The most recent directives continue to leaves Maui visitors unclear. That’s resulted in an 80% drop in arrivals.
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241 thoughts on “Updated: Baffling Maui Travel Advice Just Released By State of Hawaii”
The most recent directives continue to leaves Maui visitors unclear. That’s resulted in an 80% drop in arrivals.
This really isn’t that hard. It’s a major disaster and they’re only just starting to get past immediate danger, so of course it’s going to change and evolve somewhat frequently at first.
Obviously, it’s dangerous and for the most part literally impossible for visitors to go to Lahaina. Kaanapali has been a concern as well, because there was uncertainty as to whether or not the fire(s) would spread there, and in any event there’s still infrastructure damage.
The rest of the island is fine and doesnt rely on either of those two cities to operate. The Kuhului Harbor is open and taking in supplies as usual. The airport is fully operational, and now that it isn’t needed for mass evacuation anymore there’s no reason for it not to return to business as usual.
Yes, some portion of the rest of Maui’s and Hawaii’s resources will need to be used to help survivors, but it’s just panic talking when assuming the entire rest of the economic of the island needs to shut down to accommodate.
Meanwhile, people with reservations months away are just IN the way of the immediate response and recover transition if they keep calling right now. If the hotels and the government need people’s reservations to help the survivors, they will say so.
In short, if you’re not a survivor trying to figure out how you’re going to live for the next week, and you’re not an affected business owner, take a breath. You’re fine.
Hi. My son and his family live in Maui. I visited them for the first time in January 2023. I was very enlightened by the sense of community and caring from everyone that I met. It helped me understand why they chose to stay in Maui and not on the mainland. I am hopeful that Lahaina and the surrounding areas affected once again become what they truly represented in the past. Not rebuilt commercially which would take away from its native culture of the local people. Beauty, history, and a great culture. The positivity that comes out of Maui is one that should be all over our country. When I left, I was sad leaving my family, but I was happy knowing that they were in such a great community. My visit reset my mind and soul. Peace to Maui. May the community be built back using the same culture that the people of Maui are all about and want to share. I hope that your true beauty and history may be shared to many more generations in the original way, not commercialized and driven by retail.
Tried to cancel our Westin Nanea upcoming vacation in September. Westin told us we would lose our points for our time share and should hold onto the reservation.
You seriously think that’s baffling? Imagine if your house burned down, some of your family members died, and your dinner guests still wanted to come over?
Give these people some space and time to heal and bury their dead.
Quit worrying about your vacation.
Those of us that have reservations for mid Sept in Kaanapali, do we cancel or not?
Hi Maura.
It isn’t fully known yet what the situation will be in West Maui then. The state has chosen to only advise for the next two weeks. Within that period, there will be further news that should help inform your decision. There is a catastrophic situation in West Maui and this takes time to figure out beyond the last 7 days. Especially when those killed have largely not yet even been fully addressed.
Aloha.
God bless all of you!!
The great urge to return to Lahaina shores beckons my spirit to help with the suffering. My tears and prayers are awash in Maui 1983 memories. The island overtakes all. It must be heaven transported to a new reality. Rest in peace residents and tourists taken by the island fire spirit burned up like a rolled roach when they were Here Today then literally gone to Maui. (Prophecy)
The great spirit in the sky demands respect for Maui with kindness. Visit, then Go back safely with sober memories. Change your evil ways and repent to become a Kinder person. Smile more, give more, take less, wave to strangers, love first, Be last. Talk to the plants and people. Pray and give thanks for another day. Hang out your clothes to dry in sunshine to return precious water to the sky. Avoid mean, cruel, loud mainlanders. WWJD. Avoid luxury. Be simple. Share. Listen. Be still. Be quiet. Avoid loud and agressive people who are vexations. Change your evil ways. Don’t Pig out. Obey the 20 commandments. Don’t bomb or kill. Start over. Be sober and awake! Help others. Volunteer before you need one.
This is so beautifully written.
Offering some very vague words while “floating around” in her own world at 1:26 AM.
Prayers
We were very unsure of our upcoming visit. We are going and plan to do days of service on the island ,as our vacation time could not be rescheduled . We also realized the trickle down impact of not going. We had not planned much in Lahaina and our dollars help the ohana that still have to run businesses as well on the other parts of the island. Included in this is our turo rented locally. We pray for Maui’s healing, and our friends that have lost so much. ,#Mauistrong
Aloha, we are West Maui residents, currently out of state and returning end of Sep. for medical appointments. What do you know about this required access placards for travel to and from Lahaina?
Please advice. Thanks.
Hi Mary.
They were cancelled before they even started. Instead it is just checkpoints.
Aloha.
Thanks, appreciate it.
There’s a lot to unpack here. On one hand, the destruction in Lahaina and upcountry is unimaginable. I get updates from Lahaina friends and each day the picture gets more grim. However bad you think it is, it’s about 5x worse. No water. No power. No help. Death everywhere. I don’t know how else to put it.
Our first responders are stretched incredibly thin. If you plan on coming to Maui in the coming weeks, it will not be a happy vacation. The energy here is unlike anything I have experienced in a lifetime on Maui, and I live 45 mins away from Lahaina. Far from ground zero.
I can’t see West Maui hotels welcoming back visitors in the next six months, possibly even longer.
On the other hand, the rest of Maui needs tourism dollars. How can we house and feed displaced Lahaina residents if we cannot afford our homes and food ourselves? But we’re grieving – big time. And it feels insensitive to urge people to vacation here knowing the scope of sadness and destruction in West Maui. If you do plan on coming to Maui in 2023, please be respectful, patient, kind, and spend big at local businesses. And do not try to enter Lahaina.
I don’t know what the right or wrong is here. My two cents. Thanks.
Serene, thank you for your thoughtful post.
I see that the spectrum of what is the right thing to do right now ranges all over the place and each person comes from a different place in how they are reacting and how they should proceed.
Visitors need to decide for themselves.
The news being reported on the internet and on National News outlets continues to be inaccurate, so visitors don’t know what to believe is truthful about the conditions.
The physical conditions of Maui are entirely suitable for travel to all areas except the West Maui area and a small portion of Upcountry.
The emotional conditions are mixed. Everyone is processing this catastrophe differently. Some are wanting to retreat and process. Some are wanting to process their grief differently, according to the individual.
The best way, in my opinion, is to find an outlet to help because All of Maui needs help right now, and in the immediate and longer term future.
I am sending shipments of items that are urgently needed that are hard to find at the stores right now. Anyone who lives on Maui understands how the shelves can clear out..
Fire victims lack everything and I have sent the following (and most of these items were asked by King’s Cathedral in Kahului two nights ago in meeting they had for their supporters):
underwear, hairbrushes, pull up shorts in all sizes for both men and women, baby items (diapers, wipes, formula), women’s sports bras.
Prayers for all those affected by the fires in maui.may God give u strength and comfort to the families who have lost loved ones.hawaii is a beautiful state.i have always dreamed of going there one day to visit.such sad news.heartbreakibg..
100% agree…….but without the tourist industry, state income is going to drop hard. The way forward is to keep non essential people out of west maui. The rest of the island can be open, as much as possible anyway. There are plenty of things to see and do without affecting the other businesses on the island. There is a fine line that the state has to recognize. I don’t think shutting the state down to U.S. citizens is the answer.
Traveling to Maui (Wailea) has been a hard decision for us. We have a week long stay coming up at the end of the month. Our resort is fully operational. We certainly respect the time families and residents of West Maui need to heal from this tragedy, but shutting down the island in its entirety might not be the smartest thing to do. 80% of the island’s revenue comes tourism. Absent of that, unemployment will sky rocket and unfortunately the next thing to follow will be crime in desperation.
Our biggest concern has been would Maui residents be mad that we came to the island? I’ll be honest I have never worried about safety, but I’m concerned right now.
We are in a similar position. We spoke to folks at the hotel we are staying at 8/28 – 9/2 and they urged us to keep our reservation. We really want to make sure we are not disrespecting or being insensitive to the horrible tragedies. They mentioned that the locals need the hours of work and remain fully open and operational. We plan on donating to the locals and tipping very generously, and seeing if we can aid in anyway possible while there. They said to please come and dont change our plans..
Heading to Kihei on 9/2. Are we still able to travel to this location ?
Hi Annette.
Yes. The only restricted area is West Maui.
Aloha.
We who live here in Hawaii are not in one mind about thr HTA. We watched as Lahaina burned to the ground,and cried as it did. Maui needs time for recovery. All on the Valley Island are in need of your understanding in this time of grief. Please understand, Hawaii is our home, not just a tourist destination.
100% agree…….but without the tourist industry, state income is going to drop hard. The way forward is to keep non essential people out of west maui. The rest of the island can be open, as much as possible anyway. There are plenty of things to see and do without affecting the other businesses on the island. There is a fine line that the state has to recognize. I don’t think shutting the state down to U.S. citizens is the answer.
You’re correct about that. Most people depending on tourism to make a living are wanting people to visit the island. My friend who is planning her wedding in South Maui received a heartfelt email from the wedding vendor asking her not to cancel. While it’s a tragedy what has happened, there are plenty of visitors who have a heart to help rebuild by not canceling bookings to unaffected parts of the island. My husband and I were married there and my best friend is a native Hawaiian so Maui is very special to us. We will not be canceling our plans unless God wills otherwise.
I hope they can find a good balance. Because they are also going to really need that tourist money.
Thank you for all of the work you do in your blog. I live in the mainland now and been so emotional since this happened. I’ve been angry about the ongoing disorganization and how our people are suffering because of it. We all know there’s more to come since this is their track record with how they treat us. I hope the tourist can sympathize with what’s really going on and stay out of Lahaina until things die down. Please be safe and stay strong. You are not alone. We all in this together
Hi Amber.
Thanks. We appreciate your first comment, and on this tragic situation.
Aloha.
So many rules I feel like the people of Maui. Taxation without representation. Where are the representative politicians on Maui? Told to stand down and let Oahu do the talking? Wake up Maui. Your survival is at stake.
Aloha to all affected. Stay healthy out there!
Aloha. I have been a Beat of Hawai reader for years, and it is always up to date and great info. We just left Maui on Sunday. We stayed at the Whaler in Ka’anapali since July 24. Obviously we had no power, hot water, or elevators! The generators only lasted about 2 days. Then they limited power to just the office. We were on the 7th floor, so we are more fit that when we left, but we are 68 and 70 years old, so we are exhausted. The power came back on Sunday night, according to a newsletter from the GM of the Whaler. We own the unit until August 20, but they were basically forcing everyone to leave. They wanted to reduce the strain on their workers, 8 of whom lost their homes. The stores weren’t open, they wouldn’t let you go through Lahaina or the bypass to leave, and if you did, you couldn’t get back. People were allowed to rent empty units at a very reduced price. There was a great outpouring of help from Kapalua through Napili to help residents, many of whom were living in their cars on the side of the road. We were just in shock to hear about the devastation. Without internet or reliable cell service, all our info was 2nd hand, usually when we could get a call in to our son. Obviously, we had just visited Lahaina several times, and it’s so sad to see what happened. If you have stayed in Ka’anapali and have driven to the airport, there were only 3 of us on the road until we got to the harbor area. Usually it’s stop and go all the way. Aloha
God will be there for you all
We will be praying for all of you all