Hawaii had long been on my list of top travel destinations, however, being from upstate New York, the travel to get there can be daunting. One way or another, I was bound and determined to make it there. Check out our week in Lahaina, Maui.
All of the flight options included at least two layovers and nearly twenty hours to get there. Nevertheless, we were up for an adventure so the tickets were booked and the research began.
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Hawaii is actually made up of 137 total islands but only six of them are designated for tourist travel. Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island (Big Island), Kauai, Lanai, and Molokai each offer their own beauty and cultural charm. From the historical significance of Pearl Harbor on Oahu to the volcanoes of the Big Island or the dramatic Na Pali Coast of Kauai, Hawaii is undeniably one of the most amazing places to visit in the world.
Depending on how much time you have, you could either spend your entire trip on just one island or island hop. Interisland flights can be booked for as low as $40 per person each way, giving you the opportunity to explore multiple islands in one trip.
Maui’s main airport is the Kahului Airport (OGG). The airport is about 28 miles from the hotel and will take approximately an hour to commute. A taxi costs around $100 each way. You can also prebook a shuttle service through the hotel for $60 per person each way.
Weather in Maui stays consistently in the 70’s year round. Rainy season is from December to March and will rain around 5 days each month during that season.
For this trip, we decided to stay at The Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa due to it’s proximity to great snorkeling, restaurant options and the ease of travel into Lahaina.
Lahaina is a historic whaling village located on the west side of Maui. When whaling was at it’s peak in the 1800’s, many sailors took their leave in this town including Herman Melville who wrote Moby Dick. Follow the Lahaina Historic Trail to learn more about the history of this old town that has transformed into a Maui hotspot.
The resort is quite large, with 508 guest rooms spread over 23 acres. You can enjoy a Black Lava Scrub body treatment at The Spa at Black Rock, take a swim in the massive 142 yard lagoon style pool or rent surfboards, paddle boards and snorkel gear at the Water Sport Rental Desk.
For something more relaxing, read a book while enjoying the views of Lanai and Molokai from Ka’anapali Beach.
You will find five restaurants onsite including ROCKsalt, Teppan-yaki Dan, Mai Tai Bar, Cliff Dive Grill and Hank’s Haute Dogs.
Below are some of my suggestions on where to eat and what to do for your trip to Lahaina. We didn’t have nearly enough time to do everything that we had hoped but we will make our way back sometime soon!
Located just a 10 minute walk from the Sheraton is Whalers Village. Here you will find various shops, restaurant options and activities such as lei making classes and hula shows. Leilani’s on the Beach is located in Whalers Village. Enjoy their daily Aloha Hour drinks specials and fresh seafood. Their produce is sourced from more than forty local farmers, ranchers and fishermen.
The Westin is currently undergoing renovations on their dining options but when we were there we enjoyed a picturesque dinner on the beach on our last night in Maui. Delicious food, great cocktails and we enjoyed our dessert while watching the sunset.
I was most excited for this restaurant when I was planning out our trip. The restaurant comes highly recommended and we were looking forward to it. When we arrived for our reservation we were seated in a corner of the restaurant, right next to the bathrooms.
While the location of our table was disappointing, we still had an excellent dinner. We had The Cake Walk Trio appetizer, the veal Osso Bucco, the sauted Mahi Mahi and the Kula Lime Tart. The restaurant has a relaxing ambiance and we enjoyed a nice bottle of rose while people watching.
Another restaurant located at Whalers Village and right on Ka’anapali Beach, Hula Grill is the perfect place to have some happy hour eats and cocktails. We enjoyed their coconut calamari, ceviche, ribs and massive ice cream sandwich that is made with macadamia nut brownies. We took advantage of their outdoor seating and listened to their live music while enjoying our food.
Order yourself a Fried Rice Loco Moco (2 beef patties, 2 eggs any style, and brown gravy served over fried rice and macaroni salad) and an order of Furikake Fries (shoestring fries tossed in garlic, butter, sesame and seaweed flakes). You can’t go to Maui and not try two of their iconic dishes.
This shaved ice is likely different than any other that you have tried. It is shaved so finely that it is more like ice cream. It is the perfect way to cool down on a hot day. They have more than 35 different flavors or try one of their suggested combinations. You can sit down and enjoy it at one of their tables or walk across the street and enjoy it while sitting by the ocean.
The view at this restaurant is stunning. It is located just 10 feet from the water and it is the perfect place to watch the sunset while enjoying a glass of wine. We enjoyed the Dungeness Crab Mac & Cheese and a Rock Shrimp Mojo Verde Pizza. I could eat the entire bowl of fried chickpeas that they bring to your table with the cocktails too.
Enjoy a Mai Tai as soon as you arrive and check-in for your dinner. The ocean views are gorgeous and you can watch them unearth the Kalua Pork before dinner. Dinner is buffet style and has many different traditional Hawaiian dishes to choose from. The show begins as guests make their way to their seats and dessert is served family style.
This ranch is located in Launiupoko Valley. They have horses for various riding levels and provide helmets for those wanting to use them. This was a nice, relaxing trail ride through the valley offering views of Lahaina Harbor, Molokai and Lanai. Midway through the ride, you’ll dismount at a pond for a snack and beverage.
How can you go to Hawaii and not learn to surf? We booked a small, group lesson with a company in Lahaina. We met at the shop where they provided us with rash guards and showed us the basics. After that, we headed down to the Lahaina Breakwall to give it a try. This was a great experience but we only had a few chances to get up on the board before our time was over. I would suggest booking a private lesson if you are looking to have more time catching waves.
Since we were staying at the Sheraton (which is located right at Black Rock), it was perfect to be able to walk right out of our room and to the beach to snorkel. We brought our own gear with us but they do have rentals available at the Sheraton. Each time we snorkeled we saw the most beautiful tropical fish and sea turtles. Make sure to catch their cliff diving ceremony that takes place every night at sunset.
This tree was a mere 8 feet tall when planted in 1873. Now it stands 60 feet tall, has 16 trunks and spans across 1.94 acres. The roots of this tree hang from the branches and once they make it to the ground, they form another trunk. This park is the heart of Lahaina and hosts monthly art shows, concerts and holiday events.
We could have easily spent two weeks in Maui and not touched on all of the things we wanted to do. We are planning our next trip to Hawaii soon. I’m thinking Pearl Harbor, Jurassic Park, lava and The Road to Hana!
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