One year later we’re back in Hawaii.

After 2 days in rainy and cold San Francisco (our stopover), we continued our annual family trip, aka the only time my brother gets time off as a resident, into Kahului, Maui. Our flight was a bumpy ride with lots of turbulence - the flight attendants say this is seasonal but one of the worst they’ve experienced as well. We were greeted with the warm and slightly humid temperature as soon as we exited the gate, and headed to the parking lot to pick up our Turo rental for the week. This is our second time using Turo (with the first also in Hawaii), and while we skip out on the pretty tram ride that takes you to airport car rentals, we saved so much time and got to change out of our winter clothes into more appropriate summer clothing, and headed straight to the Costco parking lot food truck area for lunch.

Food Truck for LuncH + COSTCO

This food truck lot has no specific name but I’ll call it the Costco food truck lot since it’s right next to the Costco in Kahului. It was just a 3 min drive from the airport so it’s perfect for a quick first meal (or a last meal before you leave). We opted for Thai Mee Up, a food truck opened by a sous chef from Mama’s Fish House which we’ll visit later during the trip. The drunken noodles were fire and so was the coconut shrimp. We got some sugary drinks from another truck to hydrate ourselves in the hot temperature, and then made sure to stop by Costco to stock up for our stay.

I already love Costco as it is, but Costco in Hawaii is like another level. It’s got everything you need plus more. You need a portable shower? Costco’s got you! We stocked up on the essentials, Hawaiian snacks and more quick dry towels before heading to our Airbnb, located in Kihei.

Wailea Beach

We wasted no time and headed straight for the closet beach after dropping off our bags and Costco haul at the airbnb. Wailea Beach is just a 8 min drive away and we spent the late afternoon at the beach.

Coconut’s Fish Cafe

For dinner we headed to Coconut’s Fish Cafe in Kihei. It’s a fast casual restaurant with surf board style tables where you order at the counter and seat yourself. We sampled the ahi tuna, fish tacos and other dishes, all were pretty decent though my favorite wasn’t their famous fish tacos but the alfredo shrimp pasta?

We spotted a general store (of course it’s another ABC chain) and made a quick stop before heading back to the airbnb to rest after a long day. Nothing better than jumping into the shower and going to bed at 8:30PM when you’re jetlagged.

Water Bike Tour in Makena

Our first activity of the morning after a great night’s sleep was the water bike tour in Makena with Surf Cycling Hawaii. Mom and dad didn’t join us for this part so it was just the 3 of us, along with 2 other guests. The father and son duo Ed and Alkai met us in Makena Landing, we got our life jacket fitting, went through safety instructions, got the seats adjusted and off we go! Like kayaking, the hardest part was taking off from the rocky beach (I kept losing my flip flop and ended up just biking barefoot which was totally fine). Once we were in the ocean it was smooth sailing from there and it was probably the chillest water activity I have done.

(Photo quality here is not consistent because I can’t figure out how to take a good photo with the waterproof case on, so there are some better ones taken by me and my siblings while risking dropping our phones into the ocean…)

As we biked south, Alkai our guide gave us a history of the area, pointing out Turtle town, the surrounding islands and marine protected area, and where the humpback whales might be spotted. Whale season in Maui is officially December 15 through May 15, and while there are other boat tours that go further towards Kaho'olawe Island Reserve, any movements or sounds will likely scare them away. We didn’t spot any humpback whales during our tour, but Alkai gave us tips on seeing fish up close when snorkeling (sprinkling sand or clacking rocks), and dived down to pick up some sea urchin, a pillow starfish, and 2 red pencil sea urchins for us to hold up close. The hardest part of the tour comes when we were trying to “parallel park” against each other to pass the starfish and sea urchins amongst the group… Nonetheless the red pencil sea urchin was definitely the coolest thing I have seen! To help with the population of the red pencil sea urchin, we kept the 2 sea urchins with us a little longer as we head back north before dropping them back into the water. It would take them forever to move that far on their own! This was a great 2 hours spent out on the sea.

Paia + Mama’s Fish House

Around noon time we headed north to the town of Paia and stopped at Paia Fish Market to try their fish and shrimp tacos. In my option this was much better than the fish tacos we had yesterday but I stopped myself from ordering more since we have a late lunch reservation coming up. We did a little bit of walking around the area and some window shopping before continuing the drive to our next stop in Paia - Mama’s Fish House.

This restaurant is probably the #1 most recommended restaurant in all of Maui and it’s incredibly difficult to get a reservation for. It gets booked out months in advance and even with the Open Table alerts I feel like I am fighting against a bot because nothing would be available even if I try clicking on the booking immediately when the alerts are sent. The staff is very helpful as well and you can leave your number with them for them to call you with last minute cancellations. We got very lucky and my sister was able to secure a reservation for our family about 2 weeks before the trip.

Okay back to the restaurant and our meal. Once you pass the main entrance you’ll see Mama’s own private beach with palm trees and shallow waters on the right. We even saw a sea turtle in the distance while waiting for our table to be ready. To the left is the open and airy Polynesian dining area, where one can look out to the beach and ocean front.

We ordered the ceviche, octopus and crab cakes to start, and 3 mains - the mahi mahi with lobster, ono with sesame rice, and a mahi curry. We even added on two prawns and everything was amazing! It was my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary, the restaurant prepared a card and we got even more desserts to share. One of them was the Polynesian Black Pearl that was way too pretty to eat.

After our amazing lunch we spent some time chilling by Mama’s beach.

Kaulahao Beach and Baldwin Beach Park

On our way back to Kihei we stopped by Kaulahao Beach and spotted some sea turtles sunbathing! We watched one little guy slowly make its way from the beach back to the water.

Did you know green sea turtles are the only sea turtles recorded basking and Hawaii is the only place in the world where green sea turtles sunbathe on the shore regularly? Scientists believe this is a trait evolved overtime due to how they have been protected on the islands. Remember to stay 10 feet away to protect you and the animal!

Baldwin Beach Park is another beach we stopped by on our way - much bigger than Kaulahao Beach but we didn’t walk all the way to the end of the beach for the sea turtles and instead enjoyed the little stroll on the beach as the sun comes down. For dinner we picked up sushi from Miso Phat Sushi (what a name!) and enjoyed a night in as we have a super early start!

Haleakalā National Park

It’s our earliest start yet on the trip with a morning call at 3:15AM. Haleakalā National Park is home to Maui's highest peak at 10,023 (3,005 m) feet above sea level. Sunrise at the park summit requires advance reservation and there are two options: either book in 2 months in advance or 2 days in advance at 7AM HST. We didn’t plan that far in advance so had to solicit some help as we were on a flight when the reservations opened. The drive from Kihei to Haleakalā took about 1.5 hours, and while it was still dark by the time we arrived, there were cars lining up at the park entrance already.

I have always wanted to get up early, climb a mountain and view the first ray of sun shining over greenery, and I am so excited that I got to do it here in Hawaii with my family! I thought I was prepared for the much colder temperature at the summit (the forecast said low 40s) but the wind chill made it feel like it was below freezing. We waited patiently with others in the cold and gusting winds - winds so strong I thought I was going to get blown away. No camera stand would have withheld this wind anyway and I tried hard to keep my hand still for the time lapse. The duration of the sunrise was much faster than I anticipated but it was truly a magical moment.

The crowds dispersed quickly (probably too cold to be standing out in the open space for long periods of time anyway) and we went back to the car to warm up and eat our breakfast.

From the sunrise viewpoint we did a 0.5 mile out-and-back Pa Ka’oao Trail hike for the views. The trail starts from the Haleakalā Visitor Center and really only takes 20 mins to complete (still steep!), but it is super super windy so our group was the only group on this short hike. The summit offers a 360 degree views of the crater so it’s worth braving the winds!

From the Haleakalā Visitor Center we did a short drive up to Pu'u Ula'ula (Red Hill) which is the highest point of the park at 10,023 ft elevation. There are silverword plants surrounding the area - an endangered species that only flower once in its lifetime before it dies. They can survive the harsh conditions up on the mountain at this elevation and live for up to 50 years. The plant looks normal like any other bush to withstand high winds for majority of its lifetime but when it flowers it grows much taller and its 50,000 seeds get dispersed into the wind.

The Kalahaku Overlook offers a volcanic panorama of the area and standing there looking over the landscape really makes you feel like you’re on another planet. The only sound you’ll likely hear is the strong gusting winds, and all you see beneath you are the cinder cones formed from fountaining eruptions of lava, reminding you the geologic activities that must have taken place long before on this seemingly motionless land.

Down at the other end of the overlook, you can see the majority of Maui. The West Maui Mountains in the far distance, and Kihei, farmland and Kahului in the lowlands. We’re so high up that it looks like the clouds are just forming a circle around the West Maui Mountains like a floaty. Our drive back down and out of the park will continue to offer this amazing view of the landscape, which was very different that the drive in the dark up the roads before sunrise.

West Maui

The drive from the outlook in the park to the Gazebo Restaurant in West Maui took a solid two hours, but because we started our day so early it was only 10:30AM. The restaurant was already very busy with a long line out the door, so we decided to order takeout and bring them to a beach for our brunch. We got their most famous menu item - the mac nut pancakes and other brunch items to go, then drove to a nearby beach - Napali Bay. The sun was so strong that I had to move with the shadow of the palm trees to stay in the shade.

We had a lunch reservation at Star Noodles but the food was just so-so compared to other places we tried in Maui. Because of the earlier start to the day we took it easy for the rest of the afternoon, stopping by a beach park, and headed to Leoda's Kitchen and Pie Shop for some pies. We sampled the pineapple mac nut, banana cream, coconut cream and apple crumb and ordered more to take home. Before heading back to Kihei we stopped by Tin Roof for some spicy ahi bowl and mochiko chicken as our dinner.

In the evening we walked to the park near our airbnb and watch the sunset on the grass. It was cool to see both the sunrise and the sunset on the same day.

Road to Hana

Day 4 of our Maui trip and it was time for Road to Hana. Our morning call was at 6AM for a 7AM departure, as we planned out the whole drive to make sure we can hit the spots we wanted within the day. Was I stressed out about this part of the trip? Absolutely. We had a hour by hour plan with mile markers of the Road to Hana. Would I do it again? Absolutely.

My brother kicked off the drive, getting through some narrow windy roads, and we made it to our first stop to Auntie Sandy’s, a famous vegan banana bread place that opens at 8:30AM (yes, we planned the start time of the trip with the store opening time, and decided to skip on Twin Falls and Garden of Eden). The bread mini loaf was served warm, and definitely one of the best vegan treats I’ve had. We wasted no time and continued our drive, to mile marker 22, for Pua'a ka'a State Wayside Park for a pit stop. It’s got a bathroom, a swimming pool area with a small waterfall, and cats in the area to keep you company.

We continued to mile marker 32 for Waiʻanapanapa State Park, a larger state park which we had to pre-pay and reserve parking for a specific timed entry (again, this adds onto the need to plan hour by hour as we had a tight schedule). The park has an amazing view of the bluest water and sea arches, and features a black sand beach and a lava tube - a cave opening formed by lava. You can duck down and enter the lava tube and come out around the other way. Towards the entrance you’ll find the blowhole when you walk closer to the cliffside. It’s harder to spot as the thunderous sounds depends on the water level and water crashing against the rocks. We spent about an hour here before heading to lunch in Hana.

We had planned to get lunch in Hana but didn’t pick a place and decided on Hana Ranch Restaurant last minute. To my surprise the food was really good and the ahi fish sandwich was amazing. Would recommend.

From Hana we headed to Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach for a little bit of swimming. We’ve done our research and do know that the beach isn’t easily accessible. The instructions to get there is a little bit sketchy too. You park the car near the community center and look for the dead end of the street. Walk towards the dead end and look for the grassy patch on your left. It will look like you’re trespassing (you are) and you follow the path on a little hike down and then up on a sandy walkway, around the water and to the small red sand beach. (I searched on Google maps and it looks like the hike is mapped out on Google now). The hike is very steep and if you’re like me and can’t hike in flip flops it may be a bit of a challenge. Water shoes would probably be a good idea. The little secluded beach is a great spot though - the red sand is more like red rocks, and because the entire bay is surrounded by large rocks, the waves would crash against the rocks and kept the shallow waters by the bay calm. The water temperature was a bit cold but nonetheless I enjoyed a little foot acupuncture massage with the red rocks and taking a little dip.

We only had 45 mins at the beach as we have a big activity at the end of the Road to Hana drive. We quickly changed and hopped back on the car to continue our drive, passing by Wailua Falls, the most photographed waterfall in Maui. We had just enough time to hop off the car to snap a photo before hopping back on, and the roads just weren’t really designed for anyone to stop anyway… We continued to Haleakalā National Park, all the way at the other entrance at the tip of the island, for our Pipiwai Trail hike. Our original planned arrival time was 3PM to give us enough time for the 4 mile out and back hike before sun down, and we got to the park at 3:30PM - not too far behind schedule. The hike has an elevation gain of 900 ft, passing by a large banyan tree - so big you can hang yourself on its trunks, and a huge bamboo forest. That part of the hike was so serene and pretty. At the end of the hike was the Waimoku Falls, not the most impressive waterfall but could just be the low water levels when we were there? As we turned back around and hike back I realize the OFF I had on wasn’t doing much to fend off the mosquitos and I came back with bites everywhere… Time to get a brand new bottle…

I took the wheels and drove back to Kihei from the south-eastern tip of the island, taking the other route around instead of the way we came on the Road to Hana. If you look at the map, there is really only 1 road heading east, passing the town of Kaupo. That entire bottom section of the road around the national park are dirt roads and bumpy turns. The roads are so bad that some rental car companies would not let you take the rental car pass a certain mile marker. It started getting dark, there are cattle passing the roads and no signs of development nearby. Definitely a unique experience and maybe the scariest drive I’ve done? As we got back to into the lowlands we could see the lights in the distance, reminding me of the map I saw from the national park of how the Maui island has developed over the years with the population mainly in the flatlands.

The group was exhausted after a long day on Road to Hana and the park, and by the time we got back to town it was already close to 9PM. We were originally going to pick up some poke fro Island Gourmet but it was closed, so decided on another restaurant instead.

Makawao

Our last full day in Maui and it’s a relaxing day with no early morning call! We started out in the town of Makawao for Komoda Bakery - their donut sticks were bomb!

Then we stopped by The Maui Cookie Lady for some cookies. It’s such a cute store and Da Half Baked, their most popular cookie - features a full Oreo and Reese’s peanut butter cup inside each cookie. I didn’t ask about the calories because just one bite was very filling. We also stopped by a general store for some souvenir shopping and I got some postcards.

Back in PaiA and more shopping in Wailea

We were planning to have our lunch at Tobi’s Poke and Shave Ice, so we make the way from Makawao to Paia again. The pokes were excellent but we though the shave ice were a little bit too sweet.

We did a bit of shopping at the local stores in Paia before heading to The Shops at Wailea for an afternoon of shopping. There is always an ABC store around and we always find ourselves in there. Why are the tote bags they have so cute?! After our shopping spree we went to Island Gourmet for to go poke - we were going to visit yesterday since our water bike tour guide Ed recommended it but it was closed. This time around we stocked up and headed to Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice just before closing time. This shave ice was much smoother ice and toppings - with mac nut ice cream and red bean (I am literally salivating just thinking back to the shave ice we had). We ended our night back at the airbnb with the poke from Island Gourmet and fried musubi from Da Kitchen that we picked up on the way to the post office. Nothing more stress relieving than doing a large load of laundry at the end of your trip so you go home with a suitcase full of clean clothes and souvenirs.

Search for Rotisserie Chicken and last dash

Our very last day in Maui and we PACKED it! Parents were craving rotisserie chicken (they have been talking about it since our last Hawaii trip) so we were on a mission to find some before we depart. We cleaned the car, loaded it up with all our bags and checked out of the airbnb and headed to a rotisserie chicken place we found on Google. It was supposed to open at 9AM but there was no truck in sight, so we drove to the Kihei Swap Meet and found the rotisserie chicken (and ribs too)!

There was no time for judging us having rotisserie chicken at 9AM in the morning because we drove back to Ululani’s to check out their gift shop, and then ended up picking up malasadas from Sugar Beach Bake Shop right next door. Ululani’s wasn’t open yet but otherwise I would have totally gotten more shave ice. Our last dash was the Maui Swap Meet, a large weekend market at the University of Hawaii. We had exactly 30 minutes since we have to return the car at the airport parking lot by 11:30AM. We paid the small entrance fee, split up and split up our time there. Sister picked up some toffee, mom and dad went souvenir shopping, I picked up some local soaps and earrings, and we all met up at the end for some musubi to go and shared a coconut. This part was fun to watch because you finish the coconut juice and they’ll cut open the coconut for you to eat the coconut pieces!

As I mentioned we had a very specific car return time - Turo would charge us for an extra day if we didn’t complete the car return process by 11:30AM. We rushed out off the Maui Swap Meet parking lot, drove over to Costco to refill. That was the fastest I have ever pumped gas I felt like I was on the Amazing Race. With my brother’s great driving, we made it to the parking lot, I jumped off the car to snap the photos to complete the Turo car return right at 11:29AM.

Our journey home was a long one - had an overnight layover in SF that wasn’t quite long enough to justify a night at the hotel so we settled for a few hours at the SF airport. Pro tip: there are some nicer lounge chairs in between the terminals if you’re looking for some peace and quiet for a few hours!

Till next time, Hawaii!

Maui. March 2023