My husband and I had the absolute pleasure of staying at Russell's condo for the last week of March and first week of April. Our stay could not have been more perfect. I'll start with location: This was our first trip to this island, and we couldn't have picked a better place to stay. Ma'alaea is small but has all the essentials, perfect for people like us who truly want a vacation. There are great places to eat within a three minute walk (Beach Bumz has amazing food!). Tons of tours depart from the harbor right outside your door-no driving or parking. It took 10-15 minutes to drive to Kihei and Wailea and under 30 to get to Lahaina. The condo is on a private beach (never saw more than three people there at once) and every single afternoon about 20 or more sea turtles came in to the rocks on the other side of the beach and sometimes into the beach area! Beautiful! The beach is very sandy and is protected from waves by a rock wall-perfect for snorkeling or just lounging in the water. Now the condo: It's EXACTLY like the photos-you will not be disappointed! The polished floors are beautiful and cool underfoot. The stainless steel gourmet kitchen was a dream to cook in-everything is provided! The bathroom had a rainfall shower head and handheld shower-best of both worlds! Oh and the bed-probably the best sleep we both have had in YEARS! You aren't sleeping on cheap, scratchy bedding in this condo. The furniture is very comfortable and the center island is huge with four barstools that provide plenty of room to spread out and eat. The big screen tv was beautiful, although we never turned it on-who would with that view! We spent most of our time on the lanai literally watching whales breach from sun up to sun down. It was like a dream. Since you're on the top floor, you never hear anyone moving around above you and we never heard anyone next to us, either. It got very hot one afternoon and we turned on the a/c units, which ran perfectly and cooled the entire place very quickly. Russell thoughtfully stocks his condo with everything-beach chairs and umbrellas, snorkels and fins (no renting!), mats, even pods for the Keurig and laundry detergent! A binder in the condo is full of all sorts of useful information-above what most provide-which I thought was a really nice extra. This was such an enjoyable experience for us-we can't thank Russell enough for opening his home and allowing us to experience the magic of Maui, oceanfront! We will definitely be back! Mahalo!