IT’S HERE!!!! All of our Maui recommendations are below! 🤙🏻 Think best beaches, hikes & ALL THE FOOD 🙌🏻. If you travel to Hawaii and use any of our recs, MAKE SURE TO tag us so we can pretend that we are right there with you in our fave place on earth! 🏝 

Haleakala Crater

• Awesome drive (long, but awesome) 
• FABULOUS sunrise (you need a reservation)
• Very cold and windy. Dress appropriately. 
• Amazing views above the clouds.

Ka’anapali

We love this area because there are a ton of nice hotels and resorts!

FOOD:

Tommy Bahama Taco Truck (lunch): 

• Shrimp & Mahi Mahi Tacos

Marriot MARKET MARKET (by the Starbucks): 

• Only open on Wednesdays/Sundays. 
• Only hit this up if you’re staying in the nearby hotels. Not worth driving to, but fun to pop in if you are close by!
• Yummy breads, hot malasadas, fresh fruit.

Monkeypod (lunch/dinner):

• Garlic Truffle fries
• Oven Charred Brussels Sprouts
• Wood Fired Pizza
• Macadamia Crusted Mahi-Mahi
• Maui Cattle Company Cheeseburger

• Ka’anaplai Beach has big waves, but is safe to swim over in the bay by the Sheraton at Black Rock. 
• Cliff Jumping at Black Rock.
• Snorkel around Black Rock (for advanced snorkelers, the water is deep!). 
• Whaler’s Village for shopping.

Kahului

FOOD: 

Da Kitchen (lunch/dinner):

• Ahi Poke Salad Bowl
• Teri Lunch Plate

Kihei 

FOOD:

808-Deli (lunch, closes early):

• Pesto Chicken Panini 
• Red Rooster Panini
• Banana Cream Pie 
• Snickers Pudding 

Coconuts (lunch/dinner): 

• Fish Tacos
• French fries 

Choice Health Bar (Vegan/brekkie/lunch):

• Burrito Bowl
• Avo-Toast (add the raw pizza toppings)
• POW-abunga acai bowl 
• Om’lilikoi acai bowl
• The OG acai bowl
• Green Buzz acai bowl (this one is very green & healthy tasting) 

Nalu's South Shore Grill (brekkie/lunch/dinner): 

• Crab Cake Salad
• Poke Bowl 
• Awesome menu and ambiance
• Live music on weekend nights

Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice (dessert):

• Best shaved ice on the island

The Cinnamon Roll Place (brekkie/dessert, closes early)

BEACH: 

Kamaole III:

• Great place to boogie board. Our kids love to get pulled up and down the beach in their tubes on this beach. You can get the bright colored tubes at any grocery store. 
• BEST beach to watch the sunset. 
• Watch the sunset at the beach or grab some food and camp out on the big grassy area at the beach park. 
• Bathrooms and swing set.

Makena Beach & Cove: 

• GORGEOUS! 
• Big waves, not great for swimming (depending on the time of year).
• Great place to take photos, layout and bask in the scenery.

Lahaina

FOOD:

Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop: 

• PIES! Our Favorites: Apple, Banana Cream, Strawberry, Key Lime, Coconut Cream 
• Hand-Held Pie: Sweet Apple 
• Meat ‘n’ Potatoes 
• Lahaina Dog
• Beef Dip Hoagie
• Club Sandwich 
• Spicy Tuna Sandwich

Lahaina Luna Cafe (currently closed):

• Treehouse Salad add grilled chicken
• Garlic Fries
• Teri & Luna Burger

Aloha Mixed Plate (dinner): 

• Shoestring fries 
• Aloha Mixed Plate
• Fish Tacos 
• Great ambiance

Frida’s (appetizers & drinks):

• Awesome chips & salsa
• Fun drinks
• Fabulous ambiance
• Mediocre food 

Cool Cat Cafe (lunch/dinner): 

• Awesome burgers

Island Cream Co. (dessert)

Lappert's Ice Cream (dessert)

SHOPPING: 

• Fun Old Town by water
• Great for souvenirs!

Napili 

Honolua Farms Food Truck (lunch):

• Banana Bread Muffins (tastes like a snickerdoodle) 
• Smoothies
• Turkey Sandwich

The Gazebo (heavy breakfast):

• Banana Mac Nut Pancakes w/all the toppings
• TIP: go around back and order to-go instead of waiting in line. You can just eat your food right there on the grass overlooking the water. 

Choice Health Bar:

*see the list under Kihei

BEACH:

Napili Bay: 

• Our favorite beach on the island
• Great for swimming
• Fun waves! 
• Great for kids
• Bring tubes or boogie boards for the waves or something to float on out passed the waves. 
• Park right outside of the Sea House Hotel and walk through the hotel to get to the beach. 

Kapalua Bay:

• Very similar to Napili Bay, but a little bit more protected so the waves aren’t as big. 
• Great place for kids. My kids love using their tubes on this beach! 

Honolua Bay:

• Great for snorkeling
• Go early in the morning to beat the crowds

Paia

FOOD:

Paia Bowls:

• Acai Surf Bowl, add extra toppings of strawberries, peanut butter, cacao nibs
• Acai Blend Bowl, add extra toppings of peanut butter and cacao nibs
• Avo Toast
• Pali Toast

Choice Health Bar:

*see the list under Kihei

Flatbread Pizza Company:

• No Boundaries Salad (create your own)
• All the pizzas are great! 
• Vegan & Gluten-Free pizza options

BEACH: 

Ho’okipa Beach Park:

• Great for kids! Reef barrier that breaks the big waves. Creates fun little tide pools the kids can play in. 
• You will see turtles! Spot them out swimming in the waves passed the reef or sunbathing on the far side of the beach in the bay. You can’t get too close to the turtles on the beach, but put on your snorkel gear and head out into the water just in front of them and chances are you will be able to swim with the turtles coming in our heading out. 
• Head up to the parking lot on the right side of the beach and walk down to the lookout. Great place to watch surfers with a gorgeous view! 
• Not usually very crowded, unless we’ve just lucked out!

SHOPPING:

Paia Town:

• We love walking around this hippie town to grab a bite to eat or do some shopping.

Road to Hana

FOOD

Jaws Country Store (my fav place to eat on the island):

• Hippie food & hippie general store. My favorite things!! 
• Acai Bowls (the lilikoi drizzle takes it to the next level!)
• Veggie Everything Bagel with Pesto 
• Fish Tacos
• Banana Bread Toast - yummy, but not sweet like you’d expect
• Breakfast Sandwich
• Poke bowls were SPICY! 
• Bahn Mi
• Brisket Burger
• Clean restrooms
• Great service (the owner is awesome)

Garden Cafe Food Truck:

• Just before the Botanical Gardens on the Road to Hana (don’t waste your time and money in there) 
• Fresh Strawberry, Banana, Pineapple Smoothie
• Banana Bread
• Taro Chips 
• Ice cream
• Ducks & Peacocks everywhere

Road to Hana

• Full day trip
• Lots of driving on tight, winding roads
• Gorgeous! Some of the most gorgeous sights you will ever see! 
• Food trucks, hikes and waterfalls all along the way. 
• Map out your stops before you go and start EARLY! 
• We loved driving the entire route and taking the backroads home rather than turning around and coming back the same way. The drive was incredibly gorgeous with the rolling hills and sun setting!

HIKE:

Bamboo Forest Hike (currently closed)

• Great adventure hike to get a taste of the Road to Hana without driving TOO far! 
• Research how to find and which trails to follow beforehand so you don’t get lost. 
• Wear bug spray, swimming suit and good shoes (no flip flops).
• Waterfalls and a rope swing, super fun! 

Seven Sacred Pools:

• At the VERY END of the Road to Hana you’ll find this hike. On clear days you can hike and swim in the beautiful waterfalls and pools surrounded by black rocks. If the weather is bad it’s likely to be closed off. We came here on our honeymoon and it was an unreal sight to see, so gorgeous. We went last year with our kids and it was mostly closed off, we couldn’t swim and the water was really muddy and brown. A huge let down. You also have to pay to get in. This is one of those destinations that could be a huge highlight or a big let down depending on the day you go. Check conditions in advance before paying the fee to get in. 

BEACH:

Black Sand Beach

• BLACK SAND!! 
• Great beach for swimming and photos, but it is a small beach and can be crowded.
• Towards the end of the Road to Hana drive, again make sure to start your drive early in the morning to beat the crowds. 

Wailea

There are some really nice hotels in this area!

RESORTS:

• If you want to treat yourself, check out the gorgeous resorts in this area. The Grand Wailea is our favorite. We usually splurge and stay there the last night of our trip and soak up all the time we can at the resort. 
• TIP: stay here on the days you want to stay at the resort. Fun waterslides and pools. If you stay one night, they will hold your stuff at the front after checkout so that you can use the resort for two full days. 

BEACH:

Makena Beach:

*see list under Kihei

Wailea Beach:

• Public beach right next to the resort beach.
• Great for swimming or boogie boarding. 
• Great spot to watch the sunset. 
• Go early to get a good parking spot.

Wailuku

HIKE:

Wai’hee Ridge Trail:

• THIS IS A MUST
• Start early to beat the crowds and the heat. ½ day hike. 
• Breathtaking views and scenery! 
• Try going on a clear day as the clouds and cover up the views. Not a deal breaker though if it’s cloudy. Would still be gorgeous. 
• Steep hike, but worth the climb. A little bit more advanced, but kids could definitely do it. My parents (mid-60’s) did this hike just fine.
• Bring water, snacks, a camera and sunscreen. 

Olivine Pools:

• Hike down to the pools and cliff jump into the crystal clear pools!
• This can be a VERY dangerous spot, especially in the winter months when the waves are big and the tide is high. Use good judgment here so you don’t get swept out to sea! Still pretty to hike down to even if you don’t plan to swim. 
• I wouldn’t recommend coming here with kids.
• The waves were not huge while we were there (September) and it felt safe to swim.

West Maui Lookout:

• On the way to the Olivine Pools
• Walk down to view the blowhole and other gorgeous cliffs into the ocean.