Hanging out in Maui

I've visited Maui twice, the first was multigenerational trip with family and this time with three of my girlfriends! It was 5 days filled with fun, laughter, excitement and relaxation, everything a vacation should be!

Since four of us were traveling, we chose a two bedroom AirBNB to stay. We wanted to have the extra bedroom space as well as a communal space to spend time in. The condo was located in ____ . It was a perfect location for us with the beach being within walking distance. The condo had a nice kitchen, living room and patio balcony. The balcony served as our morning coffee chat location. We were there in January with beautiful weather so we wanted to enjoy the outside as much as possible.

In order to ensure we had enough down town and flexibility, we only preplanned the luau and whale watching tours. We also knew the Road to Hana was a must! The other days we did some site seeing, went to a farmers market and attempted to hike (wrong trail choice on our part).

Spectacular Luau

A visit to any Hawaiian island has to include a luau, especially if its your first time! We decided to attend the Feast at Lele which was right off the water in Lahaina. Upon arrival, we were adorn with beautiful leis. Different from other Luau's which offer a buffet, this one provided a seated dinner. Each course was from a different tribe which was served as performances representing that culture was offered. Drinks were unlimited and provided as you wanted. We ended up with amazing seats right in front of the stage. The luau started right before dusk and ended in the night. The evening was amazing!

Whale watching

What is a visit to Hawaii in January without a whale watching tour?? We did a snorkel with whale watching tour during our stay. We left from Lahaina area and headed up the coast to our snorkel spot. Along our journey up and back our amazing captain she would look for whales and try to get us some closer looks. She did a great job as it was the closest I'd ever been to whales. They are such magnificent creatures!! Seeing a whale with her new born calf was like being in a documentary. She was pushing the calf up to help it breath - simply amazing! When we got to the snorkel spot, we were treated to underwater delights. We had the opportunity to see a turtle and other colorful marine animals. If you are there during whale season, you have to do one of the tours. However, there were so many whales you could see them from the shore at times!

Road to Hana

I know I keep saying this but you can't visit Maui without a drive down the Road to Hana. There are so many hidden gems, waterfalls and stops along the way that if you don't start early enough you won't actually make it to Hana. I am proud to say that we did actually make it to Hana this time (we didn't during our first visit). During our drive along the winding road, we made many stops including Ho'okipa Lookout, Twin Falls, Garden of Eden Arboretum, Halfway to Hana Stand, Upper Waikani Falls, and Hamoa Beach. When we made it to Hana, we enjoyed Thai food from a food truck and relaxed on the beach just down the hill. We did make sure to head back in time for use to clear the road before it got dark!

Let me leave you with one of my favorites parts of our stay on this amazing island...its sunsets...