Tips for Your First Maui Vacation

Have you been to a vacation destination that makes you smile every time you think about it? For me, Maui is one of those places. Maui is equal parts serenity and adventure, with beautiful beaches, gorgeous resorts, and exciting activities, making it the perfect destination for couples and families alike. My family had such a great time in Maui that I find myself returning to the memories of our vacation again and again. Ready to make some Maui memories of your own? Here are a few tips from my family’s first Maui vacation.

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Maui Resorts

Maui has two major resort areas, Wailea in South Maui and the Lahaina/Ka’anapali area in West Maui, along with a host of lodging options throughout the island. We opted for Wailea, located about 30 minutes from the island’s primary airport, Kahului. Five resorts line Wailea’s crescent-shaped beaches—the Fairmont Kea Lani, the Four Seasons Resort Maui, the Waldorf-Astoria Grand Wailea, the Marriott Wailea Beach Resort, and Andaz Maui. We made the most of our six nights on Maui, staying at two of these resorts and overnighting in Hana before flying to Oahu for the Honolulu leg of our trip. The resorts where we stayed, the Grand Wailea and the Wailea Beach Resort, differed in ambiance and offerings, but each made for a great Maui vacation in their own way.

Grand Wailea

Staying at the Grand Wailea is a treat for all ages, but kids will be particularly excited about the pools at this resort. The 40-acre property has 10 pools on six different levels, with six slides, six waterfalls, a rope swing, caves, and a water elevator. The pool area borders a white sandy beach lined with palm trees in a cove with clear water and gentle waves. We stayed at the Grand Wailea for only one night, with the goal of enjoying the resort amenities, and spent our first full day in Maui swimming, trying out the water slides, sipping cocktails at the swim-up bar, and playing in the ocean. It was an inspired choice and a perfect way to kick off our first Maui vacation.

Wailea Beach Resort

With all the amenities at the Grand Wailea, you might wonder why you’d choose to stay anywhere else. But the Grand Wailea is large and busy. For a quieter, more laid-back vibe, consider the Wailea Beach Resort, next door.

The Wailea Beach Resort was fully renovated in 2017, adding a children’s activity area and large waterslide, revamping the open-air lobby, and refurbishing the guest rooms. The resort is bordered by lava rocks, with sandy beaches, just steps away, to either side, accessible by a concrete path that runs along the shoreline. The path is a popular place for visitors to run and walk each morning. Thanks to our Marriott rewards, we spent four nights at the Wailea Beach Resort in an oceanfront guestroom, where we could sit on the balcony and enjoy gorgeous views of the Molokini Crater and the island of Kaho’olawe to the south and West Maui to the north.

Maui Vacation Activities

Haleakala National Park

Like most visitors from the mainland, my family woke up early every day of our Maui vacation because of the time zone. If you’re getting up early anyway, consider doing one of the most popular activities on Maui, watching the sunrise over the dormant volcano Haleakala in Haleakala National Park. To visit, you can either drive or take one of the many bus tours. Drivers are required to have a reserved parking spot to enter the park before 7 a.m., and reservations can be made 60 days ahead for a cost of $1.50. Along with reserving your spot, plan to leave the Wailea area around 3:30 a.m., as the drive to the summit is about two hours.

If a 3:30 wake-up call doesn’t sound like fun no matter the time zone, Haleakala National Park is still an amazing sight later in the day. We knew our children wouldn’t be thrilled about driving for hours and standing on a cold and windy mountaintop before dawn, so we set out for our Haleakala adventure around 8:00 in the morning. We were treated to beautiful clear views of the island on our way up the mountain, and we arrived in time for a mid-morning hike into the crater. If you decide to see Haleakala this way, don’t get too late a start because clouds are likely to obscure your view in the late-morning and afternoon.

Hiking at Haleakala

From the summit of Haleakala, we took the Sliding Sands Trail, which descends four miles to the valley floor. Sliding Sands is not a loop trail, so as far as you go down, you’ll have to come back up. Bring your water, sunscreen, and a camera. Many travel guides recommend doing the first 2.5 miles of the trail to the first cinder cone before turning around, but my family was content with a shorter hike, going about three miles total. We loved seeing the desolate landscape, which looked like the surface of the moon or Mars.

Going to Haleakala a little later in the day also gives you the opportunity to explore other parts of the upcountry of Maui in the same visit. We stopped for lunch and some shopping in the small town of Makawao and ate with the chickens at the outdoor Makawao Garden Café before trying the famous donuts on a stick from T Komoda Bakery. Other upcountry activities include riding bikes down the mountainside, touring a lavender plantation, and eating at the acclaimed Hali’imaile General Store.

Paddleboarding and Snorkeling

There are lots of great snorkeling spots in Maui, but if you’re staying in the Wailea area, you don’t have to go very far to find one. The beach shared by Wailea Beach Resort and Grand Wailea is surrounded by rocks where sea turtles and colorful fish swim. We rented paddleboards from the resort, paddled along the shore, and snorkled with our paddleboards strapped to our ankles. Seeing the sea turtles gliding beneath our paddleboards and swimming beside us while we snorkeled was a highlight of the trip. If you want to venture farther out, you can take a half-day guided tour to the nearby Molokini Crater for snorkeling and turtle-spotting. The winds pick up in the afternoon, and the water gets choppy, so plan either of these activities for one of your mornings on the island.

Surfing

Depending on the age and adventurousness of your travel crew, you might want to give surfing a try while you’re in Maui. Honolulu and the North Shore on the island of Oahu are the places most people think of for surfing, but Cove Beach in Kihei, just 10 minutes down the road from Wailea, is a great spot for newbies. You can either rent a board on your own or get lessons from the surf school across the street. My husband grew up surfing, so we rented boards and hit the beach. Although I was never able to stand up on the surfboard for more than a few seconds, both of our kids took to it immediately and rode the small waves to shore many times in the two hours we spent there.

Old Lahaina Luau

If your Maui vacation is your first trip to Hawaii, you’ll likely want to experience a luau. Most of the resorts in Wailea offer luaus right on site, but the most well-known luau in Maui is the Old Lahaina Luau, about 45 minutes away. Despite serving almost 500 people a night, Old Lahaina Luau’s oceanfront setting has a more intimate feel than the resort luaus, and its employees, from dancers to servers, clearly enjoy their work. Make your reservations in advance because the Old Lahaina Luau sells out almost every night. If you find that tickets are no longer available, call and add your name to the wait list. Seats often open up a day or two before the show due to last-minute cancellations.

The Road to Hana

Another can’t-miss activity in Maui is driving the famous Road to Hana. The Road to Hana is a winding 65-mile stretch of road between Kahului and the town of Hana, dotted with rugged vistas, impressive waterfalls, and lush rain forests. You can either take one of the many Hana tours available or drive on your own. Whether to take a tour or drive yourself depends on your sensibilities, as the road has hundreds of curves and dozens of one-way bridges. We chose to drive because we wanted the freedom to explore the sights that appealed to us.

I found several excellent online guides that directed us to the best sights along the road. Another wonderful resource we used, which I mentioned in my last post, is the GyPSy Guide, a mobile app that tracks your GPS signal and plays narration as you drive. We listened to The Complete Maui and Road to Hana version during the trip, and the app gave us specific instructions on where to stop and where to park, while also providing fascinating tidbits about Hawaiian history and culture.

Road to Hana Sights

The sights along the road to Hana include several state parks, waterfalls, lookouts, and arboretums. On our first day, we stopped at Twin Falls (mile marker 2), Ho’okipa Lookout (mile marker 9), Ke’anae Peninsula (mile marker 16), and Upper Waikani Falls (also known as Three Bears Falls) (mile marker 19.5), as well as my two favorite places, the Garden of Eden Arboretum (mile marker 10) and Wai’anapanapa State Park (mile marker 32).

The Garden of Eden Arboretum has 26 acres of nature trails with tropical plants and flowers. Don’t miss the Keopuka Rock Overlook where you can see a large rock formation rising out of the sea, recognizable from the opening scene of the movie Jurassic Park. The arboretum also has picnic tables throughout the property and you can bring food into the park, making it a nice place to stop for lunch.

Wai’anapanapa State Park is close to Hana and offers stunning views of black cliffs, green vegetation, and deep blue waves. Sights at Wai’anapanapa include a black sand beach, lava tubes, blow holes, freshwater caves, and archeological sites. You’ll see visitors playing in the rough surf of the beach and some of the bravest cliff-diving from a sea arch.

Staying in Hana

Most visitors try to do the Road to Hana in just one day, but the road is long and the sights are many, so if you have the flexibility to stay a night in Hana, do it. The beautiful Hana-Maui Resort is located in Hana town, and it’s well worth a stay of a night or more. The resort has three types of accommodations, ocean bungalows, garden suites, and family suites. The bungalows are perched over the shore and have ocean views, while the garden and family suites are located further inland.

We stayed in a garden suite, and the room was spacious and well-appointed, but none of the rooms at the resort have air conditioning. Admittedly, it got a little warm during our June trip, but this minor discomfort was far outweighed by the delight we felt at being able to lounge by the pool and have a terrific dinner at the end of our Road to Hana day.

Wailua Falls, Ohe’o Gulch and Pipiwai Trail

Staying the night in Hana also gave us time to slow down and do our sightseeing at a more leisurely pace. On day two of our Road to Hana adventure, we stopped for a view of Wailua Falls, just 10 miles from Hana, then took the Kipahulu entrance of Haleakala National Park, to see Ohe’o Gulch and hike the Pipiwai Trail. The Pipiwai Trail travels through bamboo forests and ends at 400-foot-tall Waimoku Falls, yet another highlight of the trip. And if you’ve already paid to enter Haleakala National Park at the Summit entrance within the past three days, you can get into the park free by showing your receipt at the Kipahulu gate.

With so many activities and beautiful places to stay, you can’t help but make great memories on Maui. From surfing to snorkeling to sightseeing, there’s something for everyone. If you’re like me, after your first Maui vacation, you’ll remember it often and dream about going again and again.

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