After eating our fair share of seafood, shaved ice, and tropical fruit in Oahu, we hopped over to Maui for 6 days to eat more, play more, and relax more.
STAY
We stayed at the Hyatt Ka’anapali Beach – Maui, A Hyatt Residence Club in a gorgeous two bedroom suite with a kitchen, dining room, living room, and balcony. The stay was absolutely incredible! We had breakfast in the mornings on our spacious balcony with ocean front and poolside views. The pools and hot tubs were open 24/7, allowing us to take a late night hot tub dip. And the beds were dreamy… slept like a baby… It really allowed us to fully unwind.
EAT
Honu Seafood: Freshest seafood and oceanside dining. A bit pricey, but it’s worth it for the fun seafood, Hawaiian fusion dishes. Try the octopus appetizer and the mushroom truffle pizza!
Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop: P and I came here twice because it was so good. The sandwiches are amazing and of course, both the savory and sweet pies are a must!
Star Noodle: Subpar by Asian standards but still a great place to grab some decent noodles and pickled starters. I would recommend the Vietnamese crepe and garlic noodles. Skip the ramen…
Kimo’s: A classic Hawaiian restaurant with tons of history and of course, ocean views located in the heart of Lahaina. Love the Hula Pie! It’s amazing if you have a sweet tooth.
Island Vintage Coffee: A great place for breakfast! Everything from eggs and bacon plate to the breakfast sandwiches to the acai bowl is incredibly fresh and the coffee is good. This is a chain with most shops in Oahu, but the one in Maui is located at Whalers Village.
PLAY
Catch the sunrise at Haleakala: Worth getting up at 4 a.m. in the morning and driving the 1.5 hours. Watching the clouds float below us was mesmerizing and unlike anything I had seen before. Be sure to get there early for parking and hike up the short moderate trail for the best views. For more info, see here.
Swim with the sea turtles: We had no luck spotting turtles when we were in Oahu, but turtles were plentiful in Maui… and incredibly friendly. P and I bumped into turtle after turtle while snorkeling Black Sand Beach and Kapalua Bay. We brought our own snorkels, so we were able to beach hop and visit several beaches. We found Black Sand Beach and Kapalua Bay to be our favorites for their beauty, soft sand and turtle spotting / sea life.
Enjoy these gentle creatures from a distance. A word to the wise, if you just float and let the turtles carry on, more oftentimes than not, they will hang around you for awhile. If you harass or try to touch them, expect to get injured… and incur a huge fine and possible jail time.
They would literally float near the surface for a few minutes and could even be spotted from the beach.
Snorkel break while teaching my mom how to snorkel. The picture above looks like she’s having a blast, but she was terrified!
Experience upcountry living: This was one of the highlights of our Maui trip. We visited O’o farm near Haleakala in the town of Kula for their gourmet lunch and farm tour. We learned about all different types of vegetables and fruits grown in their little farm and had a fantastic farm to table lunch prepared by the on-site chef. I loved that we got to pick our own salad from the gardens based on what was available and fresh for picking. They also have a morning coffee and breakfast tour for the coffee lovers.
Paddle the traditional Hawaiian outrigger canoe: We love getting out on the water any chance we get. So, we went on an outrigger canoe tour with Hawaiian Paddle Sports which donates a portion of their profit to a non-profit organization every month. The tour not only included paddling and snorkeling with the turtles in Turtle Town, but also a little lesson on Hawaii and the sea life.
Attend a luau: There are so many luaus to choose from, but the best, by far, has always been the Old Lahaina Luau. The food was pretty good, all drinks were included, and the show was professional and entertaining. The venue was also gorgeous with ocean front sunset views.
Dive in waters with 100 feet visibility: The diving in Maui is amazing! There was so much wild sea life to see! The water was also incredibly warm, so P didn’t even need a wetsuit. Diving Molokini Crater is a must!
Explore Old Town Lahaina: With some time in the evening before and after dinner, we were able to explore this town, which is full of history for Hawaii and for me personally. I have memories of a young local who sat under the famous Banyan tree threading a banana leaf hat for my younger 4 year old self. At the time, the now plentiful souvenir and art shops in town were nonexistent and most of the area really hadn’t been built up yet. Despite the town now being more accommodating to tourists, it’s still a great spot to grab a bite to eat, shop, and take an evening stroll.
Brave the Road to Hana: This was on our itinerary, but P and I decided instead that we wanted to sleep in, nap on the beach, and swim with the turtles. We had tried to jam pack everything into our short stay in Maui that we didn’t make time to just relax. So, we decided to forgo the road to Hana and the 64 miles of winding roads, lush greenery, towering waterfalls / swimming holes, and black sand beaches. Maybe next time!
Maui has been one of my favorite islands! We’ll definitely be back for more!
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