Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Only two places in Makena feature canoe paddling or kayaking:
Maluaka Beach
in front
of the Makena Beach and Golf Resort and
Makena Landing
beach park on Makena Road.
Unless you book with the operators through the Makena Beach and Golf Resort, more
likely than not you're going to be departing out of Makena Landing.
The only options with land-based facilities are the tours which depart from the
Makena
Beach and Golf Resort
(5400 Makena Alanui, 808/874-1111,
www.makenaresortmaui.com
)
. Rent your own kayak for $25-30/hour or take part in a two-
hour guided snorkeling tour for $75 with one of the knowledgeable guides. You're paying
for instructors who know the history of the area—and are highly entertaining. If you want
to take part in a paddling experience that's far more culturally oriented (and will give you
a better workout), there are also
outrigger canoe tours
which depart from in front of the
hotel and cost the same as the kayaks at $75 for a two-hour trip. Snorkeling time is in-
cluded with both tours. The beach parking area is half a mile past the main entrance to the
resort.
The rocky shoreline of Makena Landing is the preferred spot of all other kayak
operators, most of whom also have operations elsewhere on the island. My top pick
out of Makena Landing is
Hawaiian Paddle Sports
(808/600-4228,
www.hawaiianpaddlesports.net
)
, but other operators you can choose from include
Kelii's
Kayaks
(808/874-7652,
www.keliiskayaks.com
),
Aloha Kayaks Maui
(808/270-3318,
www.alohakayaksmaui.com
), as well as
Makena Kayak and Tours
(808/879-8426,
www.makenakayaks.net
)
, whose prices are usually the cheapest among many of the com-
petitors. Most tours are about $55-70 for a 2.5-hour tour and $85 for a four-hour tour.
There are usually two tours offered per day. If you plan on kayaking out of Makena Land-
ing, do yourself a favor and book the early tour, because not only will you beat the wind,
but you'll beat the crowds of snorkel boats that converge on the area later on in the morn-
ing.
For the recreational angler who only wants to spend four hours on the water, the most per-
sonalized service you'll find in Ma'alaea Harbor is
Maui Fun Charters
(Slip 97, 808/
