There should be horses in Maui too since it has an upcountry similar to the Big Island's (though obviously a lot smaller). We finally went to the winery on my last trip and the country around there (Olowalu) would be great for riding. In fact, a Yahoo search for "maui horseback riding" pulled up lots of sites like mauihorsebackriding.com and ponyexpresstours.com. Personally I can't stand the smelly beasts, but YMMV.catherine96821:
For Soggy, I've been to Maui four times (visit #5 coming up in April) and Kauai three times. Both islands offer a wide range of accomodations from condos to mega-resorts and the type of accomodation you prefer can narrow down where you might want to stay. I prefer the south end of Kauai, the Poipu area, because of its proximity to dive shops (not your concern) and Waimea canyon. Kauai is a really small island and it doesn't take very long to get from the north to the south unless the traffic is particularly bad (an hour at most). The north has ritzy resorts like the Princeville, and it's the starting point for hiking the Na Pali. Diving, if you change your mind, has less viz than the other islands due to more rain and runoff, plus there's a lot of algal growth on the corals, but the algae attracts an incredible turtle population.
I know Maui a lot better. Kihei is primarily condos. There are also condos between Kaanapali and Kapalua, the Lahaina area, and in less-desirable Maalaea. Wailea is south of Kihei and devoted to pricey mega resorts like the Grand Wailea and the Four Seasons. Kapalua, north of Kaanapali, is a golf mecca and home of the Ritz-Carlton resort. I usually stay in Kaanapali because I frequent Starwood hotels (there's a Westin and a Sheraton there), but also because it's only a few minutes from Lahaina and some great restaurants (and a few more minutes from Kapalua and some more great restaurants). The best dive operations run out of Kihei, a 45-minute drive south of Kaanapali. Kapalua and Wailea are the most inconvenient for touring. (Don't try to find a viable road between Wailea and the upcountry because it really doesn't exist, trust me - I made it halfway down on some really badly rutted dirt roads, opening a few gates along the way, until I finally made it to a locked gate)
Other than the ideas you've already mentioned, Haleakala is a great drive. I did the downhill bike experience and that was thrilling, but I enjoyed my visit by car at the end of the day so much more since it was so uncrowded. There are plenty of interesting sites on the way in the "upcountry". I also like to circumnavigate the West Maui mountains. The one-lane part is a bit sketchy, but has some very dramatic views. I believe the backroad from Hana has finally become too dangerous for tourists, but it's not really worth the effort anyhow.
