This was, by far, the best trip we’ve taken to Maui. And, I have some new activity recommendations to share based on the kids’ ages and abilities now that they are 7 and 8. Read on for ideas!
We arrived on a Sunday at 11:46AM and headed right to our 1:15PM reservation at Star Noodle in Lahaina. Star Noodle is consistently excellent Asian food and the girls rate their garlic noodles as the BEST EVER. Don’t miss the steamed pork buns, green papaya and shrimp salad and the local saimin…among other options. I highly recommend booking lunch or dinner a month before your planned visit as it tends to book up fast. It’s on the water, next to the Old Lahaina luau and a phenomenal seafood restaurant I’d also recommend, Mala Ocean Tavern. www.starnoodle.com and www.malatavern.com
After Star Noodle, we hit our favorite shave ice outpost in Lahaina, Ululani’s. There is always a line here, but I’ll tell you, it’s worth the wait! www.ululanishawaiianshaveice.com
Hotel
We checked into the Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, our every-odd-year timeshare, at 4PM and were given the best villa yet! It was a two bedroom, two bath, full kitchen, full balcony suite with a partial ocean view on the 6th floor. The main pool was close, the hallways were quiet at night and the staff was very attentive. Rooms are cleaned every 3rd day and there is a washer and dryer in the suite…which I always appreciate! I’ve written about the Nanea in detail in past blog posts, but suffice to say, it’s in Kaanapali on the ocean in an area teeming with tropical fish and sea turtles. It’s easy to throw on a pair of goggles and explore the sea life a short walk across the pathway connecting all 3 Westin properties and their hotel neighbors to the north.
The pool is lagoon-esque with a small slide that leads to a “baby pool” with a sand beach. You do have to jockey for a front row lounge chair location at the pool in the morning and I recommend getting there around 7AM to do so…and if you leave your chair unattended for more than 60 minutes before 12PM, hotel staff will remove your items and leave them at the towel desk. They will give you towel cards at check in which can be redeemed for 2 towels per card, but the towel team is pretty relaxed regarding enforcement of the card/towel exchange policy.
The hotel has two restaurants, next to each other by the pool, a convenience store/coffee shop and a shave ice place on site. There is also a Dukes Beach House in the hotel just to the north of the Nanea and multiple restaurants in the two Westins to the south of Nanea. We tried to avoid eating at the Nanea restaurants this trip as inflation has pushed prices to ungodly levels! We had a couple poolside lunches there though that were well over $100 with 4 adult beverages. Luckily, there are multiple grocery stores a short car ride away and you could even walk to Times if forgoing a car rental. And, the Nanea has lots of grills available for cooking on campus. www.marriott.com www.dukesmaui.com
Snorkel Excursion to Molokini Crater
This year, since the girls are now 7 and 8 and able to operate a snorkel and mask, we booked a snorkel adventure to the Molokini Crater and Turtle Discover area for the second day we were in Maui. There were several options I researched, some leaving from Lahaina docks and many leaving from Ma’alaea Harbor closer to the airport. I chose the Sail Trilogy group out of Ma’alaea Harbor this year because of reviews I read about the food served on the boat!
We met at the Harbor, a 40 minute drive from the hotel, at 7:30AM. Luckily, we still hadn’t adjusted to the Hawaii time zone, so the girls were up at 5AM anyway. There was ample parking at the Harbor. And, the cinnamon rolls for breakfast on the boat were delicious. We were one of an estimated 5 families with kids 13 and under and the boat staff was patient and accommodating to kids. The two bathrooms on the boat were clean, but with steep stairs to access each.
The boat was not crowded and we were able to find a spot on the deck to relax during the hour or so trip to Molokini. The kids used snorkels and boogie boards to view the tropical fish located in the crater’s sickle. Everyone had on life vests, though inflating them was not required. The boat was stocked with Snuba gear as well…which several people engaged in.
We were promised turtles as well as tropical fish and headed to the turtle area. However, we didn’t see ANY. A monk seal did swim right between Emma and me and then circled back to check us out again. It was a surreal experience and is, of course, not guaranteed for the next snorkeler!!!
The lunch on the boat was excellent as promised and the kids wanted seconds! We saw more fish and turtles in the ocean outside our hotel than on the actual paid-for Sail Trilogy excursion, but getting out on a boat in the Hawaiian waters, having a professional photographer take underwater pictures and the tasty food made the trip worthwhile.www.sailtrilogy.com
The Adventure Park on Maui
Another NEW activity we did on Maui this year based on the kids’ ages was the Adventure Park. We happily stumbled upon it and decided to try it out. You must be at least 7 years old to participate. There is an instructional video as well as hands on instruction on how to hook and unhook from the lifeline ropes throughout the course. And there are 6 “trails” with multiple levels of difficulty. The girls mainly stuck to the green and yellow courses, but I gradually ended up at the top of the vertical structure on the blue and black higher-level challenges. You learn quickly how to navigate the obstacles. Both girls ziplined on the course, though Emma, the diminutive 7 year old needed a little extra boost from me to hook to that rope. Parents do the course with their kids so they can help along the way. Book in the morning when they open to avoid the heat of summer if visiting during that time. We spent 2 ½ hours climbing and conquering the courses and it went by FAST. www.myadventurepark.com
Restaurants
Besides the restaurants I recommended earlier, here are a few we tried and loved this year…and one miss!
Kimo’s in Lahaina: it was established the year I was born and in all my travels to Maui, I’ve never stopped in. That was a miss! GREAT location with ocean views, open bar area and kids are allowed to sit at the bar, good drinks and good food. Maui staple. www.kimosmaui.com
The Fishmarket: we always stop here in Kaanapali when it opens at 11AM to pick up fish to grill at the Westin Nanea, but they have an excellent selection of cooked menu items as well. We had baja fish tacos and an ahi steak sandwich that were both amazing and the kids inhaled chicken strips and fries. www.fishmarketmaui.com
Sale Pepe Pizzeria & Cucina: not sure how I missed this restaurant in years past, but it’s in Lahaina, near Kimos…just not directly on Front Street. The chef/owner is from Italy and his wife is from Brooklyn and EVERYTHING we tried was phenomenal. Very family friendly. www.salepepemaui.com
Monkeypod Whaler’s Village: we always go here and love it. No reservations, but Whaler’s Village offers plenty of shopping/snacking distractions while you wait for a text message from the restaurant saying your table is ready. Best mai tais! Best Saimin noodles. Best live music. Monkeypod has multiple locations in the Hawaiian islands too. www.monkeypodkitchen.com
Duckine: Don’t go here. It’s located near Star Noodle and the facade of the building is very attractive and contemporary…the food is not. We paid way too much for over sauced Asian cuisine. Just go to Star Noodle. There is no comparison. www.duckine.com
Slappy Cakes: No trip to Maui is complete without the pancake-making ritual at Slappy Cakes in Kaanapali. As the girls grow older, they get more and more creative in their designs. www.slappycakes.com
Sunrise Café: On Front Street. This is a hidden gem on the water. They have traditional loco moco; spam, eggs and rice; delicious bakery items and more. No website. 693 Front St A, Lahaina.
Tin Roof: we stopped by this take-away restaurant in Kahului on our way to the airport. Its “no frills” location masks the quality of the food inside. We grabbed Kau Kau tins to take on the airplane for dinner and it took major self-control to wait that long to eat! The mochiko chicken…just try it. Kids got the garlic noodles and loved them. Much better than airplane food! www.tinroofmaui.com
Fourth of July
Fourth of July in Maui this year was back to “normal” and felt the same as when we went in 2019. The Westin had its usual 4th Festival with face painting, water balloon tossing and various other contests. There is a car show on Front Street with vintage cars the kids enjoyed viewing. But the BEST part of the Fourth in Lahaina is the fireworks show on a barge in the ocean. We ate dinner at Kimos then took our spot on the ocean wall at about 6:30PM for the 8PM show. The pictures don’t do it justice!!! It’s a GREAT show. Lasts about 20 minutes. We drove into Lahaina early and parked for free at the Outlets and then walked Front Street, shopped, viewed the cars and ate dinner. Easy.
We Don’t Sit Still 