Maui, Hawaii
My trip to Maui was initially for one of my best friend’s weddings but of course it became the perfect excuse to make the trip a long vacay. If we were going to travel 12 hours to get there, it only made sense to stay for as long as possible! Jackie tagged along, which was amazing because we had the best time together. She relaxed by the pool while I did wedding stuff and then it was adventure time! And the best part about traveling with a friend? Trying ALL the foods.
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WHERE TO STAY
FAIRMONT KEA LANI // @FAIRMONTKEALANI
The Fairmont Kea Lani is by far the best hotel I’ve ever stayed in. Full disclosure, we received an amazing upgrade with insane views and a room that was at least twice the size of my apartment, but even if we hadn’t gotten an upgrade I’d recommend this hotel. The rate we originally paid was extremely reasonable, there’s a free shuttle to get you around the Wailea area and the staff was beyond amazing. The beds were like clouds and property was stunning as well. I can’t say enough good things!
Additional options:
I’d honestly stay in any of the properties in the Wailea area – they are all stunning. My friend whose wedding we were there for stayed at the Wailea Beach Resort (Marriott, Maui) but when I return, I’d love to stay in one of the following:
FOUR SEASONS RESORT MAUI AT WAILEA // @FSMAUI
ANDAZ MAUI AT WAILEA RESORT // @ANDAZMAUI
GRAND WAILEA RESORT // @GRANDWAILEA
Where NOT to stay:
After the wedding was over, we relocated to Ka’anapali to experience a different part of the island and stayed at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa. While the property itself was stunning, our room was highly disappointing. We paid for an upgrade to a partial ocean view room and while we had the view, I swear the room hadn’t been renovated since the late ‘80s. It was more expensive than the Fairmont and just not worth it in my opinion.
WHERE TO EAT
One of the best things about visiting Hawaii was how delicious and fresh the food was (especially the seafood and produce!). Below is my foodie guide to Maui (we did a pretty good job eating our way around the island!):
KO RESTAURANT @ THE FAIRMONT KEA LANI // @KO_RESTAURANT
This was low-key one of the best meals we had in Maui. Maybe it was the jetlag, maybe because it was our first meal or because it felt under the radar since it was at our hotel but I literally dream of everything we ate and it will be my first stop the next time I’m on the island.
What we ordered: oishi sushi, lavender honey macadamia nut shrimp (it legit melts in your mouth), lobster tempura, house breadbasket
4100 Wailea Alanui Dr, Kihei, HI 96753
POKE FROM FOODLAND
Stop by any Foodland grocery store, go to the seafood counter and get whatever Poke your heart desires (my favorite was the spicy tuna we picked up). Also grab a bag of Maui Style Maui Onion Chips and dip away to your heart’s content.
OLOWALU JUICE STAND
On the way to West Maui (Lahaina, Ka’anapali, Kapalua) is a colorful juice truck on the side of the road. You can’t go wrong with any one of their fresh juices/smoothies!
737 Honoapiilani Hwy, Lahaina, HI 96761
Voted one of Maui’s top restaurants, we were super excited to dine here. It definitely lived up to the hype because everything we ordered was amazing.
What we ordered: Korean seafood pancake, lobster dynamite, chef’s special roll, fujin roll, maguro sushi, guava cheesecake
200 Nohea Kai Dr, Lahaina, HI 96761
AUNT SANDY’S BANANA BREAD
Located on the Road to Hana, this is a must stop! The bread is SO good and definitely make sure you buy some mix to go – I crave it every day and kick myself for not bringing some back with me.
210 Keanae Rd, Haiku, HI 96708
COCONUT GLEN’S ICE CREAM // @COCONUTGLENS
Located on the Road to Hana all of their ice creams are vegan and absolutely delicious.
1200 Hana Hwy, Haiku, HI 96708
ISLAND STYLE TACOS AT THE NIKIHU MARKETPLACE
The best tacos we had on the Road to Hana (we tried another taco truck as well and these won hands down!)
1546 HI-360, Hana, HI 96713
FLATBREAD COMPANY IN PAIA // @FLATBREADCOMPANYPAIA
This was the perfect treat after a long day of driving the Road to Hana. Try any of the local brews as well!
What we ordered: Mopsy’s Kalua Pork and the Vegan
89 Hana Hwy, Paia, HI 96779
Another amazing treat after our drive on the Road to Hana (and the pizza and beer at Flatbread Company because #vacation!). You can’t go wrong with any of their flavors.
99 Hana Hwy #C, Paia, HI 96779
MAMA’S FISH HOUSE // @MAMASFISHHOUSE
This is definitely an institution in Maui and a great place to grab super fresh seafood. We went for lunch (on the same day we booked a resy at Merriman’s) so we ate pretty light but I’d definitely go back for dinner next time. Make sure you wander around the outside as well – it’s super cute outside the restaurant!
What we ordered: Mama’s Tahitian ahi and shared a fish entrée – changes daily
799 Poho Pl, Paia, HI 96779
CHOICE HEALTH BAR // @CHOICEHEALTHBAR
A super cute cafe and stop for a fresh smoothie or acai bowl while you’re in Paia. They also have locations in Ka’anapali and Lahaina!
11 Baldwin Ave, Paia, HI 96779
This was our last meal in Maui and it did not disappoint. It felt super decadent and I was excited to try their lamb/something other than seafood. I definitely suggest breaking up Mama’s and Merriman’s to different days if you plan to dine at both restaurants. We got there late but it’d be an absolutely beautiful place to enjoy the sunset!
What we ordered: ahi ginger poke, Kalua pig & sweet onion quesadilla, lamb from Kahua ranch, Waialua chocolate purse
WHAT TO DO
- The Road to Hana (full post coming soon!)
- Visit the Shops at Wailea (a lot of the designer stores have discounted rates and it’s all on the current season items! I thought designer shopping in Hawaii would be absolutely out of the question because things are fairly expensive there but my friends told me about the discount and I knew I had to get a bag. Not only are the designer stores discounted but the sales tax is only 4% so it’s not like you’ll negate any sort of discount when the tax is factored in!).
- Spend time in Paia Town. This was one of my favorite afternoons – they have so many cute shops and restaurants and it was nice to just park and wander and explore.
- *Since I was in Maui for a wedding, we spent the first half of our time there doing wedding stuff. Maui also offers helicopter tours, luaus and sunset dinner cruises which would all be amazing experiences. I wrote about my luau and helicopter tour experience in my Kauai post and Blue Hawaiian also offers tours on Maui so I’d highly recommend checking them out! I’ve heard great things about all the luaus in Maui so pick whichever works best with your schedule and budget.
BUCKETLIST
For future trips to Maui, I have the following on my list:
- See the sunrise over Haleakala
- Hike around the Iao Valley State Park
- Go on a snorkeling trip to Molokini
- Visit MauiWine
- Visit Maui Brewing Co (and get the Lilikoi Saison (all of my friends raved about this and of course it was the one I didn’t try! The Bikini Blonde and Pineapple Mana were both great as well!)
- Wailea/Kihei: eat at Monkeypod, Coconut’s Fish Cafe, Humuhumunukunukuapua’a, Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar and I’m sure many more I haven’t written down yet!
- West Maui (Lahaina, Ka’anapali, Kapalua): eat at Leilani’s on the Beach, Lahaina Pizza Company, Frida’s Mexican Beach House abd Lahaina Fish
- I’m definitely going to reference this bucketlist post the next time I’m returning to the Island
