Aloha Maui

It’s hard to believe that Maui is part of the United States. A five-hour flight from the West coast, the island is a magical, tropical paradise unlike anything you will find in the contiguous 48 states. The 2nd largest of the Hawaiian Islands, but still only just under 40 miles at its point of maximum length, we didn’t get to do everything we wanted to on our first trip, so we visited the island three years in a row.

Dream

Montage, Kapalua Bay, Lahaina: We stayed at the Montage on our first visit. It is located at the less populated north-western tip of the island, in a spectacular resort area which also contains the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and two PGA championship golf courses: the Bay and the Plantation. Resort rooms at the Montage each consist of a mini apartment, or residence, luxuriously equipped with a kitchen, living room and master suite. Each residence also has a lanai overlooking the resort or the ocean. The hotel is set in a beautifully landscaped tropical oasis, with the Sunset Pool cascading over three levels down towards the Pacific Ocean, which is just a few steps away.

Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort: When planning our second trip to Maui, we wanted to be a bit more central but didn’t know if we could find another hotel we would enjoy as much as the Montage. But we did. We decided on the Andaz in Wailea. This stretch of coastline on the south side of Maui contains a string of hotels. While many of our friends told us we should stay at the Four Seasons, our research kept pointing to the Andaz. Our room was absolutely perfect. We were upgraded to a suite upon arrival which was huge, with a master suite and separate living area. The twin balconies overlooked the resort and beautiful deep blue ocean. The pools and beach were spectacular.

Dine

Each of the resort areas of Maui has its own dining scene. Each time we visited Maui, breakfast was included in our room rate. Montage was à la carte, whereas the Andaz had a high-end buffet. Here are some of our favorite spots for dinner.

Wailea:

Morimoto at the Andaz: Great sushi/sashimi restaurant from the Japanese Iron Chef situated by one of the hotel pools, with indoor and outdoor seating in an upscale setting. Highly recommended.
Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman: Foody and family friendly eatery and bar with good food and live music in a modern setting. New location in Whaler’s Village, Ka’anapali due to open Fall 2017.
Ferraro’s Bar e Ristorante at the Four Seasons: Homemade pastas and other “cucina rustica” Italian fair at this al fresco eatery, Wailea’s only beachside open-air restaurant.

Kapalua Bay:

Merriman’s: Good food and good service at this locally renowned farm-to-table restaurant with spectacular views looking out over Kapalua Bay.
Banyan Tree at the Ritz: “Garden-to-glass” cocktails and “farm-to-fork” food using local ingredients, some grown in the resorts own two-acre organic garden. We can recommend the mojitos!
Taverna – Urban Drinks + Italian Eats: Modern Italian restaurant with fresh house-made pastas and wood-fired pizzas which opened in March 2016.

Lahaina:

Frida’s Mexican Beach House: Oceanfront restaurant with outdoor patio offering farm-to-table Mexican meals and over 40 tequilas.

Do

The list of things to do in Maui is a long one! Here are some of our favorites:

A Day at the Beach: The beaches at the hotel resorts are great. And as Maui has 30 miles of sandy coastline, there are many others to explore. Makena Beach, with its palm trees and sand dunes is on our to-do list for trip number four.
Snorkeling: Many Maui hotels loan snorkeling gear to their guests, and have direct beach access, including both the Montage and Andaz, so snorkeling is easy. And beyond the hotel there are many more ocean coves to explore in search of tropical fish and turtles.
Road to Hana: The Hana Highway is a 64-mile stretch of road connecting Kahului on the North shore of central Maui, with Hana in the East. With 600 curves and 54 bridges, the narrow highway can be treacherous at times, and drivers must keep their eyes glued to the road. We took an organized tour, so we could enjoy the many sites en route without the stress. Whether on a tour or on your own, don’t miss spectacular Waianapanapa Black Sand beach: the most beautiful beach we’ve ever seen.
Paia: Small artsy town with some good lunch spots.
Windsurfer watching at Hookipa Beach: Hookipa is a favorite spot with Maui windsurfers on the North shore of central Maui near the town of Paia. We had fun sitting up on the grassy hills above this windy stretch of beach taking in all the marine action.
Iao Valley: Enjoy the splendor of the Hawaiian landscape in this lush green valley in West Maui, designated a National Natural Landmark in 1972.
Haleakalā: Many people recommend the early morning drive to the summit of the dormant volcano Haleakalā to see the sunrise, which we hear is spectacular. However, on our daytime trek to the top, we were confronted by a chilly wall of fog and couldn’t see a thing! So we decided that a 4 a.m. start to beat the sunrise, was too much of a gamble for us. But if you like rising with the sparrows, take the long trip up and hope for the best.
Sunset dinner sailboat cruise with Trilogy Excursions: There are many tourboat companies to choose from, but we were very pleased with our Trilogy excursion. We enjoyed it so much that we booked the Molokini snorkeling tour with them too. Unfortunately, the waters were too rough to snorkel there but they found a great alternative location to get the most from the day.