Maui - Hawaii with Kids - page 233

Try to fly directly to Maui—otherwise you will be stuck with flying into Hon-
olulu, with the likelihood of a 2-hour layover between flights. (Won't your kids
just love that!) As of press time, six airlines fly directly from the mainland to
Maui. United Airlines ( & 800/241-6522; www.united.com) has nonstop serv-
ice from Los Angeles and San Francisco; Hawaiian Airlines ( & 800/367-5320;
www.hawaiianair.com) offers direct flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco,
Portland, and Seattle; American Airlines ( & 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) has
direct service from Los Angeles; Delta Airlines ( & 800/221-1212;
www.delta.com) flies direct from San Francisco and Los Angeles; Aloha Airlines
( & 800/367-5250 or 808/484-1111; www.alohaair.com) has direct flights from
Oakland and Orange County, California; and American Trans Air ( & 808/
435-9282; www.ata.com) offers direct flights from San Francisco, Los Angeles,
and Phoenix several times a week.
The other major carriers fly to Honolulu, where you'll have to pick up an
interisland flight to Maui. Aloha Airlines ( & 800/367-5250 or 808/484-1111;
www.alohaair.com) and Hawaiian Airlines ( & 800/367-5320 or 808/838-
1555; www.hawaiianair.com) both offer jet service from Honolulu and the other
neighbor islands.
LANDING AT KAHULUI If there's a long wait at baggage claim, and the kids,
already cranky from the long airplane ride, are getting even crankier, step over to
the state-operated Visitor Information Center and pick up brochures and the
latest issue of This Week Maui, which features great regional maps of the islands.
If you're not renting a car (and you should, because there's no public trans-
portation on Maui), the cheapest way to get to your hotel is via SpeediShuttle
( & 800/977/2605 or 808/661-6667; www.speedishuttle.com). It can take you
between Kahului Airport and all the major resorts between 6am and 11pm daily.
Rates vary, but for one person, figure on $30 one-way to Wailea; $41 one-way
to Kaanapali; and $57 one-way to Kapalua. Be sure to call ahead of time to
arrange pickup.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The Maui Visitors Bureau is at 1727 Wili Pa Loop, Wailuku, Maui, HI 96793
( & 800/525-MAUI or 808/244-3530; www.visitmaui.com). Contact them in
advance and they'll send you heaps of information on things to do with your
family.

MAUI IN BRIEF

Central Maui
Maui's main airport lies in this flat,
often windy corridor between
Maui's two volcanoes, where most
of the island's population lives.
You'll find good shopping and din-
ing bargains here, as well as the
heart of the business community
and the local government.
West Maui
This is the fabled Maui you see on
postcards. Jagged peaks, green vel-
vet valleys, a wilderness full of
native species—the majestic West

Maui Mountains are the epitome of
earthly paradise. The beaches here
are some of the islands' best. And
it's no secret: This stretch of coast-
line along Maui's “forehead,” from
Kapalua to the historic port of
Lahaina, is the island's most
bustling resort area (with south
Maui close behind). Expect a few
mainland-style traffic jams.
If you want to book into a resort
or condo on this coast, first con-
sider what community your family
will be comfortable in. Starting at