Back on terra firma, Maui's Fairmont Kea Lani Hotel has just opened Ko restaurant, an eatery that offers updated versions of Hawaiian plantation food, such as the savory Filipino filled-pastry lumpia, and fresh, local fish such as sweet-fleshed ono.
The hotel's breezy Lobby Bar is a great place for a drink even if you're not staying there. Bucolic Polo Beach is a popular spot for weddings or just slathering on the sunscreen and lolling in the sun. Some 40 miles northwest of the Fairmont's Wailea location, the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua Resort has just finished a $160 million renovation, and does not disappoint. Its fine dining restaurant, the Banyan Tree, offers eclectic, Asian-inspired cuisine and serves some of the finest fresh seafood dishes in the Islands. Lush, palm-studded grounds slope down to the Pacific and a lovely stretch of sandy beach.


