Tips, Tricks, and Highlights of Maui, Hawaii

Maui is a great place to visit any time of the year. I went this past time in September. The weather was perfect for hiking and walking around the towns. During the hottest part of the afternoon, it was perfect for swimming before it got too windy with a bit of a chill from the breeze later in the evening.

Where to stay?

I would recommend staying in either Wailea or Kaanapali Beach. Wailea is more luxurious and laid back, where Kaanapali has everything to offer with lovely world-class hotels as well. The beach in Wailea is better if you enjoy soft sand and water that is not rocky. Whether you stay in Wailea or Kaanapali, you will want to visit each other. I would highly recommend renting a car while in Maui unless you plan on never leaving your hotel.

Where to eat?

There is a ton of great local restaurants around the island. Here are my top picks:

Geste Shrimp Truck; Order the Garlic Shrimp (Near Airport)
Longhi’s; Skip dinner, order the Macadamia Nut Pie (Wailea)
Nalu’s South Shore Grill; Order the Stuffed French Toast (Kihei)
If you are staying at the Hyatt Regency; all their restaurants are good

The places that I would skip that were highly recommended:

Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop; Had three different pies, all boring
Tobi’s Shaved Ice & Poke; Nothing remarkable, I have had way better in Seattle
Longhi’s; For dinner, it was okay but way overpriced
Honoapiilani Food Truck; Hooked; Poke was grey and was not good

Our Favorite Drive:

We took a scenic drive almost every day, some were just okay, and there was this one that stood out! We skipped going to Hana during Covid, as they have asked tourists not to visit Hana.

Instead, we did the Kahekili Highway that goes to the North Shore.

The North Shore is considered a beautiful, rugged road that offers spectacular ocean views in an uncharted landscape. If you’re up for an adventure, you’ll love the narrow lanes and curves of the Kahekili Highway, especially with all the jaw-dropping vistas along the way! Start in Kapalua and head north towards Honolua Bay (One of the top spots for surfing and snorkeling). Then, take a peek at Nakalele Blowhole, take a dip in the Olivine Pools, and pick up some delicious banana bread in the nearby town of Kahakuloa for the drive back! Finally, you can make a circle that will take you back to Lahaina, passing the Airport.

Snokorling:

Don’t miss out on snorkeling while in Hawaii! We took a tour that took us out to the middle of the ocean with reefs, and it was stunning! There were turtles all around us, which was so cool to see! If you go in winter and take this tour, you will be able to see humpback whales and hear them singing while you are in the water.

Tour Company: Quick Silver

If you plan on spending most of your vacation at the beach, I would highly recommend renting a set of snorkeling gear so you can go out on your own. There are plenty of places around the island to snorkel right off the shore with turtles, reefs, and fishes of all colors. Just make sure you don’t come close to the turtles or fish, DO NOT TOUCH THEM! Also, always wear reef-safe sunscreen, nothing that sprays!

Snorkel Report Maui

Slaughterhouse Beach; Best for Turtles
Ho’okipaHo’okipa Beach; Best for Turtles
Honolua Bay; Overall variety of reef and fish
Mokulē’ia Bay; Overall variety of reed and fish

Sunsets:

Sunsets are charming across the island; I would recommend picking a new place every night to watch them and not eat dinner during them unless you can see it. You will regret missing even one on your trip.

Top things to do:

Go to a Luau; they are all about the same, so pick one in your price range; they range from $150-$400 per-person
Go to Cowboy Town (Makawao), then make your way to Paia
Must try poke, comment your favorite poke place in Maui we tried a few, and all were disappointing