What type of tours are fun to do in Hawaii?

 Prior to working full time as a travel agent, I worked exclusively in the activity business here on Maui.

Part of my job is to qualify activities for my clients just as I do accommodations. This is done by personally staying at the properties we offer, going out on a tour or excursion, plus our valuable feed back from clients.

Recently I had a client booked on one of our preferred snorkel trips to Molokini. As it turned out I was in harbor at the same time they were getting off the boat. I asked them what they thought of the tour? Their reply was exactly what I wanted to hear. “We were so glad when we showed up and saw the boat you had booked us on.” “We saw many boats with countless people on board and thought I hope that isn’t the one we are going on!” They thanked me for booking them with a quality tour company with a great staff, personalized service and well maintained equipment.

Granted you may find cheaper snorkel sails, or dinner cruises online, but please keep in mind that cheaper seldom means better. It just means cheap!

I know your time is limited here in Hawaii, and I don’t want you to be disappointed with a tour that doesn’t live up to the highest of standards!

Here is a list of my favorite tours here on Hawaii:

Maui:

Love the water? Then a snorkel trip is a great idea for you. Swim with colorful tropical fish at a marine reserve or just right off the shore of Maui. Snorkel trips include a lesson how to snorkel, pastries for breakfast, deli lunch and drinks.

I think everyone should go to a luau at least once during their stay. If you have already been to a luau I suggest a more traditional luau with authetic Hawaiian hula. I believe Maui has the best luaus in the state!

One of my favorite is the Old Lahaina luau. Mahalo for these great photos.

 Never been to a luau or traveling with kids? Then a Polynesian revue would be your best bet.

Luaus last about 3 hours and will include the food, drinks and show.

A sunset cruise is a romantic way to spend the evening sipping beer, wine, and tropical drinks while enjoy the beauty of Maui from the sea!  Dinner cruises are also available.

Stand up board, kayak tours or surfing lessons are great water activities here on Maui.

These tours range from an hour to ½ day.

Are you a thrill seeker? You will love our zipline tours. They range from a couple of hours to a 5 zipline with lunch.

Whale watch tours are amazing! This tour is only available December-April.

Hawaii aka the big island: swim with a manta ray, helicopter over an active volcano, or dive in a submarine.

Oahu:

 Fly over Waikiki Beach in a sea plane, mountain bike tour, Pearl Harbor Arizona Memorial, Polynesian Cultural Center.

Kauai:

 Enjoy the beauty of Kauai with these great activities: ATV adventure tour, kayak and hiking, and the Hawaii movie tour.

Written by Marie Glodt a Hawaiian Destination specialist and Maui travel agent at Travel to Maui.

Considering a vacation to Hawaii? Travel to Maui is your travel agent in Hawaii!

To schedule a consulting appointment with Marie Glodt contact us at http://www.traveltomaui.net/php/contact.php

http://www.traveltomaui.net/index.php

http://www.traveltomaui.net/php/hawaii-travel.php Hawaii vacations information

http://www.traveltomaui.net/php/travel-faq.php FAQ page

Photo credit to the Old Lahaina luau for their great luau photos. Other photos and videos from the Hawaii visitor bureau.

My weekend in Wailea, Maui

Aloha from Maui,

As a resident of Hawaii and a travel agent at Travel to Maui I am blessed with being able to hop in my car and in 60 minutes or less be at wonderful 4 star resorts.

This weekend I celebrated in style at the Fairmont Kea Lani. I decided to splurge and got a beautiful deluxe ocean view suite. I only stayed one night but I sure did a lot in just 24 hours. I will start with the things I learned on this trip about the Fairmont Kealani. I have stayed here many times. But I always find something new that I have over looked.

 On this trip I found out they have a water aerobics class for free, every day except Tuesday & Thursdays. It is in the adult’s pool at 9:30am.

I have never done the complimentary canoe ride for guests staying at the Fairmont Kea Lani, but I plan to on my next visit. This is held Monday-Friday and books up often times weeks in advance. You can make a reservation by contacting the Fairmont Kealani’s concierge desk.

Another great tip is if your suit case GROWS while you are here on Maui ship some of your goodies home ahead of time. The Fairmont Kealani concierge desk will help you box it up in the USPS priority flat rate box. For $13-16 you can stuff everything in a box and be done with it. Generally it takes 3-5 days to arrive at your destination.

Another great benefit of being a guest at the Kea Lani is the free shuttle in the Wailea area. This is a great option if your husband is golfing and you want to go to The Shops of Wailea.
If you would like to attend a luau being held in the Wailea area you can take the shuttle!

Of course I had to go to Ko when staying at the Fairmont Kea lani. We went for lunch one day and dessert the second day. WOW! Everything was great. I will include some pictures of the bread (it is amazing)

The fish I had was fresh, flaky and perfectly cooked. It came with rice. My friend had the flat bread pizza with a mango bbq sauce. Very good! The salad with the fresh ahi had the best dressing on it. We tried the shaved ice or Hawaii shave ice. The following day we stopped by just for dessert. I had the tropical sorbet which is on their special menu. I should mention this too. This is an awesome menu located on the back page. They have things for any kind of diet. Gluten free, raw, low calorie and more!

The deli at the Kea Lani is called Caffe Ciao. It is inexpensive and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Caffe Ciao also has great snacks and a wonderful selection of wines and beers. I love to take my food to go and sit out on my lanai (balcony) at the Kea Lani and enjoy the view. On this visit I had 2 salads. I tried the tomato mozzarella which they sell by the pound. I also tried the special of the day. Both were great.

I decided to try a place I have been hearing about for months in the Wailea area. It was about 5 minutes from the Fairmont Kea Lani. It is called Pita Paradise in Wailea. The food was excellent. I had the spicy falafel. It was tasty, slightly spicy and very filling. My friend had the Greek burger. This is ground beef and lamb with feta, onion, lettuce, and tomato on pita bread. He gave me a bite (or two) and I loved it. The food was reasonable. It was $9.00 for my falafel and $13.00 for his burger. The service was good. The place was clean and parking is easy to find.

Written by Marie Glodt Maui travel agent at Travel to Maui. Maui Master and Hawaii Destination Specialist with the Hawaii Visitor Bureau. If you would like to read our great reviews or schedule a consulting appointment with Marie click here contact us page.

Expert advice on pet sitting from PSI

7/12/12 Aloha from Maui, Hawaii. Today I would like to welcome to Travel to Maui our guest blogger: Kitsey Burns, Communications Specialist for Pet Sitters International www.petsit.com


A wedding is a most joyous occasion for any couple, but there can also be a lot of stress involved in planning a wedding, especially when travel is involved. One of the many things to consider is what to do with pets when planning a trip.

While many pet-owners are now making an effort to include their pets in the wedding festivities this is not always feasible. Especially if you are having a destination wedding! Pet-owners should have the peace of mind that their pets are being properly cared for while they are celebrating their nuptials.

More people are turning to professional pet sitters to assist in the care of their precious family members. PSI pet sitters currently make more than 10 million visits to pet-owning homes each year.

Pets typically experience less stress and anxiety over their owner’s absence when they can remain in a familiar environment. Pet sitters make this possible with daily visits to your home.

In addition to meals, exercise, playtime and cleaning, pet sitters may also administer medications, walk dogs, and perform overnight visits as well as any other pet care duties. Pet sitters also provide vital home care and crime deterrent services such as mail and newspaper pick up, plant care and watering, rotating lights, opening and closing blinds, and placing trash outside for pick up.

Most importantly, you can relax and enjoy your wedding or vacation knowing that a knowledgeable professional is caring for your home and pet.

PSI makes it easy to find in-home pet care from a pet sitter with tailor-made services to care for your pet while you are away. The Pet Sitter Locator contains a complete listing of over 7,000 members worldwide. Be sure to ask for a bonded and insured pet sitter!

PSI also offers a wealth of resources for pet-owners including tips on conducting a pet-sitter interview, information for pet-owners who do plan to travel with pets and much more!www.petsit.com Pet Sitters International Founded by Patti Moran in 1994, Pet Sitters International (PSI) is the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters, representing more than 7,000 independent professional in-home pet care businesses in the United States, Canada and abroad.