Kahului

But the winds are picking up.

Our Chelsea Davis reports from Kahului.

Yeah,

we're outside in Kahului where it is actually a really beautiful Maui night.

A little bit breezy, but we are used to that here on the Valley Isle.

I can tell you it is really overcast.

Now, this area specifically is really prone to flooding.

I'm on near the intersection of South Kihei Road and North Kihei Road, and that's because oftentimes it rains upcountry in Kula in East Maui, for example, and then all that rain comes down the mountain, down Haleakalā, through Kahului, and ends up here in South Maui.

And this area in particular, there's a bridge here that oftentimes it is the rain and the runoff can't go through the bridge.

It's not high enough for the water to flow through the bridge, underneath the bridge and into the ocean.

Kona at one point this year averaged something like $127 a day, which puts it among the most expensive rental markets in the country.

And around Christmas, rates at Kahului and Lihui routinely run well over double what you'd pay in a normal week.

So my advice for 2027 planning is the same as it's always been, just with more urgency behind it.

Book as early as you have real travel dates, use a comparison service that lets you rebook if the price drops, and treat any holiday week, spring break, or Valentine's adjacent trip like peak demand no matter what the calendar says.