Maui Forum: Maui Custom Tours - Guides of Maui

I wrote this orginal question in January 2007. We went to Maui n May 2007 and used this company. This was the best day we had on vacation. Our guide was awsome. He took us to places that only the locals know about. We kept passing all the tours buses with many people piling out and taking pictures on the side of the road. We rode comfortable in our own Jeep and the guide drove. We went to many waterfalls where they was no one but us there. We jumped off of several cliffs and also went to red sand beach. We also did a hike in the bamboo forest. Travelling was myself, hubby, and our 10 yr old son. We all had such a great time. This by far was our best experience in all the islands we visited. We love all of Hawaii but this was the most unique experience. We will definatly go on this tour again. Feel free to email me with any additional questions at JJPCheers@aol.com

JJPCheers,

Can you tell us the name of your guide and how you decided on where to spend your day? Did you just say "Show us Maui" or did you have several choices of tours?

Thanks

dianedisney

I can't remember the name of our guide but he was the owner. He has long hair. You will see him in some of the pictures on their website. When we met him at the coffee house in the morning we told him we wanted to try some cliff diving and see some waterfalls. After spending a little time with us he realized our family wanted a very active day and we were not afraid to get a little dirty. It was his idea to take us through the bamboo forest for a hike and it was also his idea to take us on a hike to the Red Sand Beach. There were some areas on the way to Red Sand Beach that there is no way I would have done without a guide. Very narrow pathway on the edge of a cliff!!! What a great experience and so worth it. I just left the day in his hands and he certainly pleased our whole family. Hope this helps.

My hubby remembered our guides name. His name is STEVE.

Hi JJPCheers,

My husband and I will be going to Maui in April.( 4/10 - for a 8days). The first 3 days are part of business trip and then the rest of the wk. We have rented car for the entire week and decided to check out "Maui Custom Tours ( Steve Sargenti - owner) because I dont drive and I dont want my husband to end up driving all the time esp on "the road to Hana" and not be able to relax and enjoy the views along the way. Everything I 've read about Maui Custom Tours on the site and from Trip Advisor ( mostly from you) have been extremely.

But being Manhattanites, we are always a bit skeptical before we do more research. We think this is a terrific deal so we are wondering if there are anything we need to be concerned about?

I assume this is a legitimate tour company and we will not be ripped off.

Can you please advise on the following?

1- How did you decide on the tour ( the stops and activities ) you went on.

2- Did Steve go along w/you on all the tours or did he just drive and then sit in car and wait for you to explore on your own?

3- How long was the entire day of tour? Hrs etc?

4- Meeting guide at airport - we are renting from Avis.........I gather we can just add the guide for an additional amt for JUST THAT ONE DAY? We will not be meeting the guide until mid-wk of our vacation.

5- What was the best part of this 'tour' and if any, what you would have done differently.

Thank you so much for attention to my questions.

Malcounsel@gmail.com

We just returned from our week on paradise. Our day with Steve Sargenti (owner of Maui Custom Tours) was the best day there! It was myself, hubby, and three kids ages 11, 14, 17. We told Steve we would like to do things we could not do on our own... swim in waterfalls, eat truly local food, explore areas that would be uncrowded. We met at a coffee shop in Kahului, then went to rental car place to add him for the day ($10). He is a wealth of information and is like spending the day with a guide book, very entertaining and personable. We had him from 8-3 (longer or shorter, it's up to you). We went to his house and he picked local fruits for us to eat in the car. Next on to a private waterfall and rock ledge to jump off of (it belongs to his friend, who we saw on the hike in). Amazing!! Next to bamboo forests and more waterfalls. The boys and hubby went on to a more strenuous area (literally scaling a rock wall and hiking to more waterfalls). Daughter and I stayed and swam in the previous waterfall. Lunch at a local, wonderful spot (Colleens, I think). We were whipped and decided to have him show us some beautiful parts of upcountry. You will have an amazing day- make it anything you want it to be. Tell him Jackie and Vince from Michigan said hi!

Thanks for your comments. We will be making reservations with Steve of Custom Tours Maui and have him take us along the "Road to Hana" and discuss what we'd like to see/do and where to stop.

We will tell him that Vince & Jackie from Michigan said ,"Hi".

We also booked with Maui Custom Tours to drive our van for the road to Hana. Steve is outgoing and a warm person as well; he was excellent with our children. He's a musician by vocation and does this to supplement his income. If anything, it will be useful to do some homework and let him know of your interests ahead of time so the expectations are set right.

We enjoyed getting to know Steve as a person, and we definitely benefited from his knowledge about the culture, ecology, and environment of Maui.

I would not hesitate to recommend Steve to any of our friends and family!

My wife and I spent the most wonderful day with Steve. It is truly custom. Steve tailors the trip to you. We had a (long) day full of adventure and discovery. It was truly a once in a lifetime experince. He took us on hikes off the Hana trail that we would have never known about. We pointed out the wild plants and fruits (which we enjoyed eating right from the vine/tree). We climbed waterfalls, swam in beautiful waterfall pools, and hiked the bamboo forest. We went back to his house and got his truck to take an off rode excursion to the cliffs leading down to fantastic tidal pools.

Steve's energy, stories and attitude made the day perfect.

BTW -- Steve Sargenti is also an accomplished musician. We went to hear him play at the Weston the next night. Check out his Road to Hana album on Itunes.