Affordable Maui Vacation Rentals

As we mentioned in our last blog, the number of visitors to Maui remains strong despite some remaining economic difficulties. Many vacationers may have a reduced income, but they're not letting that get in the way of their trips to the island. Instead, they simply rein in spending during their visit. We are doing our part to help ensure that visitors get great deals in Maui vacation rental accommodations.

As you will see if you take a look at our Maui vacation rental specials list, we currently have a lot of great deals to minimize your costs while you're on the island. You'll see a few of our best offers highlighted at the top of the specials page, including an offer for 20 percent off plus the 7th night free, another for 30 percent off with the 5th night free on last minute reservations and a deal to get two weeks free if you book for two weeks. Be sure to read up on the details of these offers if you are interested.

Some of our special offers apply to any vacation rental property we offer, and we offer plenty of choices. From the relaxing Kaanapali Alii to The Whaler in all its grandeur, to the fun Lahaina Shores, our condos have an excellent reputation for location, convenience, and amenities. If you prefer a vacation rental home, we offer plenty to choose from there too. There are the luxurious Puamana Vacation Homes, the elegant International Colony Club, and the Alaeloa, to name a few of the stunning establishments where you can spend your Maui vacation.

Keep in mind that a considerable effort has been put into making all our accommodations as comfortable, relaxing and enjoyable as possible. Among our rentals, you will find private oceanfront lanais overlooking the boundless blue of the Pacific or the intricate slopes of the majestic West Maui Mountains. There are spectacular vistas of the neighboring islands of Lanai and Molokai and frequent sightings of exciting and dynamic whale activity during the winter and spring months.

Many of the world's most beautiful beaches can be found on Maui, and most of our accommodations are perched right alongside them, so you will not only have access to elegant swimming pools nestled within lush and tropical garden landscaping, but you will also find the buttery white sands of the beautiful beaches just a short walk away, or in some cases, right in front of your lanai.

Let us help to make your Maui vacation both enjoyable and unforgettable. Please let us know if you need any questions answered or would like any assistance. You will find all our contact information at the bottom of the page. Mahalo for reading this week, and we look forward to hearing from you!

Protect Maui Ecology and Camp in Haleakala Crater

Many of us are cinching our belts when it comes to spending money on our vacations. It's been a tough economy lately for many, but that hasn't stopped vacationers from making their way to Maui's beautiful shores. What it has done is reduced the spending of visitors when they get here. We understand the need to budget, so we've put a lot of work into providing reduced rates through our Maui vacation rental specials.

We are also on the lookout for fun things for visitors to do without too much expense. One especially nice opportunity has recently come up which is definitely worth sharing.

If you are familiar with Maui in any way, you will know a bit about Haleakala Crater. At the top of our eastern mountain, which is the bigger of the two, a crater the size of Manhattan can be found. It looks like a landscape from mars thanks to its coarse red sands and brilliant cinder cones. It remains one of the most spectacularly unusual landscapes most will ever see. If you don't quite feel like you are on another planet during the day, you probably will when night falls.

The Crater is one of the best observation points for the science of astronomy worldwide. You probably don't realize how many stars are obscured by light pollution all over the rest of the U.S., but the difference should become shockingly evident here. At its incredible elevation of just over ten thousand feet, the summit of Haleakala reveals the enormous breadth of the cosmos in full grandeur. In most places, it's rare to see a shooting star. At the Crater, it's rare not to. Sometimes you will see dozens in a matter of hours.

There are cabins in the Crater that can be reserved for about $75 per night, but usually you must book at least a month in advance. But there is another way to stay in these cabins. The Friends of Haleakala National Park non-profit is looking for enthusiastic hikers to help preserve the native habitat of the Crater, involving a few wonderfully unique plants that can be found nowhere else in the world.

In exchange for helping to preserve this habitat, you get a free two-night stay in Kapalaoa Cabin from March 12th to the 14th. Sign up on the web at fhnp.org, or call 264-4757.

For the rest of your trip, please keep our Maui vacation rentals in mind, as we do everything we can to make your vacation unforgettable. If you're happy, we're happy. And if you're thinking, "Wow, they have the best job in the world," we certainly won't argue!

Call (800) 676-4112 if you have any questions that are not answered on our website. Mahalo for reading this week and we look forward to seeing you soon!

New United Flight Between Chicago and Maui

United Airlines will be adding nonstop service between Chicago and Maui's Kahului Airport this summer, according to a recent announcement. 

This flight will run between June 9th and August 30th, which is ideal for the high volume of vacationers heading to Maui during the summer months. Nonstop flights are always welcome for travelers, most of which find layovers pretty bothersome.

United also announced the addition of over a dozen year-round and seasonal flights from Chicago, Denver, L.A., San Francisco and Washington to other parts of the country. This is great news for United workers. It's good to see that the demand for more flights has returned, bringing more employment and financial stability to airline employees.

United was Hawaii's top carrier in 2008 and now offers over 615 daily departures statewide to over 145 cities worldwide. Many Hawaii residents are employed with them and will certainly be glad that the airline is financially healthy enough to add flights.

Are you searching for Maui vacation rental condos? Have a look at the Kaanapali Alii condo rentals, the lovely Puamana resort, or perhaps the Whaler. You may also like to have a look at our Maui vacation rental specials. We offer a wide variety of Maui home rentals. We hope to see you soon! Mahalo for reading this week and if you have any questions, call (800) 676-4112!

A Trick to Scouting Your Maui Vacation Spot

For all you vacationers planning your first trip to Maui, here's something you probably haven't thought of. Use Google Maps Street View to scout out your vacation spot.

These days it's easy to find information about whichever place you'd like to visit. There are blogs, pictures, information pages and more. But it is important to understand that this information is almost never presented with objectivity. Whoever made it available is presenting the information from their own point of view, reflecting their feelings subtly, or in some cases, not so subtly. Many are in fact trying to sell you something. The beauty of Google Maps is that the visual information provided is strictly unbiased.

Here on Maui, we have many little roads that lie along some of our most incredible beaches and other sites of extreme beauty. Google Maps shows it to you like it is, right from the road. Those of you who also prefer to be familiar with your surroundings can do the test run of a drive from one place to another using this feature. You could see the trip from the airport in Kahului to a Maui vacation rental condo in Kaanapali, for example.

Short description on how to use Street View: In Google Maps, you can drag your map to Maui or type it in. Zoom as much as necessary (buttons are + and - signs on the left). Above the zoom bar, you will see the little orange icon of a man. Drag this over the part of the map you have selected. I recommend dragging it to the map only when you can still see all the edges of the island. That way you can see which parts have Street View first. Fortunately the primary vacation areas have been mapped pretty thoroughly. Note the little dotted circle under the man icon as you drag it. That circle outlines the spot where you will end up.

Test run: Type in "Front Street, Lahaina" to Google Maps. Zoom in and drag the man icon to the nearest road. If you've placed the icon at an oceanfront spot, I recommend scrolling over the water. You will see a transparent pane with a magnifying glass. You can double-click to zoom in. At the top left you can zoom out again by clicking the "-" sign. In the top right, you will often see little thumbnails of user photos which you can explore. Obviously you can click the arrows that lie on the line in the middle of the street to move back and forth.

The rest, we'll leave up to you! Keep in mind that where accommodations are concerned, although the view from the street is nice, the view facing the beach is always much nicer!

As for where you might like to stay on your vacation, have a look at the Whaler on Kaanapali Beach, the lovely Puamana resort, or perhaps the Kaanapali Royal. You may also like to have a look at our Maui vacation rental specials. We can offer a wide variety of Maui condo rentals and vacation rental homes. We hope to see you soon! Mahalo for reading this week and if you have any questions, call (800) 676-4112!