Our Maui Adventures!

Maui is a surprisingly magical place.  Quite honestly I did not know what to expect.  We are mountain people at heart (hence the beard and closet full of plaid) and were even skeptical about how much we would enjoy such a beach-centric destination.  Maybe it was the Aloha spirit or the southern swell but we were both soon swept us up in the Hawaiian vibe.

We traveled all over the island of Maui and to include an exhaustive list of our doings would be, well, exhaustive.  So here are a few highlights from each day.  Enjoy!

Maui Adventures

First off the Maui Revealed – Guidebook was absolutely clutch!  The mile by mile descriptions of the road to Hana might cover its cost right there, but add in details about the rest of the island and this book became our constant companion. 

Essential travel tip!

Whenever traveling to a touristy locale keep in mind that Americans are lazy!  This can be used to your advantage.  Crowded beaches and attractions are only packed for the first few hundred meters of so.  Wander slightly off the well beaten path and some unbelievable sights will be yours alone to behold.  In the photo below we were hardly 1/4 mile down a trail leaving from Black Sands Beach.  We spent an hour and a half hanging out on the volcanic cliffs and saw fewer than 10 other people.  Back at that beach there were people crawling all over each other for photos of the same cliffs.

Day 1:

 Fred’s Mexican Cafe – Fred’s is a nice little spot that like most restaurants in HI are good but overpriced.  However, swing by any strip mall and pick up one of the locals coupon books FREE and clip a BOGO coupon for breakfast.  Quickly the meal turns from a tasty but pricey excursion to a very reasonable and delicious breakfast.

Keawakapu beach – Our local friends recommend this beach for a laid back afternoon, and they could not be more right.  Small but rolling waves provide just enough bounce in the water to keep things fun and if you are willing to walk 200m or so along the water there are relatively few people.  

Day 2: 

Wailuku Coffee CO “Where the hip come to sip” – No I didnt make that up.  They actually advertise like that.  Despite terrible slogans the lattes were well done and there was a pleasant absence of hipsters in and around their location. 

Waihee Ridge trail run – Just outside of the town of Wailuku this trail follows a ridge about 2 miles up into the clouds.  Amazing views until the clouds settled in.  Recommended to do this one earlier in the day to avoid cloud cover/rain.

Honoapilani Hwy  or “The Pali” Hwy –  This stretch of road encompassing the Western portion of the island is packed with scenic views and ocean vistas.  With numerous stops along the route here are a few of our favorites:

• Turnbull Studios and Sculpture – Swooping around a hairpin turn, out of the corner of our eyes we caught a glimpse of a twenty foot giraffe statue peering over the roadside.  Naturally we were interested and pleasantly rewarded with a quaint art gallery and extraordinary artist work-space owned and operated by the Turnbull family.  Be sure to wander back into the studio work-space.  Exceptional craftsmanship.
• The Blowhole – Created by rapid spikes in air pressure due to waves crashing through the rocky caves below, blasts of air and water spurt out of a man-sized hole spraying onlookers with salty spittle. Overall it is impressive but as any well known attraction it was a bit crowded.
• Road-side Tiki carver – Setting up a tiny carving and display station, Senet Tifou carved us a special Tiki to grant us good luck in our marriage and poured out more wisdom than a we could have ever paid him for.
• Ululanes Hawaiian Shaved Ice – We were told this is a MUST and emphatically agree.  Large enough to share, Ululanes shaved ice was a refreshingly cold and sweet treat in the Hawaiian heat.  We recommend going with the combo of pineapple, mango, Li Hing Mui (I have no idea what this is but its amazing!) flavors with coconut ice-cream on the bottom.

Big Beach at Makena State Beach – This is a unique stretch of beach  where the sand drastically rises out of the water causing the waves to crash rapidly and very forcefully.  There are signs all over about only getting in the water if you understand the risks and are a good swimmer.  Apparently there have been numerous people paralyzed when trying to body surf the waves and were slammed into the steep sand bank.  During a southern swell the waves are simply surreal in both height and mass.  Body surfing in these conditions is both exhilarating and frightening.  Oh, and be sure to tie your suit on tight!

• Next to Big Beach is Little Beach.  Access is only granted by climbing over a rocky outcropping.  Little Beach is clothing optional, and most opt out.  We did not opt in to opting out and opted to stay at Big Beach.

Hornitos Mobile Taqueria – Taco truck in Kihei, HI.  Good food and at an unusually reasonable price for Hawaii.  Otherwise unremarkable. 

Sunset at Kalama Beach Park –With a variety of activities to do in the park Kalama Beach Park is a great spot to end the day.  West facing the sun sets perfectly on the horizon between the island of Lanai and the more western portion of Maui creating a nice silhouette that plays with the fleeting rays of light.

Day 3: (our 3rd Anniversary)

We have made a tradition out of spending our anniversary in a different National Park.  Yosemite the first year, Denali the second, and for our third we chose Haleakala.  The second largest mountain (bottom to top) in the world.

For this trip we signed up to do a daybreak bike ride down Haleakala Volcano. We chose to go with Maui Sunriders as our shuttle service for the early morning outing.  Loading the vans at 3 AM we were shuttled 10,000 feet up to the summit of Haleakala Volcano.  After watching the sun creep over the horizon the service took us down just outside of the park (restricted usage inside the park) and from there we hopped on single speed mountain bikes for a 30-or-so mile cruise down the side of the volcano.  There are a few towns along the way to grab some coffee and pastries, or even do some shopping if that is your style.  The ride finishes back at the shop in Paia, HI having hardly touched the pedals on the way down. Being the adventuresome pair we are this was a bit tame for us, but overall we were glad we did it.  Maui Sunriders was the best company providing this service by far.  Not only was the service fast and friendly but the bikes were well maintained.  The other companies use sketchy rigs that looked like a cross between a BMX, mountain bike, and banana seat cruiser.  

Road to Hana – So this is a huge thing in Maui.  The road to Hana is small, windy, often wet, and highly traveled on, but it also is littered with waterfalls and other sights. We did the trip twice.  Once by ourselves and again with our friends that we were staying with.  Here are the high points from our first venture. 

Wailuaiki Falls – 10 minute hike back to a wonderful overlook with 3 waterfalls and a pool that you can swim in should you so choose. 

Black sands beach – Wai’anapanapa State Park –

Overcrowded walkways meander down to the small but pretty black sands beach which by its self is a sight to see surrounded by black lava cliffs.  However, the key to this area is to follow the small less worn trail found on the far side of the beach as it climbs through some trees and opens out onto some of the most extraordinary rock formations we have seen.  And the best part is that because it takes mild to moderate effort to get there, NO ONE IS THERE!  

Maka Pipi Falls – Flowing under the road a small stream spills out of the mountain side and plunges one hundred or so feet down.  The guard rail on the bridge is surprisingly short and apparently inadequate as someone fell to their demise there a few years ago.  Nice quick sight to take in. 

Hana Ranch Restaurant – The only reason this is being included is that it was too memorable to leave out, and not in a good way.  The food is edible but very expensive, service is poor and rude, and everything costs extra.  But if you are in the town of Hana after 2 PM they are nearly the only place open for lunch. That about sums it up.  Avoid if possible.  Please do not confuse it with Hana Ranch Provisions, which we have heard is amazing!

7 Sacred pools at Haleakala National Park – “Ohe’o Gulch” – Again traveling into Haleakala National Park, this time at the base of the volcano, the seven sacred pools are the main attraction.  And, given that this is the traditional turn around point on the road to Hana, it is packed!  During mid to low water that pools are safe to swim in, but when there is rain high on the mountain a real risk of flash flood exists.  Most people only access the two lowest pools, so naturally we climbed to the third and had the entire tennis court sized pool to ourselves, waterfall and all.  The other pools were higher still but we were satisfied with our private paradise. 

Paia Fish Market – Recommended to us by some good friends who visit Maui frequently this was likely the first meal that was truly impressive.  Fresh fish served a variety of ways.  The shrimp fajitas were uniquely presented in a tomato based sauce that had an Italian hint to it but were scrumptious none-the-less.  Ellen had an Ahi burger that was very well cooked and tasty excluding a stale bun.  Personally I wanted to keep coming back to this place but there were just too many other sights to be seen. 

Day 4:

Sugar Beach run –

Early in the morning we decided to stretch the legs for a beach run.  Sugar Beach extends between Kihei and Maalaea making for a perfect 5-6 mile out and back run.  The camber of the sand is not too extreme but the wind can become an issue if running there too late in the day.  You can also take a jaunt along the boardwalk of the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Preserve.  Once we finished the jog Ellen decided to cool her feet off in the 6-12 inch deep surf, and was joined by a baby Hammer Head Shark!  Clearly confused about where to go in the cloudy water the little guy almost beached himself numerous times before finally making his way back out to sea.  Thank goodness momma wasn’t around.

Feast at Lele –

When in Hawaii its mandatory to attend a luau.  The Feast at Lele was our pleasant obligation.  5 courses in a unique plated meal style the luau featured performances and cuisine from different Polynesian islands, as well as an open bar.  The entire four hour ordeal was delightful and we were all both thoroughly stuffed and thankful that the “Hawaiian Cocktails” were mainly fruit juice.

Day 5: 

Pride of Maui Snorkeling –

Leaving from the harbor town of Maalaea our snorkeling tour took us to Molokini Crater and then on to “Turtle Town,” and provided both breakfast and lunch.  Out of all of the tours we looked at this was the best deal over all.  Yes, there are cheaper tours, but none that provided the services and snorkeling experience that the Pride of Maui did.  We made a video but it was too large of a file size for this site so check it out on our Facebook page: PTAdventures

I’ao Needle – A short distance from Maalea is an interesting historic site called the I’ao Needle.  When the island was under attack in 1790 the needle was used as a lookout for the Maui people.  From what I can understand it was not a very good lookout because they lost the battle and King Kamehameha eventually united all of the Hawaiian Islands under his rule.  

Day 6:

Surfing/paddle boarding at “The Cove” – Our buddies took us surfing at “The Cove,” and we proceeded to flounder around in the light surf on both paddle and surf boards for most of the day.  Ellen quickly adapted to the new sport but I was hopeless and fortunately only hurt my pride.  There are two bonuses to surfing at this spot however.  1. Copious numbers of surf lessons going on all around so eavesdropping in on a few pointers can really be helpful, even when they are directed at an eight year old. 2. Tons of sea turtles live in the area.  Sea turtles only stay under for 20min or so, making for frequent, if not startling, sightings near or even under your board.

Day 7:

Road to Hana part deux – On this excursion down the Road to Hana we would hit some locals only spots and then proceed to complete the entire loop instead of turning around at the 7 sacred pools as we had done previously.  

Bamboo forest – “Na’Ili ‘Ili – Haele” – This is a wonderful little hike across a stream in over to a waterfall, all while engulfed by a dense bamboo canopy.

Makaina bay –

Using a “locals only” trail we made our way from the road through a dark forest and out onto a ridge separating two small coves.  Using ropes to descend the steep hillside we were out upon the rocky shore after 30-40 min of hiking. From here we played in tide pools and chased crabs around before discovering a third small cove ending in a sea-cave that stretched deep into the mountainside.  Making the obvious decision to jump in and swim across the turquoise water we were immediately rewarded with a towering archway leading through the rock wall and out to the cove on the other side.  Stunningly beautiful and adequately adventurous we recommend finding a local to take you on this hike should you visit Maui any time soon.

Red Sands Beach –

Another clothing optional beach, Red Sands Beach is small and picturesque.  The red volcanic rock/sand only remains on the beach because of a thin wall of denser darker volcanic rock at the mouth of the cove providing a slight sea break and therefore preventing the red sand from washing away.  Add in the lush greenery covering the hillsides and the contrast is stunning.  One of my only regrets on this trip was not being able to appropriately capture this place via photo. 

Day 8:

Black Rock cliff jumping – Ka’anapali  – High on our to-do list while in Hawaii was to cliff jump, and on our final full day we fulfilled that goal.  Just outside of Lahaina, Ka’anapali is the perfect spot for all levels of skill/bravery.  

Kimo’s – Perfectly located on the water Kimo’s is world famous for the Hula pie.  As big as your face one slice is enough for two, but so good you might not want to share.  Happy Hour is also wonderful and provided the perfect ending to our Maui adventures.

Phew!  What a whirlwind! I’m shocked you read all of that!  Thanks for following along with us as we adventure through the country and hopefully soon, the world!

Call for comments: Do you have a favorite spot on Maui to visit that we missed?  Where should we go for out next vacation?

Written by Stephen Stockhausen