After hectic wedding central in Honolulu, I’m so glad Josh and I decided to get away from it all and head to Maui. Spending three and a half days on the island, I tried to pack our schedules full, but also had to give us some room time–after all it was our honeymoon! 😉 Word to the wise, my GPS was not working right out there for me, so we used the AAA map that my aunt gave us to navigate our way about the entire island!
LAHAINA, HI
First things first. We were so lucky Josh’s parents gifted us their timeshare at the Marriott in Lahaina. Lahaina is definitely the more tourist side of the island, it’s where all of the hotels are. Fun fact: it used to be the capital of Hawaii. There is a very cute old town to walk around in with great food and ice cream.
EAT
808 Grindz Cafe – This local spot is so busy for breakfast, try to get here early to avoid waiting so long. Their benedicts are all amazing which is a main reason why I loved this place so much! And their Macadamia Nut Pancakes are so tasty. If you know the asian white rabbit candy, Josh and I decided that their signature pancake topping tastes exactly like it and it is nothing short of amazing.
Shark Pit Social – A friend recommended this place and it has the most unique tacos among other asian fusion menu items. They are BYOB (we enjoyed this at dinner, and there is a grocery store next to the restaurant for convenience). The furikake corn is so tasty!
Ululani’s Hawaiian Shaved Ice – Soft powdered shave ice and their homemade flavors made with real fruit juice and purees. Hands down made these the best shaved ice I’ve ever had! The mochi is fresh and the perfect soft/chewy texture. And don’t forget the ice cream!
Island Cream Co. – I love all things ice cream so here’s another place we frequented that I love so much. Their Tiramisu ice cream is everything.
DO
Banyan Tree – The largest banyan tree in the US lives in Lahaina and it is definitely a sight to see. Plus if you’re walking around the old town like I suggest you should, you won’t miss it.
A Walk in Old Town – there are fun little shops we walked around while we waited for breakfast at 808 Grindz.
SUNRISE AT HALEAKALA SUMMIT
I think this was my favorite part of Maui. Only because when can you drive to 10,000 ft elevation to watch the sunrise? I’m talking never, so this is a must do opportunity. I so recommend having a AAA map with you because GPS can be really spotty and you want to make sure you make it before sunrise! Also get here about 30 mins before the sunrise if you want the best seats, yes the 3 hour drive is worth it! The rangers will limit the amount of cars that can get to the full elevation. We got to the site right before the sunrise and sadly had to park at 8,000 ft elevation. But either way the sunrise was still gorgeous!
EAT
Farmacy Health Bar – After watching the sunrise, head over here for a quick breakfast. I had to have acai bowls everyday on our honeymoon and this place had the best acai bowls I’ve ever had. We got avocado, dragon fruit, goji berries, and mango as our toppings and they were perfect.
DO
Watch the sunrise – pretty much all of the details are above, but quick tip, bring a jacket, or blanket if you didn’t bring a jacket (like me) to the island. The temperature is in the 50’s early in the morning. Also just keep in mind you need to purchase a pass from the rangers to access Haleakala, but your pass is good for 3 days at any other park! (it comes useful for the road to Hana).
Visit the crater – there are some fun hiking spots up there to put your national park pass to use.
THE ROAD TO HANA
A couple Josh and I met at a Forever 21 a couple months ago suggested with do the road to Hana on vespas, boy am I glad that I weenied out of that one! The locals drive crazy on this road and it is LONG! We downloaded the road to Hana guide app which was really useful for the trip. It will take you the entire day, so keep that in mind and bring a change of clothes for the best place for dinner when you head back from the Hana excursion. Don’t forget your swimsuit, walking shoes, etc.
EAT
Nahiku Market Place – the perfect place to stop for lunch or a snack. Really cute little area along the drive!
Hana Farms – stop here for the tastiest banana brea. A lovely snack for the drive. Also along Hana there are free fruit stands, I think they take “donations.”
Mama’s Fish House Restaurant – best dinner after a long day of driving and adventuring. Actually one of my blogger babes mentioned this place to me and it’s mouthwatering!
DO
There are so many potential stops, but here are my suggestions after doing the drive.
Bamboo Forest – this is why I would start the road to hana early like 7a.m., because you cannot miss this!
Red Sand Beach – getting there can be confusing so click here for some helpful directions.
Black Sand Beach at the Wai’anapanapa State Park Caves – you can swim in the first cave, a little hidden. And then you can swim at the black sand beach.
Seven Sacred Pools – This is after Hana, but if the pools are open you can jump off rocks into them and swim under waterfalls. The park pass you get at Haleakala works here too.
Waioka Pond – We did not get a chance to go to this one, but I wish we did!
That’s Maui in a nutshell! I want to go back soon, so if you’ve been and I’ve missed anything I want to know! PT. 2 to come later this week and some outfit photos, I promise!
xx always,
