Sovna NaikWell, if you are seeking an adventurous getaway or a relaxation paradise you are on the right path. Maui is the one for you, it’s a place where many of your firsts can be check marked. We visited Maui, which is an island in Hawaii during the month of January. We took the flight to Maui from the Big Island which was a short flight during the late afternoon. We got to see Haleakala, Mauna Kea, and Mauna Loa from the flight which was without a doubt spectacular.
After we landed we grabbed an early dinner and headed to the hotel we had booked for the night. From the next day morning, we had planned to officially start our trip.
Day 1
We started our trip early and the first place we went was theʻĪao Valley State Monument, which is located in the Iao Valley. We parked our vehicle and took the Iao Needle lookout trail, which is considerably easy and mostly there are stairs that you will have to take to reach the lookout. The stream that flows by the valley gives a very peaceful vibe, the lush greenery just soothes eyes. Definitely an amazing start to the day.
2. Road to Hana
After that, we officially started to drive through the very famous Hana Highway to Hana. The Road to Hana is not just a drive through the winding and twisted roads with numerous one-lane bridges but mostly about the experience. It’s always about the journey, not the destination when you are in Maui and driving on the Hana highway. Every twist and turn offers something to see. Since it is one of the top attractions in Maui and can be heavily trafficked, keep that in account and plan accordingly so that you get enough time to enjoy the ride. We used Gypsy guide while we were driving to know more information about the place.
The first lookout spot we stopped was Ho’okipa Beach Park, we saw some of the best wave actions here from the viewpoint. Since it was early in the day, there were many surfers surfing. They were surfing so effortlessly, which made me feel as if I should try once at least. (PS: I don’t know how to swim!)
The next place we stopped at was the Garden of Eden Arboretum, it’s a beautiful tropical garden arboretum. It offers beautiful views of the ocean and waterfall. It has a large variety of plants and trees in the garden, I was truly fascinated by the rainbow eucalyptus. Some of the scenes from Jurassic Park were filmed there. Even, peacocks just stroll around the park which felt amazing to watch. It also offers picnic areas in the vicinity of the park where you can spend time with family. The Park is not free, we had to pay a $40 admission fee for two people at the entrance. At the entrance, we got all the information about the park with a map.
After that, we took a detour from Hana highway and went on Keanae Road towards Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread, we were very hopeful of getting banana bread from this popular place but unfortunately, it was closed by the time we reached. So, make sure about the timing if you are around and in case you want to try out banana bread from the place. With a little bit of disappointment, we headed towards Keanae Lookout which is definitely one of the beautiful spots to watch the waves in action. Later, we made it back on the Hana highway and finally stopped at halfway to Hana. Here we grabbed an ice cream and banana bread, which were both delicious. Thereafter we stopped at many different waterfalls and lookout areas on the way. You can not get enough of the place, it’s literally beautiful.
Finally, we made it to Waiʻānapanapa State Park where we had booked our stay at Waiʻānapanapa State Park Cabins, which was really spacious and practical but have to take essentials for the stay. Since it was approaching sunset we wanted to enjoy it from the Black Sand Beach, which was just a short walk from our cabin. The beach was truly black, waves crashing on the black sand gave a different vibe altogether. We did spend more than an hour on the beach and finally called it a night.
Day 2
1. Pipiwai Trail
We started our day early because it was a hike day for us. We went to Kīpahulu Visitor Center, parked our car and gathered all the needed information, and finally took the Waimoku Falls via Pipiwai Trail. It’s approximately 3.8 miles out and back trail and by far one of the most beautiful trails I have walked on. It was a bit slippery towards the end but I managed it somehow, It was not that muddy the way I had expected. It offers great views of the waterfalls, a huge gigantic banyan tree, and the most enchanting of all the bamboo forest. The bamboo forest was without a doubt the star of the hike and the boardwalk gave a different experience in the forest. Finally, the trail opens up to Waimoku falls which looked so amazing and breathtaking.
After the hike, we made our way towards the cabin but took a few stops in between. Koki Beach Park was one of those, it was a totally different beach with a hint of red soil/sand on the beach. Later we checked out of the cabin and headed to grab lunch near Hāna Bay Beach Park and finally made it towards Paia Inn where we had booked our stay for the night. We did catch the sunset from Ho’okipa Lookout, where we had stopped the day earlier. It felt amazing to watch those high waves crashing onto the shore.
Day 3
We checked out of the hotel way too early in the morning at around 3:30 am or so because we had to catch the sunrise from the Haleakala Summit. We were lucky enough to get the permit to enter the national park for the sunrise. It was one of our bucket list things to do and is worth it. Getting to see the sunrise approximately 10,000 feet above sea level is just surreal. When the sun started to pop up, there were chants that people sang which were truly captivating. The vibe at the top is something different and positive. One thing I will highly recommend carrying is warm clothes, trust me it is cold up there and can be windy as well. You will feel cold in your bones so make sure to wear proper jackets and prepare yourself for it. After the sunrise we went ahead to the top, where the observatory is located and did spend some time. And, at the top we got to see the official state bird of hawaii, Nene. We took a small walk on the sliding sands trail. It felt very complete up there. Definitely, a must-visit place when in Maui, even though you don’t have the permit for sunrise do visit it.
Later after lunch, we went to Nakalele Blowhole but took many random stops in between to soak in the amazing views of the island. We were literally tired and did not go all the way down near the blowhole but was clearly visible from up so we decided to stay back sit and relax, meanwhile we got to see humpback whales from the top(which was in our itinerary for the next day). Finally, we made it back to the Kahana Villa where we had booked our stay which is very close to the beach. We did spend the golden hour on the beach and both the island Moloka‘i and Lanai were distinctly visible from the beach.
Day 4
1. Whale watching
We were very much looking forward to Humpback Whale watching that we had scheduled early in the morning. It was definitely a unique and fun experience. We were lucky enough to witness many Breaches, Fluke Up Dives, Pec Slaps, and Blows. Definitely a must-do activity during whale watching season. During the time of our visit, whales were everywhere. The best part was, you could easily identify them from beaches as well.
2. Lahaina
After the activity, we went back to our stay and started our day again strolling around Lahaina. Had lunch at one of the food trucks and it was really good, don’t forget to have shaved ice or ice cream when you are in Hawaii.
3. Kaanapali Beach
In the evening we had planned to enjoy the sunset from the very famous Kaanapali Beach. It was truly blissful and serene, there are many restaurants with music playing just adding to the beautiful vibe a lot more in a way. And don’t be amazed if you get a glimpse of the rainbow. Had dinner at Monkeypod Kitchen and finally called it a night.
The next day morning we started driving towards the airport but we did make many stops in between to take in the views as much as we can, randomly saw many whales blowing, some breaching as well. It has definitely ignited a spark for whale watching within us.
That’s mostly it for our trip to Maui, we had an amazing time there.
