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Writer's pictureCamille Griffith
Jul 22, 20194 min read

Best of Maui

The second half of the Griffith Hawaiian adventure was spent on the island of Maui. We figured life is short, travel is fun, so why only visit one island when you can visit two?!


Maui much like the other islands had something for everyone to enjoy: beaches, hiking, snorkeling, (dinosaur hunting); but, in my opinion what sets this island a part was the warm welcoming sense of aloha, and the people’s commitment to cultivating the culture.

Everyone made Maui feel like a home not a temporary vacation.


Stay | Four Seasons Resort at Maui Wailea

All I can say is WOW. Luxury's finest.


For more budget friendly locations in Maui check out Vrbo's or Airbnb's in Kihei.

For more moderate budgets I recommend staying in Lahaina.


Cultural / Historical Activities | The Grand Luau at Honua'ula

This was my first Luau experience, and being a dancer I was thoroughly entertained the whole time. At this Luau you can expect nothing short of a 5 star luxury hospitality experience at the Grand Waldorf Resort, a delicious buffet, unlimited tropical drinks, beautiful scenery, and fun for everyone. I will never forget being picked to go on stage and learn a true Hawaiian ritual hula routine!


To book & or learn more about click here.


Food

We saved money by stopping at Costco and buying in bulk; however, when we did go out (mostly for a treat or dinner) these were my favorites.


Ululani's Hawaiian shave ice: 100+ yummy flavors. I think we went to one of the many locations around the island at least every day. We were actually addicted.


Mo’ono:

All I wanted was an Acai bowl in Hawaii (basic I know), but honestly this was the best acai bowl I had ever had! Mo 'Ono is Located right by the airport and is actually very affordable. If you aren't feeling Acai there are other food truck selections in the same parking lot.


-Mama’s Fish House:

If you like seafood this is the place! Mama's Fish House is a cute family owned restaurant that is ranked top 10 for fine dining, and second most popular restaurant in the United States. Make sure to book reservations well in advance!


-Flatbread Company:

Located in the cute town of Paia, Flatbread Company was our pit stop before heading to the airport. I loved this place because they offered vegan pizza (for all you non dairy folks like me). You can also stop here before or after doing the Road to Hana, since Paia is the only town with food before the long trek.

Flatbread Company Menu


Adventure

With all the adventures I have included below, make sure to check Groupon before booking! Sometimes you can find these tours on them for SUPER CHEAP depending on the season!


Haleakala Sunrise Bike Ride: This sunrise bike ride down Maui's largest volcano is something that my brother and I wanted to do, and definitely would have if we weren't short on time, and maybe planned our excursions out before we got to Hawaii (lesson learned). After driving up to the top though I highly recommend this if you're in decent shape! Prepare for an early wake up to catch the sunrise and around 10 hours to complete. I recommend booking it through Skyline Hawaii, which is the same tour operator we used for zip-lining below.


For more information on the Haleakala Sunrise Bike Ride and how to book click here.


Zip Lining: To be honest, we decided to do this as a time killer before we had to go to the airport, and I am so glad we did! I had so many "firsts" on this trip including zip lining! I would be lying if I told you I wasn't terrified for my life a couple of times, but all in all it was worth the adrenaline being able to laugh non stop with my best friend!

Skyline Zip-line Book Here


Road to Hana: This is one of those bucket list items in Maui that you should definitely put on the must-do list because you simply haven’t seen Maui if you haven’t driven the road to Hana. We went on hikes, ate way too much food, swam in waterfalls, played on a black sand beach, and had our eyes opened to the true beauty of Maui.

For specific stops: read my Road to Hana blog post!


Snorkel

Kapalua Bay Beach Lahaina, Kapalua Coastal Trail

I loved snorkeling in this semi private cove by the Ritz Carlton Resort. Snorkeling here was nice because 1. it is free and 2. you can do it on your own time. After we got done snorkeling we adventured down the beautiful mile long trails.


Molokini Crater

Snorkeling in Molokini Crater was an excursion all my friends recommended; however, something about being in the wide open ocean without a beach nearby to wash up on freaked me out! Peep the first picture of the crater I took while flying over it on the airplane! If you want to see all sorts of ocean life including sharks (a little too much for my sense of adventure) then this is your place! You'll be transported out to the little crescent moon shaped cove in the middle of the Pacific ocean by boat, and from there you will mermaid around.

To book I recommend going with Sail Trilogy .


Shopping:

Shops at Wailea → Mostly designer, but found the cutest boutique @keliki Hawaii and fell in love with the shortbread cookies at the Honolulu Cookie Company. (They give out unlimited samples).

Shops at Paia → local boutiques and restaurants EVERYWHERE. I loved Mahina, Nuage Bleu, Sassabella Boutique, and meeting with locals.

Shops in Lahaina → Very surfer + historical ! You can buy cheap leis here from locals who are fundraising for their neighborhood high school, eat the best unlimited fudge samples at Hawaiian Fudge Co. (sea salt caramel was my fav), shop at The Stoke Hous (reminded me a lot of Pac Sun), and of course indulge in everyone's favorite...DOLE WHIP !



Next Time:

If I ever get the opportunity to go back to this island I would recommend staying in Wailea or Lahaina. I would also love to go on the Sail Trilogy "Discover Lanai" tour. This is another Hawaiian island that is not as touristy (yet), but is known for a luxury honeymoon destination.


Thanks for reading!

I would love to hear about your Maui "must do's" below!

-Cami

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