The Shopping, Restaurants and Other West Maui Attractions

(And some touristy stuff.)

Don't forget to check out the map page.

Napili Point Resort is north of the quaint whaling village of Lahaina. The temperature at the Resort is usually somewhat cooler than town, which is a relief most of the time. In fact, mid-80s with tradewinds are the norm at Napilipoint, while Lahaina can rise into the 90s.The beautiful and famous Kapalua golf courses and tennis courts are a very, very short drive further north.

One of my very favorite restaurants is Sansei at the Kapalua Shops. It has wonderful Japanese/Pacific Rim food. Their sushi is great but it's their other dishes that shine. They use lots of different sauces and seasonings with fresh local fish. There are also lamb, beef and chicken dishes so the menu has something for everyone. And new specials all the time.

Right next door is the Gazebo which sits by the Napili Shores pool looking out at the ocean. They serve breakfast and lunch with a great view. If you get the mac nut pancakes for breakfast, word of warning about the "special sauce": it's cool whip and syrup. Not for everyone.

The nearby Napili Plaza has a good coffee store (with wonderful muffins), a video rental place (there are video and DVD players in B-22), Maui Taco, a gift shop, Boss Frogs (for renting snorkeling and other beach/surf gear), a dry cleaner, and a mailbox place that will sell you coconuts to decorate (with the colored pens they provide or you can buy a pre-drawn coconut) and send home to friends. Yes, you can send coconuts through the U.S. Postal Service.

Your first stop in Lahaina should be at the old courthouse by the Banyon Tree. It contatins the Visitor's Center and a fascinating museum with old whaling artifacts and early maps of Lahaina. The village of Lahaina offers many tourist shops and restaurants. My favorite is at 505 Front Street (the other end of the town's main drag): Pacific 'O. Wonderful Pacific Rim food. They've got a sister establishment across the walkway: I'o. The food is good although I prefer Pacific 'O. Try both. You also get to listen to the music from the dinner show next door to I'o, which is good if you like the music and bad if you don't.

Other restaurants in Lahaina include Longhi's (Italian and pricey), Cheeseburgers in Paradise, Moose McGillicuddy's, Lahaina Fish Company, and a lot of other places plus chains like Hard Rock Cafe, Ruth's Chris Steak House, and Bubba Gump's. Fish is one of the mainstays of the island diet -- it's plentiful and usually right out of the water fresh. The locals eat "plate lunch" which is generally a meat (fish, teriyaki chicken, and teriyaki beef are common choices) plus rice plus macaroni salad (I don't know why). You can get a filling plate lunch cheap -- $3 or $4.

The Old Lahaina Luau is in a beautiful thatched roof village behind the Cannery Mall. I think their luau is the best and most authentic around. The emphasis is on food and music, not on fire circles. Next to the luau is their Aloha Plate Lunch which is a wonderful way to get a quick and inexpensive introduction to the locals' favorite foods.

For breakfast, many Hawaiians eat loco moco: a hamburger patty with gravy and rice. It's not for everyone and the cholesterol levels are astronomical but it's truly local.

If you're down by Paia, try Mama's Fish House but be warned. The food is amazingly wonderful but the prices are quite high. In Makawao, the place to go is Casanova's which serves Italian food. And the Hailemaile General Store up country is also great.

There are many charter companies to take fisherpeople and snorkelers/scubadivers out onto the water. And still others that specialize in non-watersports trips. Check to see where the boat is moored. The Lahaina Boat Harbor is home to many of the charters but still more are at Maalea Harbor which is off the road from Lahaina back to Kahului, the site of the airport. If you have a 7 a.m. departure, how close the boat is moored may well matter a lot to you.