I have been researching condo options for our trip to Maui in November. I still haven%26#39;t made up my mind about the Kaanapali vs. Wailea side of the island. Do you know which side has more children%26#39;s activities or parks? I have been to Maui many times but that was before we had kids so I didn%26#39;t pay attention to family friendly areas. We want a reasonably priced condo with at least two bedrooms, central air, close to the beach and possibly a park, and a place with a swimming pool. I was looking at Ekahi in Wailea and Puamana in Lahaina but the reviews said that they are not that family friendly (they don%26#39;t want kids playing on the grassy areas, kids need to be quiet in the pools, etc). Do you have any condo suggestions? Recommendations for which side to stay on? Activities to do with young kids? Locations of any good parks? Thanks for you help!
Family Friendly Condo Rentals (7 mos and 4 year old kids)We are staying at the Kamaole Sands in Kihei with our 2-2yr olds. We went through VRBO to get the condo, and apparently it is a family friendly complex. This will be our 1st time though, so I%26#39;ll do a review of the place when we get back around the middle of May.
Family Friendly Condo Rentals (7 mos and 4 year old kids)We got married at the Grand Wailea five years ago in June and most of our guests stayed at Kamole Sands. Most of our guests really liked it. The only complaints I heard were that not all of the units have central air conditioning and some of them have not been renovated and are quite dated. No one had kids so I am not sure how family friendly it is or if there are parks nearby. I definitely want central air. Let me know how you like it.
Why would you stay at the so-so pool of a condo complex, when you have the ocean at the perfect bath water temperature? You can buy your 4 year old an inexpensive life jacket for additional safety. I bought one for my 2 year old at Target for $10.
There%26#39;s a good travel book for families that I saw at Borders. It pointed out several ideal places for families to stay, so you might want to check it out. We are staying at the Gardens at West Maui in Napili which is right down the street from two of the best beaches in Maui for kids, Napili and Kapalua. I believe there are condos right on the beach in this area as well. Also, I would recommend seeking condos with a w/d in them, so that you have an easy time with laundry for the little ones. Secondly, you wouldn%26#39;t have to pack as much luggage for them.
Activities for kids?
(1) the beach, what kid doesn%26#39;t love sand? Pack a big blanket for your 7 year old. We found an awesome red cloth one, that zips up, at Target for $10. You might get luck and find an umbrella in your condo, and you%26#39;d be set for a glorious 4 hours at the beach. In my humble opinion, I don%26#39;t think kids can stand the heat for more than 4 hours. Morning is ideal.
(2) the Maui Ocean Center (get tickets in advance, so you don%26#39;t have to wait in line.) www.mauioceancenter.com/index.php…
(3) the Banyan tree in Lahaina at dusk to listen to all of the birds.
tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60634-d52…
(4) Iao Valley State Park has a paved walkway for an easy family stroll.
My 2 year old and 10 month old travel well, so we are being bold and taking the Road to Hana. We will have our portable dvd player for them, and I%26#39;ll be back May 7th to tell how that worked out.
There is a park I%26#39;ve passed many times called Honokowai Park. They seem to have a playground, picnic tables, parking and the beach. I don%26#39;t know how swimmable it is. There%26#39;s a great little take out place not far from there called Honokowai Okazuya and Deli. You could grab lunch there and have a picninc. The Honokowai area is north of Kaanapali and south of Napili.
The Kaanapali Shores is sort of a cross between a hotel and a condo - it is 9 stories high, has central A/C, W/D in the unit, is pretty family friendly from what I%26#39;ve seen and it has a big grassy area where I%26#39;ve seen kids of all ages playing - from little kids to teenagers throwing around a football. Two pools. Beach in front, definitely walkable and playable on, again not sure how swimmable the beach is but I%26#39;ve seen my son and husband in the water there - just had to be careful of coral/rocks. They also have lounge chairs on the beach.
And I completely understand wanting a pool - for the kids and yourselves!
If you consider Ekahi reasonably priced, how about Hale Pau Hana in South Kihei? It%26#39;s beachfront, has a small pool, is family-friendly. We%26#39;ve also had good reviews of Polo Beach Club (Wailiea) from forum members traveling with children. (HPH only has A/C in BRs, I think.)
Kamaole Sands is a possibility; maybe 2-star?. Maui Kamaole would also be a choice -- 3-star rating. These are both across Kihei Road from the Kamaole Beach Parks which have grassy play areas and shade trees -- popular with both visitor and local families.
Mana Kai Maui has an excellent location, right on gentle Keawakapu Beach.
None of these are brand new. You need to look for a refurbished unit in any of them by shopping on vrbo. See aerial views of any complex on www.wizardpub.com
I agree with Trixee. We stayed a Kaanapali Shores with 5 and 8 year old girls. Kids eat free for lunch. I thought it was very kid friendly. The pools were nice and the kids loved watching the koi in the fish pond and exploring the grounds looking for geckos. Walking distance to a few restaurants and Star Market grocery store. Saw many families with kids ranging from babies to teens. Short drive norht brings you to the beautiful Kapalua beach. Great for kids, shallow with fish very close to shore. Walk along lave rock on the north side (wear good water shoes) to see tide pools.
Maui Kamaole. Right across the street is the Kamaole III beach with play area for kids (Okay, only one of your kids will appreciate). 2 swimming pools. Frankly, swimming pools are the way to go with babies and toddlers but they really do like playing in the sand. Your 4 year old will love the ocean and a life jacket is a must, especially for the fearless types.
Ekahi is a great place for families, especially the beachside pool. There were lots of kids there and never any problems with them running around and having fun. We%26#39;ve stayed there and had one of the four pools to ourselves everyday so our kids had a great time. The beach is great there too. We are not fans of Kaanapali mainly because the beach is too steep and not great for swimming like the Wailea area. We also love the closeness of the Shops at Wailea for ice cream and the shows on Wednesday nights without all the hassles of parking in Kaanapali and traffic. Kihei is okay too but we find crossing the road all the time to go to the beach is a pain with mats, buckets, kids, and strollers. Elua is nice too but they only have two pools. Makena Surf is by far the best spot for families but costs more than Ekahi. As for activities for the kids, Maui Ocean Center is wonderful. The Lahaina Sugar train is fun too. There is a great kids second hand store in Kihei where we bought some big toys for the kids and then sold them back to them before we left. I think its called akamai mothers. Send me an email if you want more details and advice.
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