Hawaii- Maui
Maui is probably my favorite family friendly island. There is so much to see and do that everyone in the family will be happy.
We booked a room at the Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa on Ka‘anapali Beach. The resort was beautiful and the beach was perfect for lounging and swimming and went on for a few miles in front of all the other resorts in the area. There was an outdoor shopping and restaurant area that was an easy walk from our resort. We also decided to rent a car so that we could explore the island on our own schedule. Here are a few of the activities we did while on the island.
Whale Watching: We booked a whale watching boat tour with Pacific Whale Foundation, a non profit research company. They had a few boat options to choose from and we choose the smallest raft boat that only held about 20 people. Once on the water, we didn’t have to wait long before a few whales started popping up. We chased them down with our boat to see what they would do. Before too long we had seen tails, breaching, and some fun side flops (that’s clearly a technical term). As soon as someone pointed something out you couldn’t get the camera out fast enough. Eventually we just put the camera away and enjoyed the views. This was my favorite thing we did in Maui. The best time to whale watch in Hawaii is November and April.
Maui Ocean Center: For two childless adults we spent far too many hours here. There were a ton of fish, baby sea turtle, octopus, and jellyfish. Lots of hands on activities. They also had a 360 aquarium tunnel to walk through. It was full of all sorts of underwater life! We enjoyed the time spent at the aquarium.
On our way back from the Maui Ocean Center we made a stop at Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop. You don’t want to miss this eatery. Get there early because when they run out of baked goods, that is it. Chicken and Waffles and Banana Cream pie for the win.
Submarine Tour: We booked a tour with Atlantis Adventures. We headed to the docks and hopped a boat out to the submarine. When we arrived at the site we were able to watch the submarine emerge from under the water with the prior tour group. Once they disembarked we loaded in and sat in two rows back to back sharing a porthole for every two persons. The submarine took us down about 130 feet to see multiple reefs, fish, plant life, and a ship that their group sunk years ago. We saw multiple school of colorful fish, sharks, octopus, eels… As two non divers we saw things that we would probably never have an opportunity to see.
Luau: This was my first luau! We arrived to an awesome set up of a stage, games, homemade local goods, and of course the Imu with our pork cooking. After walking around checking out all the sites we were called to the Imu to watch the ceremony of raising of the cooked pig from the ground. The pork was amazing as was the rest of the dinner that was served.
They put on a great show telling the different stories of the cultures that inspire Hawaii. The luau ended with a fire dancer. He was excellent and probably missing some body hair. Overall the food and show was fabulous. It was a great experience for us first timers.
Road to Hana: On our last full day we decided to drive the Road to Hana. I had done a ton of research mapping all the best spots and timing the day out ending at the red sands beach. We knew it is an all day affair as the road is curvy and sometimes just one lane.
We left early and stopped at the grocery store for a packed lunch and headed out for the drive. After about an hour of driving we made it to the start of the road to Hana where the sky was full of clouds and it was drizzling. We stopped at the few look out points.
We drove a bit longer when we both looked at each other and realized this was not for us. We decided to turn around and enjoy the rest of our day poolside. One of our last stops before heading back to the hotel was for fresh fruit from a roadside stand. Lots of people say don’t miss this drive…..for us we were okay missing it.
There are so many other things to do in Maui- Pineapple plantation, Surfing lessons, Snorkeling the Molokini Crater (or other spots), Waterfall hiking, Haleakala Sunrise. Plenty of things to keep the whole family busy.
