Our Maui Favorites:

When our family plans any trip, we have just a few basic rules. Keep it simple. Allow plenty of time for relaxing. Hit a few sites we are genuinely interested in.
In keeping with this theme, I put together a few of our Maui favorites. (We did also visit Oahu but only were at the resort, so there’s not much to report on that front.)
My starting point for planning what to do was this really helpful post by super talented photographer Dana Pugh. Her post has so many great nuggets and includes a few things that would be great for older kids.

favorite food

Our Maui hotel did not have an in-room kitchen BUT our fabulous travel agent was able to hook us up with breakfast every day so that was taken care of.
We typically would have a light lunch then venture off the resort for a little exploring and dinner. Here are a few of our favorites:

Coconuts: This was recommended on Facebook and we double checked reviews in our guidebook .  It did not disappoint. The location is in a strip mall and not uncommon for a great, authentic meal on the island. The restaurant is small, but we typically eat on the early side and had no problem finding a seat. We ending up with fish tacos, poke and shrimp — all delicious. Bonus: the surfing channel kept the kids busy while we were waiting for our food (15 minutes tops).

Paia Fish Market: My husband and I agreed that this was our favorite meal on the island. We visited the Kihei location which is located in a fun outdoor mall area- and like Coconuts, you order at the counter. Our fish meal was generous in size and was AMAZING! The location also provided a little after dinner entertainment as we walked around to scope out souvenirs while munching on shaved ice. We went early but also caught an amazing sunset just after dinner.

MonkeyPod: This was a great spot that definitely lived up to the hype. We visited here on two occasions (menus vary depending on location). Super family friendly + great food (the cream pies are AMAZING).

Mama’s fish house: at least 20 people recommended this to us when I posted a note on Facebook so I made a reservation right away. The restaurant is located on the beach and is HUGE. All the tables were filled when we arrived at 5 and clearly this is an institution on the island.  We don’t mind spending money on a restaurant that provides good food and good service, but neither stood out to us here. The kids’ meals were priced at $25-$34(!!!!). Granted my 5 year old was able to enjoy lobster BUT I think there are so many other great gems on Maui to spend your money.

favorite fun

Prior to arriving, we had two big excursions planned: a snorkel trip and a helicopter tour.

We originally booked a snorkel trip BUT shortly after arriving, realized there was so much right off our beach (we were staying in Wailea). Luckily, the snorkel company had a 24 hour refund policy and we enjoyed some pretty amazing sites just off the beach of our hotel. 

We did the Blue Hawaiian helicopter tour of West Maui. The views were literally breathtaking. Unfortunately, we realized my youngest and myself aren’t built to fly and I wish I had taken dramamine beforehand.

I can’t believe I was able to give a hint of a smile…next time, dramamine! 

Our favorite excursion was not planned. On the way to Mama’s Fish House, we stopped at a place on the beach to watch the surfers (Hookipa Park). We looked down and saw what looked like huge black rocks with a crowd gathered nearby. We got a bit closer and realized those “rocks” were turtles! We went down to the beach and though I’m not sure if there is some predicability in when they will be there, there was a rope and sign (we were there in late afternoon around 4pm).

 

Another favorite day trip was snorkeling at Honolua Bay. The snorkeling was good, but we didn’t see any sea turtles that day. What was really neat though was the gorgeous forest we had to walk through to get to the water. There were some great roadside stands selling local fare but sadly we both forgot our wallets– it would have been really fun to grab some snacks there.

 

We also made a pit stop to the blowhole (Nakaele Point). It was an impressive sight and is worth the stop for the view alone. The terrain was pretty rough and since we were just in our beach attire, we didn’t climb too close. There were people getting close but you would have to have substantial shoes to do so. 

A few notes:

These photos were taken with my DSLR (land) or a go pro (underwater). I highly recommend purchasing a go pro if you plan on doing a lot of water activities. It is so compact and easy to use. I took it almost everywhere. 

We did take our own snorkel gear. We pack pretty light so had room. Some hotels include it but it was nice just having ours, knowing it fit and was already adjusted to our size.