MAUI – B. Schul

Maui is unlike any destination I have ever been to and truly is the most beautiful place I have ever visited. This trip has been on my bucket list for years and I am so lucky to have been able to travel here with my husband. Maui was so much more beautiful than I could have ever imagined and I dream of the day of visiting again. Pure paradise.

WHERE TO STAY:

Before visiting Maui, I did a ton of research on the best places to stay, location, prices, etc. I talked to a few friends who were familiar with Maui and between their advice and online sources, it sounded like the West side of the island was best. This side of Maui seemed like it was more for a romantic getaway and included more resorts instead of houses/condos and had the sandier, less rocky beaches, so we chose this area.

John and I stayed at the Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali and loved it. Great location, walking distance to restaurants and shops and most importantly, this resort is beachfront. Whether you had the oceanview or mountainview room, both views were a win. The Westin is right next Whaler’s Village, an area that includes upscale dining and shopping. I think John and I went here almost every night and a few of our favorite places to eat/drink were MonkeyPod Kitchen, Leilani’s, Hula Grill and Island Vintage Coffee (I’m still dreaming of their macadamia milk latte). The Westin Resort has multiple swimming pools, outdoor bars and restaurants, a fitness center that includes different workout classes, activities and a shuttle to nearby attractions.

The only negative about our stay would have to be the construction on site. We were not aware they would be working on one of the resort pools during our stay and our original room overlooked this pool. The woman working at the front desk, Caroline, generously booked us a different room that was mountain view that we stayed in for the rest of our trip! Other than this small hassle, I would definitely recommend this hotel. Great service, very clean, multiple food and beverage options and less than an hour from the airport.

Another hotel nearby that caught my eye was the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa – we visited this resort twice on our vacation – once for their spa and we attended a luau one night. There are so many places to see a Luau on Maui but we had heard the one here was one of the best. We had never been to a luau before so we don’t have much to compare this one to, but the food and performance was great! Being a first timer in Hawaii, I felt like it was necessary to attend one and I’m glad we did.

I knew I wanted some type of spa treatment on my trip, so I booked a facial and massage here at their Marilyn Monroe Spa and they did an amazing job. The grounds at this oceanfront resort are beautiful, there are multiple shops and restaurants inside and there are even flamingos and penguins! If we ever get the chance to go back to Maui, I think I would choose to stay here. It seemed a bit nicer, and I usually like to stay somewhere new each time I travel.

WHERE TO EAT/DRINK:

There are so many places to eat and drink on Maui, but here are a few favorites:

MonkeyPod Kitchen- award winning Mai Tais and a great happy hour. We tried their pulled pork and pineapple pizza (sounds weird, but it was amazing), fish tacos and corn chowder. They also have live music most nights. We ate here a couple of times on our trip; one of our favorites!

The Mill House– hands down my favorite restaurant I have ever been to. I talked about this place for days after we left (and still do) and if you are visiting Maui, book reservations here before doing anything else! Located on a plantation with the most beautiful views of the mountains, amazing cocktails, food and service. Come early and walk around, there are so many pretty plants, trees, things to see and they even have a coffee shop on site. I ordered the fish sandwich and for dessert we split the marshmallow pumpkin and fig cake. Best meal of the trip!

Mama’s Fish House– I heard this spot was a must when visiting Maui, and now I know why. Such a fun restaurant inside the cutest house, great food and drinks and right on the water. Located in Paia, a town about 45 minutes from Ka’anapali (where we were staying). John got “Mama’s Stuffed Fish” and I chose the “Ahi, Ono and Uku in Panang Curry.” The waiter said it was one of the most popular items on the menu, so I trusted him and it was one of the best meals I had on the trip- served with bananas and of course, macadamia nuts.

Hula Grill– great food/drinks with an outdoor area near the water with live music. Their ‘firecracker fish’ was amazing.

Dukes– went here for breakfast one morning to try something new outside of our resort. So many fresh juice options, great food/service and right on the water.

COFFEE SPOTS:

Belle Surf Cafe– what coffee shop dream are made of. Cutest boho decor mixed with modern vibes and every type of latte you could think of. Located in Lahaina (5 minute drive from Ka’anapali, our resort). Lots of shops and restaurants in this area.

Bad Ass Coffee– also located in Lahaina; great vanilla lattes

Island Vintage Coffee– located in Whaler’s village by our resort. Lattes, acai bowls and sandwiches!

WHAT TO DO:

The excursion options are endless, but I included everything we did and others that were on our list:

#1 The Road to Hana

A MUST DO IN MAUI. Despite the windy roads and slightly scary drive, this trip is 100% worth it. The Road to Hana is a full day excursion, starting with a drive through Paia, passing local bread and coffee stands, coconut huts, waterfalls and the black sand beaches. The roads become one lane and a bit windy and narrow halfway through, so be sure to drive slow and cautious.

A few tips before planning your day:

Check the weather before you go. It drizzled a bit the first hour the day we decided to go, making the roads a little slippery and harder to see the cars coming around the corners.

Block out an entire day for this drive. From the west side of the island (where we stayed), it took about 12 hours round trip. We left around 6:00-6:30 in the morning and got back to our hotel around 6:00 or so. You will be exhausted when you get back so don’t make any plans for the night of.

Decide if you are wanting to drive yourself or go with a group tour. I recommend driving yourself if you are wanting to do your own thing, stop when you’d like and not be on any set schedule. We didn’t care to stop at every single waterfall and trail, so we enjoyed driving our own rental car and doing our own thing!

There is no service about halfway through the drive. You can download the Gypsy app and it is supposed to be a very helpful guide specific to this road. We did not use this app, but just followed the road and cars in front of us. There is only one main road to get to Hana so you shouldn’t get lost, but if we did this again I would probably download the Gypsy App.

Plan your stops. This will help to see how long the trip will take and what you need to bring. Decide beforehand if you are you going for the views, hikes, beaches, the drive itself or all of the above. You can research every landmark and decide which stops you’d like to see beforehand.

What to pack:

Snacks- water (LOTS of water), granola/protein bars, sandwiches, fruit, easy travel snacks

Sneakers and clothes to walk/hike in

Bathing suit, sandals and hat

Where to stop:

There are so many stops on the way to Hana (you can find these online or the Gypsy App) but we only decided to stop at a few. We mainly just wanted to experience the drive and views along the way, but I did want to make sure I stopped at the Black Sand Beach (in Hana). We pulled over to see waterfalls, stopped by a coconut and bread stand, grabbed coffee, fruit and then went to the beach, but didn’t hike any trails due to the muddy/rainy weather halfway through. On the way back from Hana, we stopped at Maui Wine, the only winery on Maui. Below are pictures from each stopping point!

FRESH COCONUT

MACADAMIA NUT, CHOC CHIP BANANA BREAD

MAUI WINERY

#2 Attend a Luau

#3 Spend the day in Lahaina– a short 5 minute drive from our hotel; fun restaurants, tourists shops, coffee and more. Lahaina used to be the capital of Hawaii. You can visit the old Lahaini courthouse which has been turned into a museum. Right outside is the oldest Banyan Tree in the United States.

#4 Golf– We golfed at the Ka’anapali Golf course right across from our hotel but there are many on the island.