A Week in Paradise – Maui, Hawaii

Hawaii for me had always been this magical place, a tropical paradise far away that I intended to visit some day in my life. Flying out from Boston and spending a week meant 11 vacation days from work, which I never have enough of considering the annual trip to my home country every year. However, this year we had an opportunity in December plus an affordable flight deal which we couldn’t say no to! It was happening for real and it was time to decide which island we should go to.

Located in the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii is the only tropical US state and the only one located outside of North America. The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands: Island of Hawaii (Big Island), Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau and Kahoolawe. After some serious research, we zeroed in on Maui! The second largest Hawaiian island has a taste of everything the Aloha state has to offer and it definitely didn’t disappoint. Here is how we spent the perfect 7 days in Maui, loving this breathtaking island more and more each day.

Day 1 – Landing & Relaxing

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After a 14 hour flight from Boston (with a 2 hour layover in Denver), we finally landed in Maui. The airport had this charming tram which took us to the car rental pickup. As soon as we got out of the tram, we were greeted with a lovely view of the green mountains shining in the orange glow of the setting sun. We picked up our car rental from the airport (a Jeep Wrangler to breeze through our rugged road trips) and headed to Safeway to pick up our groceries for the week.

Our Airbnb condo was located in Kihei, a beachfront town on Maui’s southwest shore with 6 miles of beaches offering views of Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokini and West Maui. With Kamaole Beach Park III just across the road and numerous cafes & restaurants on the street, we couldn’t have hoped for a better accommodation on the island.

Dinner Recommendation: Three’s Bar & Grill has the perfect Happy Hour menu with mouthwatering appetizers and drinks.

Day 2 – Ho’okipa Beach Park & Haleakalā Crater

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After getting a good night’s sleep, we started our day by visiting the Ho’okipa Beach Park. While it is located on road to Hana and can be done as part of that drive, we wanted to spend the morning appreciating the views and enjoying some time on this white sand beach. With a beautiful backdrop of mountains and some of the best waves on the island, it is a world renowned surfing destination. You can even spot sea turtles along the shore, making the whole experience more rewarding!

It was time to head back and get ready for our drive to the Haleakalā Crater, located 10,023 feet above the Pacific Ocean. While the crater is not formed by volcanic activity, it was formed by the erosion of the entire volcanic mountain top. Offering panoramic views of the landscape, the summit is often visited during sunrise and sunset. While you can drive to the summit, there are over 30 miles of hiking trails on the summit. You can descend to the bottom of the crater and hike back to the summit. This national park holds more endangered species than any other in the US.

You will need to book the spot to drive up during sunrise. However, no reservations are necessary to visit during sunset. The sunset over the clouds and with stunning views of the ocean was breathtaking. We had beach chairs in the back of our car and we used them to relax and enjoy the experience comfortably.

Fun Fact: The depression of the Haleakalā crater is considered the quietest place on earth by acoustic experts and the hike up to the summit will have you experience 6 of the world’s 14 climate zones!

Day 3 – Road to Hana

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Day 3 was my favorite of all the days as Road to Hana had few of the best places we visited on the island. If you have time, I would highly recommend planning two days to enjoy the sights and experiences on this drive. If not, start your drive early in the morning to maximize the day and make the most of it. Considering we only had a day, we visited the most popular stops along the way.

Since we had visited Ho’okipa Beach a day earlier, we skipped it on Day 3 and headed straight to the Twin Falls. Twin Falls was a good start to the day with only a mile long hike from parking lot to the waterfall. While it was scenic and worth a stop, the sights coming ahead are way more beautiful. Hence, you don’t want to spend a lot of time out here and move on timely.

You will get ample opportunity to buy fruits along the way. Some of the vendors leave the fruits unattended and trust you to leave money for the fruit you pick from the basket. Next on our list is the Black Sand Beach located in Waiʻanapanapa State Park. It is one of the most stunning locations on the island of Maui. The beach has glistening granular black sand, caves, blowholes and is surrounded by lush greenery. The beach is considered sacred by the locals and does indeed leave you speechless!

Little did we know that the next destination on our list was going to be even more picturesque than this one, making it the most instagrammable spot on the entire island! Kaihalulu Beach, also known as the red sand beach is a hidden cove which can be reached by hiking an unmarked trail, making it even more mysterious and alluring. The trail could be a little unsafe, so do practice caution. However, the hike itself offers lovely views and is definitely worth the final destination. As a reward, you are welcomed by turquoise blue water and striking red sand. The beach is part of a red cinder cone contributing to the red color of the sand. At the forefront is a lava rock wall which breaks the ocean waves before it reaches the sand.

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Based on our research and feedback from some of friends, we carried lunch and snack with us for this drive. There aren’t a lot of restaurants enroute and carrying our lunch helped us save time.

Final destination of the day was the Bamboo forest for which we had to hike the Pipiwai trail (4 miles back and forth). We had to rush this one as the gates were closing at 5 PM and we had to get our car out of the parking lot before that. The hike was easy and offered views of Makahiku falls and another waterfall along the way. The bamboo forest was a sight to behold, but we didn’t have enough time to continue to the 400′ tall Waimoku Falls. There is another trail leading to Pools of ‘Ohe’o also known as Seven Sacred Pools. Collectively, you may want to keep aside 3 hours for these two trails.

While we did not make any additional stops, the most scenic part of the drive was yet to start. As planned, the sun was starting to set by the time we reached Kuopo. The 360 degree views were right out of a movie set, truly mesmerizing until the last ray of sun. Road to Hana was indeed the most beautiful experience on Maui, not to be missed or skipped at all!

Day 4 – Beach Day & Luau

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After an eventful road trip the day before, Day 4 was dedicated to much needed rest during the day and the famous Luau performance in the evening. You could spend the day at the Kaanapali Beach located on the luxurious resort strip. It will be a little crowded but you will get to see the hustle-bustle of resort restaurants, shops, hotels spas and much more. If you are looking for a more peaceful experience and seek solitude, head to the Mākena State Park. One of the longest beaches in Maui, Makena beach is nestled between two black lava outcroppings offering great views of the islands of Molokini and Kahoolawe.

Evening today was reserved for Luau, a traditional Hawaiian feast accompanied by entertainment. We were absolutely excited to know more about the Polynesian culture across the world through the dance and song performances. Hence, we booked the most popular show by Hyatt ‘Drums of the Pacific Lu`au’. I must say it wasn’t cheap but considering the reviews and wanting to experience something new, we caved! The evening began with a group picture (had to be paid for later) and a complimentary stone garland. It was a buffet with an open bar but the food and drinks unfortunately left much to be desired. After spending a disappointing 2 hours with average performances, the last 30 minutes started to look up. The dances from different Polynesian islands including the queen’s performance and the fire dance were enchanting. However, the overall experience left us wanting to try something local and cheaper rather than spend our time and money on something disappointing.

Recommended beaches to see the sea turtles: Kamaole Beach Park and Ho’okipa Beach Park

Day 5 – West Maui Mountains

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Day 5 began early as we left to explore the beautiful West Maui Mountains. This day was planned to include beautiful views, hikes and some time on the coast. Our first destination was the Iao Valley State Park, home to the 1200 foot Iao needle, known as the phallic stone of the God of the ocean ‘Kanaloa’. It was a short hike from the parking lot to the lookout deck and offered gorgeous views of the historic landmark. While it is the second wettest place in Hawaii and is also unofficially known as the wettest place on Earth, it was quite sunny and dry that day.

We had initially intended to hike the 5-mile Waihe’e Ridge Trail which is considered to be easy and offers incredible views, we dropped the idea because of the heat and headed to the next destination on our list.

It was an hour long drive to the Olivine pools and our drive through the West Maui mountains truly began. The Kahekili Highway which snakes along West Maui’s northern coast is considered one of the scariest roads in the world. While the drive was a little dangerous, it was way more rewarding with beautiful views all along. The views of the mountains, the ocean and the rolling greens were unparalleled.

You will get some opportunity to make stops along the way. One notable stop would be Karen Lei’s gallery, a perfect place to buy souvenirs and offering lovely views of a privately owned cove not open to public.

Unfortunately, we were turned back only half a mile from Olivine Pools due to some repair work taking place as a result of a storm the previous night. Since we had to turn back, we couldn’t visit the Olivine Pools (swimmable tidepools located on barren lava along the ocean’s edge ), Nakalele Blowhole (which shoots up over 100 feet in the air) and Honolua bay. Every trip has some unpredictable hurdles, but we were grateful that we could at least make it half way through this drive!

Day 6 – Upcountry Maui

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Day 6 was all about Upcountry Maui. While we visited the upcountry on Day 2 to do the Haleakalā Crater, today we were going to spend some time on stops along the way.

We made our first stop at the Grandma’s Coffee House for some coffee. This cafe is very popular for breakfast and has very good reviews online. Next on our list was the Surfing Goat Dairy, a personal favorite for me and on top of our must see list. We had an opportunity to see the baby goats and had our first goat cheese tasting. I had only tried fried goat cheese in a salad before and often heard that goat cheese on it’s own had a distinct taste. But the tasting turned out to be a wonderful surprise! We had a big menu to choose from and we could taste everything from lavender, herbs, lime and some of the other flavors we chose, plus most of them were the softest cheeses ever, almost the consistency of curd.

Unfortunately, Ali’i Kula Lavender is only open Friday to Sunday. We couldn’t change our itinerary to accommodate the same. Do check it out if you get a chance, it is one of the top suggestions in UpCountry Maui.

The drive had been beautiful so far, with beautiful views of the country and it’s unique flora (we viewed different types of cactus!). It was time to grab lunch at the very famous Kula Bistro. We started off with the beautifully plated Coconut Shrimp as can be seen above, followed by delicious Italian food. This place is BYOB and you can buy your liquor right across the street. Good portion sizes and amazing dessert spread, highly recommended if you are in the region!

On our way back, we made a stop at the Paniolo town called Makawao. Paniolo means Hawaiian cowboy and the town hosts Hawaii’s largest Paniolo competition every year. This town also has a thriving art community and we personally loved the clothing and jewelry stores on the main street. Altogether, another day well spent and happy faces all around!

Day 7 – Lahaina and Tours

Day 7 is our last day on the island of Maui. While we wanted to do a scooter snorkel tour (never knew of it before) in Kahului, we hadn’t planned much in advance and all slots were booked. If you get a chance, do experience scooter snorkeling, it looked so cool and a lot easier than regular snorkeling. Another option would be to do a Molokini snorkel tour which offers clear visibility into the volcanic crater, a very unique experience on it’s own.

We started our day by visiting the Kaanapali beach on the famous resort strip. The beach was lovely and lined with all the fancy resorts, spas, restaurants and shops, a very different experience from the quiet beaches we had visited so far.

After heading home and freshening up, it was time to partake our last sunset on the island. Since we had been in Maui, we hadn’t visited any proper towns or cities apart from spending a few hours in Makawao (UpCountry). Lahaina is a historic town known for it’s harbor, shopping, restaurants, mountain views and the famous Banyan Court!

We made it in time to stroll the Front Street, buy some souvenirs and catch the sunset at the harbor. It was dreamy with a backdrop of mountains and boats all around. The 150 years old massive Banyan tree is one of the largest in the country and was a gift from Missionaries in India. It is lit up after sunset and worthy of being checked out in daylight as well as after sunset.

One last thing on our to-do list was to pick up some ground Kona Coffee and take it back home. ‘Bad Ass Coffee Maui’ was just the place we were looking for! We picked up our delicious local coffee and have been enjoying it everyday, even now while I write this blog. It was time to grab a few drinks on our last night and bid farewell to this dreamy island. Unfortunately ‘Down the Hatch Maui‘ was closed that day due to some electricity issues. So we headed upstairs to ‘Cool Cat Cafe‘ and grabbed a table at the outdoor patio with live music. They offer these huge milk shake cocktails, very unique and a must try if you like dessert cocktails!

Alas, it was time to end our last day on Maui and head back with so many memories from the island. One thing we could not experience much was the local culture and food. Maui is an international travel destination and should not be sought out if you want to experience the local Polynesian culture. However it is so beautiful and encompasses so much natural beauty (Mountains, Rain Forests, Beaches), it truly is a destination unlike I have ever visited before. It was very much worth the 14 hour flight from Boston and if I get a chance, I would visit again!