south or west???

If you love the beach and want calm waters,Should you stay on south or west Maui?

south or west???

Everyone has their own opinion about this. I personally prefer west Maui, specifically the Kahana and Napili area, and Kaanapali, too, if I%26#39;m in the mood for a more crowded environment. South Maui just doesn%26#39;t float my boat, although I do like to drive down there to snorkel Ulua. Maybe it%26#39;s because I grew up going to west Maui and it has sentimental memories for me. Back in the early 70%26#39;s (boy, am I dating myself), Kihei wasn%26#39;t as developed, so we never stayed there. Kihei is definitely more budget minded, which can be a good thing and a bad thing. One thing I don%26#39;t like about that area--a lot of the resorts are across the street from the beach. Personally, I want to be right on the beach, but you pay for that priviledge, so if money is tight, it can be a good choice.

That said, there are good beaches all over. Napili Bay is gorgeous, and I%26#39;ve never encountered a lot of rain there, although we always go in August, which isn%26#39;t usually that rainy anywhere. Maui Revealed complains about the seaweed in the Kahana area, but we%26#39;ve stayed at the Kahana Sunset several times and never seen a shred of seawead. BTW, the Kahana Sunset is a great facility if you want to go the condo route; they have good prices and a wonderful, private-ish beach that%26#39;s particularly good for swimming.

And you just can%26#39;t beat Kaanapali beach. Yes, it%26#39;s crowded, but it%26#39;s wonderful just the same if you can afford it. Plus, it%26#39;s nice to be able to walk to lunch or dinner. We stayed at the Sheraton two years ago, and loved it.

It all depends on what you want, what your budget is, etc. My vote, however, is for west Maui. Try the Papakea on VRBO. Great rates, nice grounds, right on the beach. As I remember, the beach is a tad rocky, but not too bad.

south or west???

What lexigirl said! I totally agree. I forgot about the seaweed at the Kahana beaches. It was there when we stayed at Hololani in August/Sept. a few years ago. Having been to Maui 12 times and stayed in all the areas, my pick is the Kaanapali resort area and Napili.

We used to stay west and it is very nice there. A few years ago we started staying in Wailea and now Kihei, we prefer the weather there and the beaches for swimming and snorkeling. You don%26#39;t seem to get the drizzle that you do off the West Maui mountains. it is also way more affordable to rent an ocean front condo in kihei with a great usuble beach than on West Maui. Where ever you choose to stay will be wonderful.