Lahaina Town: What to do? Where to stay? Garden Gate Bed and Breakfast, Maui, Hawaii
Written: Sep 18 '02 (Updated Apr 01 '03)
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Pros: A very pretty area with lots to do.
Cons: There are no cons to Hawaii. (Well maybe the distance from us.)
The Bottom Line: Lahaina Town is an area you will want to explore even if you do not stay in the area, although I would recommend staying here.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Lahaina Town (Maui) |
I will be reviewing the Town of Lahaina in Maui. I am reviewing the Bed and Breakfast in which we stayed separately.
About Lahaina Town:
Laihana is an old seaport when in the 1800s whaling was a top priority here. It was once the royal capital of Hawaii.
In Lahaina you will find:
Lahaina Cannery Mall, Lahaina Center, Lahaina Squire, Lahaina Market Place, Lahaina Harbor and Front street.
You will be shopping, eating and seeing both inside and outside entertainment in these sections of the town of Lahaina. Looking at a map the area is about 1/2 dozen blocks along the waterfront and a couple of blocks west until you hit Route 30.
Lahaina Cannery Mall is in the northern section of Town. This is Maui's only fully enclosed, air-conditioned shopping spot. It was built in 1987 and has a variety of boutique retail stores combined with casual restaurants and an international food court.
You will find Hula dancing, Hawaiian artists, cultural events and festivals all year long.
You will also find a 24-hour Safeway and Longs Drug Store.
The Lahaina Jodo Mission has the largest Buddha outside of Japan and is off of Front Street on Ala Moana Street.
Heading south you will find the Lahaina United Methodist Church and Lahaina Center.
The center is located between Wainee Street and Front Street with Pappaluaua Street bordering it. There is free validated parking and you can walk into any shop and get your ticket stamped.
Besides shopping and eating here you can go to (These were offered while we were there in June 2002.) Hale Kahio, an outdoor exhibit. It is open 9:00am – 6:00pm every day with tours Monday – Friday. The tours are free but donations are welcome. You can also see free weekly Hula Shows on the grass that sits in the center of Lahaina Center. On Wednesdays at 2:30 you might see a Tahitian Show and on Friday at 6:00pm you may see the Keiki Hula Shows. But these do change so make sure you pick up one of the many brochures at the airport and on stands on the street for activities. There is free entertainment very often on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-7:30pm with a sunset serenade by Maui singers. On the Friday night we were at the Center we saw a group of young people singing and dancing. It was a wonderful show. Chairs were set up and it was late afternoon – a perfect time to relax and watch the performance.
If you want to shop here, you will find Hilo Hattie where you will buy souvenirs, Banana Republic and the Gap to name a few stores. If you want to eat you can go to the Hard Rock Café or Maui Brews again just to name two in this Center.
There is a theater here and places to make reservations for activities such as Dive Maui where you can reserve equipment, and boats.
You will find the Post Office just south of Lahaina Center. You can walk to it, but it is technically outside the borders of the Center on Front Street next to Bubba Gumps.
Heading south again you will find Dickenson Street where we had a delicious meal at Kobe Japanese Steak House.
The main strip is Front Street where you will find the boutiques and eateries. One of the best meals we had in Hawaii was here at 831 Front Street. The restaurant is Lahaina Fish Company and I highly recommend it.
You can also see great sunsets on Front Street. Two of our favorites were in Lahaina Harbor where you will see Mahu Ulu O' lele Park. Grab a seat on the grass or along the sides of the park and enjoy.
Remember the Safeway I mentioned above? Go to the Smokehouse Bar and Grill across from a Safeway Supermarket (Route 30) and don’t have a drink (I’m using it as a landmark.) but pull into the right of the Bar onto a beach/rock area. You will be treated not only to an amazing sunset but also to seals playing right in front of you.
We didn’t have a Lu’au on Maui but one that is mentioned in many guide books including Frommer’s which we used on this island is Old Lahanina Lu’au at 1251 Front Street. You will need reservations, which you can get once you get to Maui.
You can get a free map of the many historic sites at the Lahaina Restoration Foundation on the corner of Front and Dickenson Streets. Many sites are free.
The Baldwin Home Museum is the oldest house in Lahaina and next door is the Master’s Reading Room, Maui’s oldest Building (Frommer’s). It is in the Lahaina Restoration Foundation Admission to the Foundation and the Reading Room is $3.00 for adults, $2.00 for seniors and $5.00 for a family. It is open 10:00am-4:30pm.
In summary:
There are many areas in which to stay. We loved being in Lahaina. There was a lot to do and we were never bored. Even my husband, who hates to shop, found himself walking the strip at night – it is just a very pretty area.
Feel free to leave me a comment or ask any questions. Other Hawaii reviews you may be interested in:
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Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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