When planning a vacation, remember you can’t go everywhere. When we decided to go to Maui for a friend’s wedding we decided to extend our trip to explore the island. When looking what we could do, there were too many options to choose from. Here’s what we did.
Whale Watching
Depending on what time of the year you visit, you can get on a boat and go whale watching. We went with Captain Steve’s Rafting Adventures out of Lahaina. We chose this company because it had great reviews on TripAdvisor. The rafts were smaller than the bigger company’s therefore we were able to go out faster, further, get closer and stay out longer to watch for whales. We were not disappointed.
Visit Lahaina
On the Northwest side of the island sits the small town of Lahaina. Here, you can stroll around the town to shop and eat at of the many delicious restaurants. In town you will all see one of the oldest banyan trees in Maui.
Also, if you’ve made reservations, you can see one of the best luaus on the island at The Old Lahaina Luau.
The Road to Hana
The infamous road to Hana is known for having very narrow, windy roads that hug the coastline of Maui’s Northeast coast. This may take 1-2 days if you want to take the road before and after Hana. There are many waterfalls to visit on the way to Hana but unfortunately it was raining so we did not stop for the water falls. Stop at Coconut Glen’s for delicious vegan ice cream and stopped at some fruit stands on the side of the road for banana bread.
Visit the black sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park.
Hike down to the Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach.
Past Hana, stop at Kapahulu and visit more waterfalls, Seven Sacred Pools, and a bamboo forest.
Swim with the Sea Turtles
The sea turtles are everywhere in Maui. A lot of people will pay for a snorkeling trip to go on a big boat with a lot of people to go swim with turtles, but we found a place called Turtle Town where you can swim with them for free! This place on a map is actually called Maluaka Beach and it’s on the southwest side of the island. We just rented some snorkeling gear from a swim shop (they’re everywhere) right next to a gas station in Kihei and just jumped into the ocean. Look for the turtles near rocky areas. We saw about 6 or 7 in a short amount of time!
Rent a Vintage Porsche for the Day
Everyone wants to drive around Hawaii in a convertible Mustang or a Jeep, be different and drive in a convertible vintage Porsche from Maui Roadsters! We got nothing but thumbs up from people on the street or driving on the road, and people yelling at us “nice car”.
Visit the Lavender Farm
Its best to go when the lavender is blooming, but the gardens are open year round. Take a stroll around the property and then go down to the cafe and try lavender coffee, some pastries and buy souvenirs.
Surfing Goat Dairy Farm
We stopped here to see the baby goats! Pay for the tour and the staff will take you around the property to feed the goats, milk them and then sample the delicious goat cheese. The cheese is so good that Obama had some shipped over for his inauguration festivities when he became president.
Eat at Mama’s Fish House in Paia
One of the best restaurants to eat at is Mama’s! Set on a private beach serving the freshest seafood, this place has been a favorite for many visitors to the island.
Eat Hawaiian Shaved Ice
Last but not least, treat yourself to Hawaiian shaved ice. Our favorite was from Ululani’s in Kihei, but they have other locations on the island. Their ice melts smoothly in your mouth, they have a variety of delicious fruity flavors to mix, and you can have a scoop of ice cream at the bottom of your cup.
So that’s what we did in Maui!