Growing up in the midwest meant there were a lot of places your family would decide to go on a beach vacation that did not include Hawaii. Hawaii is SO far and remote for anyone not living on the West Coast – even from Seattle direct to OGG it’s almost SIX HOURS- and this gives the island such a private & remote feeling. Now that we live out here, Hawaii is about the only reasonable beach vacation spot to go outside of California and a trip down to Cabo (which we still have yet to do!). Everything else is so far away.
The first time I went out to Hawaii was without Lee, and I visited the island of Maui. I instantly fell in love with the beauty, adventure and peace the island offered. I have this teeeeny little habit of deciding to move to all the places I visit that involve islands (did I mention I love water, sunshine and tropical weather???) and I’m not quite sure I’ve talked myself out of doing it yet!
Here are some of the things on Maui that I recommend trying if you go:
Haleakala Crater at Sunrise & Bike Ride down the Volcano
Ok so to be fully transparent this whole endeavor actually wasn’t quite my cup of tea. When I first signed up for this I had in my head an idea of watching the sun hit the horizon illuminating beautiful beams across the volcano, which to be fair did occur, however I was in no way prepared for just how COLD the Crater actually is. That and you have to wake up at like 3 am to actually get there in time for sunrise (I was staying on the opposite side of the Island). The tour group I went with provides super warm jackets and insulated pants and blankets but I am a FREEZE-BABY and this in no way kept me nearly warm enough to not be constantly chattering my teeth. All this on top of the fact that when I signed up for this little adventure it completely slipped my mind that I am TERRIFIED of biking steep downhill AND anywhere near cars. That or maybe it just didn’t register at the time that volcanoes are usually mountains, and mountains are STEEP.
On the bus ride up to the Crater we saw these 3 bicyclists zooming down the road towards us with full face helmets on and I laughed to myself thinking “those people are crazy! That’s not what this thing is right.. Right??..RIGHT??!!??” But sure enough the further along we got the more bicyclists we saw and they indeed were doing what I was about to be doing and so whether the shivering at the top was entirely from the cold or more so the fear of what I was about to be burdened with doing.. Not quite clear.
That being said I did survive the bike ride down and even enjoyed a bit of it once I numbed my fear – or was it my fingers from my death grip on the handlebars? It is definitely an experience to remember and one I recommend if you aren’t terrified of downhill road biking!
Scuba dive: Lanai Caves
I always try to incorporate a scuba trip if I am going somewhere water focused and have enough days after/before flights to do it safely. Hawaii is a fantastic place to scuba as there are many different places to go and so much to see! I always try to find a Padi 5 star shop if possible since I don’t travel with my own gear outside of wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins. Those items aren’t that fun to share with hundreds of other strangers!
I highly recommend seeing the caves. They are beautiful and there is a lot of sea life in the surrounding area so you get to see a little bit of everything while you are down. We came across tons of fish, eels, crustaceans, and even a nurse shark hanging out at the bottom!
Snorkel at Molokini Crater & Turtle Town
We took a catamaran tour out to this famous spot to get some fantastic snorkeling in. Lots of fish and turtles in the area, and plenty of fun jumping off the boat into the deep clear blue water here. It is a popular spot so expect a bunch of other swimmers to be there with you.
Honolua Bay
Great snorkeling spot that requires a short little hike to get to. There is no fishing allowed in this area and the bay is a horseshoe shape so the water is protected from the wind, calm and full of sea life. The currents here can be strong at times so just be aware of that if you venture out past the shallows.
Ali’i Kula Lavender farm
Wistfully beautiful spot where you can walk along rows and rows of lavender and other tropical plants. If you are lucky you might even spot a few giant chameleons!
Big Beach and Little Beach
My favorite two beaches that we found while we were there. The sand is so soft it’s like sugar. Bring beverages and sunblock – I stayed much longer than planned and got very sunburnt here. Also it’s really HOT as there aren’t too many trees near the sand so plan to spend a lot of time cooling off in the water here!
Nakalele Blowhole & Heart Shaped Rock
This is a great spot to pullover for a photo and nice little walk down to the cliffs and water. Wear shoes with traction as I saw a lot of people slipping on the rocks!
Green sea turtles at Ho’okipa beach
This is near the super cute town of Paia (perfect stop for lunch and shopping!) The sea turtles will bask in the sun on the beach here to rest and if you snorkel nearby you can see them swimming in the shallows. They are protected so you must keep some distance between them and there are volunteers who monitor the area to make sure people are respecting the turtles. Very cool!
Road to Hana
This was closed when I went due to heavy rains and flooding but definitely worth being a big part of your itinerary. Just be sure to not take too many valuables with you as I have been told the car break-ins are rampant. Maybe even worth leaving your doors unlocked so you don’t have to pay the window repair fee!
Surf lessons on Ka’anapali Beach
This is a great spot to try surfing for the first time or get a bit more experience and confidence as a beginner. The waves are gentle and a few of the shops nearby have instructors that will give you lessons and get you riding waves in no time!
All in all, there is so much to do in Maui, and I am guilty of not taking enough time to just enjoy the island vibes and relax while I am there. I want to see it all and do it all but sometimes it’s nice to also just take time to sit and relax, while soaking up some vitamin D.