Hone your putting skills on one of Papakea’s two manicured putting courses. Putters and balls are available at the front desk.

Swim, sun, hot tub, and grill in either of the large, well-maintained pool areas.

Relax by the koi ponds. The kids will love watching the fish in the koi ponds.

• Washer and dryer
• Towels and bed linens
• Full kitchen with plates, silverware, pans, etc.
• Cable TV
• Free WiFi
• Most provide dish and laundry detergent, toilet paper, and paper towels
• DVD players and game consoles (not in all units)
• Lanais with patio furniture

There is a $17 per day facilities use fee collected at the front desk. This entitles guests to use all the following amenities

• 2 pools
• 2 hot tubs
• 2 putting green courses
• 2 poolside cabanas with shade
• 3 tennis courts, gate key at the front desk
• 2 shuffleboard courts
• Multiple community barbecue grills
• Books to read can be picked up at the front desk
• The daily amenities fee also covers rentals of tennis rackets, putters, DVDs and PlayStation games.
• 2 recycling areas where they accept paper, plastic, bottles and cans
• Gate directly to the neighboring ABC Store, which is a convenience store with snacks, drinks, gasoline, etc.

The first thing you need to understand about the beaches in West Maui (where the resorts are) is that the waves are generally not big enough or well-suited to surfing, boogey boarding, or body surfing. This is because the islands of Molokai, Lanai, and Kaho’olawe block most of the big waves coming in from the open ocean. There are also lots of rocks to step on and land on, so reef shoes are a must. There are some nice, sandy beaches with beautiful water for swimming and snorkeling, but not great for activities that require good sized waves. There are some public beaches along the highway back toward the other side of the island where the locals like to surf. The waves are big enough for such activities. Really big waves are available on the open North and East sides of the island, but the currents and rocks make these best reserved for the experts.

If you want a better sandy beach than what is right in front of the Papakea, then here are some suggestions. I prefer to load all the beach stuff in the back of my rental car and drive to one of three very nice beaches within a mile of the Papakea. There are many other beaches all over the island, but these are three that are very close.

Just turn right when you leave the Papakea grounds onto lower Honoapiilanil Highway. Take the last turn on the right before you come to the upper honoapiilani Highway, across the road from the strip mall. This road will take you into Honoapiilani Park. There is plenty of parking here, picnic tables, public bathrooms with showers and access to the beach in front of the Honua Kai Resort. You can actually walk to this beach from the Papakea, but it’s a bit of haul if you are carrying a bunch of beach stuff. There is no shade to speak of on this beach, so bring a beach umbrella if you need shade.

Turn right when you leave the Papakea grounds. Turn right onto the Upper Honoapiilani Highway. Then take the first right off of the Honoapiilani Highway onto Kai Malina Parkway. It will look like you are entering a condo complex. Take the first left and follow the road to a parking lot. Watch out for a big, unmarked dip in the road. The parking lot is a free to the public. From there, you can walk to the beach. There is plenty of shade from old trees on this beach. There is a public bathroom and shower building being constructed at the time of this writing.

Turn right when you leave the Papakea grounds. Turn right onto the Upper Honoapiilani Highway. Turn right when you get to Puukolii Road. This will take you to a free public parking lot. It fills up quickly, so get there early. There are public restrooms and showers at this park.

• Sailing on the Scotch Mist
• Whale watching: (winter and spring only) with the Pacific Whale Foundation
• Submarine: The reviews of this are mixed
• Sport fishing: People that book fishing expeditions often come home empty-handed and disappointed. Very expensive
• Parasailing
• Hiking
• Surfing lessons
• Dinner cruises
• Scuba Diving: We recommend Lahaina Divers. They do dives for experts and uncertified beginners. There is no better way to see the undersea life.

• Zipline: There are courses on both West and East Maui. Book at zipline.com.
• The Aquarium is worth a visit, mauioceancenter.com, 192 Maalaea Road, Wailuku, HI 96793