Travel Guide To Maui - What To Do, Where To Eat & More

ALOHA!

From: Maui, Hawaii!

Travel Guide to Maui!

I am back from paradise and as much as I miss the stunning beach views and sunsets, I always love getting back home.

Maui is absolutely beautiful!

Between the sunrises and sunsets, white sand beaches and the crystal blue water… I kept pinching myself and saying “Wow, I’m so grateful I get to see breathtaking places like this.”

Whether you want to relax and do nothing or get out and be adventurous … Maui offers it all.

After all you are on a secluded island. You can just unplug, lay on the beach, eat 1… or 10 shaved ices or you can take up surfing, hike to a waterfall or drive the crazy road to Hana.

We stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel in Maui and it was one of the most relaxing and beautiful places I have ever stayed at. The staff was beyond accommodating and sweet. It was only steps away from the beach and there are many pools to splash in. They have three major restaurants on property; one of which provides breakfast and dinner.

Duo had the best breakfast buffet with every food option you could imagine and if you have any food allergy (dairy, gluten, etc.) they are happy to cater to your needs.

With so much to offer, I highly suggest planning ahead and really figuring out the kind of trip you want to have before arriving. The one thing I would do differently is stay longer. Maui is far to travel and you basically loose most of your day there and back so being considerate of your time is important.

4 days wasn’t long enough.

We left early Friday morning and returned late Monday afternoon, however with a 30 min or longer drive to and from the airport, calculating renting a car, returning a car we had about 2 full days on the island and that wasn’t enough time. Maui is a very relaxed town so not rushing around is very much a vibe that I wish I could have felt more!! We wanted to fit as much in on the days while also trying to just enjoy the beach, pool and sun that the time flew by, so I highly recommend trying to stay longer :].

My Maui Travel Guide

Where to Stay:

Where to Eat:

Four Seasons Maui:

Spago (Hawaiian/California cuisine)
Ferraros (Italian cuisine)
Duo (steak and seafood and breakfast buffet)

Mama’s Fish House

The Mill House (Great outdoor dining/views)

The Sea House

Dukes Beach House (best pancakes)

Monkeypod kitchen: (lots of recommendations to go for the best Mai Tais but I don’t drink so we skipped this place)

…and many more

What to Do in Maui:

Tropical Plantation Tour
Lavender Farm
Maui Pineapple Tour
Bike tour down a dormant volcano
Hiking tours
Horseback riding
Helicopter rides
Sunset Sails
Whale Watching (seasonal): Whale watching season is typically Dec-to Beginning of May, so we had just missed it as we went to toward the end of May. Peak season around February.
Hotel Amenities: Snorkeling, Canoeing, flower crown or Lei making, jet skiing, Surf lessons, paddle board, scuba diving, etc. *(check with your hotel before arrival and ask for a list of what they offer. Every hotel offers different things. Our hotel didn’t have Luaus so we would have had to head over to a different hotel that night.
Luaus
Road to Hana (by car, by tour guide, or in the air by helicopter)

The Road to Hana by car there and back for the full experience is around 7 hours. Once you start the road you can go as far as you want, you don’t have to do the full road. We did about half the road and with time to get there and time to get back we were gone for about 5 hours!
The Road is a little scary in the sense it is one way and with turns around every corner you have got to be careful driving through. Also bring anti-nausea medicine if you get nauseous or ask your hotel for ginger chews to settle your stomach.
Pack snacks and water

Hawaii has a lot of activities to offer!

I think It is important to know all the details before booking so you can plan your days and budget your trip. Each activity can get pretty pricey per person.

We stayed at the Four Seasons Maui but a lot of the recommended activities are about 30 minutes to an hour away, so it is important to add that time into your schedule to help plan your day.

The day we decided to drive the Road to Hana, I thought it would be fun to also explore the Lavender Farm. But the Lavender Farm is about one hour in the opposite direction of Hana so logistically that wouldn’t have worked that day as Hana takes up most of your day.

What to Pack:

Maui is pretty hot and humid in May. I would recommend packing plenty of light, loose-fitting clothes that are breathable. We lucked out with no cloudy or rainy weather, which isn’t typically the case, so I was grateful for that! I packed a lot more than I needed, so now after going I feel like I can give you babes a better guide to what to pack! I never ended up wearing any of my high heels or wedges. Also, I packed more because I was trying to get plenty of outfit shots, however what I packed, rolled nicely that you can really fit a lot and it gives you plenty of room for everything. If you are there longer than four days, you may want to pack a few more items and may need more than a carry on.

Here is what I think you would need for four days:

Items:

2 swimsuits
1 swim cover up
2 pairs of shorts
2 tops
1 workout or hiking/ explore outfit (if you plan to do that)
2 casual dress
3 or 4 pairs of shoes: sneakers, flip fops or slides, espadrilles and one pair of heels (I wore a short kitten heel). You can eliminate any of the shoes you don’t have an activity for.
1 or 2 hats. Hats can be stacked so they don’t take up much room in your suitcase. If you want to bring 1 hat and wear it on the plane that would help so you can also have more room for just a carry on.
3 bags: 1 beach bag and 1 dinner bag, explore bag (a backpack or a belt bag is perfect)
3 dinner outfits: easy items, maxi dresses, mini dresses, jumpsuits, rompers.

Extras:

Make up
Curler/flat iron: only if you want to use it. I sometimes like a good beachy natural hair look and to be honest the humidity messes with your hair anyways. We spent 20 min curling and straightening are hair daily it fell flat the second we stepped outside. So you could leave the irons at home and save more room!
2 pairs of Sunglasses
2 Plastic Bags: to bring home dirty/wet suits and shorts in
Cash: places like fruit or coconut stands only take cash. Also for tipping!
Sunscreen: it is expensive in Hawaii so pack your own. If you are bringing only a carry on make sure it is 3.0 ounces or less, you can bring multiple of that size.
Portable Steamer