Maui Travel Guides

As writers are are always doing research, sometimes part of that research involves traveling. If you are like me, you especially love researching places you are going to visit.

One of my favorite places to visit in the world is Hawaii. I visited the island of Oahu on my first trip to Hawaii. This time I was planning on visiting Maui and maybe island hop to one of the nearby island of Lana’i.

For my research, I combed through every Hawaii guidebook I could get my hands on. I found Frommer's and Fodor's Hawaii guides to be good if you want a summary of all the major islands in Hawaii. However, if you are looking for a more detailed guide of a specific island, and maybe find some "hidden" gems along the way, I would go with the Hawaii Revealed series. Unlike Frommer’s and Fodor’s, The Hawaii Revealed series dedicates a book to each major island (e.g. Hawaii ‘Big Island’, Oahu, Maui, and Kauai).

Since this trip was to Maui, I found the Frommer’s and Fodor’s guidebooks to be too bulky and limited in their information. Also the Maui Revealed book came highly recommended on Amazon and Tripadvisor. I had used Maui Revealed before for my first very short (48 hours) visit to Maui. This time I had planned to use my Maul Revealed book to its fullest. To my utter delight, the Hawaii Revealed people also released an e-book application version of the guidebook. The app is available for both the Android and iPhones.

The Maul Revealed e-book app is basically the whole Maui Revealed book in a custom digital format. I’m am a person who still prefers to hold a physical book when I’m reading, but when I am traveling and I have to deal with airline weight restrictions, e-books are my new best friends. For $7.99, I can have the whole Maul Revealed e-book on my smartphone, and I don’t have to worry about carrying two extra pounds of weight in my luggage.

This e-book app is the best that I have seen so far, and you do not need to be connected to the internet to access the application since the whole book (~200mb) is downloaded onto your smart device. All the information in the book is in the e-book app. The only time you need the internet is if you want to visit linked websites or find the map location of certain sites using Google maps. I found this very useful when I was trying to find directions from my location to a specific site mentioned in the guidebook.

The opening page of the e-book is a large map of Maui. With just a pinch of your fingers, you can zoom into the map for a more detailed map of the region you need. You can also pinpoint a location and the app will provide you a list of what beaches, restaurants, accommodations, and activities that are close by.

In the bottom left of the opening screen there is a “locate me” icon. If you’re on the island, the app can pinpoint where you are. At the Bottom right the Favorites Icon stores all your selected “favorites” all in one place. The top left corner has the search function and you can click that to get the general index or search for a specific place.

The top right corner is the "Contents" icon, and this will take you to the contents of the guide. The contents are not organized exactly like the book’s table of contents. Instead it looks to be organized by most popular things and “Sights, Dining, and Beaches” are the first three things listed in the contents. Each of the subjects are organized very easily by region (West Maui, Central Maui, South Maui, Hana Highway, Haleakala & Upcountry, and Offshore Islands). Each region is further broken down by things available in that location. The accommodations and dining sections can also be organized by type, price, rating, alphabetically, or location, which is really handy when people tell me the name of a restaurant and I’m not sure where it is located.

All you really need to travel in Maui is this application. You have great information about the island’s history, great recommendations for dining, activities, and lodgings all in one "book". What I like best about this guidebook is the honest reviews. Not all vendor or locations have glowing reviews. I like that the author will honestly tell you if a specific beach isn’t great and has lots of seaweed, or if a restaurant is overpriced for the things they serve. 

One-Ton Chips definitely something not found in the mainland.

However, if you want a bit more local flavor to your trip or your novel is set on the island and you want more authenticity to your character's life, another guidebook that I recommend is Local Girl’s Guide to Maui by Donna Bender. I had stumbled upon this guide just by reading random threads on Tripadvisor. Being someone who prefers eating at more “local” eateries because they generally taste better and are cheaper, and in Maui a lot of your budget expense will go towards food.

For $10 you can get the Local Girl’s Guide in a pdf, or for $25 you can get a printed hard copy. You can also get the pdf and print it out yourself.  I elected for a pdf download that I kept on my phone.

Local Girl’s Guide to Maui is compiled by “Local Girl” Donna Bender. Her guide is great if you're looking for a quick breakdown of local eateries and grocery stores. The guide also has sections for recommended beaches, shopping, hiking, and snorkeling. But I mainly ended up using the guide for food, groceries, and shopping locations.

My attempt at making Hula Pie.

Another perk about the Local Guide are the simple local recipes Donna shares in her guides. During my stay in Maui, I made Hula Pie according to Donna’s easy to follow recipe. Although I did have to figure out how to make my own Oreo cookie crust, the pie turned out amazing thanks to Roselani’s Macadamia nut ice cream. So if you wanted to have a character make a Pineapple Cosmo or a Kona Swizzle, the Local Guide can tell you how it’s made.

A slice of Hula Pie.

While I was on Maui, I made friends with a few of the locals and I asked for a few dining recommendations. Pretty much all of the local restaurants recommended by the locals could be found in Donna’s guide. If you want to support local markets and stores on Maui, this guide is the way to go. Donna also has a local guide available for Oahu as well, called Local Girl’s Guide to Oahu.

Additionally, Donna is very approachable and easy to contact either by email or through her facebook page. I had a few questions about parking in Maui since our group had two cars, and Donna quickly answered my e-mails and gave me some great tips for parking that managed to save us a bit of money when it came to parking in Lahaina and Ka’anapali.

I used to travel with at least two guidebooks, but now all my books are on my phone or on my Kindle reader. Armed with these two digital guidebooks, I was able to travel comfortably throughout Maui and get quick reviews of restaurants I stumbled upon on my adventures. This trip also taught me the importance of e-books to a Novel Travelist looking to travel light.

My Obsession With Carry-on Bags

Earlier this summer, Sara and I took a wonderful trip to Ireland. We met great people, saw beautiful landscapes, and were inspired by just about everything. But I'm not going to tell you about any of that.

I am going to tell you about my obsession with finding a better bag.

Sara tells me that I have been this way for a few weeks now, that I should really get out more, and that others might benefit from knowing about my obsession (perhaps to recognize the warning signs in loved ones). "You should do something with all of that research."

Traveling With One Bag

Sara and I are are used to traveling light. We each take a single carry-on bag. I haven't checked luggage on a vacation since the last millennium. We do this because it makes travel easier and cheaper—much easier and much cheaper. (If you want to read more about the benefits of traveling light, check out: Rick Steves, One Bag, and One Bag One World.)

Our travel philosophy-style is pretty close to the one Rick Steves describes here:

My Current Bags

Most of the time I use a simple gym bag from REI. It is affordable, easy to pack, easy to stuff into overheads, and virtually indestructible.

My 40 liter gym bag from REI

However, I am beginning to notice a few problems:

1. 40 liters is a big bag. On our last trip, this bag weighed 36 lb.—most of that weight from things I did not need. My hand hurts from carrying it.
2. The only ways to carry this bag are by hand or by shoulder strap—good for short distances with light weight, not so good for long distances with heavy weight. 
3. Packing a laptop or tablet is awkward (even with a protective sleeve).
4. It is difficult to get to things in the bottom of the bag without unpacking everything.

Occasionally, I use this small backpack from Golite.

My 24 liter Golite Rush 20 backpack

This bag is very comfortable, well designed, and affordable. But it isn't ideal for traveling either:

1. The straps are very hard on my clothes. Almost all of my shirts and jackets have rub marks. (This problem is common to all backpacks.)
2. Sara hates this bag. I have no room for souvenirs or extras, which means Sara ends up carrying them. (Now that I remember this, maybe I should use this bag more often...)
3. Packing my laptop is awkward.
4. It only has one outside pocket. Even my passport stretches this pocket and is clearly visible (not good for pickpockets).
5. It is not easy to pack. Only certain arrangements of gear work in this teardrop shaped bag. This does not guarantee the most needed items will be near the top. The shape and size of the bag, not my travel needs, determine where things end up. 

What I'm Looking For

The problem is, neither of these bags was designed for the kind of trips Sara and I usually take. Ideally, I would like a travel bag that:

• isn't too expensive,
• is lightweight and durable,
• is easy to pack and keep organized,
• has pockets for frequently needed items,
• has a pocket or place suitable for my laptop,
• isn't so big that I am tempted to bring things I don't need,
• isn't so small that I can't carry some souvenirs,
• can be carried in a variety of ways (including as a backpack),
• and can be checked if necessary.

The Best Options I've Found So Far

Convertible Suitcase-Backpacks

Soft-sided suitcases with backpack straps that tuck away into a pocket when you are not using them. These have more flexibility on international flights—because they have no internal structure, they can be forced into a smaller 20" overhead bin (the standard for many international airlines).

1) Rick Steves' Convertible Carry-on ($100 • 41L • 21" x 14" x 9")

Other than its size (it is larger than my 40L gym bag), this bag has everything I am looking for. It is the best combination of function and price. My laptop will fit nicely in the large outer pocket. There are several useful pockets, on the outside and inside the bag. The compression straps are a nice plus—they will help if I have a small load. This bag also has a waist belt. While I'm sure this belt isn't as supportive as one on a hiking backpack, it will help distribute the weight on a long walk. I'm a little worried about the mesh on the back panel and backpack straps—this material is not kind to clothes. Still, it's worth remembering that any backpack will have this problem, regardless of material. It is hard not to like this bag.

Rick Steves' Convertible Carry-on

2) Eagle Creek Adventure Weekender Bag ($150 • 41L • 20" x 13" x 8")

This is a very close second choice. It is very similar choice to the Rick Steves bag. The main differences on the con side are (1) it is more expensive, and (2) it does not have a waist belt. On the plus side, (1) it is only 20" long (better for international flights), and (2) it does not have a mesh back. This bag might be kinder on clothes.

Eagle Creek Adventure Weekender Bag

3) Timbuk2 Wingman Duffel Bag ($150 • 35L • 22" x 14" x 7")

This is a very interesting bag. It is a little longer than the two above, which could be an issue on a few international flights if the bag is over stuffed. Most likely this soft bag will fit into place on most planes. There are external pockets for a laptop, important documents, and an expandable wet/dry pocket (for dirty clothes, shoes, etc.). This bag has less structure than the Rick Steves bag or the Eagle Creek bag—items could move around more when the bag is not fully packed.

Timbuk2 Wingman Duffel Bag

Really, really, really good bags on the more expensive side:

Both of these are great bags that might meet my needs better than the bags above. I particularly like the way these Tom Bihn bags divide the main compartment into two or three sections. This will make it easier to stay organized and to distribute the load. I also like their smaller capacity (which roughly translates into less weight and waste). However, these bags are significantly more expensive.

1) Tom Bihn Western Flyer ($210 • 26L • 18" x 12" x 7")

Tom Bihn Western Flyer

2) Tom Bihn Tristar ($280 • 33L • 19" x 13" x 8")

Tom Bihn Tristar

I found 3 good options if you are interested in a larger bag:


1) Patagonia MLC Bag ($159 • 45L • 20" x 14" x 7"). This is a popular bag with many good reviews and a relatively long history "in the field." 

2) L. L. Bean Quickload Travel Pack ($129 • 49L • 22" x 14" x 9")

3) ebags Mother Lode TLS Weekender Junior ($81 • 42L • 20" x 14" x 9")



Rolling Convertible Suitcase-Backpacks

Wheeled suitcases (with an internal structure) with backpack straps that tuck away into a pocket when you are not using them. Because they have an internal structure, these should be no longer than 20" for international flights. I only found one bag in this category.

Rick Steves' Rolling Backpack ($160 • 32L • 20" x 14" x 7")
Sara has already decided that this will be her next bag, and I am seriously considering it. I have to admit that the idea of rolling this bag through an airport is very appealing. Airport lines are getting longer and longer. Lately, this is where Sara and I have spent the most time carrying our bags. I have doubts as to whether the backpack straps are comfortable, but otherwise this seems like a good choice. The smaller capacity should keep the overall weight down, my laptop will fit in the large outer pocket, and the added structure will make it easy to pack and keep organized.

Rick Steves' Rolling Backpack

The Hyderabad Washroom (observations from India)

On my first business trip to Hyderabad, India, I was visiting one of the local museums with my coworkers and I needed to use the washroom.  I did so with some trepidation; I've visited my share of public washrooms in Asia, and seen quite a few sketchy ones.  Besides a slightly bad smell (I've been in worse here in the States),  I saw a row of brand new urinals, which was a relief.  I began doing what you do at a urinal, but during the act I happened to look down and was shocked to notice a golden flow running down an open trench directly below the urinal in the floor.  Upon closer inspection, the urinal was not hooked directly into the sewage system, but instead had a hole in the bottom directly above the trench!  Ugh.

That washroom is in a sense a microcosm of what is happening in Hyderabad.  The city is modernizing at a rapid pace, but the development is not even.  Hyderabad has become a hot location for high tech companies looking for cheaper alternatives to hire highly skilled employees.  This has, in recent years, moved beyond basic outsourcing (i.e., hiring the services of an independent company located in India and subcontracting the work) to companies like mine opening full-fledged R&D divisions.  The city itself is rapidly modernizing and expanding due to the influx of capital and flood of people moving there to fill the growing job market.

The city of Hyderabad is stratified.  There are two main areas I visited: HITEC City, the newly developed IT area where my company's R&D division is located, and the Old City, where many of the tourist sites are located.  The differences between the two areas in terms of look and feel are stark.   In HITEC City, there are many areas where you could reasonably fool yourself into thinking that you were somewhere on the West Coast; there are strip malls, fancy hotels and office buildings, and plenty of expensive cars being driven around.  One thing that I found a little different was the lack of uniformity of the streets, signs, and sidewalks.  A U.S. city normally has a uniform feel in terms of the look and maintenance of its streets, but in Hyderabad, I would see pretty decent upkeep in HITEC City, but the color and consistency of the sidewalks would seem to change from block to block, as if each of the individual building owners were responsible for the roads and walkways surrounding their land.

The Old City is -- to put it bluntly -- old, and seems to fall below the standard level of city maintenance that an American would be used to.  There are a fair number of elaborate and  beautiful monuments and buildings interspersed throughout the Old City, however; due to the strong Muslim influence on design, this area of town has a very interesting feel to it.

Cell phone usage is common, although widespread use of data streaming capabilities is just coming online (3G is widely available but higher speeds are not).  Network accessibility in hotels are also widely available but speed and reliability are not quite as good as you find in the U.S.  Both the old and new parts of the city are affected by daily power outages, which typically will only last for between 10 and 30 seconds.

One of the most immediate and visceral differences between India and the U.S. is the traffic.  If you want to get an idea of what this is, search for 'Hyderbad Traffic' on YouTube.  Basically, you can imagine an intersection with cars, motorbikes, and pedestrians moving full speed in every direction at once, somehow impossibly managing to avoid collisions.  It is madness.  Even watching the video can't prepare you for the experience of actually travelling in that traffic.  A few hints: don't sit in the front seat of a car, don't bother accepting that bike ride from your Hyderbadi friend, and definitely don't try crossing the street on your own!   Cars are becoming more and more popular, and it is becoming quite common to see some quite expensive cars driving on the streets.  The motor bike is has been the preferred method of travel because you can weave in and out of traffic much more easily than you could in a car.  However, the car has a higher prestige level, which is becoming more of a factor in peoples' choice of transportation as the ranks of the middle class increases.  This has the effect of creating three tiers of simultaneous traffic speed (including the pedestrians), seemingly increasing the chaos level.  Taxis in Hyderabad are essentially passenger cabins built on top of motorbikes.  It all seems to work, however; I saw more accidents during the two hours driving from San Diego to LAX than I saw during my entire two week trip in Hyderabad!  

Although I was initially shocked by my experience in the Hyderabad washroom, in the end I decided that the experience was actually much better than many other questionable washrooms I've visited in Asia.  It was not quite what I was expecting, but like Hyderabad itself, was definitely interesting!

A few random India travel notes:

The first thing to realize when writing about a trip to India, is that it is far.  The time zone difference from Pacific Standard Time is twelve and a half hours; traveling to India from Los Angeles is about the farthest place you can go on the planet.  This means that if you are writing about a fictional character visiting India, your character will have to travel between twenty to twenty-eight hours by plane, and possibly more if he or she has to go to an outlying region by car or train from the metropolitan center.  So having your character do anything significant immediately after arriving in India is not really plausible due to the travel fatigue he or she will be experiencing.

Although India is large enough to contain multiple time zones, the government there decided to have a unified time zone for the entire country (India Standard Time or IST).  In order to accommodate this, and not have either of the two halves of the country have days that end too early or too late, they elected to have a time zone that falls between the official two hourly GMT offsets; hence the aforementioned twelve and a half hour difference.  This is unusual (but not unique to India) as most countries are offset at hourly increments from GMT.  Also, India does not observe Daylight Savings Time.  

Language is not an issue for a native English speaker visiting any of the major metropolitan areas in India.  Although Hindi is the official national language, in southern regions such as Hyderabad, it is not normally used (Telugu is the common spoken language).  Typically, when a Northern Indian and a Southern Indian communicate with each other, they will use the other national language, English.  

In my next blog, I'll be writing about two of my favorite aspects of Hyderabad: the food, and the people.

Don't Be Afraid To Travel Alone

Ai Ogata on the USS Midway, San Diego, USA

Introducing contributor Ai Ogata from Osaka, Japan. Ai has lived in Malta and Australia, and has enjoyed extended travels (2-6 months) in the USA, Europe, Nepal and Turkey. Ai is so mobile, she writes her blog posts on her telephone. 

There are many things in the world to be afraid of, but traveling alone is not one of these things.

I'm always traveling by myself. Planning, arrangement, organization.

For me, travel is a kind of Dream. I’m away from reality like work, social community, and all the small things. In reality I wake up at the same time every morning, take same Metro, work, go back home or meet the same friends for the same drinks, go to bed and next morning do it all over again. Reality is an endless boring loop.

That's why I don't travel in Japan but always go overseas. And I don't like seeing Japanese people when I travel. I don’t even like hearing Japanese spoken. I want to dream.

My friends often ask me if I'm lonely or if my travels are fun?

Lonely? Not at all!

I can see somebody in everywhere, especially in the hostel. Normally I stay in a dormitory room, and if there's somebody, I just say Hello! If we’re compatible, we go out for a drink, a walk together, see the sites. That person can become a good friend after you get back home. They are separate from reality. That person continues the dream when all the travel is done. A connection with a person living across the world is the best connection. It escapes the endless boring loop.

If you travel with your friends, you may not care about meeting your roommates even if you stay in a dormitory room. Traveling alone can be less lonely than traveling with friends you see everyday.

Actually fun? Of course!

Traveling alone is really easy going. I don't have to care about anybody else’s ideas, I can go wherever I want, I can do whatever I want, I can move on whenever I want. And no one is judging me or telling me when to wake up in the morning.
And I get new friends.

Only bad thing about traveling alone is meals.
Sometimes I feel awkward when eating in a restaurant alone. But it’s still fun! The waiters are nicer and sometimes bring you free dessert.

You want to travel?
Why don't you by an air ticket and fly away from boring life!
Go Dream.

Sara and Ai first met in Rome in 2006 and have been close friends since.