The Ultimate Maui Travel Guide & Photo Diary

My Maui travel guide is here! And let me tell you how we ended up coming here!

I had been begging Dan to go somewhere tropical and warm for so long! Mexico was our typical go-to, since it is a quick flight from Chicago. But when we decided to start trying for a baby, we decided to avoid all places where there was a Zika risk. I didn’t want to deal with it, or be paranoid our whole trip. Hawaii was on our bucket list – so we started planning! But how do you pick just one island?!

We both wanted beautiful beaches, lush greenery and flowers, beautiful hiking, and lots of activities. After doing some research and asking friends and family, we decided that Maui was the perfect Hawaiian island for our 7 day baby-moon.

Maui Travel Guide – Where to Stay:

• The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali. Since I’ve only been to Maui once, I can only recommend one hotel! The Westin was beautiful, clean, had lovely pools, a nice beachfront, and fit our budget. I highly recommend it! Some other hotels folks recommended:
  • Andaz Maui
  • Sheraton – Sister in Law and her husband stayed here on their honeymoon and they loved it.
  • Hyatt
  • Grand Wailea
  • Fairmont Kea Lani

Maui Travel Guide – Where to Eat:

There are SO many good restaurants, but these were our favorites!

• Mama’s Fish House. This is the most recommended place we went! They have a beautiful view and the freshest fish I’ve ever tasted. Reservations are a must.
• Grandma’s Coffee House. We stopped here on our way back from seeing sunrise at Mount Haleakala. Get the Acai bowl or banana macadamia nut pancakes!
• Leilani’s. The best fish tacos and hula pie.
• Leoda’s Kitchen. We had breakfast here multiple times! Go early, because it is always busy.
• Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice. The portions look huge, the remember that it is just flavored water!
• Big Star Noodle. Quite possibly the best pad thai I’ve ever had.
• Merriman’s. This is a fancy-style dinner with great seafood. Dan is still talking about the chow fun noodle appetizer.

Maui Travel Guide – What to Do:

You could easily stay at the resort and lump by the pool the whole time! But since we rented a car and there is just too much to see in Maui, we decided to do 1-2 activities a day. Believe me, we still had plenty of time for hanging  at the pool and beach.

• Sunrise At Mount Haleakala.This one requires some planning. You have to make a reservation to enter the park, since they cap the amount that can come in for the sunrise. We took advantage of being jet-lagged, and went the first morning. We left the hotel at 4am, and arrived at the state park just in time to get in position to see the sunrise. It was absolutely beautiful, and totally worth it. Bring some warm clothes because it gets a bit chilly that high above sea level!
• Old Lahaina Luau.Our guidebook said that this was the best luau in Maui. Since it is so popular, you need to get tickets way in advance. Entry includes an open bar, full buffet, and a beautiful traditional show where you learn the history of hula dancing and Hawaii culture.
• Wale Watching – Pacific Whale Ecological Adventures. We went mid-March, so it was prime time for whale watching. If we’re getting nerdy about it, the whales come to the shallow Maui waters to give birth, away from their orca predators in the deep ocean. We got to see tons of whales, and baby whales, too! I totally threw up on the boat from seasickness, but it didn’t ruin it for me.
• Shopping in Lahaina. A cute town with tons of art galleries, kitschy souvenir shops, and beautiful boutiques.
• Paia shopping. Another pretty town with shopping and great restaurants.
• O’o Farm Coffee Tour. A couple of Maui chefs decided to open up a farm and grow their own produce for their restaurant, Pacific’o. We took a tour, learned about coffee bean plants and the roasting process, and had a delicious lunch prepared with ingredients from the farm.
• The Road to Hana. An absolute must! It takes ALL day, so I recommend starting early. We started at 6am and had no problems with traffic. A good guidebook will tell you which mile markers have the best places to pull over to see magical views, gorgeous waterfalls, and black sand beaches.
• Warren & Annabelle’s Magic Show. I’m still wondering how that guy got the Queen of spades into my pocket, haha! Seriously the best magic show I’ve ever seen, and it was funny, too.

Maui Travel Guide – Tips and Tricks

• Rent A Car. Otherwise you can’t get anywhere too easily. We rented a convertible and it was perfect for cruising around the island and taking in all the views. Just make sure you reapply sunscreen, because we got nailed by the sun. We also saw that a lot of people rented Jeeps! Parking wasn’t an issue.
• Start The Day Early. I know it is annoying to wake up early on vacation, but in Maui, it pays off to be the first on the road. Trust me. Remember that it is a small island, with only a few main roads that get congested super quickly. An early start means you won’t have to sit in traffic or wait in lines. Once your daily activity is done, you can sit by the pool from 2pm-sunset and still enjoy a bit of relaxation.
• Try All the Things. We tried Poi (the traditional tarot-paste) and roast pork and shaved ice. Might as well try new things! Otherwise, what’s the point of traveling?!
• Get a Good Guidebook. We loved Maui Revealed. It has lots of great tips and recommendations.

Let me know if you’ve been or if you’re going to Maui! Is absolutely beautiful and will cherish the memories of our baby-moon!

–Roxanne

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