What should I take to Maui with me?

I love many of the Chanels in hot weather. Chanel No 5 smells amazingly fresh & clean. Coco is very sensual on balmy evenings. And Cristalle is my favorite summer fragrance. Have a great time! My son lives in Honolulu, so I am planning another trip to Paradise soon.

Lucky you, I love Maui! Can I suggest having lunch at Paia Fish Market. From your 'drobe I would for sure bring Après L'ondée, a perfect, soft and fresh match to the perfect weather of Maui. I'm so jealous, even as I sit here and write this from Miami! Have a great time.

Ah, food on Maui...if Correlli's by the sea is still there, get reservations for the sunset seating. It is casual dining right on the beach and the food is wonderful.

Bring only one or two of your fav scents, but try to savour the scents of the islands, free of haute parfumerie for awhile. I know this is heresy to some, but try to sample some of those local perfumes (albeit "tourist" scents) in the giftshops. Stop off the beaten path around the island in smaller towns like Kihei. Don't forget to snorkel in some of the most beautiful snorkeling areas in the world. Maui is different from Kauai, but at least slower in pace than Oahu.

Learn to enjoy the scents of the islands: the foods, the fruits and the GORGEOUS flowers. Frangipani (plumeria) is my DH's fav flower by far, and smelling them (or the perfume) always reminds us of times in the islands. Sample all of the various souvenir perfumes, as there are many and they vary in quality and prices.

To tell you the truth, I usu. never wear my flacon of 24, Faubourg or anything else I bring. I go totally "island," only the scent of pure coconut oil in damp hair. Have a beautiful trip!

Estee Lauder Azuree Soleil or Bronze Goddess

We stayed at The Westin about 6 years ago. It was really nice. We had an ocean facing room, the sunsets were awesome! It faces the smaller island of Lanai. The pool is a bit of a nuthouse, but the big water slide is fun. The beach down to the right, you can see it of in the distance in the photo of me on our deck, was really great, the one in front of the hotel is a bit narrow. Kaanapali is central, but if you want to go to Paia for lunch, it's going to take at least 45 minutes. The sushi/fish at the restaurant Sansei is amazing. http://www.sanseihawaii.com/ The cute town of Lahaina, 10 minutes from The Westin, is full of really good restaurants. The beaches/resorts south of you in Makena, are worth visiting. Big Beach is awesome for nice waves. Make sure you drive to the top of Haleakala Crater, it takes about 90 minutes, and bring a sweater. Maui is very different than Kauai, it has endless white beaches, parts are really over-developed, but it is so easy to get around and has a wonderful, bohemian vibe around the town of Paia, we stayed there for 1/2 the trip. I didn't get to Hana, a really long drive, but it's supposedly very cool in the end of the world kind of way. Have fun!

Here's some pics: Room at Westin:
View of Lanai from balcony:
Westin balcony, nice, wide beach off in distance:
View inside the Haleakala Crater:

I took Creed Erolfa. It smelled great!

Lucky you BayKAT! As an addition to Ruggles' fabulous post ~ with pictures to die for! ~ I'd definitely suggest going to the Haleakala Crater. We went to view the sunrise, and it was absolutely worth the trek upward - AND the frigid morning temps! Don't really know if I'd drive the "Road to Hana" again, it wasn't really my thing. Aloha! (Oh yeah...fragrance ...how about something with notes of gardenia, jasmine and/or tuberose!?! Kai, A La Nuit or Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia)

Thank you, Ruggles! Ah, I love to recall times in Maui with DH.

The Road to Hana is not to be missed, nor the trip to the Haleakala crater--I have *never* tried the bike ride...call me a coward, if you will, but I am to fond of my skull! The crater view is a spiritual treat!

Again, I usu. eschew haute parfumerie on vacation, not that I don't miss my parfums, but I also enjoy the very inexpensive little perfumes one finds in the ABC Stores everywhere. I am partial to the plumeria (frangipani) and also the pikake (the sambac jasmine). Just part of my perception of the island experience! You can combine many of these little scents, sometimes available in an extrait. OK--some are synthetic scents, but I am sure some artisanal scents can be found in some souvenir hideways in out of the way places, if memory serves.

If you can, book a boat trip to the Molokini crater for snorkeling trip! (You can reach this only by boat.) One of the best spots on the island!

Also, if you can, swim the Seven Sacred pools. Bring your bathing suit and towel, but wear shoes to keep feet protected on the walk out. Buy a waterproof camera, too.

One of the happiest times of my LIFE (and this is not an exaggeration) was when DH and I got drenched in a sudden douwnpour and got our clothes SOAKED through. We laughed so hard at it all, heedless of our hair and clothes, caring of nothing but the moment. Truly a moment we will treasure.

This wants me want to see our frangipani flower again, and I want to see our jasmine start producing blooms! One jasmine blossom can fill a room with scent!

BayKat, I just peeked at your wardrobe, and most are too powerful and/or heavy for the islands, IMO. I'm sure they're perfect in SF!

I agree with Primrose's advice about going scentless some of the time, and just enjoying the wonderful fragrances around you! The fragrances I like best when I'm in Hawai'i are aquatic florals like Diptyque's Do Son, L'Artisan's Fleur de Liane, and the like. I have also worn and enjoyed tropical white florals like Kai and A La Nuit, as Ubu suggested. Both my husband and I also like to wear The Body Shop's Indian Gardenia oil – it works great for any time of day! A light incense fragrance could be nice, too.

Like Ruggles, I like the area around Paia and Haiku very much. Haleakala crater is a sight to behold (my favorite place on the island), and the drive to Hana is a great option to consider.

Have a great trip!

Haunani! The best person for this thread! SOmetimes, I just wear the "tourist" fragrances, being far too interested in the "real" scents of the islands: the air, the plants, the sea, the foods...

Right. I always warn people against being too encumbered when on a vacation in Hawai'i. Most people pack too many clothes, for example. The minimalist approach to fragrance makes sense, too.


I think your wardrobe looks wonderful. Just not for the islands, LOL! You know, lotion is a great idea. I'm thinking that I might pack my Pacifica Tibetan Mountain Temple body butter for my next trip (we'll be on Kaua'i soon hooray!). BTW, if you see Saffron James fragrances there, try them. The one called Le'a is an excellent rendition of plumeria, IMO.

Now, RainDropSparkle, who lives on O'ahu year round, may chime in, too. I know she loves some of the Chanels, for one thing. I'm sure she'd have many good suggestions.

Absolutely, since you´ll probably need a body lotion anyway. Or why not a very light, fresh body spray/tonic, to keep you feeling fresh?

Not so sure about certain chypres, like Mitsouko. I ruined a brand new bottle in about two weeks while staying in Nice, France, many years ago. It was in August, with hight humidity, and I had no really cool place to store my bottle there, but I kept it in a dark cupboard. While home again, the juice had adapted some strange green-brown colour, and it smelled muggy and musty. Guess that was my "punishment" for being so stupid as bringing a Guerlain to France.

Enjoy your trip, it sounds ab fab! Inhale, compare, take many pictures, and share your impressions with us while back home again, pretty please?!

I would love to go to Hawaii one day. This fear of flying is killing my sense of adventure lol. I did make it to Jamaica and I wore Bond No.9's Coney Island every day. It was perfect for a tropical paradise.