The first stop on our 2015 Hawaii vacation was actually the island of Maui. We only spent two days on Maui, but still had a great time. If we could go back to Hawaii, Maui would be on the top of the list. There are many things we didn’t get the chance to do (like the Road to Hana), so hopefully we will make it back eventually.
We flew Delta most of the way. There were no flights directly to Maui from Salt Lake City (where we had our layover from Atlanta), so we had to land in Oahu first and then fly Hawaiian Airlines into Maui. The entire flight time from Atlanta to Maui took almost an entire day, but we had in-flight movies to keep us company. We often have trouble sleeping on planes. The same cannot be said for our friends.
Once we arrived, we promptly ate dinner and headed to our hotel for some shut eye.
Accommodations
We stayed at the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel while in Maui. The view from our room was spectacular and it was only a short walk down to the beach (through the outdoor bar and pool area).
The beaches were amazing (the very kind you probably think of when you imagine Hawaiian beaches). We sat for a few hours on our first day just watching the waves crash up onto the shore.
Our hotel gave us breakfast vouchers to use both days. They had a nice breakfast buffet with a good selection.
One slightly irritating thing about our hotel was that you weren’t allowed to walk through the lobby in your swimsuit. It wasn’t a huge deal (we all had cover ups) but, from our room, you had to walk through the lobby to get to the beach and the pool. We had to make sure we covered up before returning to the hotel and that we were dry before walking through the lobby.
Food
We arrived in Maui around 11:00 p.m. Georgia time so all we really wanted to do was eat and go to bed. Just a short stroll down the beach walk from our hotel was a shopping center. There were several restaurants to choose from and we decided on Leilani’s On the Beach.
Mal: This is where I discovered the mistake of not bringing a light jacket. It gets a bit chilly after sunset, especially when you’re eating right on the beach. We ate outside and were able to listen to the waves crashing on the shore during dinner. I had the spicy fish tacos. They were, unsurprisingly, very spicy but tasted great. I forget exactly what kind of fish this was but it was lighter and not super fishy, which is what I prefer in my fish.
Courtney: I had the Kalbi grilled chicken plate which came with rice and macaroni salad. The chicken was a lot like teriyaki chicken and the macaroni salad was fantastic. On the whole, this was a good place. In general, to get this out of the way upfront, everything costs more on vacation, so prices are going to be higher than normal.
We also had the Coconut Grove frozen cocktail. It is a delicious blend of vodka, macadamia nut liqueur, pineapple and coconut juices, with a splash of raspberry on top.
On our second, and last, night in Maui, we ate at Kimos. It was located in a strip of stores (Front Street) so while we were waiting for our table, we were able to do a bit of shopping.
Mal: I had the Mahi Mahi baked Kimo’s style (roasted garlic, lemon and basil) with rice and veggies. It was very good. I’m not a big fish eater but I wanted to try a few different kinds while in Hawaii. This one did not disappoint.
Courtney: I had the rosemary roasted chicken (I don’t eat seafood, probably should have pointed that out earlier) that was stuffed with goat cheese and served over polenta with a side of roasted veggies. It was sooooo good. The goat cheese added the prefect tart blend to offset the rosemary and the polenta was creamy and delicious. For those of you who haven’t tried polenta, it is sort of fancy, extra creamy grits. I don’t put milk in my grits, but maybe I should try it…naw probably not.
We both had the lava flow cocktail. It’s a Pina Colada mixed with strawberries. It was good, though Pina Coladas are not either of our usual drinks of choice.
Activities
Our main activity on Maui was snorkeling. We climbed aboard the Pride of Maui for the Molokini and Turtle Town Snorkel adventure. They took us for a ride through the beautiful blue ocean before settling near the shore for snorkeling.
The water was a bit murky that particular day due to the tide but we were still able to see the coral. We also didn’t get to go to the Molokini Crater (it wasn’t cleared that day or something) so we swam once more after lunch in the same spot as the morning.
Mal: I had never been snorkeling before so I wasn’t sure I’d be very good at it, but it was actually pretty easy. It didn’t take any of us long to get the hang of it. They also had flotation devices for people to use if they weren’t strong swimmers (like me).
They fed us breakfast (fruit and pastries) and lunch (burgers, pasta salad). They also had an open bar the second half of the trip (Mai Tais for everyone!). The employees were very friendly and helpful! They also mixed some mean Mai Tais 😉
We really enjoyed ourselves and would recommend the Pride of Maui to anyone looking for a snorkeling adventure in Maui.
We also did a little geocaching before we left Maui. If you’ve never tried geocaching, you can learn more about it here.
The views were stunning and the beaches on Maui were certainly bigger than the ones we visited in Honolulu. If you are looking for a less crowded area, and plan to spend a lot of time on the beach itself, we would recommend Maui over Oahu.
Our McTravels 
2 thoughts on “Maui, Hawaii”