Hawaii: My Favorite Finds in Maui

Now that our 20-day vacation in Maui is over, let’s recap the best beaches, food and other activities of the trip for future reference!

Beaches

1. Nipili Bay – My favorite beach of the trip! A small gem with deep water for swimming and virtually no waves, ideal for the baby to splash around. Plus, a nice restaurant right on the beach and easy parking.
2. Po’olenalena Beach – A very pretty beach in Wailea with trees for shade and a huge population of turtles for snorkeling.
3. Makena Landing – Makena in general seemed really pretty and quiet, this bay was perfect for kayaking and full of lots of snorkeling.
4. Baby beach in Lahaina – Shallow, warm and coral reef filled waters that were baby heaven, Lots of shady trees to sit under. With a bonus nearby Japanese temple to explore.
5. Kam 1 – This was the beach closest to our house and the one we went to most often. Convenient, nice for swimming and only very rarely occupied by sea urchins. 
6. Polo Beach – Only at this Wailea beach for a short while before a rainstorm. A bit packed from the hotel behind it.

1. Lots of fresh tropical fruit including cherimoya and taro 
2. Hawaiian rice bowls with swordfish and poke on our first night
3. Making our own sushi and tataki
4. 808 Deli sandwiches and butterscotch pudding
5. Lunch at the Sea House Restaurant in Napili
6. Making mango scones and papaya parfaits
7. One of the best pizzas I’ve ever had at the Kula Bistro
8. Kalua pork and chicken katsu plate lunches at Da Kitchen
9. The best shave ice in Kihei at S&Q’s Shave Ice Shack
10. Chocolate and banana cream pies from Leoda’s
11. I can’t think of a bad thing that we ate on the trip! It was all delicious. 

Off the Beach Activities

1. Driving the Southeast side of Maui
2. The free hula show in Lahaina
3. Driving the Road to Hana, with its temples and waterfalls
4. Dressing up in fun tropical outfits
5. Kayaking Makena Bay
6. Maui’s Friday Night Town Parties with cheesy local bands and great food
7. Exploring Kula‘s Portugese history and the upcountry lavender farm
8. Badminton on the beach at sunset 
9. Hiking the Waihe’e Ridge Trail
10. Kepaniwai Heritage Park
11. Snorkeling Boat Trip. You can snorkel easily from most beaches, but you need a boat to get to Molokini. Not great for people with unsteady sea legs
12. Ioa State Park – Pretty but maybe not worth the $5 parking fee for such a short hike