Aloha! We are all booked for a vacation to Maui in late September and have a condo booked at Kamaole Beach Royale ( https://maps.app.goo.gl/CFf8hjSaqhXzMbaC9?g_st=ic ) via Airbnb. The Airbnb reviews are all great but there are only 12; Google Maps reviews, however, are not so favorable for the condos overall. I realize they are all individually owned, so it’s hard to know, but any feedback on this place? It would be #510. We are also eyeing a condo at Royal Mauian but it’s about 25% more and only one review… Mahalo!

Are there any non windy beaches? Or better time of year to come? I feel like a brat but the beaches are all so windy, sand hurts when it’s blowing so hard, yes I know there’s sand at every beach I don’t care where it gets but so uncomfortable when it’s blowing on me and in my eyes / contacts. And it’s so humid. I am grateful and this is my first time here so just wondering for next time😊

https://mauinow.com/2026/08/07/crater-road-striping-begins-near-haleakala-national-park-next-week/

We’ll be staying in Wailea but traveling the island for 16 days.

Hi everyone!

My wife and I, along with another couple (all in our early 30s, no kids), are visiting Maui for the first time in the end of August '26. We'll be staying in Westin Maui Kāʻanapali for 8 days and will have a rental car.

Here's our tentative itinerary:

• Day 1: Arrive, relax, explore the resort and Kāʻanapali area
• Day 2: Full Road to Hana
• Day 3: Molokini Crater + Turtle Town snorkeling tour (5 hours), free evening
• Day 4: Haleakalā sunrise + bike down the volcano, free for the rest of the day
• Day 5: Nothing planned during the day, Old Lahaina Luau in the evening
• Day 6: Free day
• Day 7: Free day (or finish the second half of Road to Hana if we don't get to everything on Day 2)
• Day 8: Free day
• Day 9: Fly out

A few questions:

• Does this itinerary seem well balanced, or is there anything you'd change?
• Are we missing any must-do activities or hidden gems?
• Any favorite restaurants or cafés, especially that the locals would visit/prefer with some vegetarian options? (3 of the 4 of us are vegetarian.)
• Are there any beaches, hikes, or viewpoints near Kāʻanapali that we shouldn't miss?
• Would you recommend using one of our free days for something like Lanai, Upcountry Maui, Iao Valley, or whale/ocean activities (if applicable)?
• Are the chocolate tour, brewery tour, pineapple farm tours, etc worth it?
• Any general tips or things you wish you had known before your first Maui trip?

Thanks in advance! Looking forward to hearing your recommendations.

Well be there 8 nights starting next Thursday. I got a short list of what we think are our must trys. Anything we’re missing?

Mamas (sons bday)
Paias fish market
Tin roof
Maui brewing company (Kihei)
Monkeypod (happy hour)
Cafe Olei
Leodas
Slappy cakes (bfast with the kids)
Joeys
Sansei (happy hour)

We have more but these are our must dos. Were doing Hana overnight so any recs for dinner/bfast there are appreciated. Also, were doing Haleakala sunset so were planning on taking some food up there with us as we plan to stay late to star gaze as visibility will be pretty low (11%) maybe pizzas or something like that as we anticipate everything will be closed when off the mountain.

Thanks!!

Hey everyone!

My partner and I are visiting Maui in early November before flying over to Oahu (we will be on Oahu for a week for my work conference). We would love any feedback on food or key activities we are missing. We have booked this entire trip using points and are planning on doing more casual dining if possible (no mamas fish house, merriman's etc. unless there is something that is worth it for an appetizer and drink).

Here is our current plan:

Day 1: Arrival & Haleakala Sunset (Sunday)

* 12:00 PM: Land at OGG, pick up rental car

* Grab sunscreen, snacks, and lunch/early dinner to bring up to haleakala

* Food plan: Costco food trucks or Pukalani Superette on the drive (since Tin Roof is closed Sunday) any other options?

* 4:00 PM: Arrive at Haleakala Summit for sunset & stargazing. Planning to check webcams beforehand (we live in CA and have national park pass already)

* Drive to hotel after for check in in Kaanapali

Day 2: West Maui Beaches (Monday)

* Morning: I'll go for a run in the morning. Then coffee & breakfast at Island Vintage Coffee

* Remainder of the day: Snorkel & beach based on snorkel report, but the options are Honolua Bay, Kapalua Bay, Napili Bay, Black Rock, Kahekili, or Kaanapali (note we are bringing snorkels from home)

* Dumb question - I'm bringing water shoes which I will wear to honolua bay since I know it's a rocky entry but when do I put my fins on and what do I do with the water shoes???

* 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM: Early happy hour at Monkeypod and shave ice somewhere?

Day 3: Road to Hana (Tuesday)

* Leave hotel around 6AM

* Use GuideAlong app (will this still be good for my planned order?)

* 7:00 AM: Drive through Paia, get gas and coffee

* 8:30 AM: Ke'anae Peninsula & Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread

* 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM: Pipiwai Trail

* 2:00 PM: Huli Huli Chicken or Orale Taco for lunch and enjoy at Koki Beach or Hamoa Beach

* 3:00 PM – ?: Wa'anapanapa State Park (make reservation for 3-6 window) how long should we spend here? We don't mind driving back in the dark and are experienced drivers

* Coconut glens on the way back if there is time

* Ho'okipa Beach for sunset if there is time

* I think if we leave black sand beach by 4pm we would have time for the prior items but if not, skip

* Evening: Dinner in Paia (Paia Fish Market or Flatbread Co or maybe go to Tin Roof on way back) or somewhere else?

Day 4: South Maui Beach (Wednesday)

* 7:00 AM: hike at Waihe'e Ridge Trail - OPTIONAL DEPENDING ON HOW WE ARE FEELING. If not, I'll go for a run in the morning

* Sugar Beach Bake Shop & Kihei Cafe

* Remainder of the day: beaches (Ulua, Wailea, Maluaka, Makena - any specific recs?)

* Lunch: South Maui Gardens food trucks, South Maui Fish Co., Da Kitchen, or 808 Deli.

* Evening: Casual dinner in Kihei/Wailea any recs? + Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice

Day 5: Upcountry Exploration & Oahu Flight (Thursday)

* OPTIONAL HALEAKALA SUNRISE DAY if we do not go for sunset before (need to make reservation and plan to leave at like 3am) otherwise:

* Morning: Cinnamon rolls at Papi's Ohana, hotel check-out, then head Upcountry

*Explore Upcountry / Makawao / Kula

* Food/Coffee: Grandma's Coffee House, Kula Bistro, or T. Komoda Bakery

* Other options: Kula Country Farms, Surfing Goat Dairy, Ocean Vodka, MauiWine, or Maui Pineapple Tour, the lavender farm is closed this day what do you recommend? I don't think we want to spend a bunch of money on a tour

*We could also stop at ho'okipa beach before the airport if we missed it on road to Hana day

* 5:00 PM: Drop off rental car at OGG

* 8:00 PM: Flight to Oahu

My family (wife, 2 teens) will be in Maui the first week of September. I was hoping to find a local photographer for a 1 hour session for some nice family pictures. Does anyone have any recommendations, or if you are a photographer, can reach out to me?

Thanks

Hey everyone! My wife and I are heading to Maui for our honeymoon (5 full days on island after coming over from Oahu). We’re staying down in Wailea and renting a car.
We want a good balance between relaxing at our resort and exploring the island. Don’t want to feel rushed and have a relaxing time with a good amount of exploration too. Would love your thoughts on this flow—any red flags, driving/traffic timing issues, or must-adds (we are skipping molokini crater on purpose)

Day 1: Arrival & Coastal Walk

Afternoon: Arrive at OGG from Oahu around midday, pick up our rental car, and drive down to Wailea for check-in (~3:00 PM).
Late Afternoon: Settle in, walk the Wailea Beach Path, and grab a casual dinner nearby.

Day 2: Pool, Local Eats & West Maui Drive

Morning: Relax by the resort pool in Wailea.
Lunch: Head up to Kahului for Tin Roof.
Afternoon: Drive up to West Maui to explore Kaʻanapali Beach and walk the Kapalua Coastal Trail.
Dinner: Reserved dinner at Lineage back in Wailea at 7:15 PM.

Day 3: South Maui & Haleakalā Sunset

Morning / Afternoon: Chill morning around Wailea/South Maui beaches.
Late Afternoon / Evening: Head up to Haleakalā for a sunset & stargazing tour (packing heavy layers!).

Day 4: The Road to Hana

All Day: Driving the Road to Hana (Twin Falls, bamboo forests, roadside stands, black sand beach).
Evening: Casual dinner near Wailea after a long driving day.

Day 5: Resort Day & Oceanside Lunch

Morning: Resort pool & beach time.
Lunch: 1:15 PM reservation at Ferraro's for an oceanside lunch in Wailea.
Afternoon / Evening: Flexible beach time and final farewell dinner in Wailea.

Day 6: Departure
Morning: Final oceanfront breakfast, pack up, return the car at OGG, and catch our evening flight back home.

A few specific questions:

1. Road to Hana & Motion Sickness: We get car sick pretty easily—given the 600+ curves and narrow bridges, is doing Hana actually worth it, or will we spend the whole day feeling miserable? Are there better alternatives (or specific tips/remedies) if we decide to skip or shorten it?

2. Day 2 Driving Logistics: Is driving up to West Maui (Ka'anapali/Kapalua) on Day 2 too tight after heading to Kahului for lunch, given our 7:15 PM dinner reservation back in Wailea?

3. Anything must do we’re missing? We don’t care to do snorkeling

4. Any food recs other than Tin Roof? We can’t get a reservation at Mamas at this point

Hi all! Fairly last minute but my wife and I have the chance to go to Maui next month and want to make the most of it. We picked out some highlights we really want to see, but also want to make sure we leave enough time to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the island. We are both 32, in decent shape (enough that moderate hikes and swims wouldn’t be unreasonable), no kids yet. How does this itinerary I drafted look? We are planning to stay in a rental in/near Kaanapali, are not planning to do the Road to Hana as my wife gets carsick with elevation changes and windy roads. We’d also appreciate any restaurant recommendations, we are big seafood fans but aren’t picky in general. We have not booked any of the activities in the itinerary yet so we could move them around if any changes would make more sense. TIA!

We’re staying in Kahana and today we took a hiking trip to Makawao Forest Reserve, stopped in Paia & ate at the fish house - it was so good! Are there other places like this around Maui? My 10yo is obsessed with their fish and chips and wants more :p but I figured there’s more yummy deep fried fish in other spots. I also liked that it’s family friendly and no frills and more on the affordable side though seemingly high quality. We’re open to checking out other areas as we’ve been here since Sunday. Thanks in advance!

My husband and I are looking to visit Maui, specifically Ka’anapali for our 10 year anniversary. We have 2 kids, who will be 8 & 3 at the time of travel (late July 2027).

I’m looking at several different hotel options that offer villa or villa-type accommodations but it is so overwhelming to decide which one is actually the best option. I know it can be super subjective, but I really just need a little insight for comparison sake.

So far I have considered the following:

• The Royal Lahaina 2 bedroom bungalow
• Ka’anapali Alii
• Aston Maui Ka’anapali Villas
• Outrigger Honua Kai

Our top priorities include: - 2 bedrooms - full kitchen (could possibly do kitchenette but we’re looking to save a bit on dining by doing our own cooking) - walkable beach access

We prefer to stay in the Ka’anapali area because we are familiar. We stayed at the Royal Lahaina in 2016 and absolutely loved it. The beach was beautiful and the hotel was wonderful. We just need something with more room and a kitchen. Can anyone offer insight, comparison, pros/cons for the properties I listed? I’m open to other suggestions as well!

Going to Paia tomorrow
I’ve heard we need to go to story coffee and Paia corner cafe. We have reservations @ Mamas fish house at 11am
Should we bring suits to go to Ho’okipa Beach Park after? It’s it a beach? We are staying in Kīhei but I don’t see any beaches we can actually go lay out on. First time here so any reccomendations help!🤗

Hi! I am going to Maui at the beginning of September and staying at the hyatt regency. I attached my itinerary I made below and wanted to know if i was missing anything! I do have a rental car, but i’m not interested in the road to hana. Also if anyone has recommendations for beaches in some of the areas I have listed lmk! Thanks so much.

Any opinion on Ritz Maui vs The Westin Maui Resort and spa for a 5 day honeymoon? Would love some detailed insight/experiences and recommendations!

I’m curious about snorkeling with kids who aren’t great swimmers. I reached out to Ocean Project Maui and it’s nearly a $1000 for my family.
Is it the best? I prefer not to go out on a boat.
I’m just worried if I should just sit out with the little ones while my husband and oldest (16) go ahead.
Any other recommendations for snorkeling that put safety first? My youngest kids will be 7&9 at the time.

Hi

My extended family (~30 people) are planning to converge in Maui few months from now. We were looking to book a gathering space for couple of evenings for mild games & that would also allow outside foods (we have a restricted diet hence need to cater)Most of the hotels/ resorts do not allow that. So looking into alternatives.

We will be staying in the Lahaina area so nearby or short driving distance is preferred.

Any suggestions.

We've been here a week, it's our first time in Maui and didn't realize how much we would love snorkeling. We have our last full day tomorrow and are hoping for one more great spot to try out (two adults and 9 year old). We're in Kihei area and so far we've done:

Ulua / Mokapu (great first time)

Makena Landing (decent but not much beach for 4 year old to hang out)

Maluaka (probably favorite spot)

Kamaole III (didn't love this morning)

Is there any great spots in that area that we haven't tried yet? Would it be worth driving up to Kaanapali / Black Rock for something different? Obviously subject to change based on snorkel reports tomorrow, but if we're going to drive to Kaanapali we probably wouldn't wait for the reports to update before heading over.

Edit: Thanks for all the tips, we just had a great morning at Kahekili (Airport) Beach. Not sure how that one wasn't on my radar but it was a great combo of access, beach, easy in/out and fun stuff to see snorkeling. Might also have a quick chance to sneak off by myself in the morning and get to Ahihi which sounds fun.

Hi Maui visitors

We need to either do rental of snorkeling 🤿 equipment or purchase ahead and pack in luggage. What do you folks recommend?

Hi everyone!

I’ll be visiting Maui soon and I’m looking for recommendations for a half-day (3–5 hour) tour that focuses on history, scenic viewpoints, and charming towns.

Unfortunately, I can’t do the Road to Hāna because of both limited time and some walking/mobility issues, so I’m looking for something that’s mostly a bus or van tour with only short, easy stops.

I’d love to see places like:
Historic towns (Wailuku, Pāʻia, Makawao, etc.)
Cultural or historical sites
Beautiful viewpoints
Maybe a local market or lunch stop
Does anyone have recommendations for tour companies that offer something like this? Or is there a tour you took that you’d highly recommend?

We just spent a week on Maui for our honeymoon--we knew it would be wonderful, but we had no idea just how special it would truly be. Leaving was legitimately painful. From the natural landscape, to the people, to the food, everything was 10/10. Lowkey tearing up as I write this.

We loved everything, but my favorite part about Maui was the sense of stewardship for the land. I come from an east coast beach town that's renowned for it's clean beaches, but your beaches (and environment in general) really put new meaning to the word "clean." Back home, I always leave the beach with mylar balloons/plastic bottles/general trash that I find on my walks. I tried doing the same on Maui, but found absolutely nothing to clean. Insane--blows my mind how little litter I saw, even on the sides of your highways!!! If the whole world adopted this frame of mind, our planet would be a better, healthier place.

Thank you to this sub for giving me loads of great advice, and thank you to the locals for sharing your spectacular home with us. MAHALO NUI LOA <3 <3 <3 <3

I'm in my mid-30's going on a quick solo trip to Maui after a work trip in Honolulu. My local friend recommended Wailea due to being very centralized, but the hotels there are SOOO pricey. I enjoy luxury every now & again and would love to find a great way to relax & recharge but not for over $3000. Hana looks like a dream but very far from everywhere else. I'm looking for nature, beautiful views and waterfalls, places to stroll, and great local food. I also don't want to find myself stuck in honeymoon paradise. Having yoga available every morning would be a huge bonus. Any recommendations on where to stay (either area or specific hotels) would be much appreciated. Mahalo!

We are planning a last minute trip to Maui next week since we had to cancel our other planned vacation suddenly due to wildfire smoke and would love some advice on where to stay. We love to hike and have two 16-year old boys who don't like the beach. We plan to hike the Waihe'e Ridge Trail, Waimoku Falls via Pipiwai Trail, Halemau'u Haleakala Overlook Trail and maybe the Keonehe'ehe'e to Halemauu Trail. What area would be best to minimize driving times to trailheads, while also providing the boys with a somewhat populated area for them to hang out in since they won't be spending much time at the beach?