The true meaning of Aloha in Hawaiian is love, peace and compassion. The literal translation of Aloha from Hawaiian to English is “the presence of breath”. “Alo” is a Hawaiian word for presence and “ha” means “breath”.
Back in 2018, Tyler and I traveled to Maui for the first time. It was one of the most magical and memorable places we've ever visited. From snorkeling with turtles to the winding roads of Hana—it was truly a vacation neither of us will ever forget. Right now, we are in a shelter in place due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but thinking back to a time when we could explore the beauty of mother nature on an island as stunning as Maui helps ease the pain just a bit. With that being said, here are my top items to do and places to visit when you go to Maui!
First stop....COSTCO. Yes, it sounds funny but you can bulk purchase a lot of snacks and beers to save you money throughout your trip. It is pretty close to the airport and if you have a lot of activities planned throughout your vacation like we did, you'll be thankful that you stopped there before heading on a semi-long drive out to your hotel/airbnb. Tyler and I stayed at the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel which was the perfect location since it was smack dab next to Black Rock Beach and beachside mall named Whalers Village. The room wasn't too bad, but so much of our time was spent out and about exploring that we didn't spend a crazy amount of time in it, but the staff was friendly and there was a welcome breakfast that we were able to attend one morning that was cool because well, who doesn't love free breakfast? LOL. Now, onto the good stuff....
Top 10 Things to do in Maui...
1) Snorkel at the Molokini Crater and Turtle Town - Tyler and I used Pride of Maui for two of our boat tours and they were fantastic. First off, I need to tell you all...I get extremely motion sick, so I knew going into this trip I would need to be prepared with both meds (Dramamine) and Nausea Relief Wristbands (find them here on Amazon). I did a combination of both Dramamine and the wristbands and I was fine the entire time! This tour specifically took us out to Molokini Crater and then we had lunch provided onto the next stop Turtle Town. They helped everyone get situated with fins and gear, then they also gave a 30 min long demonstration/instructional speech to everyone on the boat. I had never snorkeled before this and I thought it would be a piece of cake, but I was SO wrong. Their instructions were on point and they even told everyone who was a first timer, that they should take in a floatie with them to get used to things first, but I didn't listen. I hopped in first and instantly felt like I was drowning, so I motioned to Tyler to throw me a floatie and he did and everything was right in the world again. If you don't know how to snorkel—USE A FLOATIE. By the second stop I felt like a pro and the floatie really does just help you get used to the water and how your fins work in the water. AKA, no shame in the floatie game. Anyways, I would 10 out of 10 recommend Pride of Maui for this tour. The staff was knowledgeable, helpful, fun and it is still crazy to me that we swam with turtles all thanks to them!
2) The Road to Hana - This was probably my favorite tour of the trip. Again, I get super motion sick, so I asked to be the one who could sit in the front of the van and stuck with my routine of Dramamine and the wristbands. You're probably wondering why you would get motion sick on this tour? Well, IT IS UNBELIEVABLY WINDY. These roads are thin and curve pretty much nonstop, so I highly recommend doing this with a company rather than trying to drive it yourself. Part of the reason this area is so lush and green is because it rains ALL THE TIME, so again, I highly suggest going with a tour guide to make things easier. This tour began pretty early in the morning, but they picked us up right from the front of our hotel and then we stopped to grab some more people prior to heading out on our journey. Our tour guide was awesome, in fact, her twin sister even lives out in San Diego, so we chatted about that more as the day went along. The most memorable stops were the waterfalls and then black sand beach. I should point out as well that you do have to hike to one of the waterfalls, so be prepared (and bring LOTS of bug spray!) They provide bug spray and lunch, but again this was a moment where it was nice to have some of those Costco snacks in our bags with us in case we got hungry earlier. This is also pretty much an all day tour, so be prepared to make this one of your only activities in a day. I can't reiterate enough how beautiful the area of Hana was when we saw it...if you want to see lush, green, unforgettable views of mother nature—then this is the tour for you.
3) Sunset Dinner Cruise - Pride of Maui also does Sunset Dinner Cruises, and this one is beyond magical! We definitely lucked out and the waters weren't as rough that evening, but again I stuck to my Dramamine and wristband regimine and I was fine for the entire cruise. I will say this one we did was open bar and you're not supposed to mix Dramamine with alcohol so I opted to drink the boats speciality ginger drink, which was essentially fresh, chopped up ginger and Sprite. It was so delicious and helped with my motion sickness feeling as well! Getting checked in and on the boat was so smooth and the entire staff was beyond helpful when it came to asking questions. Dinner was an array of delicious hawaiian food and again, an open bar sort of pays for itself—so the ticket itself was a very reasonable price. All in all the tour was about 2 hours, and they do offer transportation to and from the dock for the cruise as well.
4) Maui Wine - Hidden up in the vast green acreage lies Ulupalakua Ranch, where you can find the historic King's Cottage Tasting Room at Maui Wine. Tasting Flights range from $12-$16 and tours are complimentary. The drive alone up to Maui Wine is something I will never forget. I've never seen such gorgeous rolling hills of greenery overlooking the most gorgeous stretch of island. Once you're at Maui Wine you can hang out in the tasting room or sit out on the porch and play checkers, while you sip on some of the most delicious wine you'll ever taste. I'm a Sauvignon Blanc kind of girl—so, the Maui Blanc literally couldn't have been more perfect for my taste buds. It is light, crisp, and infused with the delicious flavor of fresh pineapples. It was so good, Tyler even surprised me months after the trip by purchasing a 6 pack and getting it flown to San Diego! Visiting this winery felt like a dream—both for the breathtaking views and magnificent wine. I would highly recommend if you are a wine lover like me, you visit there during your time in Maui!
5) Ali'i Kula Lavender - We were able to visit the lavender fields in the same day we went to Maui Wine, mainly because they are located on a similar side of the island. This farm is a great spot to enjoy the serenity of mother nature. You can walk around, take pictures, tour, and shop some of the wonderful products they have at the farm such as aromatherapy products, bath and body products, apparel and culinary products as well! With a guided golf cart tour, or guided walking tour, you can explore the 13.5 acres of farm to learn more about the history and future of Ali'i kula Lavender. Tyler and I simply explored on our own and it was just as beautiful!
6) Maui Brewing Co. - Apart from loving wine, Tyler and I are also quite obsessed with beer. Maui Brewing Co. was already a favorite of ours, but actually getting to go to the home brewery IN Maui was pretty awesome. The sheer openness of the brewery was a sight to see in itself—with giant open windows on one side, you're able to sit and sip on a beer and still enjoy all the beautiful views of the island. My top pick - is the Pineapple Mana Wheat...it's a smooth bodied wheat beer infused with the flavors of Maui Gold pineapples. Tyler's pick is the Coconut Hiwa, which is a robust dark ale with hand-toasted coconut and hints of mocha. We both snagged a shirt on our way out as well, but this brewery is definitely a top place to visit when you go to the island!
7) Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice - One of our favorite things to do even when we aren't on vacation is eat...So, when it came to finding a famous local shave ice spot on the island—we were so down. There are multiple locations around the island but Tyler and I went to the Kihei location since we were heading that direction anyways to go to Maui Brewing Co. This place did NOT disappoint...Honestly, I wish we would have found this spot on the first day of our vacation so that we could have stopped there every single day. Yes, it was THAT GOOD. I have always been obsessed with root beer flavored shave ice, so I did a scoop of vanilla ice cream at the bottom with root beer flavor and added condensed milk to the top. IT WAS AMAZING. Tyler ordered a few different tropical flavors and added condensed milk on the top as well as Li Hing Mui powder! I swear this place is pure gold. It was relatively slow when we showed up right before lunch time but right after we sat down the line got SO MUCH LONGER. So, all in all, I say go right when they open at 10:30am or right before lunch to beat the crowd.
8) Old Lahaina Luau - On our last night in Maui we decided to go to the Old Lahaina Luau, which was such a treat. The tickets are $120.00 and children are $75.00, but it is 100% worth going! Not only do you get a premium OPEN BAR, you get all the delicious authentic Hawaiian food you could ever hope for. The entertainment tells the story of the Hawaiians, beginning with the history of the Polynesian migration, then to the ancient Hawaiian Hula, followed by the evolution to a more contemporary style Hula. I was so happy a good friend from college, Haililani, was able to fly over to Maui from Oahu for two days and a night while Tyler and I were on the island. She joined us for the luau and also showed us where we could jump off cliffs at the Kapalua Cliff House, which is my next top activity to do in Maui!
9) Kapalua Cliff House - This was SUCH a fun adventure. Originally built in 1940, Kapalua’s Cliff House was once a facility for the managers of the historic Honolua Plantation. Now operated by Montage Kapalua Bay, Cliff House has been completely renovated and is now used as a historic and unparalleled venue for private events on Maui. When you go to the hidden spot to cliff jump you do have to park near a hotel, walk for a while, or catch a ride in a golf cart like we did. Then once you're there, there is a bit of traversing to get to the best jumping off spot—but it is totally worth it! The water is so clear and beautiful in the area, plus we even saw some turtles out in the distance, which was pretty cool. If you're like me, then you're probably afraid of heights and hyper-conscious to the fact that you could get seriously injured from cliff jumping...but, there are different heights for the cliffs and a rope to get out of the water and back up. If you're still a nervous wreck like I was, then jump off a dry spot as well, you'll have better traction just in case! I promise it's thrilling and an adventure you'll never forget.
10) Makena Beach (Also known as, Big Beach and Little Beach) - Of all the beaches we saw during our time in Maui, I would say Makena Beach State Park was probably my favorite. Now, Big Beach is the first beach you walk out through once you leave the parking lot and it is breathtaking. Little Beach is just on the other side on a cliff like structure, but just an FYI it is a nude beach! So, please be respectful and don't use your cameras when you're on the other side. Once you climb up to the top of the cliff overlooking Big Beach and Little Beach, be prepared to see the most gorgeous stretch of island you'll ever see. I still can close my eyes and see how breathtakingly beautiful that view was...Another reason I listed it was so that and readers can ask the locals about Little Beach on Sunday afternoons/evenings. I don't want to give away any secrets or anything like that so I won't say what we saw at sunset in Little Beach, but I can tell you it was a crazy experience! I would highly recommend visiting this state park during your visit, even if you can't make it for a Sunday afternoon. Here's an image from the view at the top with Big Beach behind us. Right after this picture we both put our phones away to respect everyone on Little Beach and made our way into an area, and an evening, we will both never forget! Makena State Park is 100% worth the visit if you're ever in Maui!
Hopefully, those tips help you plan your next trip to Maui after all this Coronavirus stuff ends...there are plenty of other places we saw, ate at, and explored so if you have any other questions, just email me! I'd be more than happy to answer your questions and help you plan your perfect Maui vacation. Stay at home and stay safe friends, we will all get through this and be exploring these gorgeous places again soon enough!!
Xoxo,
Kara
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