A guide to Maui, Hawaii

After spending a few days in Oahu my next adventure in Hawaii took me to the beautiful island of Maui.

Before continue telling you about this destination I want to let you guys know that I only stayed 3 days in this island. Therefore I took advantage of these 3 days to the maximum. So, let’s start the adventure shall we?

About Maui

This is the second largest island in Hawaii, and the 17th largest island in the USA which has 1,883 km2. Nicknamed “The Island of the Valley”, due to the great valley that is between its two main volcanoes. Maui is known for its stunning natural beauty, the incredible luxury resorts and popular tourist attractions such as the famous Hana road and the sunrises and sunsets of Haleakala National Park, which is the highest point of the island.

This is one of the most developed island of Hawaii where you can also find many well know designer/ brands shops and great restaurants. Since I started my Hawaiian adventure I been craving and obsessing for Poke bowls – so delicious!

How to get there?

To get to Maui you can fly with Hawaiian Airlines. Basically this airline offers many flights during the day to Maui. The earlier you leave the cost is cheaper. A round trip ticket can cost up to $ 110.00 to $ 150.00 dollars plus $ 25 extra baggage if you want to check one.

Once you get to the island, my best recommendation is to rent a car! You will need one if you really want to explore the island. Personally I think it is much more comfortable, cheaper and the best way to get around the island. Taxis can be expensive.

Where to Stay?

I stayed in legendary and iconic Andaz Maui hotel a Wailea resort located on Mokapu beach only about 35 minutes from the airport.

Upon arriving at the property we were greeted with our traditional flower garlands and a refreshing local tropical drinks. Once we entered to the property an enormous and luxurious lobby with panoramic views of Moakpu beach received us.

The check in was super friendly for me. Instead of standing in line they invite you to sit down and enjoy the incredible panoramic views of the resort while they take your reservation details.

Andaz Maui has 301 rooms and suites, which include 35 spacious suites and 11 luxury villas, each with private lanai so that you can admire the views of Mokapu.

The property it’s really big where you can get lost on their beautiful gardens. It also offers around 5 swimming pools for the guests. How incredible is that?

Rooms

The property offers 3 types of rooms: villas, suites and rooms.

I had the opportunity to stay at the Andaz Deluxe Suite and this was wonderful. It is a 250 square meter suite located on the corner  to enjoy spectacular views of the ocean that has a master bedroom and a separate living room.

By far this has been one of the best suites where I’ve stayed ever. From the design, the space, the comfort, the decoration of the suite everything was impeccable. Most of my time I didn’t want to leave the room lol!

Where to eat?

In Andaz Maui there is a wide variety of restaurants as it offers 6 different culinary experiences:

1. Ka’ana kitchen: offering a traditional Hawaiian culture, which serves some of Maui’s best family-style dishes.
2. Bumbye Beach Bar: located on the edge of the lagoon pool, near the Mokapu beach. This restaurant is for the people that like to take their time on the island. It offers dishes made with ingredients of local origin and influenced by the different ethnic groups that make up the Hawaiian culture in Wailea.
3. Lehua Lounge: named after the bright red Lehua flower in Hawaii that offfers beautiful views of the Mokapu beach and delicious small bites. They also offer the option of choosing between an inspiring farm-to-table restaurant menu. The best time to enjoy the views of this restaurant personally was sunset hours.
   4. Mokapu Market: here was where we took most of our delicious breakfast which offer a wide variety from a la carte or the complete buffet. This restaurant is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whether you are looking for a midnight snack or the perfect bottle of wine for your date at the beach.
4. The Feast at Mokapu Luau: Maui’s newest and most exclusive luxury Lu’au experience. Here you will enjoy an intimate journey from the Polynesian ancestors of Hawaii who come to Maui and settle in our ahupua’a (land division), while the dancers and the history give a vision and life to the Hawaiian values ​​that focus on the love, connection and responsibility (kuleana) towards the earth. While the show was happening we enjoyed an Ohana-style meal with fifteen locally inspired dishes beautifully prepared and executed by the Executive Chef, Isaac Bancaco from Andaz Maui.
5. Morimoto Maui: where the celebrity chef Masaharu Morimoto, better known as Iron Chef and Iron Chef America, uses fresh Hawaiian seasonal ingredients to embark on a distinctive culinary style that combines Western and Japanese traditions.

On some occasions we also ate outside the hotel. A place that I really liked a lot was The shops at Wailea as it offfers a great variety of restaurants. The Tommy Bahama is a great one!

What to do?

Maui really has many things to do on the island. But please remember I only stayed for 3 days only. So, the things listed here will probably be too tight for any of you. In here you will be able to see a pic of our entire route. However I’m only sharing in details which are the ones we recommend stoping by:

• Haleakala National Park: this was by far my favorite spot of the island. I’m listing this as the first because it is something that should not be missed if you visit Maui. This is about 10 thousand feet high and my best recommendation is to go see the sunset here if you are not a morning person to arrive to sunrise lol! When you are on your way to this park, do not be guided by the weather you will find. I was very worried because the weather was terrible when we decide to go here, it was even raining. But, we still decided to do it and as we started driving up to the park the weather began to improve so much more. The road to the peak it is in very good conditions that even a small car can get up there. The only precaution I would say is to drive carefully and slowly since it has many curves. Once you arrive a sunset is so magical. LOVE the views and seen the sunset above the clouds is something you guys need to witness with your own eyes! Also make sure to bring a warm jacket or something because it gets very cold! Cost per vehicle: $30

• Road to Hana: this is one of the jewels of Maui making it one of the main attractions of the island. This is a road where you will find exuberant tropical jungle, spectacular views of the ocean and steep, countless waterfalls and pools.  Please take note that making this trip can be a bit tired as it can take around 5 hours one way and about 10-12 hours round trip depending how many stops you make. The road is narrow and winding, sometimes of a single lane with an estimated 600 turns and 54 (mostly),  many bridges, and no shoulder. On my opinion I enjoyed more the attractions and the landscapes at the end of the Hana Road than the ones at the beginning. As I come from Costa Rica where we have very impressive waterfalls I wasn’t that impress by the ones I saw on Hana road. Still I would like to share my favorite spots of the Hana Road:

1. Ho’okipa lookout: it has incredible views from the cliff. It is undoubtedly one of the best surf spots on the island. Probably those who surf or kite surf here are super experts as it has quite rough waves and a very windy area.
2. Ke’anae Arboretum: it has a very interesting and beautiful landscape that is worth a photo. The coastline is rocky and is exposed to the elements, so you will not find opportunities to swim here. Taro, bananas, yams and other crops are grown just like their Hawaiian ancestors.
3. Halfway to Hana: if you are hungry or want to get a quick bite I recommend to make a stop here. You will try the best banana bread of your life!
4. Wai’anapanapa State Park: Beautiful views of Pa’iloa beach which is black sand and black colored stones. It is as picturesque as it can be. I have to say maybe this one was my favorite of the entire Hana road. Definitely worths a stop!
5. Hamoa Beach: A beautiful beach with perfect water, probably one of the clearest waters I saw on Maui. It has soft golden sand that makes it even more photogenic. This is the perfect place to take a long break where you will be able to relax , swim and sunbath. Take note you will have to park on the street on the beach and walk up a very steep hill to get here.
6. Koki Beach: a dark red sand which is considered a favorite hangout among local surfers. Koki Beach is just a few minutes south of Hana. It is not recommended to swim here due to marine currents in the high seas. Only expert surfers can surf here.
7. 

I hope you enjoyed this little guide of Maui. I want to thank to the Andaz Maui staff for making my visit to Maui so memorable. Specially so Sequoia and Lisa!

Love

Marcy

 

My looks:

White ruffle top: Fame and partners

White skort: Zara

Sunglasses: Ray Ban

Bird earings: Bikinis & More Panama

Sandals: Malvados

Maxi dress: Show me your mumu

Navy sweater: Suspicious Antwerp

Denim shorts: Forever 21

White kicks: Adidas

Black knitted sweater: Zara

One piece Swimsuit: Maiyo London

Gingham bikini: Kc bikinis

Leopard swimsuit: Kc bikinis

Tags: #andaz, #andazmaui, #haleakala, #haleakalanationalpark, #hanaroad, #hawai, #hawaii, #hawaiianairlines, #maui, #mokapu, #NationalPark, #wailearesort