{"id":18276,"date":"2018-03-21T13:58:43","date_gmt":"2018-03-21T20:58:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.homeyohmy.com\/?p=18276"},"modified":"2018-09-06T19:44:52","modified_gmt":"2018-09-07T02:44:52","slug":"maui-travel-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homeyohmy.com\/maui-travel-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Maui Travel Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Felt like whenever people talked about their trip to Hawaii they’d express how much they want to go back and live there forever because coming back to real life is depressing in comparison.\u00a0 I get it now, and have been wanting to go back since 5 months ago when we visited for the first time for our honeymoon!<\/p>\n

Maui is one of the most beautiful places I’ve visited.\u00a0 Before we arrived, my husband and I joked that we could lay and relax on the beach in LA too and didn’t have to go all the way to Maui to do it, but it really isn’t nearly the same and that attitude totally discounts all the other amazing things to see and eat in Maui c’mon now.\u00a0 While we visited for 5 short days and our primary goal was to lay and do nothing after months of logistical wedding hell (jk it wasn’t that bad) we still squeezed in a lot of sights and had some amazing eats.\u00a0 It proved why we need to make another trip back while leaving plenty to do next time we go.<\/p>\n

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STAY<\/span><\/h1>\n

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We stayed at The Grand Wailea<\/strong> in Wailea for three reasons.\u00a0 1) It’s pretty.\u00a0 2) While some friends recommended staying in Kaanapali for a good first time visit, admitting too that it’s the most touristy area, we anticipated that we’d probably want stay somewhere quieter like Wailea.\u00a0 3) Because of ongoing construction at some of their pools at the time, The Grand Wailea rooms were discounted and we wanted to take advantage of the deal.\u00a0 The pools that were closed didn’t matter that much to us anyway since we knew we’d spend most of our time at the beach.<\/p>\n

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We’d get breakfast at the buffet and go straight to laying on this beach under the umbrellas reading and people watching, cooling off in the water here and there.\u00a0 It was perfect.<\/p>\n

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I want to mention another resort because we fell in love with it when we stopped in for dinner one night.\u00a0 The Andaz Maui<\/strong> is GORGEOUS.\u00a0 Couldn’t get enough of the view and wanted so badly to jump into the infinity pools.\u00a0 It’s modern, the crowd felt younger, and made me want to sit at the bar for a while, which I rarely want to do but here I wanted to.<\/p>\n

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SEE<\/span><\/h1>\n

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Our main event was the Road to Hana<\/strong>.\u00a0 It’s a road winding around the perimeter of the island with tons of scenic stops and it’s like adventuring through a jungle wonderland.\u00a0 I read at one of the stops that the opening scene of Jurassic Park was shot there.\u00a0 Definitely felt at times like we were in Jurassic Park.<\/p>\n

We rented a car and driving ourselves wasn’t as stressful or nearly as scary as some guides online made it sound.\u00a0 The road gets narrow at times but everyone is cautious and driving slow.\u00a0 Starting early in the morning is a good idea to avoid traffic, and research ahead of time which stops you want to visit and the mile markers they’re at.\u00a0 We tried to see it all and though it was all very beautiful, it was exhausting.\u00a0 It ended up being about a 10 hour excursion for us!\u00a0 These were our very favorite stops.<\/p>\n

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Wai’anapanapa State Park (mile marker 32)\u00a0<\/strong>aka Black Sand Beach was worth it alone.\u00a0 I’ve never seen anything like it and could’ve spent the whole time here exploring.\u00a0 The black sand is volcanic rock!\u00a0 Do not skip this beach!!!<\/p>\n

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Coconut Glen’s (mile marked 27 1\/2)<\/strong>– organic vegan ice cream shop, perfect place to stop and take a break.\u00a0 Delicious and unique flavors.\u00a0 We got the green dragon and chocolate macademia nut.<\/p>\n

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Koki Beach (mile marker 51)<\/strong>– I could’ve stayed here all day too.\u00a0 \u00a0Scenic all around and 360 beautiful views, calm and peaceful.\u00a0 There were teeny tiny crabs crawling in and out of holes in the sand, at first terrifying but then fun to watch.<\/p>\n

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Truthfully, the best part of Koki Beach was this dog.\u00a0 We followed him around and fantasized about adopting him and naming him Koki.\u00a0 He was wild and carefree and in a way you could say we envied him haha.\u00a0 He entered a small opening in this fence and played with the cows which I enjoyed too much.\u00a0 And look at that view in the back!!<\/p>\n

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Banana bread<\/strong>– We got this on a whim at a stop only to find out later via Instagram DM from a helpful follower that banana bread is a thing on the Road to Hana and there are several places to get it.\u00a0 Supposedly one of them is the best and original one and has chocolate chips.\u00a0 This was not that one, but still SO good.\u00a0 I think we got it at Twin Falls, mile marker 2.\u00a0 Hot, buttery, satisfying, I’d be down to just go try all the different banana breads.<\/p>\n

We turned around after ‘Ohe’ o Gulch (seven pools) and drove the same road back, which is a lot of why the excursion took so long.\u00a0 The road does continue but it turns into a dirt road and we were warned that it’s unsafe and just better to turn around.<\/p>\n

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Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm<\/strong>– I LOVED it here for the sprawling views.\u00a0 We were so high up it felt like we were in the clouds.\u00a0 Unfortunately the rows of purple lavender at the top of the hill weren’t in season, but it was still so beautiful to walk through the farm and take in the sights.<\/p>\n

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We stopped in the shop to try the lavender tea and lavender scone which were even better than expected.\u00a0 We almost didn’t get the scone but had a feeling and turned back to order it after we got the tea.\u00a0 The scone is toasted and there’s honey, lilikoi jelly, and butter to slather all over it.\u00a0 It’s a must if you visit the farm.<\/p>\n

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Makawao<\/strong>–\u00a0passed through this eclectic small town and it is so adorable.\u00a0 Cute shops and stores you can visit in an afternoon.\u00a0 Particularly liked Driftwood (photo above).<\/p>\n

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EAT<\/span><\/h1>\n

Already mentioned a few eats, and here’s some more of what we loved.<\/p>\n

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Since we left off at Makawao, Sip Me<\/strong> coffee was a great stop in that town.\u00a0 Sat here for a while and enjoyed the rest.<\/p>\n

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While we’re still in Makawao, T. Komoda Bakery\u00a0<\/strong>I heard was a must visit.\u00a0 Got the famous glazed stick donuts which were indulgent but so worth it.\u00a0 Took it over to Sip Me to eat with coffee.<\/p>\n

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Akamai Coffee-<\/strong> If you didn’t know already, I have a thing for coffee shops and always like to explore new areas through them.\u00a0 The coffee here is GOOD.\u00a0 We got the Hawaiian Latte and Churro Latte, then talked to the barista about what beans to get because we really wanted to take a bag home.\u00a0 Went with the mocha and brewed them for weeks at home after we got back, the perfect souvenir.<\/p>\n

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Coconut’s Fish Cafe<\/strong>– Our first meal of the trip and it hit the spot.\u00a0 Delicious no frills fish tacos and fish and chips.\u00a0 Fish and chips is probably one of our favorite meals.<\/p>\n

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Ka’Ana Kitchen<\/strong>– At The Andaz, dinner here was a highlight of the trip.\u00a0 We asked the waiter if he ever felt jaded by the view and he said no it’s amazing every time.\u00a0 Dining at sunset was the best idea and I’d do it exactly the same way again.<\/p>\n

Mama’s Fish House<\/strong>– Almost everyone we talked to about Maui said we had to eat here.\u00a0 Clearly a famous spot and best to get a reservation ahead of time.\u00a0 I got the lobster stuffed macademia crusted ahi which was good, but O’s monchong was even better.\u00a0 It was on the list of their fresh catches of the day and I think it’s generally a pretty good idea to always order from that list, and pick something local to the area that you can’t get anywhere else (the waiter will talk you through it).<\/p>\n

Matteo’s Osteria<\/strong>– Italian restaurant recommended by a follower on IG (thank you!)\u00a0 I still think about the black ink fettuccine.\u00a0 Everything we had was dope.<\/p>\n

Monkeypod Kitchen<\/strong>– This is a popular spot!\u00a0 Didn’t anticipate it would be so busy and ended up waiting almost an hour, so make a reservation.\u00a0 Heard they had the best Mai Tais, which we are not into Ma Tais, but these were seriously good.\u00a0 All about that honey-lilikoi foam.\u00a0 I’d say even better though was the strawberry cheesecake pie, I’d come back just for that.<\/p>\n

Ululani’s Shaved Ice<\/strong>– I wondered what could be so good about shaved ice and syrup, but this place blew me away.\u00a0 The flavors are so clean and pure and the ice is so fine.\u00a0 One of the most memorable things I’ve ever eaten.\u00a0 We tried banana, mango, and pineapple, and I immediately wanted to order a second one.\u00a0 Get it with mochi!<\/p>\n

Wow Wow Hawaiian Lemonade<\/strong>– So fresh and so many unique flavors.\u00a0 The adorable mason jars are totally Instagram bait.\u00a0 They ran out of them when we went :(<\/p>\n

Kihei Caffe<\/strong>– We like trying local greasy spoon diners for breakfast.\u00a0 The pork fried rice and egg was bomb and kept us full almost all day, which was good to have before The Road to Hana.<\/p>\n

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Things we wanted to do but didn’t get to:<\/p>\n

Old Lahaina Luau- <\/strong>Never been to a Luau and would really like to go to one.\u00a0 Heard this is one of the best ones.\u00a0 Poor planning on my part and didn’t make a reservation far enough in advance.<\/p>\n

Haleakala Sunset-\u00a0<\/strong>Waking up super early to make the trek to see the sunrise at Haleakala wasn’t appealing, so we were aiming for sunset but since it was gloomy much of our time in Maui, we were afraid we’d go all the way out there and not see much because of the clouds.\u00a0 Saving this for next time.<\/p>\n

As always, if you have other recommendations and favorite spots, leave them below!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Felt like whenever people talked about their trip to Hawaii they’d express how much they want to go back and live there forever because coming back to real life is depressing in comparison.\u00a0 I get it now, and have been wanting to go back since 5 months ago when we visited for the first time … Continue reading “Maui Travel Guide”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[521],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homeyohmy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homeyohmy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homeyohmy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homeyohmy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homeyohmy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18276"}],"version-history":[{"count":49,"href":"https:\/\/www.homeyohmy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20546,"href":"https:\/\/www.homeyohmy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18276\/revisions\/20546"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homeyohmy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homeyohmy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homeyohmy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homeyohmy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}