Maui, Hawaii Travel Guide
Overall vibe of Maui, Hawaii:
I’m so excited to share this Maui travel guide with you! Maui is an absolutely beautiful island. The beaches are stunning, the food is incredible and The Road To Hana is definitely a must do bucket list adventure.
We spent a few nights in Maui and a few nights in Kauai and loved every second of our trip!
Ka’anapali Beach
Quick Guide to Maui:
Overall vibe: tropical paradise with beautiful beaches, nice restaurants and sunny weather
How long to stay: 3-5 nights
Where to stay: Kaanapali (beach resort vibes), Lahaina (cute little town) or Paia (laid-back surfer town close to the start of the Road to Hana).
Getting around: rent a car (especially for the Road to Hana)
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Near Black Sand Beach
How long to stay in Maui:
I’d recommend 3-5 nights! We only stayed in Maui for 2 nights and we definitely felt a little rushed because The Road to Hana took an entire day. If you’re planning on doing the Road to Hana, I’d allot a whole day for that and then 2-3 more days for exploring the beaches and other parts of the island.
Where to stay in Maui
I’d recommend staying near Kaanapali, Lahaina or Paia. Kaanapali is one of the famous beaches in Maui and it has the quintesential beach resort vibe. Lahaina is a cute little town with restaurants and shops! Paia is a much more laid-back, surfer town close to the start of the Road to Hana.
We stayed at this oceanfront Airbnb a little north of Kaanapali. The views were beautiful and it was a good location for most activities and beaches. It was a little far from The Road to Hana though, so if we went back we’d probably stay in Paia the night before and/or after the Road to Hana just to make the logistics/driving a little easier (and Paia is a really cool town to explore and eat good food).
Here are some other Airbnb options I found for you:
Ka’anapali/A little north:
Luxury Mahana 1bd/2ba-Great Views-Free Park/WiFi
Absolute Beachfront with Million-Dollar Views!
Hoyochi Nikko # 108, Maui Hawaii
UPDATED WATERFRONT Condo with Spectacular Views!
Paia:
Getting around:
I definitely recommend renting a car so you can adventure and see more of the island, especially the Road to Hana. We used National Rental Car and have always had great experiences with them.
Where to eat and drink:
Hula Grill (Instagram: @hulagrillkaanapali): Great seafood restaurant with amazing views of Ka’anapali beach. I recommend doing dinner at sunset and getting the macadamia crusted mahi mahi!
Hula Grill
Vana
Mama’s Fish House (Instagram: @mamasfishhouse): The most AMAZING fresh seafood and views. This restaurant is a must!! It’s a luxurious splurge but so worth it! Make a reservation in advance!
Paia Bay Coffee Bar (Instagram: @paiabaycoffeebar): Cute coffee shop with a great patio. Looks like a good spot for happy hour too!
Paia Bowls (Instagram: @paiabowls): good smoothie bowls! It’s closed as of Nov 2022 since they’re looking for new location but check their website/Instagram for updates!
Paia Bowls
What to do in Maui:
Ka’anapali Beach: This is probably the most famous beach on Maui. It is the definition of a tropical paradise!! The water is so clear.
Ka’anapali Beach
Red Sand Beach (Kaihalulu Beach): A beautiful beach with red sand and mesmerizing blue waters!
The Road to Hana: see below!
Where To Stop On The Road to Hana:
We tend to go with the flow while traveling but the Road To Hana is really something you need to plan out. There’s so much more than what we were able to find below so I’d do your research and make a clear game plan (with a map) of the stops you want to make.
These were our favorite spots and should give you a good starting point of places to stop. I would talk to locals and ask for their favorite spots too - there’s a lot of “secret” spots that aren’t easy to find on the internet or easy to just stumble upon.
Halfway House: A cute little food stand with the best pineapple smoothie and banana bread!
3 Bears Falls (Upper Waikani Falls): This spot has 3 waterfalls right next to each other, hence the name ;)
Black Sand Beach: The sand is literally black!! Definitely worth seeing.
Venus Pool (Waioka Pond): BY FAR THE BEST STOP!!!! It’s a big swimming cove that is fed by the ocean so the waters are a magical blue color and you can cliff jump off the side into the pool!
Wailua Falls: Beautiful, really tall waterfall right off the side of the Road to Hana.
Other things to keep in mind:
It takes a long time to do the entire Road to Hana so start early!! I’d also highly recommend wearing Tevas and bringing towels to dry off from swimming. There are snacks and places to stop for food along the way but I’d make sure to pack some substantial snacks since there aren’t that many places to get food.
Google Map of All Maui Recommendations
I saved all of my recommendations for you in the map below to make it super easy to get around! Here’s the full link so you can save it: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=10St_mJ7yJPJOWZumYhTQGOf-CNAGwMg&usp=sharing.
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