A locally conscious Maui guide

If the title didn’t give it away, I am freshly back (and freshly burned, which has turned into a GLORIOUS tan) from Maui!

Now when it comes to vacation destinations, Hawaii was never on my list. Between knowing the burden of tourism on Hawaii, as well as the flights being intimidatingly long for someone coming from the east coast, the juice never felt worth the squeeze. And it’s hard to justify a 10 hour flight when Europeisrightthere.

But last year I had the opportunity to work with Hawaiian Airlines during their merger with Alaska Airlines, and part of my compensation was in flight vouchers. Leading me to ask: just how far can I go with these??

I took it as far as I could go.

And that’s how we got to Maui! An island I have always been curious about, but is extraordinarily more special than I could have imagined. I saw this as a great opportunity to make a locally-conscious travel guide for anyone like me, who is not so much a resort-goer as an adventure-seeker. I’m using the term “locally conscious” because during my time in Hawaii I wanted to support as many small, locally-run businesses as possible, while being respectful of the land’s resources and sustainability. It’s a tall ask, especially with a place as visited as Maui, but I was thrilled with where our itinerary ended up, especially for a short 3-day trip.

Here is a little recap - please know I didn’t make it to the west side of the island, so this is not comprehensive - but ohhhh will I be back!!

The Inn at Mama’s Fish House in a Luxury Junior Suite. And I must say, the photos of this place do NOT do it justice. When I booked it, I was looking for a locally owned and operated inn, and I was obsessed with the small beach cove outside of Mama’s Fish House, where you can see sea turtles in the evenings and watch the fish get delivered to the restaurant by boat in the morning. When you stay here, that beach essentially becomes your backyard. So I resigned myself to us having a “fine” room and a great beach, but the room ended up being fantastic. We swam in the cove every night and I wish we had spent our whole trip here.

Fairmont Kea Lani - While I’m not a huge resort girl, I wanted to see the famous Wailea Beach for a bit on our trip. I chose the Fairmont for their sustainability practices and commitment to mālama pono (taking care).

It sits on its own separate beach outside of the other big hotels, but there’s a walkway easily accessible to go across to each. I’d say the Fairmont and Andaz are the best for adults, while the Grand Wailea looked great for families (I had pool slide envy).

Okay, I’m pushing the Road to Hana to the end because I have too much to say. But aside from that, we did a few other things that I loved:

Ho’okipa Beach Park - for sea turtles! Moving and shaking and swimming!! There is signage and a rope on the beach to show where you can’t pass. You can go past that barricade if you are going in the water (so if people are snorkeling, don’t sweat it). Around 10am-3pm is when you will see tons of turtles coming and going, but we were there from 8-9:30am and saw five on the beach. I say grab a coffee, hang out and watch them move (slowly).

Leilani Farm Sanctuary - if you do one scheduled thing in Maui, please make it this. This farm is so unbelievably special. You’ll meet rescued pigs, deer, goats, ducks, chickens and up to 42 cats (plus a turkey…and a swan). The land is also paradise to look at, with more native plants than I could imagine.

Surfing Goat Dairy Farm - a very charming microcreamery and dairy farm. While it is a bit touristy, after talking to the owner and his wife, you can tell they have something really special. It’s no longer kid season, but if you go during the spring, I recommend a baby goat tour followed by their cheese flight.

Golden Hour Snorkel - While you can snorkel cheaply and on your own during the day, this sunset one took our breathe away. I had to include it in case you like booking snorkel tours like I do! Otherwise the location is right off Makena Landing Park near Turtle Town if you want to do it on your own.

We only had a few days, so these are just a few of my favorites:

Tin Roof - I think everyone will tell you to go here. And it took hearing his name for me to realize the chef/owner was on Top Chef!! This is a three minute drive from the airport and the perfect kind of Hawaiian food to get right after a long flight: protein, noodles, rice, kombuchas, and a mac salad that fixed me.

Paia Fish Market - big portions of uber fresh fish. Get the calamari (it’s not what you’d expect). You order at the bar and sit after, and the line moves fast.

Malia Coffee Co. - we loaded up on coffee and breakfast here before our upcountry day. The big must-gets are the Miso-Sweet Latte, Ube Latte, or Mac Nut Americano.

Kihei Caffe - Get the mac nut pancakes and pour the golden syrup on top. NOT the maple syrup. The yellow-gold syrup in the smaller pourer - it’s some kind of coconut macadamia syrup, and it is divine. The “So Ono” coffee is also worth coming for alone.

Ocean Distillery - the food here was largely “meh” bar food, but with almost 360° views of the island and good drinks, being here for sunset is a vibe. And since we didn’t have time to drive to Haleakala, it felt like our dupe.

(And I am giving you full permission to skip Monkeypod’s Mai Tai, you have similar food and drinks at home!).

Brutally honest review incoming: I think the Road to Hana can be a grueling and terrible experience if it’s done wrong. I also think it can be really magical if done right. What no guide or research told me is that it is intensely personal and variable, based on you, the road and what’s accessible with the weather.

Here is the structure I’d recommend (and what we will most likely do again, after facing a few mistakes):

• If the sunrise allows, start at Wailua Falls. You need to park on the street here, then climb the small path on the right side of the bridge. It will be empty in the morning which is good, it gets crowded later in the day. Take a swim, it’s pretty insane.

(We then chased an entry to the Red Sand Beach but flooding has made it inaccessible).

• Book the 7am-10am entry time for the Black Sand Beach. If you arrive between 7-7:30am you’ll have the beach to yourself. If I could do it again, I’d spend our whole three hour reservation here (that was our mistake, we ditched early to hike Pipiwai).

• Driving towards Paia, hit some fun/cuter things like Hana Gold Cacao Plantation or Island Cow Cuddles (lol), and enjoy some slower time during the hottest part of the day.

• This will take you to lunch time with Hana Hawaiian Barbecue (our favorite and cash only), Nahiku Marketplace and Coconut Glen’s all right there.

• Hopefully you still have afternoon energy to hit all the waterfalls on the way back, like Pua’a Ka’a Falls, Puohokamoa Falls, or Twin Falls.

You may notice I skipped the Pipiwai hike to the bamboo forest and the Garden of Eden, and that’s because to us, hiking for a few hours wasn’t our priority over jumping in waterfalls. I wish someone told me it was impossible to do it all - that way I would have made it a bit more personal to us!

A big tip: if you don’t like driving, book a tour. And if you do drive, drive going towards Paia to avoid the rush.

And that’s everything from our trip! I love making big guides because as a planner and researcher, these kinds of accounts are what I find to be the most interesting and helpful. I hope it might be useful.

But, I never forget the weekly recipe(s)!

Maybe freshly inspired by all my Maui fish dinners, on the blog this week is a Miso Corn Rice with Chili Cod that already has some rave reviews. It’s seasonal, simple, and a great way to use up a ton of summer corn.

Until next week, aloha :)

Justine