A short flight to paradise

A drive north to Kanapali
see all photos »

The flight to Maui was going to be a short one, about 35 minutes from gate to gate. I was kind of looking forward to one of those tiny planes that rock and roll with the wind, but I was disappointed, it was a full size 737. A lot of people travel inter-island if such large aircrafts are used every 90 minutes. It was a quick flight, and they found time to serve a cup of passion fruit juice on the way.

As suggested by the airline magazine, after landing, I proceeded to the rental car counter to pick the car while other picked up the bags. I then met them at the curb, very efficient. We proceeded straight to a grocery store and picked up a lot of food, we planned to cook atleast some of the meals at home, starting with dinner tonight.

The water was cool but not cold and the sun was nice and warm

Dancing at the Luau
see all photos »

Our condo was on the west side about 25 minutes drive through a dark road, in Kihei. In the dark we couldn't see much, but once we found the condo, we could sense ocean right outside. Kihei seemed to be a quiet town, except for the Kehei road which separated our condo from the beach. An ABC store was right next, its almost hard to be too far from one in Hawaii, they are everywhere, and they sell everything you would need on a beach.

For now we settled into the condo. It was really cozy and also had some basic provisions. A quick meal was prepared and we retired early after watching some TV. We would wait till the morning to see the beach.

Professional dancers at the Luau
see all photos »

The sight in the morning was spectacular. We were right across Kamaole Beach Park 1. Two of us decided on a nice walk on the beach. It was tempting to jump in, but we wanted to get some towels and beach chairs from home. It was a lovely walk, not many people had come out yet.

A little later we did come back with beach chairs, body surf boards and towels and spent few good hours swimming in the pacific. The water was cool but not cold and the sun was nice and warm. Perfect weather to be in water.

After a few hours in the water we searched for the best Luau for a nice dinner. A luau is a traditional dinner with a show of some of the native dances and music. We realized that the best ones sell out a few weeks in advance and we weren't so sure about the ones that were being sold to us at a higher price as the good ones. So we took a basic luau and it turned out much better than expectations. The food was average, but there was a really great program and then the open bar completed the fun. It was money well spend.The ambiance of the place was really nice and it was a good way to learn some more about the island cultures. The traditional pork was served, cooked in the imu. It was good but not great. I was hoping for more fish, but maybe food wasn't the focus, it was the show. Ekta and I even went on stage along with a lot of others to learn the Hula dance. I don't think I can repeat the steps now, but it was fun. Stuffed after the heavy meal, it was time for the 90 minute drive back and then just hitting the sack.