We went to Maui almost 2 months ago….but better later than never.
Where we Stayed…
The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali – The Westin Resort is located in the North West part of the Island. It is very kid friendly with a water slide at the pool (one of the main reasons we selected). There are a couple of dining options on site, the resort overall is gorgeous, and it is right next door to Whalers Village (lots of shopping and dining options). I think next time we visit, we will try staying in Wailea.
Things We Did…
Haleakala Sunrise, Sunrise in the Clouds – Book this up to 2 months in advance (book early, because it does sell out). It gets very chilly at the top of the mountain, so if you have the space, bring a heavy jacket (I didn’t have room for one in my suitcase and froze my fanny off). You can watch the sunrise from the observatory, where it is a little less cold. Arrive to the park 1 hour early to get a good spot to watch (we arrived 45 mins early). We did this on our first day there, since we were still on Atlanta time.
Surf Lessons – So technically we did not do this….but we did have surfing lessons booked though Island Style Adventures. When we arrived for the semi-private lessons, the instructors informed us the waves were really strong that day, and it was best for Sienna (my 6 year old) to not participate. Sienna is a better swimmer than me, so I was happy to oblige and skip surfing for the day. Instead, we went to the beach. But if you are staying in Ka’anapali, these lessons are offered in front of one of the resorts (it was maybe 2 down from us).
Black Rock Beach – This beach was a little walk from our hotel (by the Sheraton Resort), and was much larger than the one by our resort. There are large black rocks that I saw people jumping off of…but not something I even thought about attempting
Shopping (Dining) at Whalers Village – Whalers Village was conveniently located right next to our resort, so we stopped by a couple times during our visit. Some of the shopping options include Louis Vuitton, Lululemon, Alex and Ani, and Croc. There is also a ton of dining options (we visited Monkey Pod twice).
Myths of Maui Luau at the Royal Lehaina Resort – There are several Luaus in Maui to choose from, so it can be overwhelming deciding which to select. We choose this one due to the proximity to our hotel, they offer a vegan dining option, an they have a fire show (fun for Sienna). We enjoyed the Luau! The food was average, but I think that is the case with most (this is also coming from a non-meat eater). It was great for kids; Sienna got to go up on stage and learn to hula. We opted for the VIP option, and are glad we did. With VIP we got premium seating to view the stage, first at the buffet (not something I really care about) , and free premium cocktails. Another Luau that comes highly recommended is the Old Lahaina Luau. It is supposedly one of the most authentic ones offered in Maui.
Surfing Goat Dairy – See some goats, and eat some goat cheese….sounds amazing, right? We just did the daily casual tour that is only $12 per person. We got to meet the goats, and learning about the whole milk/goat cheese making process. After the tour we snacked on the amazing goat cheese sampler and chocolate truffles.
Ocean Vodka – Ocean Vodka is a short drive from the Surfing Goat Diary, so we stopped by here afterwards for cocktails and flatbreads. They offer tours of the facility, but we decided to skip the tour and just enjoy our food and drink. They have a beautiful outdoor area to enjoy your food and drinks (or you can hang inside).
Sunset Cruise – Our Sunset Sail with Sail Trilogy was one of the best things we did on our trip! The crew was so much fun, and they even let Sienna Captain the boat! During the sail, they serve all the cocktails, beer, and wine your heart desires and an appetizer plate. They made me a special vegetarian plate (which rarely happens on these types on cruises) and the food was actually really good (which is also rare). If you book any type of boating adventure while in Maui, I highly recommend Sail Trilogy.
Baby Beach – Baby Beach is located in Lahaina. This beach is great for young children. The water is very shallow and there are minimal to no waves.
Kayaking and Snorkeling at Turtle Cove – This tour was so much fun! Jonathan, Sienna and I were all able to all fit in the same Kayak (it helps that Sienna is 6 and tiny). We Kayaked a little ways out, and then went snorkeling. Sienna was a pro a snorkeling and spotting all the turtles! The guide brought granola bars to snack on and waters. He also took photos (underwater ones too), which we were able to purchase
Alpaca Farm – If you love animals, this was really cute. We got to feed and pet the Alpacas. They also have the cutest bunnies that you can hold and pet too. They offer experiences where you can have a picnic and such…I suggest just going with the basic experience offered. This is not a must do….but something different and cute, especially if you have kids.
Where we Ate….
Mala Ocean Tavern – Outside of the food runner dropping a steak salad down my back, the spot was great! It is on the water with great views, and the food was delicious. Jonathan and I shared Da Beet Box (beet salad) to start and I had the Vegetable Stir Fry as my main. Mala has a kids menu too.
Monkey Pod – We stopped in one night pre-dinner for drinks. They are known for their Mai Tai, so that is exactly what we got! We went back a 2nd night for an easy dinner. I shared a pizza and banana cream pie with Sienna. Yum! Monkey Pod has a Kids menu.
Moku Roots – This is a casual, low key vegan restaurant in Lahaina (about 10 minutes from our resort). I am vegetarian and this place came highly rated, so I had to give it a try. The food was delicious and portions huge. There were so many things on the menu I wanted to try, but I ended up going with the Buffalo Cauliflower Bowl. They do serve alcohol, but when we were there, we could only enjoy alcoholic beverages inside and not on the patio.
Maui Brewing Co. – We visited the Lahaina locations, but there is also a Kihei location as well. We dined here for a casual lunch one day. I enjoyed the Farm Flatbread (I ate a lot of pizza while in Maui) and tried a few of their beers and seltzers. The pizza was yummy. I took the leftovers back with me and happily snacked on them the next day.
Polli’s Mexican Restaurant – Apparently this was voted Maui’s best Mexican restaurant! We stopped in here because it was right by The Maui Cookie Lady (and close to the Alpaca farm…if you are planning out your day). Jonathan and I split the Nachos. The nachos portion was huge, and we really didn’t need anything else…..but we each also got a couple of tacos. We left very full 🙂
Where we got Dessert…
Ululani’s Shaved Ice – There are a tons of shaved ice places in Maui, but this one comes highly recommended as one of the best (and it did not disappoint). I can’t even remember exactly what I got…but I remember it being really good.
The Maui Cookie Lady – We stopped in after the Alpaca farm and purchased 6 different cookie flavors to try. We were flying out that day, and the cookies come individually packaged for easy transport home. These cookies were one of Oprah’s favorite things in 2020…so need I say more?!
