Where to Stay in Kihei: North Kihei vs South Kihei + Condo Recommendations

This post was written before devastating wildfires swept through the historic town of Lahaina in early August 2023.

Here’s what you need to know: 1) Lahaina is almost completely gone and the area is 100% off limits to visitors. 2) The resort areas of West Maui north of Lahaina (Ka’anapali, Napili & Kapalua) are undamaged from the fires and are scheduled to fully reopen to tourism on October 8, 2023. 3) The rest (majority) of the island is unaffected and open to visitors. 4) Locals on the island (both those personally affected and not) are grieving this tragedy and likely will be for a long time to come. Even though the return of tourism for the economy is largely necessary, your compassion and kindness during your interactions go a long way.

I’ll keep this updated as the situation progresses. As of now, all of the info in this post should be unaffected.

So many visitors to Maui are attracted to the Kihei area because of its central location, sunny weather, beautiful beaches, large number of restaurants, and bargain priced accommodations. It feels more like a “town” than a lot of Maui’s resort areas even though it primarily caters to tourists and there is no end of things to do.

This post may contain some affiliate links, which means I’ll make a little money on anything you choose to purchase. But of course, I only recommend my absolute favorites to you. Thank you for supporting the brands that make the Lincoln Travel Co possible.

The first decision most visitors to Maui make is between staying on the south side or the west side (read more about that on this post), but once they decide on the south side, budget travelers usually flock to Kihei.

Here’s everything you need to know about where to stay in Kihei:

Pros and Cons of Staying in Kihei

Pros

Kihei is a sizable beach town with plenty of places to eat and things to do (this is the hub of south Maui activities) and it’s not very expensive. The beaches are beautiful, and the weather is almost always sunny. There are quite a few grocery stores as it’s more of a town than a resort area.

There are a TON of condos so it’s the easiest place to find budget accommodations on the island. Kihei is also a good central location to explore the island from. It’s much closer to sites like Haleakala, the road to Hana, the north shore, and the upcountry than the west side.

Cons

If all of that sounds great to you…you can bet it sounds good to other people as well. So Kihei can get pretty crowded. Crowded beaches, crowded sidewalks, crowded restaurants, crowded streets. Also, since Kihei is not a resort area, but more of a town, there’s no central planning or organization like you see in a lot of more manicured areas.

Basically, Kihei is one big strip mall. Literally, from one end of Kihei to the other (10 miles!) it’s one endless strip mall/shopping center after another. There are good things about this (the large number of restaurants, shops, etc.), but it also creates a certain vibe. Another drawback would be that a number of the condo complexes are a bit outdated so if you find a super steal, it’s probably for a reason.

Where to Stay in Kihei

Most of your accommodation options in Kihei are condos (some not super new). There are quite a few complexes that are beachfront, but the majority are not. However, the steep price break might be worth the quick walk across the street to get to the beach. The beaches in Kihei are beautiful, but they can get crowded given how many condos are in the area. If you’re on a budget, and you’re looking for a good home base to explore the island from, Kihei is hard to beat.

Kihei breaks down into roughly three areas: North Kihei, Central Kihei, and South Kihei. Central Kihei is the hub of all activity and so it tends to be the most crowded, but also has the highest concentration of shops and restaurants. North Kihei is more isolated, it is almost all the way to Ma’alaea and I find the beaches to be pretty windy (it’s a popular windsurfing spot). South Kihei is my favorite part of Kihei. It’s where the best beaches are, it’s a little more quiet, there’s several nice beachfront places, and it’s close to Wailea.

I’ve rounded up some recommendations for condo complexes in each area. If you click the links it will show you options available for individual units during your travel dates.

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North Kihei

North Kihei can be windier and it’s a bit further from the majority of restaurants and shopping in Kihei, but the beaches are less crowded.

Ma’alaea Surf Resort: Beachfront with good amenities including a pool. Find specific condo units here.

Sugar Beach Resort: This is the nicest property in this little cluster. The pool area is pretty big and nice. Find specific condo units here.

Kealia Resort: Beachfront with a beautiful lawn and pool. Find specific condo units here.

Kihei Beach Resort: A newer beachfront complex with a nice pool and lawn. Find specific condo units here.

Central Kihei

The most populated part of Kihei, this is where the bulk of the condos, restaurants, and shops are. Kalama Beach, and Kamaole (Kam) I, II, and III are in this stretch.

Menehune Shores Condo: This beachfront property is more isolated, which means fewer people. Find specific condo units here.

The three complexes below are situated on the water in between Kam I and Kam II (two of the most popular beaches in Kihei) and all have nice grounds and pools.

Royal Mauian: Find specific condo units here.

Kamaole Nalu Oceanfront: Find specific condo units here.

Hale Pau Hana: Find specific condo units here.

The three condos below are located in the same area, but across the street from the beach. All three have nice grounds and nice pools, but Kamaole Sands has the biggest grounds.

Aston at the Maui Banyan: Find specific condo units here.

Maui Parkshore: Find specific condo units here.

Kamaole Sands: Find specific condo units here.

South Kihei

The southside of Kihei where it starts to run into Wailea is one of the best places to stay if you’re looking for uncrowded, beautiful beaches.

Kihei Surfside Resort: One of the nicest complexes in Kihei, it’s not cramped, but it has a spacious oceanfront lawn and beautiful pool area. Find specific condo units here.

Mana Kai Maui: Another sprawling beachfront complex with a gorgeous pool. Find specific condo units here.

Hale Hui Kai: A nice complex situated on one of the best beaches on Maui. Find specific condo units here.

Still Looking for a Place to Stay?

Here’s one more really important thing you need to know before your Hawaii trip…

Reservations You Need to Make BEFORE Your Hawaii Trip

You’ve got your airfare, hotel, rental car and your big activities booked, so you should be good to go, right? Wrong!

Travel is BOOMING in Hawaii so a lot of state and national parks used the closure and reopening to institute reservation systems at some of the island’s most popular spots to make things a little more sustainable.

That means that there are now over half a dozen sites (beaches, trailheads, etc.) that require advance reservations. And some sell out well before you arrive on the island so you really need to have some sort of a plan.

I recently saw somebody in a Hawaii travel group post in a panic that they didn’t know they had to make reservations for things in advance…they thought they could just show up and “go with the flow.” I was tempted to say, well, “as long as the flow doesn’t take you somewhere that requires reservations, you can!” ; )

But I don’t want YOU to be that person, so I’ve pulled together a list of all the places you need to reserve entry in advance (plus all the details on booking windows, price, links, etc.) and a handful of popular tourist hotspots that book out really far in advance too.

Haleakala National Park (Maui)

To visit Haleakala National Park for sunrise at the summit, you must make reservations in advance here.

Reservations are required to enter the park gates between 3AM and 7AM (sunrise hours).

Online reservations are $1 per reservation/vehicle PLUS you’ll pay the park entrance fee of $30/vehicle when you arrive (National Park annual passes are also accepted at the gate).

The reservation booking window opens 60 days in advance at 7AM HST. There are also a limited number of tickets released two days before.

You can make one reservation every three days with the same account. So if you want to make reservations for back to back days (in case of weather/conditions), you’ll need to do so with separate accounts (email addresses).

If you can’t get reservations for sunrise, you can enter the park anytime after 7AM without reservations. The summit is spectacular during the day and you don’t need reservations for sunset.

I strongly recommend creating an account before and making sure you’re logged in at 7AM HST because it’s not uncommon for reservations to sell out quickly.

Waianapanapa State Park (Maui)

To visit Maui’s famous black sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park on the Road to Hana, you must make reservations in advance here.

Reservations are required to visit the beach and are distributed in windows from 7AM-10AM, 10AM-12:30PM, 12:30PM-3PM, and 3PM-6PM. And they are pretty strict about exiting by the end of your window time (you can arrive anytime within your window).

It’s $5/person to enter plus $10/vehicle to park and those fees are paid when you book your time slot.

Reservations open up 30 days in advance.

Iao Valley State Park (Maui)

To visit the lush, green mountains and hike at Iao Valley State Park, you must make reservations in advance here.

Reservations are offered for 90 minute time slots beginning at 7AM and ending at 6PM. They ask that you arrive within the first 30 minutes of your time slot.

Entry is $5/person plus $10/vehicle to park.

Reservations open up 30 days in advance.

Diamond Head (Oahu)

To hike to the top of Waikiki’s famous Diamond Head, you must make reservations in advance here.

Reservations are offered in two hour increments beginning at 6AM (6AM-8AM, 8AM-10AM, etc.) and ending at 6PM. If you’re parking onsite, they ask that you arrive within the first 30 minutes of your reservation window.

Entry is $5/person plus $10/vehicle to park.

Reservations open up 30 days in advance.

Tip: I recommend booking one of the first two time slots because there isn’t much shade on this hike and it gets pretty hot.

Hanauma Bay (Oahu)

To snorkel at Oahu’s pristine Hanauma Bay, you must make reservations in advance here.

Entry times are staggered in 10 minute increments from 7AM to 1:20PM with roughly 1000 slots being assigned in advance every day.

Reservations can be made two days in advance and they open at 7AM HST. They’re usually gone in minutes (if not seconds).

If you’re unable to get an advanced reservation, you can try for a day of, walk in ticket. They open at 6:45AM and they only have a limited number available. Everyone in your group needs to be present when you purchase your tickets in person.

There are no reservations for parking and it’s first come, first serve. $3/vehicle.

It’s $25/person to snorkel at Hanauma Bay (12 and under, active military, and locals with HI ID are free).

The Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is open Wednesday through Sunday (CLOSED MONDAY AND TUESDAY) from 6:45AM-4PM. Last entry is at 1:30PM, the beach is cleared at 3:15PM and you have to leave the facility by 4PM.

Jellyfish patterns can also affect whether or not the bay is open so double check the day before/day of.

USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor (Oahu)

If you want to take the boat tour at Pearl Harbor out to the USS Arizona, it’s recommended to make advance reservations here.

Online reservations are guaranteed a specific boarding time to go out to the USS Arizona. If you’re unable to get an advance reservation, you can wait standby when you arrive. The line could be short (15 minutes or so) or long (hours) and it just depends on the day (if they’re having problems with the loading dock sometimes they don’t take many from the standby line) and the time of day.

Reservations are supposed to open up 60 days in advance, but keep an eye on your exact dates, because lately they’ve actually been opening up about 57ish days in advance???

They also release a small batch of tickets the day before.

The boat ride out to the USS Arizona is free, but it’s $1 to make the reservations online.

They recently started charging $7/vehicle for parking at Pearl Harbor.

Haena State Park / Kalalau Trail (Kauai)

If you want to hike Kauai’s famous Kalalau Trail, you must make advance reservations here.

You’ve got three options here:

1) Parking & Entry: This is the most flexible option and also the most limited. THESE RESERVATIONS SELL OUT IN LESS THAN A MINUTE. There are three time slots available: 6:30AM-12:30PM, 12:30PM-5:30PM and 4:30PM to sunset. You can purchase multiple time slots if you want to stay longer. It’s $10/timeslot (parking) plus $5/person and you have to reserve every person when you initially book. Everybody has to arrive in the same car and your ID needs to match the reservation.

2) Shuttle & Entry: If you can’t get parking at the trailhead, there’s also a shuttle option. Shuttle reservations are $35/person (16+), $25/person (ages 4-15), 3 and under can ride free. The shuttle runs every 20 minutes 6:20AM to 6:40PM.

3) Entry Only: If you’re a Hawaiian resident (with HI ID) or someone WITH a Hawaiian resident, you can purchase entry only for $5/person with no advance reservations. Also, if you’re walking or biking to the trailhead you can do this option. But there is NOWHERE to park in the area to walk in. So this really only works for those with bikes or who are staying close enough to walk. They will tow your car if you park outside the designated areas.

The reservation window opens 30 days in advance at 12AM HST. The parking & entry option usually sells out in a minute, but the shuttle availability will last longer.

There are a TON of FAQs here including the possibility of snagging a canceled reservation.

Other Things to Book in Advance

Hawaii is a busy place these days! Besides the state and national parks above, here’s a handful of miscellaneous things you should make reservations for in advance (if they’re on your radar):

Mama’s Fish House (Maui): The iconic spot is the most popular restaurant in Hawaii and they’ve been opening reservations (and selling out) 4-6 months in advance. You can call and get on the waitlist for one day or you can set notifications on OpenTable to alert you for cancellations every day of your trip. Most people have pretty good success on OpenTable.

Old Lahaina Luau (Maui): Honestly, any luau you’re planning to attend you should book early, but most people are usually shocked how far out the Old Lahaina Luau books out. Book it as soon as you know your dates (I think they open at the six month window). They also have a waitlist.

Kualoa Ranch UTV Tour (Oahu): Everybody loves Jurassic Park so getting to ride UTVs where they filmed the movies is very popular. The ranch offers a lot of different tours but the UTV tours usually book out a couple of months in advance.

Spa Reservations: If you’re staying at a resort with a spa (or planning on visiting one), don’t wait until you arrive to make your reservations. I’d make them at least a month in advance.

Tee Times: Same for golf, reserve your tee times well in advance.

Dining Reservations: Any “fancy” or resort restaurant is likely to be booked up these days so if you like having a nice dinner every night, make your plans in advance.

P.S. Thanks for sticking around and reading this whole post! If you have ANY questions about planning your trip to Hawaii, you can join my free Facebook group here. I’m there answering questions every day and there are 7500+ other friends who have a ton of Hawaii information to share!

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