THIS IS A SPECIAL ADDITION TO THE DESCRIPTION OF OUR MAUI HOME IN THE WAKE OF THE TRAGIC FIRES OF AUGUST 8 IN AND AROUND LAHAINA TOWN.

Aloha. By now you have already seen stories and footage of the loss of our beloved Lahaina along with at least 115 lives and 1000s of properties. I have been keeping a blog of sorts since the day after the fires to keep the many concerned people in our extended Ohana up to date on developments here. It is purely from my point of view, so take it for what it is. If you are interested in reading it in its entirety, you can find it at the link below:

https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:2801cb8d-3b13-3325-8137-5789530bf7f0

Here at our condominium complex of Lokelani, we are fortunate. We were well removed from the fires and suffered no physical damage, just lost power for about a week and TV and Wi-Fi internet access for almost 3 weeks. Our area of Honokowai, about 10 minutes north of Lahaina town, became a center for many of 5he evacuees who suffered catastrophic losses. We are currently housing a number of displaced folks at Lokelani condos, and continue to look for ways to support our grieving community. If you would like to help, there are many fine charities providing support on Maui, and if you follow my link, I provide information on several.

I am providing an excerpt from my most recent blog entry that provides my response to several questions I have received on returning to Maui. For those already scheduled in our condo, please note that you continue to be welcome. If for any reason you do not feel the time is right for you to come out, all cancellation fees are waived, even if you make your decision at the very last minute. We will also match donations in whole or in part to any of the Maui recovery causes I include in my reports. Mahalo for your time and attention, and below is the excerpt from my blog.

On the topic of coming back to Maui, and when, I’ll give you my opinion, which I’m sure is just one among many. First, it’s clearly got to be a personal decision. A lot will depend on what you want in terms of a Maui vacation. If you’re looking for a ‘party-hearty’ Maui experience, now is probably not the right time. Lahaina town is in ruins and will be years in recovery.  Local spirits are depressed, including among those far from the devastation.  Businesses are struggling to be open and offer their full range of services and menus because of the lack of customers. For those who recognize that these are extraordinary times and not everything will be the way it was before, however, coming to Maui is a concrete way to give back to the island, local businesses and people. You can choose to be part of our recovery as surely by spending locally as you can by donating to the sorts of causes we’ve discussed previously.  But don’t let me dissuade you from doing both!
 
This opportunity to help now by visiting thoughtfully is particularly true in the south, center and upcountry where the fires were either absent or not as severe.  Parts of upcountry are under some water restrictions, but in general everything is there and ready for visitors. The west side will obviously take longer to recover, but the businesses here need the support as much or more than anyplace on island. Places to stay will likely be in short supply for a while as we need to offer housing to our many friends and neighbors who lost their homes to the fire. Locally in Honokowai, more businesses are opening daily, though many with reduced hours and menus; see this interesting NPR piece on Java Jazz, which never deviated from normal hours after the fires.   

https://www.npr.org/2023/08/29/1196251537/this-cafe-never-closed-after-lahainas-fires-extending-a-lifeline-of-normalcy

Both because of the lack of customers and to help the community, many restaurants have and still are providing free food to all comers.  For shopping, the Times market is well stocked (well, at least as much as it ever is…), and Napili Market is also going. Nothing is yet open at Lahaina Gateway due to water problems and because the parking lot is entirely consumed with recovery and relief stations. The Cannery mall and Safeway appear undamaged at least from the front, but because access to Front Street is so tightly controlled, I don’t know when we might see anything re-open there.  The few places on the fringes of town that apparently survived the fire will likely continue to be closed for the foreseeable future. Returning to anything like the previous status quo will be a gradual process, but we are making baby steps.  We will get there. 
 
In this, we are all part of a larger Ohana trying our best to help one another and recapture moments of normalcy in a situation that is anything but. Local businesses have been giving back to the community, but eventually need to get back to more typical operations. Much of their ability to do so will depend on visitors deciding to return.  I hope you will consider doing so. If you do look at coming here in the upcoming weeks and months, I recommend making sure of flight and rental car availability.  Flight schedules are still disrupted by the large-scale departure of visitors in the immediate aftermath of the fires, and thousands of rental cars are parked nose to tail in fields outside the airport. I assume the car rental agencies in Kahului are operating nonetheless, though the offices in Honokowai are still unstaffed. Do double-check these sorts of things before your trip just to be sure, and I am confident that things will continue to improve to meet the rising demand as visitors return to Maui.  See you here. 
-K

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Aloha, and welcome to the virtual version of Lokelani C205, a vacation rental condo located on the beautiful West Maui coast. It's not the same as being there - hearing the ocean throughout your living space, seeing your 'morning whale' as you sip coffee on your lanai, or walking just a few feet outside to see honu (turtles) swimming and basking in the sun on your own stretch of beach. Regardless, we welcome you here as our guest just as we would be glad to welcome you into our Maui home.

Lokelani, which means “Beautiful Rose” in Hawaiian, is a West Maui vacation rental that truly lives up to its name. Snorkel with the turtles, watch whales & breathtaking Hawaiian sunsets from your two spacious lanais and fall asleep to the gentle sound of the Pacific in your oceanfront two bedroom town home-style condo.

Lokelani #C205 has been completely remodeled. It is a luxurious two bedroom/two bath unit with both the living room and master bedroom having direct ocean front lanais. This unit is a town home type unit with the kitchen, dining area, washer/dryer, full bath, living room and direct ocean front lanai downstairs. Upstairs you will find a full bath and both bedrooms. The master bedroom has its own direct ocean front lanai with panoramic views of the islands of Molokai and Lanai. A split air conditioning system with units in both bedrooms keeps you cool in the warmer months. Flat screen TV's and DVD players in living room and master bedroom entertain.

This unit is nicely equipped with everything except food and clothing. On the days you don't feel like dining out in one of the many great restaurants nearby, our kitchen has all the utensils, cookware, and dinnerware you'll need. You can watch the sunset while eating dinner out on the lanai, or if on the rarest of occasions the weather isn't perfect, there is also an inside dining table.

We are located just a few miles north of downtown Lahaina and historic Front Street. We are in a quiet residential neighborhood and we are off the main street to insure a peaceful stay. You will not want to leave our beautiful Maui home of Lokelani C205, but you'll definitely want to come back!

PS--. Please ask about our Lokelani C205 guests Discounts and Donations program supporting the Pacific Whale Foundation and Maui Food Bank.