Maui in 5 Days
Ok, Hawaii is pretty dope.
Prior to visiting, I was always told that Hawaii is gorgeous, but super touristy and expensive. EVERYONE has an opinion on what time of year to go and for how long. Forget what they say and just go - I went in April for 5 days and it was amazing. It’s a 5 hour flight from the Bay and totally worth visiting if you’re on the West Coast. It is GORGEOUS and the poke is LIT.
I went to the lovely island of Maui, which is traditionally seen as a romantic destination. I went with one of my friends… LOL. Regardless, we had a great time.
Where to Eat:
Da Kitchen - Hawaiian food with large portions at a reasonable price
Foodland - it’s a supermarket that sells POKE!
Tamara’s Fine Wine & Liquor - another supermarket poke spot. Seriously.
Don’t waste your money on expensive eats. Trust me - just eat the poke.
Poke from Foodland
A donut from Donut Dynamite overlooking Haleakala.
Coffee (you know I wouldn’t leave you hanging):
Paia Bay Coffee & Bar
Mill House Roasting Co (I bought beans here)
Akamai Coffee - reminds me of a SoCal coffee shop
The Low Down on Hakeakala Crater Sunrise
Everyone tells you to go see the sunrise. DON’T DO IT. Do sunset. Hawaii weather tends to be unpredictable and you don’t want to get to the top of the mountain only to realize that it’s overcast. If you go during sunset, you can gauge the weather and go on a day that is clearer. This drive is long, but it’s SO worth it. The sky looks like it’s on FIRE! Oh yeah - it’s FREAKING COLD at the top. Take my word on this. I was wearing 3 layers on top and 2 on bottom and I was STILL cold. Layer up, my friends.
It’s impossible to capture the clouds encircling the mountain on camera. Seriously unreal. Here’s me - freezing my butt off.
Here’s a similar Gortex jacket.
Road to Hana
Yo. This side of the island is chilly. Also, bring a rain jacket. This drive is so worth it and all the itineraries are right when they say that there’s NOTHING to do in Hana- it’s about the journey, not the destination. Do yourself a favor and buy a tour app, like this one. It points out all the important sites & allows you to download content offline, so you don’t have to worry about spotty service.
By the way - wear some sturdy shoes & even if you do, your legs will likely get muddy. Especially if you hike as haphazardly as I do. SO… bring some baby wipes.
What to Bring
Umbrella
Rain Jacket
Baby Wipes
Car snacks
Water Bottles
Hand sanitizer
OK, I got a little obsessed with long exposure photography lol. It was my first time playing around with my ND filters.
There’s a lot of fruit stands along the way, so get yourself a fresh smoothie.
The bamboo forest is dope.
Wainapanapa state park!!!
You can’t see EVERYTHING in a day, so pick & choose major sites before your trip & improve along the way.
The West Side
This side is much warmer and the weather is more predictable. If you’ve never been snorkeling (I hadn’t), I would recommend it. I hate feeling like I’m being tossed around by waves. I tried going snorkeling in San Diego once and I thought I was going to drown- the worst. The Kanaapali / Lahaina water is calmer which makes you feel SAFE.
Just lay at the beach, hang out, and purchase an overpriced cocktail. This side of the island is much more resort-y.
Iao Needle
This is a quick hike to do the day that you’re leaving Maui- or when you want a short day. The hike is easy and the views are GORGEOUS.
Anywhoo- Maui is dope. I want to go back. It’s been a while since I’ve written an itinerary post, and the cold of winter was an inspiration. Speaking of poke, here’s a DIY Poke article to re-live the magic that is Foodland.
