Maui Family Vacation Planning Tips

May 24, 2009 by Jeff Schuman · 3 Comments
Filed under: Maui

In this article we will give you useful Maui family vacation planning tips to save you money and to help you have a great time when you get to Maui!

For starters, it is important to make your family vacation travel arrangements well in advance of your trip.

When you do so, you should be presented with more options.

For example, if you want your family to all sit next to each other on the airplane, your chances of getting your wish increases with the earlier you make your travel arrangements.

Speaking of your airplane ride, depending on your starting point, an airplane trip to Hawaii can be long. For that reason, you will want to bring lots of activities, which can help to keep your children occupied. These items can include small toys, a portable movie player, a music player with headphones, books, or magazines.

Snacks are also a good idea. Drinks can usually be purchased at the airport, but past security checkpoints. In fact, be sure to familiarize yourself with all airport security rules and restrictions before your intended dates of travel.

Next, it is important to examine where you and your family intend to stay while on the island of Maui. Be sure to make your decision wisely.

For example, hotels are popular options for tourists, but some can be quite small in size. Make sure that you have enough room for all of your children to comfortable stay and sleep. Doing so can help to improve their satisfaction and yours as well.

In keeping with your overnight accommodations, also examine services, facilities, and other extras that you may be provided with. Look for those that are designed for kids or those that benefits parents. The water slide at the Grand Wailea Spa and Resport is great.

For example, does your hotel or vacation resort have an onsite gaming room?

What about a child care service?

Even if you intend to spend most of your time away from your hotel or vacation resort, it is still important to examine all of the features, services, and facilities you are provided with or gain access to.

If you haven’t already decided on a Maui car rental, you will want to do so. Despite the fact that public transportation is available, you may find a car rental to be a more convenient approach.

The last thing that you want is to get two, three, or more kids into a taxi or on a bus. As a parent, you may know that this can be a frustrating and time consuming process.

Instead, a car rental provides you with convenience and comfort. And, since car rentals come in all different sizes, it doesn’t matter how large or small your family is.

An important component of planning a family vacation is to make sure that everyone has fun. That is why your intended Maui vacation activities should be of great importance to you.

While you do not have to have every minute of your vacation planned, you should still do a little bit of research first. This research involves determining which vacation activities your family may enjoy participating in and which attractions you should visit.

If your family consists of two or more children that are in different age groups, planning your Hawaii vacation activities may seem like a lose-lose situation. There are a number of steps that you can take.

First, choose activities and attractions that are ideal for individuals of all ages. This may include swimming and visiting a zoo. You can also let each of your children pick one or more activities or attractions, which helps to make sure that everyone gets their wish.

Hopefully these Maui family vacation planning tips will help make your next Maui family vacation perfect. Although planning a family vacation can seem like a stressful and overwhelming process, the end result will be more than worth the time and energy that went into planning your trip.

Tags: family vacation, Maui

Maui Downhill Haleakala Summit Bike Tour

January 29, 2009 by Jeff Schuman · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Maui

When you are in Maui I definitely recommend the Maui Downhill Haleakala Summit bike tour.

It is also known as the Summit To The Sea and it is a wild ride.

This is a bike tour worth taking the time to go on.

You are taken to the 10,023’ summit of Haleakala. This is a crate where the astronauts trained to walk on the moon.

It is a massive crater the size of Manhatten in New York and it is interesting how cold it is at the top. You will start out wearing a coat as it is around 30 degrees.

As I recall you go 38 miles downhill and peddle about 400 yards in that time. The bikes have hydraulic brakes and you need them as you get to going pretty fast.

You need to be able to ride a bike for your own safety. About a week before we went a rider crossed over the middle of the road and hit a tour bus head on. They were killed instantly.

There are no major drop offs on the side of the road which is good.

This is not like riding in the mountains of Colorado where you couldgo over the edge and land several hundred feet below.

Not everyone can take the bike tour. Some requirements include….

- Competent riders and no beginners.

- Must be 12 years of age or older.

- 5 feet tall guideline height.

- Maximum weight for bike rider is 250 pounds.

- Riders must sign acknowledgement of risk & safety form.

- No Pregnant women allowed to bike on this tour.

- No Riders may participate with medical conditions that would adversely effect them in this activity.

- Wear warm clothing in layers and close-toed rubber soled shoes.

Not to scare you too much though. The Maui Downhill Haleakala Summit really is safe and one great way to spend a day in Maui doing something you will never be able to do anywhere else.