Lahaina, Maui

Our last stop before Seattle!

At 06:30 we dropped anchor on the shores on Maui beside the town of Lahaina.  It's been 36 years since I was here last and I still recognized the hotel we stayed at! We can see Kaanapali to the north of us as well.

Lahaina panorama.

We met for breakfast and planned out our day. Part one will be a trip up to Kaanapali for some shopping and a lunch at one of Cathy & Bryan's favorite restaurants.  We headed down to join the throng of cruisers looking for a tender ride to shore. Big crowds and limited dock space on shore created a bit of a delay but we made it eventually. I even got a few pictures of our cabin location and telltale "marker" :-) as we puttered to shore. Cathy greeted us on arrival at 10:40.

Cabin location clearly marked!

Our greeter on Maui!

We wandered through a few shops then found a bus stop (and info) to get up to Kaanapali. We grabbed the #28 bus and although it was standing room only, managed to get to our destination after a couple stops along the way.

We arrived in Whaler's Village, a popular upscale shopping area with all the "good" stores, and proceeded to wander through some of the many shops. Lunch time approached so we went to "Leilani's On The Beach" as this was "the" place that the Orr's liked.

Whaler's Village

We all ordered similar items with a Ahi Poke Bowl for an appetizer followed by fresh fish tacos. A cold IPA washed it all down. It was fantastic and I would not hesitate in recommending this place... although the ambience was ruined a bit by some construction noises from above.   Worth it though!

Delicious!

We continued to wander back towards the bus for our return but on it's arrival, found it jammed full. No more room.. another in 20 minutes. Really?  Oh well we gave up and grabbed a cab with another couple and we were soon back at the strip in Lahaina for $3 bucks a head... cheap :-)

This fitted our cab driver's persona to a tee!

Back on the ship, we got cleaned up and changed into our touristy flower shirts and outfits. We did look good! A quick stop at the ships pub for a pint and we headed back down to the tender.... much quicker this time as the crowds thinned considerably. Still lots of Luau goers :-)  Cathy, Brian, Jane and Ross and us found ourselves back on shore and once again, cabbed it to the Old Lahaina Luau. Our driver was great and his cab was spotlessly maintained.

On arrival at the Luau site (we went early but it didn't open up until 17:30) we went next door to the Aloha Mixed Plate Restaurant and had a Happy Hour Mai Tai... hey $4 each... cheapest drink we have found on this trip!! Great staff... very friendly. There was a geaocache right out front but sadly i couldn't get to it due to the crowds of people eating. Next time I guess!

Aloha Mixed Plate happy hour!

At 17:30 went next door and entered the beautiful gardens of the Old Lahaina Luau. They were simply stunning. After getting the tickets sorted out we headed in.

Luau Gardens

More gardens and pathways lined with foliage.

Sorry I am not a botanist :-)

 They also handed out flower lei's to each person and offered a nice cold Mai Tai as well.  Yes please!

They had several interesting stations set up around the grounds to help explain some of the Polynesian ways of life. Kelly watched the coconut chopper fellow and after sampling some of the coconut, posed for a picture.

Coconut anyone?

The biggest draw was the pit that contained the pig. It had been cooking for 12 hours and it was time for the reveal. With some pomp and pageantry along with some great jokes, it was unveiled and taken away for dinner.

Removing the sand.

Uncovering the fern leaves.

Opening up the "oven".

It looked very tasty!

 After an issue with the seating arrangements was successfully resolved, we sat down and enjoyed the sunset. Our seats were pretty close to the stage so a good view was inevitable.

Sunset on Maui.

Our table.. stage in background.

We had a great meal with lots of local fare offered up. The pork was excellent along with the other dishes. It was served buffet style and they clearly had the whole operation down to an art... even came by to advise when it was a good idea for a bathroom stop!  The Mai Tai's never stopped.

After dinner the music and entertainment started and we were treated to a history (through dance) of the Polynesian people and their traditions. All very well done.

The dancing and traditional outfits were very nice.

Following the Luau we walked back into town past all the shops, bars and small eateries that lined the main street of Lahaina. Kelly even had a rest in the exact spot Forrest Gump rested at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company... well maybe not quite.

No sign of Forrest!

We hopped on the tender and whisked away towards our awaiting ship. It was all lit up and look fabulous.

Our floating home.

 Once back onboard we went up to the Pool Bar and took in the dance party that was in full swing. A DJ had some tunes spinning and then a band started up and took over.  No dancing for us but we had a drink and watched the action.

Finally pulled the pin on another great day!