In September 2019, we took a 10-day family trip to Maui. Never had I rated Hawaii in my top 10 destinations. We had looked at going to Hawaii a couple of times and were always so overwhelmed by the choice of which Island to go to. I decided to conquer the choice fatigue and picked Maui. Going in we had low expectations but we were so in love with Maui, and now we want to explore all the Islands.

Things To Know Before You Go To Maui

1. The best times to go to Maui are the Spring months and Early fall months. June, July, and August are the hottest and busiest times.
2. You will need to rent a car to get around. There is no other way to get around and see the Island.
3. It takes a long time to get around the island due to limited highways, switchback roads, and single-lane roads (I mean 1 lane for both sides of traffic, not one lane each way).
4. Places to eat while out and about on the Island are very, very limited unless you are in a populated area (Kahului, Kihei, Lahaina) or at a Resort. Recommend grocery shopping upon arrival. Unless you are hanging out at a Resort, in Kihei, or Laihana, ALWAYS pack lunch, lots of snacks, and water.
5. Everything is expensive! All food items with few exceptions have to be imported to the Islands, which means you will pay 2-3x for basic groceries.
6. You will definitely need a cooler bag to keep your food fresh while out exploring. Get a soft-side cooler bag for your snacks and food from Target or Walmart if your accommodations don’t provide one – ask (you can always mail this home after your trip)
7. Get water-play, floaties/life jackets, and snorkeling gear from Costco, Target, or Walmart in Kahului. You can mail them home a day before you depart to avoid lugging them in your luggage. We got our snorkeling gear from Costco (~$22-30 per set) and they were really good. You can also rent gear from surf shops but that cost can add up.
8. Carry swimsuits and a change of clothes everywhere you go. Note that sometimes you won’t have changing facilities so you will have to make do with changing in the car or with a towel wrapped around you.
9. Resorts can be extremely expensive in Maui with prices ranging from $350-400+ per night. We stayed at an Airbnb instead. Most Airbnbs provide beach chairs, beach umbrellas, cooler bags, and beach towels – ask the host before you book. Check out the comparison and see which is better for your family.
10. You will need sunscreen and mosquito repellent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you apply sunscreen first before applying insect repellent.

Thing To Do in Maui

#1 Kalepolepo Beach Park, Kihei 

– (free) – We stayed at an Airbnb right across the street from the beach. This beach was tranquil; we saw maybe one or two other families each time we went. A section of the beach has shallow waters barricaded by large stones to limit the waves coming in. At high tide, the water reached mid-thigh for me (I am 5’4″). This is an excellent place for kids to play without the fear of them being swept away by tides. Lo’s favorite thing to do in the barricaded area was to see the turtles at dawn and dusk. This sometimes meant early mornings for one of us because she’d wake up early in excitement. Our Airbnb provided beach toys, so we didn’t have to get them upon arrival. We watched the beautiful golden sunset most evenings from this beach to cap off the day while enjoying a glass of wine.

#2 Haleakala National Park 

– (Park Fees $27) – We wanted to see the sunrise at Haleakala Crater; to do so, you have to start the journey at 2:30 am. Waking up in the middle of the night is pretty rough, even for an adult. If we had more than 1 kid in tow, I probably would have opted for doing the sunset instead. You need to book online in advance for this excursion. Tickets are $2 and are released every morning at 10 am PST for 2 days in advance, and tickets go very fast, so you have to be online and ready at 9:59 am PST. Then an additional $25 is paid at the gate of the National Park.

It takes 1.5hrs to drive from Kihei to the entrance of the National Park, then an additional 1hr to get to the top of the mountain. The weather is freezing up at 10K feet elevation, so you need warm clothing and winter coats and blankets. This is the only time you will use winter coats in Maui. We arrived at about 4:30 am and enjoyed star gazing while we waited for the sun to rise. Lo saw shooting stars for the first time, which was magical for her. The site of the first rays of the sun above the clouds was the most spectacular sight I have ever witnessed. After watching the sunrise, we had a picnic at the summit while enjoying breathtaking views. The one thing I wish I had packed for this excursion was a flask with hot cocoa.

#3 Old Lahaina Luau 

– (Adult $125, Children 3-12 $78, free parking onsite) Worth. Every. Single. Penny! The evening is filled with a rich cultural journey. Your imagination will voyage across the seas as you hear the story of the Polynesian migration and the history of Hawaiian people, culture, and dance. The show was captivating; the food was a delicious all-you-can-eat buffet of traditional foods. In addition, they had an open bar with drinks flowing all evening long. They have 2 shows a night, and they book up pretty fast; I recommend booking this as soon as you book your flights. 

#4 Nakalele Blowhole 

– (free) – We took the route from Kahului to get to this site. Though the route was challenging due to miles of switchback roads and sometimes single-lane roads, the route offered astounding views from every turn. We stopped several times along the way to take in the breathtaking views. The route was less than 30miles but took a little over 2hrs to complete. The journey itself is more for adults, but since we don’t do screen time, we spent a lot of time talking and answering questions about what she was seeing.

Once at the site, there is parking off the side of the road, then you hike down approx. 0.3m, descending from an elevation of about 500ft to the blowhole. You don’t have to go all the way down to see the blowhole; you can watch it from a 3rd of the way down. We went all the way down; Lo did fine going and coming back. Although the blowhole itself is fascinating to watch as it shoots up, Lo found the most fun and interesting were tide pools that are probably 2″ deep and 2″ wide with fish in them. We spent some time exploring these tide pools with childlike wonder. 

#5 Honolua Bay 

– (free snorkeling) – This bay is a short walk from the street; the waters are super calm with hardly any waves coming in. This was Lo’s first time snorkeling, so we had to teach her how to snorkel and get past her anxieties of drowning even though she was wearing a life jacket. Here we got to see many different schools of fish, sea urchins, and even an eel. Though Lo was disappointed she didn’t see Nemo or Dory, she still had a fun time. Caution: the beach is very rocky and can be dangerous due to slippery rocks as you get into the water. Recommend scooching in on your bottom and putting on flippers while in the water. Secure your gear first before securing your child’s gear. Do not let children snorkel by themselves. 

#6 Garden of Eden Arboretum | Road to Hana

– (Adult $15, Children free) This Garden was enchanting and impeccably well kept. Ocean views were breathtaking! You can pick fruits right from the trees to eat on your walk. We enjoyed sweet and juicy guavas and strawberry guavas in this Garden. There is a local art gallery on site, lots of peacocks and other exotic birds, kids can feed birds in a bird feeding area. The Garden is open daily from 8 am to 4 pm.

#7 Wai’anapanapa State Park | Road to Hana 

– (free) – This State Park features a black sand beach, a blowhole, beach caves, and a stunning view. Caution: the waves that come through this beach are harsh, and there are a lot of rocks where the waves break, therefore not ideal for young children to play in. That being said, Lo and Kas had a lot of fun sitting on the beach and waiting for the tide to come and splash them. We took a small hike to see the blowhole that formed a mist for rainbows to shine through; like any kid, this was a hit with Lo as she loved to see rainbows forming and shining through the mist. 

There were a few misses on our trip to Maui:

Miss #1 – Molokini Crater Snorkeling Tour 

–(Adult ~$80, Children under 6 free) – The tour itself was not bad. It was a 4hr tour, 2hrs of which were the round trip boat ride. The tour was supposed to include visiting turtle town, but we stayed at Molokini Crater due to the weather. 2hrs of snorkeling in one place was a bit too much with a 4-year-old. For some reason, we didn’t bring our snorkeling gear and used the gear provided by the touring company. The gear didn’t fit right, and my mask kept filling up with water, making for a sub-par experience for me. Lo enjoyed 25 minutes of snorkeling and was done so I opted to be on the boat with her the remainder of the time.

Miss #2 – Road To Hana Stops 

The road to Hana has many stops, and we chose 4 stops. First, we started late – around 9 am, and underestimated how long it would take to get from one stop to another. Second, we didn’t pack enough food, there were food stops along the way, but they close by 5 pm, so if you are not heading back by 3 pm, you will miss all the eating spots. Third, we lost track of time at Wai’anapanapa State Park and still proceeded to go to the next stop, Wailua Falls. This was a mistake. The falls, in my opinion, were not all that worth it, and we ended up starting our 3hr return journey at about 5:30 pm and missed all the food spots on the way back. It got really dark before we made it out of the switchback roads, some of which had one lane.