Maui Oct 24 - Nov 02 2006

Saturday, December 30, 2006

When people think of Hawaii, the word "budget" is not the next thing that comes to mind. But it can be done. I did Maui on a budget! The key is research and planning. There are a few options when it comes to accomodation.

If you're going with a bunch of people, renting an apartment is definately the way to go. But if you're a solo traveller such as myself, consider looking into the few, very few, hostels available in Hawaii. Do your research. There is plenty of information online with feedback from other travellers' first-hand experiences.

Thanks to my friend Christin, I knew to stay in Lahaina Town. There are many other towns on Maui but Lahaina was a little less pricey. What a great little place. Decently priced and full of history. I stayed at Patey's Place on Wainee Street. Yes, they are strict: no alcohol, no drugs, no loud music, kitchen's closed at 10pm. But it is very safe and very clean. I guess they have to be strict to keep things in order. The staff is great; I became good friends with two of them, Aaron and Annemat.

Aaron, who's from California, took me around the island in a 2006 Mustang GT. It was awesome to be driving around Maui with the top down. The weather was perfect and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. Words cannot describe what I saw. You're just going to have to see it for yourself.

Anna, from Holland, was so much fun to hang around. I miss her. She taught me how to surf; she is a wonderful person. We had fun shopping and singing and driving around in her surf van. We got into a small fender-bender. As you can see, it was easily fixed with some ducktape!!! She's still in Maui. She'll be leaving for Australia in the new year. After a couple of months, she'll be heading to Fiji then to Bali. Anna is on a surfing tour. How awesome is that!! Hope you're having fun girl!