Vibrant blue waters, luscious green mountains, delicious tropical fruit – there are many reasons to love Maui. We were lucky enough to spend 7 days on the tropical island for our babymoon in 2019 and by the time we left we were dying to go back. Keep reading to find out what we loved, what we ate, and where we snorkeled during our week-long visit to Maui.
Overview of Maui Itinerary
Days 1-3: Kihei
Day 4: Lahaina
Days 5-7 Kula/Paia/Hana
Days 1-3: Starting Our Trip in South Maui
After landing in Maui and grabbing our rental car (a necessity if you’re planning on getting around the island), our first leg of our week in Maui was spent in an Airbnb condo in Kihei. For our trip we decided to split our time in two locations for the purpose of diversity and because we personally wanted to be closer to certain attractions at different times. It’s definitely possible to stay in one accommodation for the entire week if you choose.
We enjoyed Kihei because of the quietness of the area and the mix between locals and tourists. There were certainly parts that felt more grounded than the busy bustle of the West coast of the island. This being our first trip to Hawaii, we wanted to make sure we got the touristy things out of the way, so on our itinerary was attending a Luau, getting a massage at the Four Seasons, and sampling the local Hawaiian ice.
Attending a Luau
When planning our babymoon, we knew we wanted to plan a date night to a Hawaiian Luau. Through research, we learned that Luaus are historically considered Polynesian but they have come to be known as Hawaiian staples for celebrations. There are a number of Luau opportunities on the island of Maui but some of the most popular ones are the Old Lahiana Luau and the Grand Wailea Luau. For our trip, we decided to visit the Grand Wailea for their Luau because of timing and because we were able to find a voucher through Costco, making the event much more affordable!
While we enjoyed tasting the traditional Hawaiian food, such as kalua pig, lomi salmon, poi, and haupia, and enjoyed watching the traditional dancing entertainment – I would have to say that we can mark a Luau off the list of things we need to do on Maui. I definitely don’t believe it’s worth the cost to do more than once if you choose to return to Maui.
Best Places to Eat around South Maui
Kihei Caffe – Great option for breakfast and you get to dine with the wild chickens! Make sure you try coconut syrup with your pancakes and definitely get a Kona coffee if you can.
Wow Wow Lemonade – Their smoothies, açai bowls and of course their lemonade hit the spot Every. Single. Time.
Paia Fish Market – We frequented this restaurant at least 3 times during our visit and each time the line was out the door. We loved sitting outside with everyone to eat and the food was always top notch. They even have a great quesadilla option for people who don’t like fish.
MonkeyPod Kitchen – This was the first place we ate after getting off the plane in Maui. While we were exhausted from traveling, and perhaps that plays a part in my memory of this food but I still dream about the avocado cucumber salad and the Hawaiian Pulled Pork sandwich.
Best Beaches to Visit in South Maui
One of our favorite beaches to visit was a small beach right across the street from our Airbnb condo. The stretch of sand is actually a part of the Kalepolepo Fishpond, which used to be a fishing pond reserved for royals. Today, the fishpond is located right behind the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and is open for swimming and snorkeling. During our time at the Kihei condo, we frequented the beach a couple of times a day and were fortunate to come across multiple sea turtles each visit. My husband actually swam along with the sea turtles multiple times! The other best part about this beach area is that the water is shallow and the tide is broken by a rock wall that makes the beach perfect for small children.
Another fun beach to visit is the Wailea beach found behind the Four Seasons and the Grand Wailea resorts. To access, you will need to find one of the public parking lots and walk down to the shore. This beach had rougher waves at times and it can get pretty crowded, but this was a nice beach to visit if you want to play in the water, boogie board, or just lay out on the beach. Just be careful of the rough surf!
Lastly, we decided to take a drive to hunt out a small, less-visited beach area that is known for snorkeling. This area was a short drive down the coast past the resorts and into Makena. The Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve is known for its snorkeling but it’s a great destination because it’s typically less crowded than other snorkeling spots. Just be mindful when visiting this area because it is a Natural Reserve and there are designated spots for entering and exiting the water to protect wildlife.
Day 4: Lahiana
After a few days in Kihei, we decided to drive up to the West Coast of Maui to see what that part of the island had to offer. Driving up to Lahaina was one of the prettiest drives, with windmills to your right and large trees overarching the road to the West Coast. We started our day off early to try to make it in time to Gazebo for breakfast but by the time we got there, it was already packed. If we ever make it back to Maui, this restaurant will for sure be on our list. We ended up eating breakfast at the General Store on the Ritz Carlton property which ended up being pretty delicious!
Honolua Bay is a popular snorkeling spot on this side of Maui but we found it difficult to find the right place to stop to actually visit the beach, and so we didn’t get a chance to try it out. The roads past the West resorts start to get windy and are on the edge of cliffs, so take caution when venturing out this way. There were cars parked alongside the road that indicated popular stops but we personally did not feel comfortable parking anywhere around this area.
Compared to Kihei, we found the West Coast to be more busy – there were more stores, more restaurants, and more people. It certainly felt more touristy than we found Kihei to be, which honestly surprised us.
Visiting Old Lahaina
One of our favorite stops on this part of the island was Old Lahaina. We enjoyed walking around the stores and sitting on the balcony of a restaurant for lunch. This part of the island was very – very – touristy and reminded us of the caribbean islands we had visited in the past on cruises. There was certainly lots to look at, including the oldest banyan tree in Hawaii. We ate at Laihana Fish Co. for lunch, which overlooked the water – we ate while watching the outriggers practicing their rowing below us. The views from this coastline are pretty spectacular. If you visit Old Lahaina, definitely make sure you find somewhere to eat on the water, and definitely treat yourself to dessert at Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice.
Kaanapali Beach
One of the best snorkeling we experienced on the island was at Kaanapali Beach. The water wasn’t rough and there were scuba divers out practicing when we went. The reefs are so close to the shoreline that it takes a minute of swimming to come across hundreds of beautiful fish. It was truly spectacular viewing the ocean floor from this beach.
Days 5-7: Kula, Paia and Hana
While we truly enjoyed staying close to the beach for the majority of our trip to Maui, we also appreciated a break from the typical Hawaiian setting to go upcountry and experience what the luscious mountainside had to offer. We stayed at an adorable Airbnb close to the Ali’i Kula Lavender – which unfortunately is no longer hosting stays – that was in earshot of cows, chickens, donkeys, rabbits, and all sorts of other creatures. We had the most gorgeous view from our balcony and spent our mornings and our evenings looking out over the whole island. While staying here, we grabbed dinner from the Kula Bistro in Kula which can be found off a small back-country road but which serves the most delicious food. We cannot recommend the bolognese more!
From our little perch on the mountainside, we had easy access to the local town of Paia on the less touristy side of the island. This town was certainly surfer-central and you could tell who was local and who was not. We enjoyed watching the surfers from our little safety on the shore at Turtle Beach, where incidentally we also saw many large sea turtles out resting! On a good day you can find dozens of turtles resting on the beach here. We spent a good 30 minutes watching a few make their way in and out of the surf.
Another beach in Paia that we enjoyed was Baby Beach, which was a secluded area in a local neighborhood. We felt a little nervous finding somewhere to park since the parking lot was pretty crowded but we didn’t have any trouble in the end. Even though the lot was full, the beach itself wasn’t too crowded and the surf was gentle enough for children to swim. There were also fantastic views of the mountains on the North side of the island.
Lastly, we visited Makawao on our last day where we came across lots of art galleries and shops to explore. If you have enough time, definitely check out the little town upcountry!
Activities Upcountry and on the Right Side of Maui
The most famous activity in the Upcountry is of course visiting the Haleakala Volcano Crater. We waffled back and forth for a bit on whether we should go and when we should go but eventually we pulled the trigger and we did it! Fair warning, you have to get tickets to enter and you have to be prepared 2 days ahead to get them. Tickets open at a certain time of day, so make sure you’re vigilant if this is something you definitely want to do! Doing the trek up at any time will be great but the best time to visit the crater is of course at sunrise or sunset. Sunrise tickets tend to sell out more quickly and you can find bicycle tours for this time of day but we decided to go at sunset since it’s not as crazy as sunrise.
I want to add a disclaimer here – at the time we visited, I was about 6 months pregnant. Haleakala Crater is about 10,000 feet above sea level and therefore the atmosphere is very different than down at the beaches. The oxygen level is much lower and although I was fine and had no complications, it’s best to discuss with your doctor if you’re planning on visiting while pregnant.
The drive to and from the top of the volcano was beautiful. We lucked out and didn’t hit much traffic and had many opportunities to stop and take pictures. Being above the clouds was breathtaking – and a little nerve-wracking! I wouldn’t say the drive was as scary as I thought it would be but I am also used to mountain driving. There are parts with tight turns and steep sides, so be vigilant on your drive! There are also cows on the hills so watch out for cows crossing. One of the coolest images from our drive was seeing the silhouette of a cow on the hillside through the layer of clouds.
Another tip I will give you for visiting Haleakala is to read your car manual before you make the trip up. You want to be sure you know what gear to put the car in for the trip down because the steep decline as you leave can burn up your brakes very easily. Make sure you do your research before you need to because there is no cell reception at the top of the volcano!
The Road to Hana
And lastly, the Road to Hana is one of the most well-known activities on this side of the island. The Road to Hana is known for its twisty, scary route down to the secluded South side of Maui. If you are renting a car, make sure you look at your rental policies before taking this drive – you may not be covered for anything that happens on this part of the island since it is a known risk.
We started the Road to Hana too late to do the entire drive but if I could do it again, I would book accommodation in Hana for the night in order to have enough time to do the drive there and back. (Driving from Hana to Kihei on the opposite side of the island is not recommended as it is extremely dangerous.) On our drive, we loved seeing the painted Eucalyptus trees and the absolutely amazing foliage along the way. The road was indeed very windy and curvy and we came across a one way bridge every 2 minutes it seemed! The entire drive boasts 59 one way bridges. Looking back on the experience, I would say that the road itself wasn’t too scary but once you added in the element of other human beings, the drive gets a little freaky! There were definitely moments where we weren’t sure we would be able to make it any further because of the traffic we encountered.
On the drive there are plenty of places to stop and hike to waterfalls. There are also a couple of places to stop for real fresh smoothies and juices – I’m talking authentic coconut pineapple smoothies – as well as fresh banana bread. We made it down to the Keane Peninsula where the turquoise water met the black volcanic rock. It was absolutely thrilling and beautiful at the same time. There are so many beautiful sites on this drive and while we weren’t able to finish the whole Road to Hana, I can’t suggest this more! It’s definitely worth the drive if you’re okay with mountain driving and a little risk and if you have the time, of course.
7 Days in Maui Review
Overall, Maui is a fantastic travel destination for families and for couples. There are plenty of things to do on the island to make the most of your time there and if you have a car, there are so many sites to visit and experience. We barely broke the surface during our time there and I know there are so many more special places calling us back. Whether you want to rest on the beach, relax at a resort, spend your time hiking to waterfalls or driving to the top of a volcano, there is definitely something for everyone to enjoy.