Maui Vacation Consultants

06/28/2024

The very first Lahaina Home to start rebuilding. ❤️. It has been a long process, though there is hope and perseverance.

05/03/2024

These millennials did what needed to be done to protect Lahaina and West Maui for future generations. So proud of them and fully support them.

After 175 days, the Lahaina Strong group announced its end to the occupation of Kāʻanapali Beach as part of its Fishing for Dignified Housing initiative.

03/08/2024

Kaanapali Beach has been rated the #4 Beach in the World and the #1 beach in the US by the Trip Advisor Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best Beaches.

This is my personal favorite beach for walking, swimming, beach activities and favorite place to stay. We used to joke that it was my kids backyard playground. Love it!

See the list of the best beaches in as awarded by millions of real travelers. Winners are determined based on the quality and quantity of traveler reviews and ratings posted on Tripadvisor over a 12-month period.

03/03/2024

Mama and Baby 🐋🐋 in Molokini Crater. Just WOW

https://fb.watch/qzEbiTyMhl/?mibextid=V0ec5v

03/01/2024

Maui is sending a message that they are READY for you to return. With Kindness and Empathy, come and enjoy this beautiful island as they move forward in healing. 💖

We’re ready to get back to work. Ready to get our economy going again.We are ready. ://makaukaumaui.com/

02/20/2024

Old Lahaina was relatively untouched during the August 8th fire. With some repairs and their parcel cleared, they are planning to reopen again in March.

Old Lahaina Luau is such a great representation of Lahaina and a good community steward.

Happy to see them moving forward, giving hope to the town of Lahaina.
Please let me know if I can help you book this Luau for your vacation.

Aloha,
Kay

02/06/2024

Maui Monday

The Westin Maui: In 2022, I was the #2 top agent for the Westin Maui. They awarded me with a 7 night stay in the Hokupa’a tower. My daughters joined me and we had a wonderful stay. We had a beautiful room on the Black Rock side of the tower, such a stunning view and great for whale watching.

When staying in the Hokupa’a tower, you get access to The Lanai which is a lounge area with a small wading pool you can sit in and a nice view of the ocean. They serve breakfast bites and dinner bites and snacks & beverages midday. We easily made this our breakfast and dinner every day. The options for dinner bites while we were they were amazing. We had salmon, BBQ chicken, shrimp scampi, French Onion soup bar, salad, Nachos, Manapua, potstickers, Spiny tail lobster, Poke bowl station, Mahi Mahi, and perfectly cooked lamb chop. They have a selection of deserts, ice cream cups, cookies and Haupia. Everything was so delicious and the staff was amazing.

There are a variety of pool areas, the Keiki splash pad and pool is perfect for those who are not yet swimming. A pool area with a larger slide, a family pool area with waterfalls and basketball hoop. There is the adult pool area above with an infinity pool with sandy bottom and a large whirlpool bath area also. Plenty of chairs with umbrellas for some shade, cabanas and casabellas to rent.

The Westin Maui has a few shops for clothing and sundries, a Starbucks, a little Grab and Go Market. Their ocean front dining spot was just getting ready to open in February and it a collaboration with the MonkeyPod restaurant.
Great Beach fronting the hotel and located next to Whaler’s Village for shops and additional restaurants and food court.

My daughters enjoyed the complimentary Yoga sessions daily in the Yoga studio. Also a Fitness center on the Mezzanine floor.

Daily Fees:
Resort Fee is $45
Self Parking $45
Valet Parking $50

Please let me know if you have any additional questions and I will be happy to book the Westin Maui for you.

01/27/2024

Aloha, I just spent 12 wonderful nights in West Maui. My daughters and I stayed at 2 hotels in Kaanapali Beach, reviews and highlights to come. This trip gave me an opportunity to talk to local residents, those who are displaced and those working in the hotels, restaurants and shops.

The general concensus is Yes, please come. Stay in hotels and condos meant for tourists. If there is not a front desk, don't stay there. Come and enjoy the island, the ocean, beaches, activities and sunsets. Be kind and respectful. Do not ask personal questions of people you don't know personally.

Maya, Aaliyah and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay. We got to hug friends, support local businesses and spend time together. Our hearts are filled and we all filled renewed. I am back in So Cal, working to assist you in your plans to travel to Maui or elsewhere. Aaliyah is back in Atlanta. And Maya? Well, she decided to stay in Maui for awhile. It just really felt that good. 🥰

Please let me know what questions you may have and follow along as we share some insights into our favorite home island of Maui.

Aloha,
Kay

11/10/2023

I was interviewed for Travel Weekly, a travel industry magazine about booking Maui after the fires. I had so much to say, though they only used part of it. Still happy that I got to have some input.

https://www.travelweekly.com/Hawaii-Travel/Maui-reopening-post-fires-but-visitors-and-revenue-stay-away?ct=hawaii&fbclid=IwAR3If91VKkDg3adlSKI7TzRzC8LnvSfhYs-4kasvJxzHaOUP_xT7ZFVbvT0

Although the destination began a phased reopening of West Maui on Oct. 8, with a second phase kicking off Nov. 1, visitors have yet to come back in earnest.

10/28/2023

Kaanapali Beach on October 26th.

Kaanapali Beach Resort hotels has started to accept visitors again. Some properties will wait until Mid November. It will be nice to share the island with you again.
The ocean is healing for you and for the local families alike.

However, please note that each hotel and condo property may have displaced fire victims staying with them. Many of the staff may have lost homes or family. Do not ask personal questions. Please do tell them how happy you are to be back. Do be generous with gratuities. Plan to volunteer 1-2 days of your stay. Doesn't have to be a full day, just a few hours. You can message me for ideas and locations. Donate items at the local hubs. There are lists of items needed, changing on a constant basis. Bring an extra suitcase of items, new bed linens, bath towel sets. Leave it with the bellman or at the hubs. The linens and towels will be given to people who lost their homes and are moving into permanent housing. The suitcase will be used for their personal items when moving, sometimes just to another temp hotel.

I am looking forward to assisting you in planning your vacations to Maui again soon.

Aloha,
Kay

10/08/2023

As travel to West Maui returns, please kokua and show your respect. Do not ask personal questions of the hotel or restaurant staff. Do not take photos of the Lahaina area burn zone. Be kind, show Aloha.

09/18/2023

Aloha All,

I just wanted to reach out to you to give you some updates. First, West Maui will start to reopen to visitors on October 8th. Only a few hotels/condos/timeshares are open on this date. Many properties still have fire victims still staying on property through at least October 15th. The process to get everyone into suitable housing is taking awhile.

I am kind of caught between the people who want to reopen and the people who want to stay closed. I understand that many who lived North of Lahaina are ready to work and welcome visitors back. Though many of Lahaina's residents are asking for it to remain closed. They are not ready to greet visitors who will ask about their experience. This is so similar to reopening during COVID. I waited almost 7 months after the islands opened before I had clients going back to the islands.

I am personally going to West Maui in January. My daughter's best friend from Lahaina is getting married and Maya will be in the wedding party. It is important to create new happy memories at this time.

I expect many of you are thinking about it, maybe wanting to go though thinking it is too soon. Or wanting to wait as you cannot bear to see Lahaina in its current state. Feel free to email me at [email protected] to discuss as I believe each visitor will have different questions and a different timeline.

Meanwhile, Mahalo to all of you who donated directly through me to my friends who lost everything. We were able to directly impact 55 families. Mahalo to those who donated via the many other programs. Please know that this will continue to be an ongoing process for week, months and years.
If you are so moved to make a difference to a family directly, there is a Facebook group called Adopt A Family Maui, where you can sign in and find Amazon Wish lists for specific families in Maui. Remember, these families lost EVERYTHING. Do not judge what they have on their list. Give freely if you are so moved.

The other Facebook group is Maui Fire, Flood and Disaster Relief Group. This page is amazing and has been instrumental in Maui helping Maui. There are posts about resources available and posts asking for specific items to be donated. Amazon is typically the best way to donate so you don't have to pay for shipping. Though gift cards are another way to help out. Or if you work for a large company who can make a large donation of a specific item, that is amazing too! Marcus Mariota and Nike donated football cleats and shoes to the Lahainaluna football team. There have been laptop donations, air purifier donations, cell phone donation. Baby formula is always a need.

Mahalo for reading through this. Personally I am heartbroken for my friends and the residents of Lahaina. My kids grew up here, I lived here for 26 wonderful years. I cannot erase the images of this sweet town in ashes. My business has been at a standstill. No emails for a month already. If you have any thoughts on planning a vacation anywhere, I would happily book your hotel at least to earn a commission from the hotel. ❤️

09/04/2023

This song is often sung by students at Lahainaluna Highschool, though not the Alma Mater. It is being sung often now after the fire of 8/8 at various community events. Such a beautiful song, I wanted to share it with you all.

O KOU ALOHA

(A gift from the late Kumu John K. Lake in honor of David Malo Day 1992)

O kou aloha ka ikena aku
I ka hana lalo
A pono e haele ‘olu I loko o ke wa

Hele aku ai kupono
Ho ‘oheno mau kela
I kela maula makou e


Your love is great for all the things gone by
It’s time to move on swiftly
And it’s only time

As we move forward we will cherish
What we know will always continue
And we’ll be there

O Kou Aloha, a gift from the late Kumu John K. Lake in honor of David Malo Day 1992 Video CreditsVideo Producer: Marvin Tevaga Co-Producer: Wailau RyderVide...

08/23/2023

Aloha all, I am still reeling with emotions for the loss of our beloved Lahaina town. This is going to be a long process to clean the town before they can get ready to rebuild.

Currently West Maui is closed into October for sure. There is talk about opening Kaanapali resorts eventually, though that might be a ways off. Maui is still open for South Maui resorts and condos, though I am seeing flights that are virtually empty. The concern is that people in the mainland are afraid to come to Maui at all. I am also conflicted on this. Though speaking to friends who live in Kihei and Wailuku, they still need people to come or the whole island will suffer. Please let me know if you want to consider a trip to Maui in the next few months.

I, personally, am struggling to figure out what I should do and what direction to head in. I will forever be in support of Lahaina rebuilding. And will continue to book my clients to Maui and the other islands. Though during this time period while I figure things out, if you are planning to travel anywhere and are going to book a hotel, please reach out to me at [email protected] and let me book the hotel for you. I will earn a commission to do so. I need to still be able to earn some kind of income.
Any business referrals would be greatly appreciated.

Aloha,
Kay

08/16/2023

Aloha to all,

I just wanted to update everyone that West Maui is basically closed to the public. The Hotels of Kaanapali Resort and the vacation rentals are closed. The residents of Lahaina who have been displaced by this fire disaster are being housed with friends, family or the hotels and vacation rentals. The is a community outpouring of food, water and clothing for those who lost everything.

South Maui is still open. There are hotels and condos that I can book for you. We want to be able to keep some $$ coming into the island as we don't want the people of South Maui to lose their jobs or their income.

If you are not in a place to travel this year, consider buying items from some local Maui companies.It would be so kind of you to support them from afar.

And lastly, for those who generously made donations for me to share with Lahaina residents, MAHALO. I received about $5,000 in donations and all of that has been shared with 38 families as of today. These families are so grateful for the quick cash they can use to pay bill or add to their rebuilding funds.

08/11/2023

Aloha my friends,

As you may have heard, on August 8th there was a devastating fire that destroyed Lahaina town on Maui. My family has so many friends who have lost everything in the fire. We want to be able to offer them financial assistance in this difficult time.

Many of you have used me as a Travel agent to plan your vacations to Maui. And many of you know me as someone who helped multiple families in Maui dealing with crisis. I hope you will trust me that I will be sure to get these funds to those families that truly need assistance.

I am having difficulty with GoFundme Site, so I will give you options to donate.

Zelle: 8082640604

Venmo: Kay-Ryan-1 0604

PayPal: [email protected]

Or mail a check to:
Kay Ryan
1265 Breakaway Dr
Oceanside, CA 92057

Mahalo for your assistance and generosity.

Kay

To follow updates on Maui, follow on Facebook Maui 24/7 they have the most timely updates.

08/04/2022

Thinking of getting an AirBnb? Read this:

Currently there is a residential housing shortage on Maui which in turn is causing a worker shortage. It is crazy, home and condo owner/investors are all trying to list their units on AirBnb to make more money. Not renewing leases of tenants who have lived there 5-10 years. Retail stores and some restaurants are so short, they are limiting operating hours and limiting menus. The shops at Whalers Village were open from 11am - 8pm. That way they can have just one shift. Staff are working 10-12 hours shifts. We also went to Roy’s and while the food was still perfect, it was weird to be seated at 8pm and no one else was coming in. That used to be such a hot spot. 3 cooks in the kitchen, 3 wait staff. Limited hours and menu. I don’t know if they will survive this. I do ask my clients to be empathetic to the locals who live there and are trying to provide you all with the best service and experience. Ask them how they are doing, how is their family? Those kind words go a long way.

You may think you are getting a "local" experience. However, you are causing harm to the local families who live there.

06/16/2022

03/18/2022

Keep yourself safe in the ocean by knowing what to do if a current is pulling you away from shore.

Currents can be worse along rocky shorelines and areas surrounded by shallow reef.

When in doubt, don't go out !

03/02/2022

Starting March 26th, you will not have to have a PCR test or show proof of vaccination to travel to Hawaii.

Governor David Ige today announced an end to the state’s Safe Travels Hawaiʻi program for domestic travel when the state’s current emergency proclamation related to COVID-19 ends on March 25, 2022; but he left the door open to potentially extend the state’s indoor mask mandate.

02/09/2022

The Safe Travels Hawai‘i program will remain unchanged at this time, and booster shots will not be required for “up-to-date” vaccination status for individuals traveling to Hawai‘i, Gov. David Ige announced today.

02/04/2022

One of my favorite leis. I hang them on my doors around the house.

11/05/2021

Very Important to never turn your back on the ocean. Visitors need to take this one to heart. Every Maui beach has the potential for you to get knocked out. Makena Beach is one the most dangerous due to their shore break.

Every ocean lover knows these three things: 1) Never turn your back on the ocean. 🌊2) Always swim with a buddy. 🏊🏼‍♀️🏊🏽‍♂️ 3) Only wear reef-safe sunscreen.

11/02/2021

Day 2 on the Disney Wonder

Our port day was In Ensenada. I joined the Taste of Mexico tour, Staying within the Disney Bubble. I thought we were just going to eat, however we were making our own food. They did all the cooking, we had to mash, dice, stir and assemble.

Salsa, guacamole 🥑 and green chili enchiladas. Everything was so fresh and delicious 😋

11/01/2021

I was fortunate enough to be on the second sailing of the Disney Wonder out of San Diego. So happy to be back. Only 400 people on this cruise. 😳
With the welcome aboard I was the only one there. Sorry for all the bouncing but I was dancing with them. So very happy to be on board.🥰

Disney Cruise lines are requiring all passengers 12 and older to be vaccinated. Under 12 must take a Covid PCR test 3 days prior and submit results online. Everyone must take a Covid rapid test at the port. Masks are required indoors, though you don't have to wear them on the deck.

09/13/2021

This is something the Locals have been asking for years for. A travel safely video on the airlines. This is the one that Hawaiian Airlines has created and will begin airing in flight to Hawaii.

Please take a moment to watch. https://youtu.be/KPcoUjCmhFg

While this is a good start, it is in my opinion, too pretty. They need to show videos of flash floods. The difficult rip current and how to get out. Real amounts of trash left on trails and beaches. Be respectful when traveling to Hawaii. Learn about the history and they meaning of various sites to the Hawaiian community.
Be Pono.

Travel Pono means to explore with care, offering your kōkua (help) to preserve our natural resources, cultures and communities. It’s recognizing your respons...

09/04/2021

Amazing to see these old photos of Lahaina before the harbor was dredged.

08/18/2021

A Long drive along the Hana Highway. A hearty trek along the path, to this beautiful view. Waimoku Falls.

Let me know if you have been to this beautiful location.