Maui 2018 Recap and Recommendations

Greg, my mom, and I just got back from an amazing trip to Maui! Taking our 6 week old on a vacation in January probably wouldn’t have been in the cards if it weren’t for my best friend getting married on the beach. It was such a special time and I will treasure it forever.

After several people reached out asking for recommendations on the island, I thought I would share some of my favorite spots…and some photos from our trip!  This was my third trip to Maui; I was there the same week last January visiting my sister who lived there. Before that, Greg and I (and my mom!) were there for his brother’s wedding. There seems to be a few common themes, and I’m not mad about it 🙂 We lost count after counting the times my mom had visited; since one of her closest friends lives on the island, she’s gone at least 7 times. Although I’ve seen a lot of the island, I’m no Maui expert. If you have more questions, I can get you in touch with my sister who lived there for 6 months (or go follow her on Instagram…@em.wanders

 

Place to stay:

• We always stay with our friends in Kihei, and we love it! Kihei is the dryer part of the island; it has nice beaches, great shopping, and great golf courses (if you’re into that). Kamaole Sands is a great resort style condo complex to rent from; it’s across the street from the beach, it has a great pool, and is close to restaurants and shops.

 

Places to Eat:

• Coconuts
  • They have the BEST fish tacos and coconut shrimp. This place is a must! (They also have a location in the East Bay, but I doubt the fish are as fresh!).
• 5 Palms
  • I’ve only gone here for pu pu’s (appetizers), but they were delish and the view is gorgeous!
• Duke’s Beach House
  • We had to go here because our son’s name was Duke…but the food and view did NOT disappoint! It’s in a resort in Lahaina and is right on the beach. Doesn’t get any better!
    

    Duke’s Beach House

• Costco!
  • We always go shopping at Costco as soon as we fly in, because it’s by the airport. If your hotel/condo has a kitchen, this is a great money-saving option. Less time in a restaurant=more time outside 🙂

 

Things to Do:

• Snorkeling at Kapalua Bay
  • My favorite snorkeling on Maui!! Since it’s a Bay it’s pretty sheltered, and I’ve seen turtles every time I’ve gone! The water is unbelievably blue here too. 
• Helicopter Tour
  • This was the coolest experience of my entire life. My mom and I did the Blue Hawaiian Tour of the West Maui Mountains. They claimed it was 30 minutes, but it was almost an hour and also covered the neighboring island of Molokai!
    

    Helicopter Tour!

• The Shops at Wailea
  • Our favorite store, Cariloha is here! And lots of other fun shops. It’s an upscale shopping center but they also have an ABC store where you can stock up on cheap souvenirs.
• Snorkeling on Lanai
  • Oh man. This was my favorite thing I’ve ever done in Hawaii. We took a 45 minute ferry ride from Lahaina and walked to Hulopoe Bay Beach. Th snorkeling there was UNREAL. And the beach wasn’t crowded! Then we walked 5 minutes towards the Sweetheart rock and snorkeled at that beach. We were the ONLY ones there. We saw a little shark and a huge turtle 🙂
    

    Beachin’ on Lanai

    

    

    The view of the West Maui Mountains from the boat!

• Visit the Olivene Pools
  • My sister took me here last year. This reminded me a little bit of Big Sur; lots of rocks and turquoise water. There are little pools you can jump in, or you can just admire the beauty 🙂 The roads were pretty narrow and windy, so keep that in consideration.
    

    Olivene Pools

• Cliff jumping at the Waioka Pond (Venus Pool)
  • We did this on the way towards Hana. If you’re looking for adventure, this is perfect!
    

    Cliff Jumping!

• The Road to Hana
  • You have to do this at least once! We saw black sand beaches, a red sand beach, did the cliff jumping, and hiked the PiPiwai Trail that cuts through a bamboo forest to get to a waterfall.

There you go! Hopefully this is helpful for those who are thinking of traveling to Maui. It’s my happy place…and hopefully it can be yours as well! Here are a few more pictures from our most recent trip!