we have never done that. We would also like to spend a day in Paia, but I don't know how kid friendly it is. It sounds like a pretty little bohemian town.

With a 4 year old I would probably skip the Road to Hana and the drive up Haleakala. They are both beautiful drives, but a lot of time in the car!

Our last trip looked something like this: Day 1--Beach and exploring Kihei, Day 2--Aquarium and Beach, Day 3-- Whale Watch and Pool, Day 4--Lahaina, Ka'anapali and Luau, Day 5--Beach all day, Day 6--Lahaina and Beach and Pool, Day 7--Beach, souvenir shopping in Kihei, and off to the airport (you can only fly out of Maui in the evening)

Definitely get the book Maui Revealed. It is hands-down the best travel book we found for Maui. It was written by people who actually have lived in Maui so there are lots of tips about lesser known places and places that are better to avoid.

Maui is a little bit spendy, but we have never regretted a trip! Our 4 year old asks often when we get to go back to Hawaii! They want to learn how to surf when we go next year!

As a side note, I personally would avoid Mexico. I have a co-worker who has family in Mexico and they have told her not to come and visit. They have even told her to avoid the tourist areas too. They have said that it is just too dangerous right now to travel there. A high school classmate of mine was murdered there a couple of years ago on his anniversary trip. They were just outside one of the biggest tourist areas. If you choose Mexico, go with an all inclusive, private resort and don't plan on leaving the resort property. And be extra vigilant even there.

I don't think you can go wrong with Maui!

I'll be looking for the answers to this...we're also planning a warm weather vacation!

The hold back for us on Mexico or Atlantis is passports...all 6 of us would need them and at over $100 each, it's just not worth diverting funds away from our travels to do that right now. Just something to consider in your budget and timing if you don't already have them.

Grand Vellas in Puerto Varata Mexico. So reasonable and beautiful and flights are shorter and cheaper than to Hawaii. It's all inclusive and the Italian and Mexican restaurants were outstanding. As good food as in major US cities. While you check in, they give you shoulder and neck massages in the stunning marble lobby. Vellas Vallarta is a sister property and also nice but not as nice as Grand Vellas.

YEAH! A family vacation! We travel a lot and here are my suggestions:
1. Mexico is FANTASTIC - we have taken the family to Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo. We stayed in all inclusives each time and LOVED IT! the kids had daily activities and that gave hubby and I some time together.
2. We LOVE cruises too!
3. We only did a day trio to Atlantis it was wonderful (but for what you have to pay for the name, there are other places to go) And besides, Bahamas in the Spring is not what I would consider "tropical" weather. We were there in March 1 to swim with the dolphins, it was only about 65 degrees.
4. Your kids are young so missing some school is not a big deal so travel in the off season. It is cheaper and less crowded.
5. There are great resorts all over the place - Club Meds are wonderful but you pay a lot more there than for a lot of the same services as in other resorts.

Best thing is decide the time of year you want to go then go to a travel agent DO NOT BOOK THIS ON LINE. It does not cost any more to use a travel agent and they will ensure you know EVERYTHING that is available to you.

Have fun!
B.

You live in California. If you lived on the east coast this year, your hometown would be considered tropical lol.

There are lots of travel companies on the internet that will get you to Hawaii inexpensively. Look in the travel section of the Sunday LA Times. I have seen 7 days + round trip air fare for $598.

We went for our 25th anniversary and stayed on a high-rise hotel with a nice beach/ocean view. But because we were also on a budget we could have stayed in a hotel one block away from the beach which had a two bedroom apartment with a kitchen and paid the same for 7 days that we paid for two days with a beach view.

Be sure to ask for the ( ka ha mine a) discount. I don't know how its is spelled, but we saved at least 50% on almost everything we bought. We went for a submarine ride and the photos were $49.99, until I asked for the kahaminea discount, then they were just $16.99. (kahaminea means local Hawaiian.)

Use the restaurants for a good lunch and then have Burger King for Dinner. Burger King, McD, etc. have a "dollar" menu. Lunch is much cheaper than dinner in a regular restaurant.

Be sure to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center and go to their Luau and Show. The best we've seen and we went to 5 or 6 between Hawaii and Sea World in Orlando. (I know its hard to believe Sea World in Orlando could be better than some luaus in Hawaii, buts it was.)

Don't go to Mexico on the west coast. The water is as cold as it was in Santa Barbara.

The Bahamas are nice. And you can book a deserted island picnic. The boat takes you to an uninhabited island and drops you off with a picnic lunch and accessories and you can be alone for a couple of hours to a full day. Then they pick you up and take you back to your hotel. I haven't done that yet, but I've read about it and its on my "Bucket list".

Good luck to you and yours.

what airport do you use? I recently looked into Alaska Airlines flights out of san diego. Maui and honolulu were both $350pp direct flight RT! I realize san diego might be a bit far for you though.

Isn't it also 4- 5 hours to the east coast? The airfare to the east coast would be cheaper. Or you can skip airfare altogether and take a cruise. Also, what about staying put in CA and going to Catalina Island?

I will never go to Mexico on vacation. One of my friends got dysentary there staying at Club Med. I'd choose Hawaii any day over Mexico.