Marvelous Maui

February 23-March 3, 2024

Aloha friends and family,

In the last few blog posts I wrote about my last minute rendezvous to Vietnam, which I thought, for better or worse, would be my last big international travel for a while. I actually knew I'd be going to Maui with my parents at the end of February and early March, so I squeezed that trip in before my parents came and it was a blast. You can read it here: part 1 - Southern Vietnam, part 2 - Central Vietnam, part 3 - Northern Vietnam, part 4 - more Northern Vietnam. The trip was really fun, but it was also quite tiring being in a foreign country and not having many normal conveniences I'm accustomed to and having to deal with a language barrier and other obstacles. This trip in Maui, on the other hand, was very relaxing and easy - thanks in large part to my mom doing a fantastic job of planning ahead of time.

My parents flew into Maui on the afternoon of Friday 2/23 and I joined them the next day. My parents picked me up from the airport and we drove to our Airbnb at a lovely condo complex called Mahina Surf in Ka'anapali. We had a condo with a master bedroom, a kitchen, a living room, a lanai, and a bedroom and bathroom upstairs in the loft.

(I loved this sign on our front door. It's got some "pidgin" on it, which is Hawaiian slang. "Hale" = "Home", "Mahalo" = "Thank you", "Slippahs" = "Flip flops", "No take mo' bettah" = "Don't take better".)

We were right on the water with a rocky beach that was incredibly scenic, and we had a view of a surf break just a couple hundred yards out. To make it even better, we regularly saw whales breaching as they come to Hawai'i, especially Maui, in the winter. It was pretty ridiculous how beautiful it was from our lanai; the most spectacular scene was a vivid double rainbow with a couple whales breaching and a handful of sea turtles visible in the shallow waters.

We also looked out on the rest of the condo complex, which had some nice grounds and a pool that was delightfully warm. In fact, it was more like a hot tub temperature than a normal pool. After dropping bags off and having some lunch at our home base, we walked the Kapalua Coastal Trail, a beautiful route that goes by some of the prettiest beaches and scenery in the Ka’anapali area.

It rained surprisingly hard on us, since I’d been expecting the rain to be passing drizzles, and we were all thoroughly wet by the end. We’d walked for a few hours and it was late afternoon by the time we wrapped up, so we went back to Mahina Surf for some downtime. I had a really good week of doing the habits I wanted to make more time for including exercising, reading, and playing the ukulele.

On Sunday, we had a leisurely morning before taking off for some hikes around 9:30/10. Our first stop was Iao Valley. It was a short five-minute walk to the top, which had some beautiful views and historical/spiritual significance. We explored more by the river area beneath the walk.

Then we did a more strenuous hike: a 4.5-mile hike called Waihe’e Ridge Trail. It was on the east side of a sketchy drive around the northern part of Maui, but we didn’t need to go down the road to the sketchiest parts. The hike started from high up and had a nice view of the cliffs and ocean and some expansive properties up there. I liked the different terrain: it started with paved path, then had a forest corridor with big thick trees on one side and narrower bendy ones on the other to form a forest canopy, and finally some muddy curvy parts towards the top.

The big drama was that we saw a helicopter rescue for a 52-year old lady (age confirmed in the local news story we saw the next day) who’d fallen and broken her leg. At first, we paused on the path because we didn’t know if we could bypass her and the first responders, but after we saw some other folks go we went for it. I won't go into detail, but it was a pretty gnarly scene and the lady was clearly hurting. We, along with several others, watched the helicopter rescue from a distance. It was a spectacle to see and made me realize how difficult those rescues are. Every time the helicopter came near to drop somebody off or pick somebody up, it was only briefly because it would have to circle around and come back because the wind was strong enough that it was too hard to stay in one place.

After that fiasco, we had a picnic lunch at the top and enjoyed the views. We went back to Mahina Surf after the hike and caught another beautiful sunset from a private little section of the beach by our unit. It was a mellow night with a few drinks on the lanai and good conversation.

It was another leisurely morning for me the next day, which started with meditation and breakfast on the lanai. My parents were getting up much earlier because of the time zone difference, but it worked out nicely because they like to do their own thing in the morning, too.

At 10, we drove to Nakalele Blowhole on the northern coast and did a short hike along rocky coast with good views of the cliffs and ocean. It reminded me of the east side of O’ahu, in terms of how rugged the coastline is. The blowhole is gorgeous and there were some impressive blasts of water that hit us even 100+ feet from the explosion.

On the way back, we stopped at Honolua Bay and checked out the surf from the viewpoint on the cliff. The waves looked awesome and I was wishing I'd had a board to ride. Then we stopped at Slaughterhouse Beach where I read and relaxed on the beach.

Shortly after arriving, we noticed two kids on boogie boards getting swept precariously close to some rocks along the coast. Somehow, the younger of the two brothers escaped the current and made it back to shore safely. The older brother, though, was fully caught in this current. We saw him helplessly kicking against it as he was dragged closer and closer to the jagged rocks. I was getting ready to hop in and rescue him because his mom was fecklessly watching from the shore. The last couple waves before he washed up on shore were the most dramatic, as he was thrown violently towards the rocks, and one of the waves even submerged him. Thankfully he was alright when he got out and didn’t have any scrapes. He was, however, understandably rattled.

We were remarking how we’d seen such dramatic and dangerous situations already in the first few days of vacation between that and the helicopter rescue. I went for a little swim myself afterwards, making sure to keep my distance from the rocks. The water was lovely and the waves were fun to play in.

Back at Mahina Surf we had a relaxining early afternoon. Then we drove over to Whalers Village to do a sunset dinner cruise, but it got canceled last second because it was too windy. Instead, we walked around some nice shops and got cocktails at a fancy hotel where we talked with a friendly couple and listened to live music. We stopped at food trucks on the way home to pick up dinner and had a couple drinks on the lanai as it got dark.

The next morning, we embarked on the famous road to Hana, where we were spending the next couple nights. We made a few stops along the way. Our first one was at Ho’okipa Bay, which was a pretty surfing spot with nice and gentle waves.

We then stopped at a tiny little state park that we at first thought was our main attraction, but it turned out to be a short detour with one little waterfall to see. Later in the drive, we stopped for banana bread from a food truck and then at a pizza place near Hana for lunch.

Our main (and final) stop was at Wai’anapanapa State Park, where we saw a black sand beach and some beautiful coastal scenery. It was kind of similar to the terrain near the Nakalele Blowhole, but the black sand beach had truly black sand and rocks, which was cool to see.

Overall, the drive to Hana had lots of winding twists and turns, but it wasn’t too bad. It’s a lot of driving, so I’m glad we got to spend a couple nights in Hana – that made it feel more worth all the driving. We checked into the Hana Maui Resort around 5 and got dinner from nearby food trucks, which was one of the only options to get food since it was such a small town. The hotel was luxurious with two pools, tennis courts, and a fitness center. We had a spacious ocean bungalow on an open lawn overlooking the rocky ocean coastline.

The hotel offered some activities as part of our stay, so I took advantage of them the next morning with a 7am guided meditation and 8am yoga class. My dad joined for both and my mom partook in the yoga. I felt really good after those activities and even better after a big loco moco (a classic Hawaiian dish with meatloaf, eggs, rice, and gravy) breakfast at the beautiful hotel restaurant.

We decided to make it a resort day. I spent most of the day relaxing at our bungalow and by the pool, reading and playing ukulele. In the afternoon I went on a hike with my mom to a gorgeous red sand beach with tall cliffs that looked like they were prime terrain for landslides. The beach was right by the hotel, but it was definitely a spot for both tourists and locals alike. The sand was actually red and the swimming was cool in such a dramatic area.

It started raining a bit so we headed back to the bungalow and chilled for a couple hours on the lanai before getting dinner at Hana Ranch Restaurant. I had a delicious ahi (tuna) sandwich and hit the hay shortly after dinner.

I did the 7am meditation the next morning and got some delicious Asian noodles for breakfast after. Then we packed up and hit the road. My parents went to hike the Pipiwai Trail south of us while I posted up at Homoa Beach since I’d already done the hike when my friend Owen visited.

We stopped at the food trucks for lunch and then I drove us back along the road to Hana in the reverse direction (I guess the road from Hana). The drive felt much easier this time and I got into some caravans where I could follow the leader and not have to worry as much about checking every corner for oncoming traffic because the line leader already dealt with it.

We stopped at Ho’okipa Bay again to watch the surfers and wind surfers before going onto our Airbnb in Wailea and arriving around 5. Our Airbnb was part of this big complex that had 300 similar units in 50+ similar buildings with a nice clubhouse, pool, and tennis and pickleball courts. We had a living room with a pullout couch where I slept, a master bedroom, another bathroom, a kitchen, and a grand lanai looking out at the islands of Kaho’olawe, Lana’i, and Molokini.

I started Friday morning with 20 minutes of meditation and coffee and breakfast on the lanai. I really loved these mornings. There wasn’t anything I needed to do all day, but I was very content filling my day with seeing beautiful sights, relaxing, taking care of myself, and spending time with my parents.

After breakfast, I played pickleball with my parents. We rallied around for a while and then I lost a close game against my dad. In the late morning, we walked along a coastal boardwalk by very extravagant hotels in Wailea, including the Four Seasons where they filmed Season 1 of White Lotus.

The walk was really pretty and we saw lots of nice beaches, resort pools, and expensive condos. We picked up lunch from a small grocery and I practiced ukulele and went to the gym after. I relaxed at the pool in the mid-late afternoon. The pool was right next to the ocean, so I double dipped, going from the cool, salty ocean to the warm pool. I played more pickleball in the evening and took the next game against my dad, evening the series at 1-1.

We hung out on the lanai in the early evening and had burgers and salad for dinner. After dinner I went to meet with my friends, who were visiting from O'ahu, at Maui Brewing Company. I had a beer there and talked with the crew, which was mostly the same as the group that I went on a Big Island trip with in mid-January. I got home just before 10 and packed a bag for Haleakala Sunrise early the next morning.

Saturday was a brutally early 2:50am wake up to make it to the summit of Haleakala in time for sunrise. We picked up Emily and Marta at 3:45 and arrived to Haleakala at 5:20, which was actually great timing since we got to observe the pre-sunrise glow from first light. We hung out in the car at first and then went to the sheltered viewing area, which was protected from the wind. Once the sun started to come out more, we sat on a little wall outside the sheltered viewing area. It was more crowded out there but we carved out our little niche. Thankfully we had some blankets to keep warm. It was a beautiful sunrise and so magnificent to see the sun come up over all the clouds.

I think first light was even better, though, as the colors were so deep and powerful. There was a beautiful quietness too before the sun fully came up. It was an awesome start to the day.

After sunrise, we met up with the other car of my friends Eric, Scott, Sam, and Kip. It was nice for my parents to meet more of my friends. We talked with them for a bit and then hiked Sliding Sands Trail. My parents and I went about two miles into the crater, which we learned was actually a depression but that didn’t have nearly the same ring as Haleakala Crater, so the crater misnomer stuck. The hike back was more strenuous and we really felt the elevation and ascent on the way back up, but we survived.

On the way back from Haleakala, we drove into upcountry, an area of Maui with high elevation on the volcano that’s farther from the water. The upcountry area feels more rural and open and has beautiful views. Still, I don’t know if I’d want to live there because it’s much farther from the ocean. We stopped at a tiny bakery and café called Grandma’s Coffee House and had some reasonably priced coffee and a cookie. There was live music with an eccentric guy who was charming at first but then became too much. The venue was nice, though, and we enjoyed the breeze and sunshine.

Then we drove along this scenic road that my mom had heard was supposed to look like Ireland. It was definitely a popular route for walking and biking because we passed about 30 pedestrians on the narrow road. It was a pretty drive and it really did look like it could've been in Ireland.

We drove back to Wailea after and got home around noon. The rest of the day was laid back with some ukulele practice and then pickleball with my mom. In the evening, we hung out on the lanai and picked up dinner from Paia Fish Market in Kihei. It was fun to see Kihei; it was much different from Wailea and had more of a Jersey Shore vibe than a Four Seasons vibe. We had dinner on the lanai and then crashed afterwards.

Sunday March 3 was our last day in Maui and I started it the way I’d been starting my other days: 20 minutes of meditation and then breakfast on the lanai. It was fun to soak in the beautiful views of the surrounding islands and breaching whales for one last morning.

My dad and I played another couple pickleball games and each took one, leaving the series tied at 2-2. We packed up the Airbnb and left around 11:30 to go to Big Beach, down in Makena.

We did a short hike to Little Beach, which I hadn’t realized before was a nude beach. After awkwardly traversing the beach looking for a hike that we couldn't find, we walked back past the nudists and along Big Beach, where I went for a dip (with a bathing suit on).

Then we drove up to Olowalu, which was about 30 minutes up West Maui. We met my friends who were there kayaking to see whales. I said goodbye to my parents there since they had a flight to catch.

I spent the rest of the afternoon hanging on the beach and snorkeling. I went to go out into the water with my friends Kip, Scott, and Marta, but by the time I’d gotten Kip’s snorkel from the car I didn’t see them. I forget how easy it is to lose people out in the open ocean. Even though I wasn’t that far out, it gets hard to see with the smudging of the goggles and the glare from the sun and the swell and waves. The reef was beautiful, and much more vibrant than almost all the reef (maybe with the exception of Lanikai) I’ve seen in O’ahu. I saw some cool fish, but no whales unfortunately.

After 45 minutes of snorkeling, I came back in and had a bit of a scare. I accidentally swam into some shallow waters (probably less than 1.5 feet deep) and was panicking and trying to make as small movements as possible to not kick or flail into the reef, since it can be extremely abrasive. Eventually I got pushed by the water into the reef but it was a gentle landing and I didn’t touch any urchins, thankfully. I was able to use the movement of the waves to escape after one more bump into the reef. My heart was beating fast and I was thrilled to not have gotten beat up by the reef or stuck by urchins.

When I got back to land, I hung out with Sam, Sam, Anna, Scott, Marta, and Kip and had some happy hour drinks while enjoying the start of an amazing sunset. I got a sandwich from a nearby deli/bakery and enjoyed that for dinner. We drove to the airport for our 8pm flight and caught the afterglow of another unbelievable sunset from the airport.

Overall, it was such a lovely trip to Maui. I’m glad my parents made the trek out, since it had been two years since they were last in Hawai'i. The pace of the trip was great and we had sufficient downtime to do our own things during the day which made me feel more energized for the time we spent together. The mornings were really relaxing and I loved making time to cultivate my habits of meditation and practicing ukulele. I felt better than I have in a while with those healthy habits as well as regularly exercising and stretching, not to mention the physically active things we were doing during the days.

My mom planned an awesome itinerary and we got to see basically the whole island while still having plenty of time for relaxing at our Airbnbs or resort. Our lanais were the focal points of our hanging out, as we spent the mornings out there having breakfast and watching the sun light up the day, and then closed our nights off there with drinks and the sunsets and their spectacular aftermaths. I truly was so pampered with my parents there, being treated like a royal prince the whole time. It was amazing having them come out. The trip was the pinnacle of relaxation and feeling great for me and I loved it. As always, thanks for reading, folks!