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To be frank, the items learned in my write-ups are usually things I didn’t like. Let’s be real, no place is perfect, but so far in my travels, Maui has come the closest. So much in fact, that I almost hesitate to share my experience there, because I desperately want to return again and again and don’t want it to be changed by too many people visiting. 😊
Alas, while I hesitate, it would be selfish to keep these secrets from you, so I’ll share. We visited Maui in March 2024 and this time we had the absolute joy of bringing our bonus daughter along too, so we were travelling as a family of 6.
Learned/Loved: Our first excursion is something I would definitely recommend, but I would not do it on the first day there. Snorkeling after a long flight poses significant risks, specifically Rapid Onset Pulmonary Edema, otherwise known as ROPE. It is highly recommended to wait 24 to 72 hours to acclimate. This article goes more in depth. I don’t share this to scare you away from snorkeling, but rather to advise you to book those excursions for day 3 or later if you can. This is the exact excursion we booked, they were fantastic at explaining marine life to our youngest and they are a non-profit so all proceeds from sales goes directly to the work through their foundation. 🐬
LOVED: Using our Capital One Venture rewards as a travel eraser helped make our flights much more affordable, allowing us to do more fun excursions. ✈️
LOVED: Just hanging out around the water. We went in March and we spotted so many whales just from shore. Highly recommend the sunscreen I put in my Travel Essentials list so you don’t get a sunburn like we did. The UV rays in Maui are no joke! 🍓
LOVED: Renting a car using Kihei Rent a Car, the shuttle pick up from the airport when we were so tired was amazing and the staff were all so kind and friendly. I also loved meeting all the cats they fed around the shop. 🚐
LOVED: We stayed at a vacation rental in Kihei. The complex is called Kihei Garden Estates. The exact place we stayed in is not currently listed on VRBO, but other places in the complex are. We really enjoyed our stay here, we had an upper unit with a lanai that you could see the ocean from. We were just steps away from a grocery store and steps away from beach access. There was enough space for all 6 of us and there was a washer & dryer along with beach accessories like chairs, umbrellas and sand toys for kids. 🏖️
LOVED: The teenagers and I went on a whale watching excursion on our last day with Redline Rafting and it was the greatest experience of my life (besides having each of these kids come into my life of course)! We were so close to the whales when they mugged our boat and it was so exciting! 🚣
Loved/Learned: We had a private tour for the Road to Hana and back. I know you can technically do this on your own, but we decided to book an excursion and we were not disappointed. Derrick from Maui Sunset Adventures was a great guide taking us to the best banana bread I’ve ever tasted and showing us the most beautiful spot to watch the water and enjoy our bread. He also took us to a delicious Thai food truck and to see the turtles. He explained to us how to see the hidden cave at the black sand beach and brought us on a hike to find the rainbow eucalyptus trees. It was rainy and surprisingly cold. He had umbrellas for all of us, snacks and beverages. I just wish we would have brought warmer clothes! ☔
There is so much more I could say about Maui. Writing this to share it has my heart yearning for a return visit. You won’t be disappointed if you go there and if you do, please share your experience with me so I can live vicariously through your visit! And if it wasn't clear up to this point, I definitely rank our Maui trip a 10/10.