Maui - Spring Break 2021

Aloha!

After 1 year of lockdown we’ve started to see some sense of normalcy. That includes travel again and living on the west coast means Hawaii is a short 5 hour flight away. Seriously, why did it take us 5 years to do this.

We opted to start spring break early and jetted off to Maui for an extended vacation. 5 days at the Westin in Lahaina and 5 days in Kihei at an AirBNB across from Kamole Beach II.

Hawaii Logistics

Nothing says paradise like landing at an open air airport bathed in sunshine and palm trees. Before leaving Oakland we had to take care of a few logistics. First, covid test. We opted for CityHealth by the Oakland airport. Most was paid by insurance but we got a “Hawaii stamp” for $20 extra. Not fully sure but I think that got us the results on an official Hawaii travel document which made upload and detection by ‘the system’ easier. We made an appointment about 3 weeks ahead of time and went almost exactly 72 hrs before our flight. (Note it’s 72 hrs before final travel leg, so if you aren’t taking a direct flight make sure you check all the rules on the travel Hawaii website. Also check here for other official testing sites). Turns out our tests came back within about 18 hours. The safe travels Hawaii site requires every adult to create an account, add your trip details, upload your negative covid tests (also print and carry), and then 24 hrs before takeoff fill out a health questionnaire. At that point you’ll get a QR code and you definitely want to have this on your phone and printed. I added the kids to my account. Once at the airport, Southwest had a preclear station which allowed us to show our docs and get a clearance wristband. This in turn let us skip the long clearance line once we landed. Which was pretty awesome.

On the way out of the airport we did a few quick stops at Target, Walmart and Costco. When we went Costco only had big adult size boogie boards, and it turned out target only had sand toys, so we had to do the Walmart stop for boogie boards. Fortunately they are all close so total it was only like 45 minutes. I would opt for Walmart first as they had whole rows for boogie boards, snorkel gear, and sand stuff. We brought with us tubes, snorkel gear for all, and a few sand toys and at the store bought a few more sand buckets and body boards. Also we had rash guards for the kids but I wound up getting another long sleeve for each of them as they wore those most. The sun is really intense here so we wound up using SPF 50 vs 25 (our normal).

Westin Maui & Kannapali

Our first half of the trip was spent at the Westin. Lahaina and Kannapali is a great area and the Westin is right next door to Whalers Village and a short walk down the beach to black rock. Overall the resort is very nice and incredibly pricy (you even have to pay to get beach chairs or umbrellas). As resorts go, Cancun is a much better value if you have kids. Now that doesn’t mean we didn’t have a great time, it just means we spent a lot of $$ to do so. I also spent a few early mornings getting up at 5:45 to reserve pool chairs (towels and stuff set on the chair to claim it). They say they will clear your stuff if you leave it for more than 1 hour but I never saw them do that and people stay at their spots for nearly the full day. The days we didn’t get up to reserve pool chairs we just played on the beach first then grabbed a small grass patch by the pool until something opened up. No big deal.

We spent 4 full days here, plus half the first day, lying by the beach, playing in the pool, snorkeling at black rock, and digging in the sand. Max took to the ocean like a fish and enjoyed the waves and playing on the boogie board. He took a few rough tumbles the first few days that resulted in a few tears, but he soon picked it up. I took a few rough spills myself and one bad butt burner. Thank goodness for rash guard shirts. All along the beach there are different spots from the calmest waves to surf-able ones if you’re so inclined. I did want to get Max surf lessons but he was having enough fun on the body boards we didn’t do that. At this point Jesse refused to get in the ocean and even the minimal snorkeling he did at black rock was a 20 minute coax to get him in. The kids used the full face snorkel masks which I got on Amazon before arriving and I brought our own life jackets too.

While we spent time at the beach in front of the hotel, we also drove down to Wahikuli Wayside Park one morning. The surf here was really calm and it was nice to get away from the resort crowd for a few hours in the morning. We also snorkeled here which was pretty good (go in by the rocks on the left side) and we even saw our first turtle! Jesse wanted nothing to do with snorkeling this day, but Max, Jeremy and I saw it. Also, when snorkeling, carry your fins into the water before putting them on. Take them off before fully getting out. Walking in fins is impossible.

Back at the Westin, the pools at the resort were really nice. This is where every afternoon was spent. They have two kids slides and two big pools, one of which had a cave grotto, and one other adult pool. The hot tub was closed due to Covid. The grotto was this cool cave area with bubbles and a popular hangout spot with our kids. We used the body boards, tubes, and diving sticks in the pool. We were also gifted a small football but I should have thought to bring one. Max made a few friends throughout the week at the pool and when waiting for dinner and people were pretty safe and respectful with masks and distancing. He even told some kids he could only play if they put on masks, which they did!

At the resort, dining options were limited due to Covid which made everything dining a bit challenging. Unfortunately I didn’t make any reservations before we left. I should have done that at the Hula Grill and other places in Whalers. The food at the beach/pool side restaurant at the resort was really good so we did that one night and practically each day for lunch by the pool. Did I mention the delicious Mai Tai’s? The ahi nachos and fish tacos were also delicious. We also wound up doing takeout at Hula Grill, the burger is soooo good, and did wait 2 hrs one night for dinner at Lahaina Grill, which honestly wasn’t really worth it. For breakfast we did the resort once, good but very $$, and Island Coffee in Whalers Village a few times. A few tips, Island Coffee is really good but you have to be there at 6:35 for a 7am opening, less you’ll wait for like an hour plus. Or go much later at like 9:30/10. They have a great Island Latte and these Açaí bowls that people freak out about. I mean they are good, but it’s basically a smoothie bowl with fruit and granola. Hopefully as Covid cases reduce more dining options will open. It was a real struggle to find options and especially dinner without a reservation. Fortunately most of that frustration melted away with the incredibly delicious Mai Tai’s, beautiful grounds, nice pool, white sand beach, and the roll of the ocean.

Whale Watching

While on this side of the island we also did a whale watching tour. We went with Makai tours but also considered Ultimate Whale Watching. Both are smaller boats so you are close to the water and they have a max of 24, which was limited to 12 during COVID. Unfortunately it was nearly the end of whale watching season so we didn’t see much. A few backs, 2-3 tails, and some playing. Jesse loved the fast boat, Max like it but eventually took a nap. At the very end we did see a baby whale breach several times which was really cool, but it was far away and the area was already ‘crowded’ with two other boats. I wish our driver would have taken us closer but he said our time was up and he didn’t want to get close to the other boats. I personally think they could have spared the 5 minutes to take us over which would have made the experience really special. I could just imagine what that would have been like for the folks on those closer boats. I liked our guides but that they wouldn’t give us 5 minutes at the end to see the breaching closer makes me not want to use them again. However, I would do a small boat again for sure and would try the Ultimate Whale Watching company next time. (Also, for reference, this company also does private tours that are nearly similar in price). Also going before April, more in the winter season, would definitely increase your chances. Not really their fault we didn’t see much. A few other facts, there is no parasailing on Maui during whale season and the slip that is a few down from Makai is a fishing carter that does small group kids fishing. They were completely booked when we found out and I wish I caught their name, but it’s around slip 13-15(?) and I would definitely do this for the kids next time.

After whale watching we walked around downtown Lahaina and ate lunch at Down The Hatch near the Paia Fish Market. It was so good. (We did get to eat at Paia Fish Market in Kihei which was also tasty). Back at the resort we swam for a bit before calling it a night.

Luau

While at the Westin we also did the luau one night for dinner. This is the same one Jeremy and I did nearly 10 years ago. The kids seemed to mostly enjoy it and loved the fire part. Tables are assigned based on when you book, so considering I booked 3 weeks out we had decent seats.

A final note about the resort, each morning at 9am the wildlife guy lets the kids feed the koi fish and flamingos. The flamingos will actually eat right out of your hand! Max and Jesse loved this and did it several times. Also they will let you hold the parrots each afternoon during non-Covid times.

Oh yea, about those koi ponds. Yea, during family picture night, Jesse fell in one! This was really a lesson learned experience for him. I knew he wasn’t going to drown, it wasn’t too deep, and I saw it coming. Sometimes they just have to learn on their own.

Nakalele Blowhole & West Maui

On the 5th day it was time to leave the Westin. Overall it was a good stay but I would do 3 full days here instead of 4, especially if you are moving to another part of the island. I liked the resort but the lack of people and easier dining in Kihei couldn’t be beat. In fact, I could easily do 6 days in Kihei!

This day we drove around the west side of the island before making our way down to Kihei. We stopped to snorkel at Kapalua Bay for about and hour (coral, fish, and a turtle!) and then stopped by the Nakalele blowhole. Kapalua Bay was good for snorkeling plus they had a restroom and shower, which was nice.  For the blowhole, I would recommend parking at MM 38 and hiking in from here. We did that almost 10 years ago. It was already 3:30 so we stopped at 38.5 and hiked down (shorter) but then wound up doing half the hike backward anyway. This area isn’t just about the blowhole, though that is amazingly cool, even at low tide, but the hiking and rocks around the area are so unique. This is because they’ve been blasted with ocean spray for years. The area gets the nickname ‘Acid Warzone’ and you can easily tell why. They kids thought it was so cool. The rest of the drive around the island was so beautifully stunning.

Kihei

We ended in Kihei and checked into our AirBNB. We stayed at Kihei Kai Nani rentals and even thought it was across from Kamole Beach II we wound up walking the short distance to Kamole Beach I each day. It was a little bigger and
just beautiful. Though we did do sunset at II and honestly never made it down to Kamole III which is more rocky but bigger waves for ‘advanced’ body boarding, nor did we make it to Turtle Town Maui for snorkeling. More on all that later. Our place was Building 9 number 174. It was in the back of the complex but the walk turned out to be just fine. The place itself was... interesting. It claims to sleep 4 but that’s gotta be only two adults and two kids. The kids slept on the big couch which wasn’t a pull out bed, but more of a double wide couch like my parents had in the 80’s. I couldn’t see any adult being happy to sleep on it. One of the issues with airBNB that you have to be careful of. And once we got past a few issues (door not locking, practically no silverware, one extra pillow) we settled in and it was a fine place to call home for 5 nights. I was happy it had a washer/dryer in the unit. The pool at the complex wasn’t a Westin resort but was nice enough for late afternoon swims after the beach and we were glad to have it.

We spent 3 full days in Kihei at Kamole Beach I. We choose this beach to start because it was the calmest and
biggest, but found we loved it so much we came here each day. The snorkeling was pretty good along the left side with lots of coral, sea creatures, fish, and even a turtle. Clearly this is the turtles home because he made the rounds on the beach every day, several times a day. We got very used to seeing him and “swimming” with him. The sand here is amazingly soft and the water is crystal clear and decently warm. A rash guard top helps keep warm but not necessary. The first day here I had to practically drag Jesse into the water. I got him out beyond the break, and... he loved it! For the next three days I could barely keep him out of the ocean! We packed snack lunches most days and spent the morning though early afternoon laying in the sun, building sand castles, snorkeling, and playing in the ocean. We had body boards and tubes too and brought a beach blanket from home along with two towels, though the condo had an umbrella we used and some towels, I was glad to have our own. Plug here for those sand cloud towels. For $55 I was skeptical but for some reason finally bought one. So glad I did. This thing really is awesome.  The sand literally falls off it.

The last day at the beach got pretty windy early and stayed that way much of the day so we didn’t stay as long but it was so peaceful, empty, and still lovely. The last day, that windy one I just mentioned, we rented a stand up paddle board from a shop just down the way. Well, maybe should have thought of that on day one or two instead. Ha. It was $35 for the day. We wound up walking it down the beach and boarding back down because it was impossible to paddle up wind. The kids came out with us and rode on the front. Note that most days got windy around 2-3pm not this early.

While in Kihei we ate at Paia Fish Market, Coconuts Fish Cafe (omg the coconut shrimp and fish tacos), Maui fish and chips (lunch, yum), Miso Phat Sushi (so fresh) and Ami Ami. We also ate at Maui brewing company which was really not good. For breakfast we cooked in the condo but I also made a daily walk to one of the local pastry places like the Maui Bread Company or the Cinnamon Roll Place. Yum! Also check out the gelato by the Maui Bread Company and
the shaved ice stand just down the way. Can’t miss it.

Also while we were in Kihei it was Easter, so of course I had to have some kind of easter basket for the kids.  I took these foldable drawer organizers and used those (though I likely could have grabbed baskets at Target).  I also brought along eggs for an egg hunt at the condo and even snagged an awesome Maui hook keychain for each earlier on the trip.  Though they loved the candy, of course, the books were the big hit of the baskets this year.

Road to Hana

Pipiwai Trail & Pools of Ohe'o

Our second day in Kihei we did the Road to Hana. We opted to go backward because I really wanted to do the Pools of Ohe’o (seven sacred pools) and Pipiwai Trail both at Haleakala National Park Kipahulu entrance. The pools themselves you can’t swim in partly due to Covid and also because it’s the wet season which means flash flooding. The waters were raging! The Pipiwai trail was really cool. We made it to the bamboo forest (~1 mile up, 2 miles round trip) then turned back. The whole thing is 4 miles around trip but the kids weren’t into it and I didn’t want to fight it. Seriously this trail is really cool... and muddy. I bought some ‘water’ keens for myself and the kids which are a bit different than the Newport Keens ones and they dry pretty quick. On the trail were also some mango trees and Max had himself a fresh snack which was so delicious. Can’t get any fresher than off the tree!

Hana Lava Tube

After the hike we continued around to Hana where we grabbed a bite to eat from a food truck and then hit up the Hana Lava tube. $12.50/pp cash only. While Jeremy and I have done this before, it was new for the kids. They loved it and thought it was so cool.

Waterfalls

Rounding out the drive we stopped by a few water falls but didn’t do any more hikes. It was already approaching 4 when we left the lava tube. I had hopes of doing twin falls which I haven’t seen yet, but time was too short. It was already going to be a late night. We checked out some like the Upper Waikani Falls (aka Three Bears) and Upper Hanawi Falls and Makapipi Falls which is super cool cause you view it from the top. Check out the Maui guide book and this link for waterfalls to see and hike along the way. There’s likely also an app too. There’s so much to see it’s impossible all in one day, even a 12 hour day. Next time we will definitely do Twin Falls (mile marker 2 so easy to do if you don't want to do the whole road), the bamboo forest, Ching’s pond, black sand beach, and a repeat of some past hikes.

Sunset

As we close out the trip I’m so happy we came. It wasn’t nearly as difficult as I imagined and the time away with the kids on a true vacation was much needed after a year of home school, home working, and seeing each other 24/7.  We finished the trip watching sunset on Kamole Beach II in a very similar way to how we ended our Hawaii trip nearly 9 1/2 years ago. 

The Next Trip

Somehow 10 days in beautiful sunny Maui just didn’t seem enough. Alas, the real world calls. We will be back soon!

Next trip I’d do 3 full days at a resort, more for the kids than me, and 6 full days in Kihei.  I'd also go whale watching again, a hike in the Iao valley, hike the Twin Falls on the road to Hana and try to see sunrise or sunset on Haleakala. Not to mention checking out Kamole Beach III and Turtle Town Maui and beaches down that way. Ahh, so much to do, so little time.

Some things to remember if you’re coming. Bring or plan to buy sand toys, body boards, snorkel gear, beach towels, beach blanket, beach umbrella, beach bags, medium weight sweatshirt (nights are cool and breezy), pants or leggings, long dresses, soft cooler, beach bottles for water, underwater camera and a pool ball/football. If you go up Haleakala bring warm clothes like a puffy and gloves. It’s cold! For sunrise you must reserve 7 days in advance and I’m pretty sure people have bots to snatch up the tickets cause I tired each day and it was impossible. I bet sunset would be just as beautiful or book with a tour company. Last time we did sunrise and Ike riding down which was amazing. Not really an option with the kids but as adults it was super fun.

Mahalo for reading!  

Check out my blog from 2011 to see what our honeymoon trip was like. 

Also check out these links for snorkeling here and here.