GENERAL MAUI INFO

  If you are planning your first trip to Hawaii or Maui you are probably wondering what to expect in Maui.  After all, this is an island out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. 

  On my first trip to Maui, I was nearly stunned to get into my rental car, turn on the radio and hear the same popular song that I had just heard earlier in the day back home.  Why was I so surprised?  I don't know, maybe I just didn't think I would find so many of the same things on Maui as I was accustomed to at home. 

  Truth is, Maui is the perfect mix of just about everything you would expect to find wherever it is you may live, especially if you are from the United States.  Here's what we would suggest as a sample itinerary for your arrival in Maui.

  When you arrive, as you learned on the "Planning Your Trip" page, you will be in Kahului.  Rent a car from the Kahului airport and drive into the city of Kahului.  Hopefully, you have taken our advice and booked a timeshare, condo, apartment, or hotel room with cooking facilities (many timeshares also have beachfront barbeque stations).  If so, you will want to stop by Wal-Mart or K-Mart in Kahului and pick up some basic food and drink items (neither has a full grocery store inside).  This is the cheapest place you are going to find anything on Maui, so if you think you are going to need it during your trip, buy it now.  Just FYI, there is also a Costco, Krispy Kreme, Borders, Office Max, and a Home Depot in Kahului as well as a few other big name retailers.  You will not find any stores like this besides an extremely overpriced grocery store in any of the resort areas on Maui.  If you forgot film, sunscreen, or sunglasses this would be a good time to pick some up.

  Since you have the ability to cook at least a meal or two a day for yourself and save quite a bit of money, you'll need groceries.  But, if you just randomly stop at the first grocery store you encounter, you may find yourself asking am I really saving any money?  That is unless you purchase your groceries at the right places.  There are 3 main grocery chains represented on Maui.  The most common and most expensive is Star Markets.  Expect out of this world prices at Star Markets on Maui.  The next grocery on Maui is Foodland, yet another expensive option.  The remaining chain is Safeway.  This is where you will find some respectable prices.  There is a catch though.  You must sign up for a free Safeway Card at the customer service counter.  You don't need to be a Maui local and you don't need to be a Hawaii resident.  I just walked in with my out of state drivers license, filled out the very short "appication" and had my card in less than 5 minutes.  On that first trip alone, I saved $21.00.  You will find a Safeway in Lahaina, Kahului, and Kihei.  These 3 locations are spread out very well so that

Be prepared to pay at least $0.50 more for a gallon of gasoline anywhere in Hawaii as you do back home.  Do expect to find plenty of ATM's on Maui, but don't expect any of them to be your bank.  Generally speaking, you will find ATM machines from Bank of Hawaii and that's it.

  Be prepared to see lots of little gecko's.  They look like little lizards, just a few inches long usually.  They're harmless, but can freak you out a bit if you're not expecting to see them crawling on things.  This was another one of those things that I was not expecting to see on my first trip.

  Just in case you missed it on the "Getting Around Maui" page, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES DRINK AND DRIVE IN HAWAII.  While this should be obvious anyway, on Maui it will really put a damper on your vacation in paradise.  The local police to not take kindly to those drinking and driving on Maui.  They are known to routinely setup sobriety checkpoints and they are not afraid to stop and arrest the tourists.  Friends of mine who are Maui locals tell me that they actually look for the common tourist rental cars to stop at the checkpoints. 

  Do lock your car doors and hide any valuables.  Better yet, don't leave anything valuable in your vehicle.  I'm not saying that crime is high or you should be on guard at all.  But, don't be fooled into thinking that there is no crime in paradise.  Over my many trips to Maui, I have been witness to one very suspicious local who seemed to be eyeing up my camera which was left on the front seat of my rental car.  Generally, you won't run into this type of element on your resort property, I never have.  The only times to watch out are at the public spots like beaches and lookout points.