Maui, Hawaii

The following post is written by guest blogger, Mel!  Like Thien and Jen, Mel also loves yoga, public health, and family style meals. She is San Diego bred, Berkeley educated, and Boston strong. Mel currently resides in Silicon Valley, where she sits in traffic on the 101 alongside self-driving cars. She is of the not-tall variety.

Hawaii is a very special place to me. My dad was born and raised in Oahu, my parents met at U.H., and my older brother was born in Maui. Growing up, visiting Hawaii always felt like “going home”, similar to how I imagine T feels about Vietnam and J about Taiwan. This trip was particularly exciting for me because it was everyone else’s first trip to the islands. I felt personally responsible for their fun-o-meter, therefore, YOU KNOW IT WAS GOOD. 

I'm also pretty sure that I don't have to work too hard at convincing you that Maui is an awesome place to visit.  Let’s just say that if you hate beautiful beaches, outdoor fun, and peaceful relaxation, then Maui is not the place for you. 

Here’s the itinerary for our 5 night, 5 day Hawaiian roller coaster ride!

Our Itinerary:

Day (night) 1

• Land at Kahului airport around 11pm 
• Dinner at Zippys in Kahului.  For me, Zippys is a “just landed in Hawaii” staple. Also, nothing in Maui is open at midnight. I guess the best way to describe it is a combination fast-food & casual dining restaurant that serves up all the island favorites.  Think teri-beef, katsu curry, loco moco, mac salad, saimin, etc.  If these words mean nothing to you, please refer to the following picture:

• Check into our AirBnB in Lahaina.

Day 2

• Grocery shopping at the Foodland Farms. Even if you don’t need groceries, at least go here for the amazing poke bar. So much better than your average, overpriced hipster poke places that have been popping up all over the the SF Bay Area.
• Malolo Afternoon Snorkel Trip to Molokini or Coral Gardens. We booked a tour through Boss Frog, and signed up for the Coral Gardens tour which is a shorter boat ride than the Molokini crater (about 20 minutes). No experience is necessary to snorkel and the tour company provides all the equipment you need. Highlight of the tour was spotting a sea turtle!  
• Snack at the Badass Huli Huli Chicken roadside stand. Huli huli chicken = grilled chicken halves marinated in crack. Just kidding. It’s marinated in a combination of pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and probably crack.  One of us spotted this random gem on the way to the Ma'alaea Harbor and just HAD to stop on the way home. Best decision of the day.
• Impromptu sunset huli huli chicken picnic at a roadside park overlooking the ocean.
• Home cooked dinner at home 

Day 3

• Home cooked breakfast 
• Chill at the AirBnB. It was Superbowl Sunday, so we decided to take it easy & watch the game at home.
• Walk around Lahaina Banyan Court Park. Fun fact: this tree is over 150 years old!
• If you’re looking for a quick treat, check out Ululani’s Hawaiian Shaved Ice for NOT your typical snow cone, and Lahaina Luna Cafe for some CrAzY fRiEs.
• Homecooked dinner at home 

Day 4:

• Honolulu Coffee in Paia Town. Open early for those of you embarking on the Road to Hana. Great place for solid coffee and breakfast sandwiches to fuel you for the day.
• Road to Hana. This is an all day road trip that starts just after Paia Town and ends in Hana (obvi). *Warning* Lots of winding roads! I advise packing some Dramamine if you’re prone to car sickness, or hungover. 
• There are about 26 stops along the way that you can choose from. Of the 10 stops we made, my favorites were Twin Falls, Wai'anapanapa State Park, and Kipahulu Haleakala National Park (Seven Sacred Pools/Pipiwai Trail/Waimoku Falls).
• I will add that the Pipiwai Trail is a great place to propose to someone. I tell you this from recent experience :)
• Also, try all of the banana bread. 
• After we got to Hana, we chose to go back home the way we came. You do have an option to go all the way around the island, but apparently it's a bumpy ride, so be prepared! 
• Dinner at Star Noodle

Day 5

• Sunrise at Haleakala Crater Summit. Enjoy the sunrise above the clouds, and not from inside an airplane! I wish I could tell you how beautiful the sunrise is from this majestic volcanic peak, but I wouldn't know. After arriving by 5am (we left home at 2:30am), our plans for the perfect viewing party were thwarted by a storm. I can tell you that it is really cold up there (rain or shine) so definitely bring some jackets & blankets.  Here’s an image that I Googled of people (not us) enjoying the sunrise - (definitely check the weather before you make reservations)

• Body boarding and bumming at Ka'anapali Beach. 
• Lunch at The Original Hawaiian Shrimp Truck. Bubba Gump would have loved this place. May he rest in peace.
• Maui Brewing Company. Great beer and a tour w/tastings! They also have food trucks and board games to ensure that you stay drunk & happy for hours. 
• Dinner at Mama’s Fish House. Delicious food and picture perfect ambiance, however a bit on the pricey side. I think the consensus around the table was that everything could have been ~$10 cheaper.  But if it’s your birthday definitely go here because they give you a free dessert (Thanks, Mama!). 

Day 6

• Rented snorkeling equipment at Boss Frog’s Snorkel Rental.
• Snorkeling @ Makena Beach. No tour required. If you’re lucky, you’ll see a family of sea turtles on the beach! Note: these turtles definitely hate us humans. 
• Snorkeling @ Ahihi Cove. No tour required. Be warned - this site isn’t suitable for swimming, children, or beginner snorkelers. But word on the island is that it’s the best spot to see fish and live coral, so f**k it!
• Flight back to reality @ 10pm