It might be cliche to go to Hawaii for your honey moon, but here are a few reasons my husband and I chose to go to Maui for our honeymoon.
1. We spoke the language
2. We could use our cell phones without extra charge
3. We could drink the water
I know those don't make us sound very adventurous, but after a busy wedding weekend, we didn't want the added stress of trying to read street signs or talk to people and we didn't want to risk accidentally getting sick on our honeymoon by getting poisoned by the water ruining our honeymoon so we went with Maui and boy are we glad we did!
I'll give you a quick run down of our trip and things we suggest you try out!
We stayed 7 nights - 3 nights at an Airbnb in Lahaina, 1 night in Hana, and 3 nights in Kihei.
The airbnb we stayed at in Lahaina was awesome. The host baked breakfast every morning and in the evenings there was a different specialty beverage at night and a homemade baked treat. The airbnb also had surf boards, paddleboards, bikes and snorkeling gear to borrow.
A great spot to snorkel when in Lahaina is about a 45 minute drive north to Honolua Bay - a lot of boats go here - you park off the road and walk through a short jungle open path to the bay. We saw a lot of different fish! We highly recommend stopping at a store and picking up pool noodles to snorkel with - you don't get so tired that way and you can stay out snorkeling longer!
You don't want to miss the big banyan tree in Lahaina town center. There is also a great beach called Baby Beach to place chairs in the ocean as it is so shallow and just watch the sunset set.
For dinner in Lahaina, we highly recommend a restaurant called Aloha Mixed Plate - be sure to make a reservation and ask to be seated at a table closest to the water. We looked at what time sunset was and we reserved a table then - we had an amazing view of the sunset while we dined and the prices are SO reasonable. So much so that we ever ordered dessert and if you knew us that is a big deal.
A chain in Maui called the Paia Fish Market is also a great place to eat. They have so many different types of fish and you can get them in so many different ways. I liked the quesadilla, but my husband got his with a lemon butter sauce and holy cow (or should I say fish) it was delish!
The biggest and best piece of advice I can give to you is download the GyPSy App - do it for the whole island of Maui - not just the road to Hana. It downloads into your phone so you don't use data when you are on it. As you drive around the island, it gives you facts, history and tells you great places to stop. Highly recommend.
While staying in Lahaina, we adventured to the IOA Valley - the GyPSy app gave us some interesting history on the bloody past of that area. This area on the Island gets the most rainfall and is so lush. Definitely worth a trip there.
After the three days in Lahaina, we did the Road to Hana - there are a lot of great articles on where to stop and what to see. There are lots of waterfalls where you can swim - the water is cold. If you get car sick, definitely take some medicine.
In Hana there is not that much to see but beyond it at the Haleakala National Park Kipahulu Section - the seven sacred pools and the beautiful hike through the bamboo forest. Highly recommend doing that.
We took a trip up to the summit of Haleakala - it was pretty darn cold at the top - so pack correctly. We hiked down into the cone of the volcano - let me tell you the walk up was so awful that we would never do the hike down again - definitely wasn't something we should have done! Also make sure to get up there earlier in the day - we got there around 3 PM and all the visitors centers were already closed so that was a bummer. The view from the top was gorgeous - the clouds were moving in and out. Highly recommend a trip up there.
Our last three days were spent in Kihei at a delightful bed and breakfast called the Pineapple Inn Maui. It was quite reasonable $150 per night plus tax. They had a beautiful salt water pool and hot tub that faced right in the direction of the sunset. Makena Bay is home to a ton of turtles - so make sure to go snorkeling there - you are almost guaranteed to see a turtle!
The best place to eat in Kihei is the South Maui Fish Company - they get fresh fish in the morning and then cook it up and once the fish is gone then they close for the day - they sell out almost everyday. The fish tacos are soooo good! It is a small red food trailer - but don't let that put you off- it is delicious. We still talk about it to this day.
One activity we did was the Mermaid Adventures - where you put on a mermaid tail and take a swim. Our mermaid guide was fantastic and we were able to get some neat photos and see some great sea life.
The last day of our trip was spent on Little Beach - which is a nude beach in Kihei - it is located off the side of Big Beach - you have to climb over a Cinder Cone to get to it - but it is very peaceful (no kids) and you can suntan in your birthday suit. You don't have to be naked if you don't want to, but most everyone is. We were adventurous and it was pretty freeing - i'll spare you the photos. On Sundays, there is a big fire festival on that beach!
We loved our time in Maui and would totally go back in there weren't so many other places to explore. Maybe one day we will get back there. Feel free to leave any questions and I'll be happy to answer.
One more food - make sure to get some Shaved Ice!
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