Trip Report

We were on Maui January 9-13th. Our flight over was uneventful on American Airlines. We took a DVD player, noise cancelling headphones, and the first 5 seasons of 24 to watch for the 8 or 9 hours in the air and in airports. Hubby planned the whole thing and ordered on Amazon. It was a great idea! Time flew...pardon the pun. We also take our own sandwiches and snacks, books, a travel pillow, soft ear plugs, and most importantly pack in our carry-on bags swimsuits, a change of clothes, meds, and toiletries just in case our luggage is delayed as once happened on a trip to Berlin. Since this is a business trip and the first night is our opening reception and dinner it is necessary, but I do it regardless just in case.

Our oceanfront room was in the Napili Tower of the Hyatt Regency. Most of the property and grounds are very lovely but some aspects of the rooms needed upgrading for this peoperty to be considered a 5 star accommodation. I would consider it a 4 star resort. The staff was wonderful, 5 stars, the food was 3 and 4 stars. The grounds, 5 stars. One of our favorite things to do at the resort was to rent a cabana out on the beach, pull the tent-like top down, and relax to the sound of the waves...just the two of us. Marvelous!

We chose three activities from the list of about 20 to do. The first day we were provided a car which we drove around the island, starting with the north loop by the blowhole and ending at the summit of Haleakala around sunset. The clouds did not cooperate this year so we didn%26#39;t get the photos we wanted, but it was a fun day of driving, hiking, and talking all day...just the two of us which is one of the great luxuries of our vacation time. The second day we signed up for a kayak/snorkel tour. It was with Julie%26#39;s and was first rate, including our guide. Very professional and fun. He took us out a ways from the shore, we paddled to our first snorkel site, he anchored his kayak to a buoy and we all tied up to him in line. We entered the chilly water and immediately saw turtles. Got some great pictures! We then paddled to another snorkel site, same procedure, and saw reef fish and a spotted eel. He then passed out bottled water, juice, and granola bars which we snacked on before paddling back to our launch site. Our third day was a snorkel/sail aboard the Teralani. The boat and crew were terrific. The food and drinks was great. The snorkeling was not. We went to a site that was really too deep to snorkel and the viz was really bad. We should have gone to another site, but the captain chose to stay. As I always say, though, a day diving or snorkeling is always better than not so we enjoyed ourselves anyway. Our captain then took us on a whale watch which was tremendous. We saw many whales and got some great pictures. We had a nice dinner with collegues at one of the Hyatt%26#39;s restaurants, the Swan Court. It was pricy, but delicious and the ambiance was lovely. Our final night dinner and reception featured Henry Kapono and his band. Kapono, a Hawaiian singer/songwriter, born and raised on Oahu, was fabulous! In 20 years of going to on these trips, this night was the best entertainment we%26#39;ve ever been treated to. If you want more information about him, his new album, or where to go see him in concert go to www.henrykapono.com. Another great trip put on by the firm my hubby works for. These are incentive trips and have taken us around the world, but our favorite place is when they choose Hawaii. We usually extend these trips which in this case takes us to the Big Island for a week.

On the morning of the 13th, we were driven to the airport and boarded an Aloha flight bound for the Big Island. That trip report will follow on the Big Island forum shortly.

Trip Report

Great report. It sounds like you had a marvelous vacation on Maui...

Trip Report

Wish I had business to take me to Maui. Enjoyed your report. Mahalo.

Thanks for your report. Loved the way you prepared for it1 24! Love it!

Looking forward to your BI report.

Mahalo

Sounds like a great time. Next time I%26#39;m going to copy your idea of bringing DVDs of a beloved TV show on the plane - only mine will be Rescue Me!

Bips,

This is kind of a dumb question...but here goes. I do not have a portable DVD player, but like your idea of watching 24 on the plane, etc. However, I thought they only carried a charge that will last a couple of hours. Do you use batteries or what to provide the extended viewing time. Thanks.

Kay

Not a dumb question at all. You are right, batteries only last a short while. You have several options...when you make your seat assignments ask for a seat which has a plug in which recharges. My husband%26#39;s firm made our flight arrangements so we did not get in such a row. Second option, take along extra batteries. Not always good because we have been stopped in security for carrying too many batteries...cameras, dive lights, DVD player, etc. Third and I think the best option is to buy an extra power supply and charge it before you leave. That way when your batteries run down you simply plug in the charged power supply (ours is round about the size of a disk and about 1/2 inch thick) and it runs the DVD player forever.

Hi Bips!

Somewhere along the forum of this one, or the B.I., I remember reading that the B.I. was your favourite island. I was glad to read that you made it over there too!

Now I%26#39;m going over to read your B.I. trip report.

Santy

Santy, I do love the Big Island and we just got home from a glorious week there. Unfortunately, I got interrupted this afternoon and did not finish my BI trip report. I will post it tomorrow.

LOL! I was just over on the B.I. forum, and I couldn%26#39;t find it, so I came back to read this one a little more carefully! Whoops!

I%26#39;ll be patient.

NIce to know you had a blast! Ah, I love reading trip reports! Mahalo for writing yours!

Santy, check our Day 1 of my trip report on the Big Island forum. I%26#39;ll post day 2 later today.

vc