CHAT PLUS

During our online chat (most Mondays at 2 p.m.), you ask and we answer your questions -- mostly. Here's one we couldn't answer last week.

Washington: Which part of Maui is preferable, Wailea or Kaanapali?

Deciding between Wailea and Kaanapali near Lahaina really depends upon your travel likes and dislikes -- neither is better, they are just different. Though both areas sit on the western coast of Maui, Kaanapali is "like the Beverly Hills of Hawaii," says Liz Kamano of the Maui Visitors Bureau, while Wailea is more low-key. Specifically, the Kaanapali area has high-end accommodations like the Royal Lahaina Resort as well as a slew of attractions, dining and shopping, such as the Whalers Village. Wailea has only one shopping center and one large-scale resort, the Grand Wailea; lodgings are primarily condos and smaller properties. More tourists flock to Kaanapali, but if you care only about sun and sand, it's a draw: "The beaches are the same," says Kamano. Info: Maui Visitors Bureau, 800-525-6284, http://www.visitmaui.com/.