Our stay in Hanalei was, as might be expected, pleasant, quiet, pleasant, quiet, and quiet (except for the roosters, who seemed to have day-night confusion, and crowed proudly at any and all hours). I recommend the B&B where we stayed, Bed & Breakfast by the Beach - nice accommodations, three-minute walk to Hanalei Bay, friendly - but genuine - co-owner who served us tropical fruit and tasty muffins...the only catch is, the place is up for sale, so I'm not sure how much longer it'll be there!

The bucolic nature of bayside Hanalei (a rather upscale town, judging by real estate prices) appears to be somewhat threatened...by the arrival of new homes. Construction is a daily affair. At least the developer seemed to be preserving the traditional style of Hanalei houses: roomy, multi-level  and full of windows (of course, so everyone can see the ocean). I hope the uniqueness of homes is preserved...

On the outskirts of town, the traditional homes are built on stilts, basically - allowing easy access to the underside of the house, preventing potential flood damage, and affording everyone that amazing view. You really only need a few feet to prevent flooding; but these people take their views seriously, as would I. Some of the first floors were built a good 1.5 stories off the ground - giant, sleepy tree-houses resting in their expansive beds of greenery.

Maui, by contrast, already is developed, developing, and developing some more. Lots of great dining, artistic activity...and a growing number of cookie-cutter houses. I wonder how much development it'd take to kill the truly unique island atmosphere? An infinite amount, I hope.