More Maui Q

[maestramommy]

We are staying in Lahaina. Is there a Costco in or on the way to Lahaina from the airport, and will a membership card from the mainland work there? What about Target/Kmart/Walmart?

Has anyone gone snorkeling with toddlers? Dh and I were thinking of taking turns, but is it possible to have the toddler on some kind of floater with one parent while the other explores for a few minutes?

Has anyone gone hiking in Haleakala park with toddlers and kids? In my guidebook it mentions high elevation (10k feet). Any BTDT?

Thanks!

[luvmypeanut]

There is a Costco and Kmart by the airport (Kahului). No Target yet and I'm not sure about Walmart. Your card will work no problem at the Costco. Remember there is a 30-45 min drive to Lahaina from the airport depending on the traffic.

[vludmilla]

We used the Costco and the Kmart when we were in Maui. It was great. We got very good prices on milk at the Kmart and fruit and veggies were a good deal at Costco. The travel to Lahaina can be really, really backed up and slow during rush hour times so I'd avoid those times if you can.

[maestramommy]

Thanks for the tip! We will be arriving in Kahului at around 9am, so we will miss the traffic (I hope). Is Kmart a good place to buy babyfood, or is there somewhere better?

[vludmilla]

I didn't notice the baby food prices because we didn't need it at the time. We did bring some of our own food to reduce the amount we would need to buy because we were afraid of the prices. If I were going today, I might pack a bunch of baby food to reduce what I would need to buy.
Have fun...I'm so jealous :) Maui is one of my most favorite places to go.

[luvmypeanut]

I don't remember what the prices were for baby food at the Kmart, but I think you might find a better selection at a Safeway or Foodland. I know both places here on Oahu have big organic sections. And I believe there is both a Foodland and a Safeway on the way to Lahaina.

For restaurants, check out Pacific'O in Lahaina and Mama's Fish House in Paia. Delicious!! Mama's is probably on our top 10 list of restaurants anywhere in the world and the kids love it there.

[vludmilla]

For restaurants, check out Pacific'O in Lahaina and Mama's Fish House in Paia. Delicious!! Mama's is probably on our top 10 list of restaurants anywhere in the world and the kids love it there.


ITA with the Pacific'O recommendation. It was our absolute favorite restaurant in all of Maui, hands down, no question at all. Even better than Mama's Fish House. We loved eating at Pacific'O for lunch as well as dinner...good prices for lunch, and we got to sit right at the edge of the beach with a wonderful view. For an inexpensive dinner, we liked the Paia Fish House which is very casual dining but good prices and decent taste. All around, we loved Paia more than we expected to. We also ate at some smaller cafes and had great lattes, nice sandwiches with fresh veggies and delicious desert crepes. They have a great organic/natural food market with decent prices (all things considered).

One other thing, it may not be feasible with children in tow but we did the full drive around both "ends" of Maui. Both are spectacularly beautfiul and quite frightening at times (the roads narrow to what seems like insane narrowness and they are very twisty). The amazing scenery was worth it for us. With kids I might not do the full circuit but you could at least do the first "leg" of the Road to Hana. There is a great banana bread stand on the way. I recommend the book Maui Revealed for some great tips about Maui. We used almost every day.
Have fun!