ExploringEyes

Maui is the 2nd largest island in Hawaii. It is dominated by two volcanic features , Haleakala in the southeast and the West Maui mountains in the northwest. The 2 volcanoes are connected by the small isthmus about six miles wide that gives the island its nickname, the Valley Isle.

• Accommodation : We booked through booking.com in Kihei area, which is in the southwest shore, the sunniest and driest side of the island. Some of the other recommended areas to look for accommodations are:

1. Wilea – Good mall area
2. Ka’anapali - Most of the resorts are in this area

West side of the island is sunniest and driest , so make sure to book your accommodation on the west side.

• Transportation: Book your car before reaching Maui to get the best deals. Also, check whether the location is in Kahului airport itself or not. We booked through ACE , which we realized after reaching Maui that it’s a little further than other airport car rental locations and closes at 4 pm, whereas other airport car rental agencies like Hertz, Enterprise, Sixt etc. opens later until midnight and has a easy access through tram from the airport.

• Day 1 – Makena Beach

Mākena Beach State Park is one of Maui’s signature beaches. With white sands extending nearly 2/3 of a mile long, it is one of the largest, undeveloped beaches in Maui. Enjoy relaxing on the beach with only nature in sight. 

The area is divided into two beaches known as Big Beach and Little Beach. Big Beach is located south of Wailea and provides a secluded alternative to more crowded beaches in Kāʻanapali and Lāhainā. Little Beach is a small cove without amenities and no lifeguard. 

You can also see whales breathing through their blowholes at the distance.

Sunset view is amazing from both Big and Little beach.

You can park for free on the streets leading to the beach. There are food trucks on the road on the way to the beach as well.

Way to the Little beach:

Little beach is also known as “hippy beach”

Once you hit the Makena beach sand, you’ll want to walk to your right. Little Beach is just North of Big Beach.

At the north end of Big Beach, you’ll find a red-rock cliff that has a path. You’ll climb up the rock and then walk back down to the beach on the other side.

• Day 2 – Sunrise at Haleakala Summit

Only limited tickets are made available a month in advance in the recreation.gov website – https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/253731

Put a reminder in the calendar to book your reservation for the day you are planning on visiting Haleakala summit for sunrise. The sunrise is absolutely stunning from here.

Depending on the where you are staying in the island, it will take 90 mins to 120 mins to reach the summit by following many hair pin bends, so check the time of the sunrise and start atleast 3 hrs before the sunrise to have enough time to reach and get a good position to see the sunrise.

When we visited , the sunrise was at 7:05 am , we left our hotel in Kihei at 4:00 am.

It’s almost freezing at the top of the summit in the morning. so, please wear and pack warm clothes.

Look out for the endangered plant “silversword” at the summit.

After the sunrise when you are heading down to the visitor center to get recommendations on the scenic or wildlife hike.

Here are some of the attractions after the sunrise:

1. Kalahaku overlook – see the wide angle view of the crater
2. Leleiwi overlook – The Leleiwi Overlook provides views not only into the crater itself, but also out the Kaupō Gap, and down the Koʻolau Gap to the coastline along Maui’s north shore.
3. Halemau’u trail – The Halemau’u Trail is a steep, narrow, and exciting path down to the floor of Haleakalā crater. You can do the part of the trail until “Rainbow bridge” to see the close up view of the crater.

• Day 3 – Road to Hana:

Of all the great road trips in the U.S., Hawaii’s coastal Road to Hana is among the most scenic. The 64-mile route on Maui connects the towns of Kahului and Hana. It only takes about three hours from point A to point B if you don’t stop — but stop you must, as the sights along the way are part of the adventure. Dense rain forests, waterfalls, lava tubes, colorful tropical flowers, pristine beaches, and epic waves await along the Road to Hana. It’s also where you will find some of the tastiest homemade banana bread in the world.

Note: Some part of the road is having blind turns with cars coming from the other directions , be careful driving those sections.

We started with Pipiwai Trail. You can use the same National park pass you purchased to see Haleakala summit

Pipiwai Trail:

The Pipiwai trail is a well maintained trial that leads to Makahiku Falls and Waimoku Falls.  The 4-mile round trip trail can be challenging at times due to its sometimes steep terrain.  It’s well worth the trip as many people consider it the best hike on the island.   The trail winds around a freshwater stream (Ohe’o Gulch Stream) with very beautiful and diverse scenery throughout.

We enjoyed the hike and the waterfall so much that we spent a lot of time Pipiwai trail.

Hana Farms Roadside Stand:

We tasted the world famous banana bread. It was delicious. It’s a lovely area to walk around and explore the variety of plants.

Ho’okipa Lookout:

This is a good area to catch the sunset and also Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles (Honu) can be seen bobbing just on the other side. 

Waiʻānapanapa State Park

We have heard so much about this place with black sand beaches , coves and amazing view of the coastline . But unfortunately unable to enter the park because it needs reservation at least a day in advance . So , if you are planning on visiting please reserve your spot using the below link

https://gostateparks.hawaii.gov/waianapanapa

• Day 4 – Snorkel , Whale watch and Sunset

We booked our snorkeling trip with Pride of Maui – https://www.prideofmaui.com/ to Molokini and Turtle town. But due to inclement weather we were unable to go the water but was able to see some humpback whales very close to our boat. Got a tip from locals to always look for water conditions before booking the snorkel trips. Advance booking for snorkeling is not required.

January to March is the peak season when the humpback whales are not only plentiful but also particularly active above the Maui water. You can just stop anywhere near the coast and see the whales swimming with their calves and spouting.

Bumped by not able to snorkel at Molokini and Turtle town , we decided to drive west to Ka’anapali area to explore the beaches there. We stopped at Kahekili Beach park near the Westin resort and found few people snorkeling out there. After talking to few people we found out that it’s also a good place to snorkel. Coral reefs are not too far from the beach area.

After some beach time , we came back to Kihei to our accommodation and walked to the nearby Kamaole Beach park for gorgeous sunset.

• Day 5 – Ahihi Kina’u Natural Area Reserve , Organic Vodka farm , South Maui Garden Hula show

Ahihi Kina’u Natural Area Reserve is is located about 5 miles outside of Kihei and about a mile from Big Beach (Makena Beach) along Makena Alanui Road. There are no showers and no lifeguard is on duty. There is a $5 non-resident fee per vehicle. The charge is used for upkeep, maintenance, infrastructure costs, and reserve protection projects.

You can hike the coastline on the lava fields and encounter many dead corals. It’s another spot for snorkeling to see the coral reefs , small fishes (we have seen yellow and black fishes during the hike) and Hawaiian Green sea turtles. But when the waves come directly into the bay, it’s too dangerous to snorkel. They have a dedicated snorkeling spot as well. Overall it’s a good place for a short hike around the coastline.

Ocean Vodka Organic Farm and Distillery – We heard about this place from one of the frequent visitors to Maui. The views from this place is gorgeous. They have a huge outdoor area overlooking the slopes of Haleakala Crater.

They have Vodka made from Sugarcane and offer vodka tasting as well. In the afternoon they offer Sushi for lunch / dinner. We had the sushi and it was delicious. Also, the chocolate and macadamia nuts cover frozen bananas are must haves.

Hula Dance at South Maui Garden:

South Maui Garden organizes Hula show every Wednesday from 5 to 7 pm. South Maui garden also has many food trucks and a good place to just walk around and explore.

We enjoyed the Hula show a lot. It was very interactive and energetic performance.

https://www.southmauigardens.com

• Restaurant Recommendations :

1. Mama’s fish house . Love the food and ambiance. Gave me White Lotus vibe. https://mamasfishhouse.com/
2. Kihei Caffe – Good Brunch menu
3. Da Kitchen – Traditional Hawaiian food
4. Fred’s Mexican Cafe – Big portions
5. Nalu’s South Shore Grill – Nice Poke bowl

• Other Recommendations:

If you have time Explore Paia town, we stopped by this town on the way to Mama’s fish house restaurant.

Paia Town has great restaurants, interesting art shops, and the best natural food store on the island. The grocery shop in this town is very reasonable and has the freshest produce.

Here is the google map pins for all the attractions and food recommendations.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=1o-nFxyYpY4ydKKA-oSIGjCs39utTOHc&usp=sharing

Feel free to leave a comment for questions and feedback !