Chasing Aloha - How To Experience the Best of Maui

Sunset drives in the Jeep

If you were to ask us any of the following questions:

What is the most beautiful place you've ever been?

Of all the places you've travelled, what is your favorite?

Where have you eaten the most unforgettable meal?

The answer to all of the above: Maui.

We spent the first half of our honeymoon in Maui back in 2022 and have continued to rave about the experience to anyone planning their own future honeymoon. After all the gushing I've done about this place, I figured it was time to share our itinerary!

Here's how we spent 8 days making the most of our time in Maui (and still allowing time for some relaxation too):

View from our condo in Lahaina

Accommodation: We stayed in Lahaina in an oceanfront condo which we booked through VRBO. Like I mentioned in a previous post, credit card points covered this stay. Another tip: law enforcement officers can get up to 20% off on all VRBO stays through ID.me! Lahaina had the cutest downtown and felt like a great location with easier access to most of the excursions we wanted to do. However, while I know this condo is still standing, I'm not sure what is left in downtown Lahaina following the devastating wildfires in 2023.

Rental Car: We obviously needed a Jeep Wrangler for the week, so we rented one through Turo, which was super easy and significantly cheaper than other rental car companies at the airport. Between all of the adventures Maui has to offer, I 100% recommend getting a rental car as public transport is limited; and Turo is definitely the way to go.

Day 1: Fly into Kahului airport, pick up rental car, and get settled. We spent our first evening strolling around downtown Lahaina and grabbed dinner at one of the local food trucks.

Sea Turtle at the Molokini Crater

Day 2: Early morning Snorkel & SNUBA excursion at the Molokini Crater. We booked this excursion through Aqua Adventures. SNUBA is like a combination of scuba diving and snorkeling, where you can breathe through a respirator and stay underwater for up to 30 minutes at a time. We got a quick tutorial on our boat ride and we were good to go! There was even a professional photographer on board that snapped great pics of us throughout the day, which was a huge plus. This experience was amazing and was the perfect way to start our trip.

Haleakala Sunrise

Day 3: Sunrise at Haleakala Volcano. If you do find yourself in Maui and need to plan just one activity - LET IT BE THIS ONE. We have both agreed that watching the sun rise over the clouds at the peak of Haleakala was one of the most breath taking experiences we have ever done together. This required a 2:45AM wake-up call to allow for the 2 hour drive into the National Park and up the volcano, but it was 100% worth it. We packed plenty of warm clothes and blankets to stay comfortable until day light, and then we were able to set off on a short hike within the national park.

Day 4: Chill Beach Day & Mama's Fish House. After a packed first two days in Hawaii, we spent the next day completely relaxing and enjoying the beach. We found ourselves at Black Rock Beach in Kaanapali, which was perfect for snorkeling. At night, we had a reservation at Mama's Fish House in Paia and WOW. You simply cannot take a trip to Maui without splurging on a meal here. As a big seafood lover, this was the best Mahi Mahi I'd ever had. So here is a tip for your to do list when planning your vacation: Book flight. Book Accommodation. Book Mama's Fish House reservation. The rest is gravy.

Views from Pipiwai Trail

Day 5: Road to Hana, Lahaina > Hana. Driving the Road to Hana along the Hana Highway is one of the most famous activities in Maui. Some people are hesistant on driving its windy roadways, but we were up for the challenge. We drove our Jeep from Lahaina all the way to Hana, making all of the well known stops along the way, like the Black Sand Beach in Wai'anapanapa State Park. Some people squeeze a road trip there and back within one day, but we actually decided to book an accommodation in Hana at The Hana Inn so we could take our time with the drive, and avoid driving the windy roads back in the dark. I'm so happy we did this to avoid feeling rushed, but Hana is a very quiet town at night, and everything closed after dinner time (around 6PM).

Day 6: Road to Hana, Hana > Lahaina. The next morning, we grabbed coffee and breakfast in Hana and started our trek back, making more stops along the way. We hiked the Pipiwai Trail, which actually ended up being our favorite hike of the trip, leading us to some beautiful views and waterfalls, like Wailua Falls. The trail was very well maintained and we actually caught sight of a few wild pigs!

Waterfall off of the Hana Highway

Day 7: Chill Beach Day, Wailea. After our 2-day Road to Hana trip, another relaxing beach day was needed. We headed to Wailea to spend the entire day kicking back and enjoying cocktails.

Day 8: Waterfall & Rainforest Hike at Twin Falls. We booked this excursion through Hike Maui. I went back and forth about the need to book a guided hike as we enjoy exploring on our own, however I am SO happy we did this. With a guide who is knowledgable about the area, we were able to cliff jump into natural pools and swim underneath waterfalls in areas that they knew were safe. Later that night, we got dinner at Lahaina Grill, and again, WOW WOW WOW. 5 stars.

Day 9: Pack up and hop on a flight to Kauai. We soaked up our last Maui morning by the water, then headed back to the airport to take a quick 50 minute flight over to Kauai to spend the last 5 days of our honeymoon there.

Ready to book your flight to Maui? Let me help! I created a packing list with all of the essentials we brought with us on our trip. Check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/theparttimetourists?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_4841FSAYPRY9WAA607KD

Feeling inspired? Reach out to us on Instagram at @the.parttimetourists or send us an email at vistachasing@gmail.com. Happy Travels!