Category: Wild!

Maui has so much beauty that has been preserved for hundreds of years. To experience these wonders it has to offer is truly an honor. I would definitely recommend coming here because of its numerous activities and remarkable landscapes. I planned long and I planned ahead of time to get the most out of my time there. I have no regrets except that I should have stayed there a few extra days. My itinerary was full of things to do every hour of the day but it was worth it to see the amount of things that I did in the short time I was there. Before reading, please know that if you have any question regarding what I ate or where I ate for vegan fair, trek equipment I used, or companies/travel agencies I used, feel free to email or comment below. Here is my vacation summed up…

Day 1

We arrive in Maui at around 12pm, pick up our car rental and head over to Mana Kai Beach Hotel.

We ended up upgrading to a Dodge Charger (my boyfriend was excited about that).

Everyone recommends getting a Jeep to truly enjoy the scenery on the island–especially if you are attempting the road to Hana. But, honestly, we enjoyed driving the Charger and didn’t feel like we were missing out on anything. It was convenient for many reasons. The weather is also very unexpecting and different microclimates can surprise you with rain or sunshine. What really was a deal breaker, was the fact that they wanted to charge an extra $50 a day (not including tax) on top of our rental we already paid for to upgrade to a Jeep (and that was with a special manager discount of $50 off!), so, I wouldn’t be too bummed on missing out on the Jeep… Seriously. I would recommend spending that money on another experience. You’ll be fine.

We got to the hotel, and stopped by this cute grocery store called Down to Earth Organic. It has a plentiful amount of vegetarian and vegan food with a juice bar, café, and tables to relax in. It was on our way to our hotel that was on the south side of the island, but it’s so close to the airport that no matter where you are staying at, stop by and pick up some snacks you’ll need for your trip. It is definitely a sight for sore eyes after dealing with gross airline food for 5 1/2 hours. They have absolutely everything here. It’s just so amazing.

Day 2

We did not do too much our first day because we had to be up bright and early the next day. We started our day at 3am and we headed up with a tour guide to Mt. Haleakala where we were able to stargaze and watch the sunset which is claimed to be one of the most beautiful in the world.

AND THEY WERE NOT KIDDING! It truly is spectacular! I forgot to record when the sun first popped up because I was so amazed.

They say that the demigod Maui pulled up the Hawaiian islands and lassoed the sun atop this mountain (Mt. Haleakala which is the island’s highest peak). I’ll be honest and say I didn’t really look into this until I watched Moana (after our trip). It’s a great movie. Go watch it.

After we watched the sunrise, we put our helmets on, got our mountain bikes ready and made our way down the mountain. I can’t even explain how amazing this was. Every few minutes you hit new terrain, different microclimates, cities, towns, forests and people.

This was exhausting and took all day to complete but worth it. Spent the rest of the night by the beach.

Day 3

Next day we did the 5 line zip-line at Piiholo Ranch Zipline. This was so much fun! However, even I was a little scared at first. Don’t let this intimidate you! The first one is the smallest zip-line, however, it’s also the most intimidating because you don’t know what to expect yet.

(I will be updating with a full video here, eventually).

After the first line, it was a lot easier and the zip-line’s became bigger and faster. On the 3rd zip-line, our awesome instructors pranked me by pretending to accidentally let go of my rope that they grab to pull me back in. So, I swung backwards reaching the half-point of the zip-line. Which ended up being pretty cool because I got to enjoy the vast jungle underneath me a lot longer. It’s great to just hang there and really enjoy the scenery at least once instead of flying right through it.

When you first ride, everything goes by so fast that you don’t really get to enjoy or see everything there is to see- especially at this ranch. But I was extremely lucky to have these instructors who let me have the best view. I got to take a look at some sacred pools that privileged ancient Hawaiians used, pigs and sometimes you’ll even see actual cowboys throughout the ranch (yes, there are cowboys in freaking Hawaii). So cool.

My instructors found a super cool Chamillion and I got to hang out with this little guy that I totally would never have noticed if it weren’t for my instructors. I wanted to take him home so bad.

Anywho, The very last zip-line was the biggest and the most wonderful. I am so happy I experienced this with my boyfriend. It was well worth the money.

My favorite restaurant we ate at that day was this small but cute Mexican restaurant called Taqueria Cruz. It’s a little expensive, BUT, we ARE on vacation! Everything there is absolutely amazing. We had the nachos, burritos, tacos and pineapple sodas. It was delicious.

Day 4

The next day we did the road to Hana. And, if I had to recommend anything that you absolutely cannot leave without doing, it’s this beautiful drive. It takes about 2 hours to drive to Hana (not including all of the tourists and food stops). Our first stop was for a quick breakfast smoothie at this little stand (you will see a bunch of stands everywhere.. even ones that run on trust systems, which means no one is there to enforce payment-but it is expected and you should).

We made a friend!

We saw cats everywhere. The whole state of Hawaii actually has a growing problem with feral cats. If you see one, try to avoid them. I could not tell if any of them were feral, stray or domesticated.

Next, we stopped by the Bamboo Forrest trail. Which is NOT labeled or easily located. I was lucky to have my smart and handy boyfriend that’s surprisingly good with directions (no offense, Mark). This was seriously my favorite trail in the whole island. Not only are their bamboo trees big, but we witnessed the most amazing waterfalls! We jumped some small cliffs and hung out in the pools. We could have stayed there all day, but we had so much to do. Unfortunately we couldn’t stay as long as I wanted to. The way back to the car took longer because of some earlier rainfall that almost maid it impossible to cross the streams. But, we made it.

We stopped by many, many, many more waterfalls.

We bumped into the Botanical Gardens by accident (it wasn’t in our itinerary). $15 dollars per person almost made us pass this out, but I decided to give it a try since I hadn’t heard of a drive-thru botanical garden.

Let me just tell you that this was also well worth the money! The views are spectacular!

There was also a small little scene from Jurassic Park that was filmed here. That was cool!

There were lots of animals there as well (I’ll also try posting a video here, eventually).

We were surprised to find vegan and vegetarian food at the taco-truck located there. Pineapple tacos were a miss for me, but my boyfriend seemed to like it.

I managed to find Coconut Glenn’s vegan ice cream. It’s a small little stand and we nearly missed it. There was also no one there and the owner let me try something he called “coconut crack”. He named it that because of how addicting he claimed they were. I ended up buying a bag…

Next up were the lava tubes. If you are have any type of phobia, I do not recommend this. Its dark and you have to go under cramped spaces at times. If you’re a little more adventurous like me, go for it! But, watch your step!

There was also a maze… that was not so fun. We got caught in spider webs and encountered HUGE spiders. Don’t get me wrong… I love the outdoors, but, NOPE.

Stopped by Black Sand Beach and their own little lave tubes. Very beautiful, even though the waves are really rough here.

Our last stop was Haleakala National Park where we saw the beautiful pools and got to explore nature. Unfortunately a lot of areas were closed off because of water levels – so be prepared for that! That also happened when we tried to visit a state park our last day too. It was a bummer.

We made it to Hana! It’s a great feeling when you see that sign that you’ve made it. You just realize how lucky you are to have experienced that mini road-trip. All of the things we did, people we met, foods we ate, it was all such an amazing experience.

We were happy and all. However, we made a mistake of continuing on the road going around instead of heading back the way we came from- which would have been a lot easier. The road to Hana is paved. However if you go through the south side, it is not. It took us so long to get back to our hotel because not only is the road pure dirt, but it’s also a single lane, which made it very complicated to move around oncoming traffic which did happen a lot.

I would not recommend continuing on leaving Hana. Just head on back the way you came from. Trust me!

We slept like babies that night.

Day 5

WE SAW WHALES!!!!!

It was perfect that we went to Hawaii for my birthday because it also happened to be whale season. It was beautiful watching the whales not just during our excursion but we saw them sitting on the beach, driving around the coast and even one time eating dinner. They just jump up and splash and create a show.

We went with The Pacific Whale Organization. Which I highly recommend not only because they are eco-friendly but they are also incredibly informative about the whales and their environment. We also got to listen to whales.

We spent the rest of the day in Lahaina.

We did some snorkeling searching for turtles.

No luck finding turtles but them coconuts tho!

Hung out at the Banyan Tree in Lahaina

Took a look at this beautiful Buddhist temple.

We ate in the night and got take-out from Hawaiian Moons Natural Foods. It’s a grocery store and a take-out café. They have to many selections, however, they were extremely pricey. I had never spent that much on food (even snacks), ever. But, like I said, we’re on vacation, Brah!

Day 6

On our very last day, we headed out early to try to see some turtles. We had no luck this trip, but we still had fun snorkeling and finding some neat fish (even some poisonous ones).

We tried to visit some state parks but they were closed, unfortunately. The rain really can change your plans, so, be aware of unpredictable weather!

We relaxed by the beach and we were very eager to get home to our daughter. We missed her so much!

Luckily the flight back to Los Angeles was a lot quicker than the flight to the island. What a relief that was!

 

 

The best part of our trip was realizing that what we wanted to see the most was waiting for us at home.

 

 

 

 

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THE book I recommend before heading to Maui:

Please, please, please get yourself this guidebook!

This book helped us out so much. It was very convenient to have rather than have to research everything there is to do there. It explains how to travel to certain spots, how populated they get, best times to go, and so much more! Seriously, no matter where you go, get yourself a book and learn from the pros that have already been there. This saved us so much time and led us to some awesome activities we might have never known about.

I can’t wait to go back. I have been to many places, but nothing compares to this beautiful island (in my opinion). My favorite place in the whole entire world. I love this island and this island loves me back. So let’s all take care of it. Here are a few tips how:

1. Reef-Safe Sun-Screen: I would get this ahead of time. I didn’t realize how many places don’t have reef-safe-sun-screen. We visited about 3 or 4 stores before I stopped by a pharmacy and they carried only one brand of these. I bought a small tub for $9. It lasted us the whole trip to snorkel and that’s all that matters. Get a brand you like and pack it before you go!
2. Recycle: The island is very good when it comes to recycling. Make sure you dispose of your trash in proper containers and don’t leave anything on the beach. I saw tourists leaving trash everywhere and it was frustrating. Don’t be that tourist.
3. Eat what’s in season and support the locals: Everything in Maui is going to be a little expensive. It’s great to support the locals during your trip. I ate some yummy fruit (some I had never tried before) and drank some yummy coconuts (bigger than my head), and their prices varied depending where you were.
4. Support companies and organizations: We tried our best to eat, stay and spend our money at establishments that were eco-friendly. There are so many! Do your own research and see what you like. Be considerate because there are still a lot of people who are not.
5. Be kind: Hawaiians are kind of known for being laidback. It really is true. Most of the people who live on the island are never in a rush to go anywhere. It was a nice, but, I know this may be difficult for some of my Angelino friends. This is a very different social environment than the city, so don’t yell or honk your horn. It’s rude. Also, respect the animals. I loved being able to interact with them (to an extent), just be mindful.
6. Save water: I know it’s hard to be mindful of everything else when you’re in a hotel to celebrate your vacation. Most people don’t want to think about things like that. But it’s such a simple thing that does make a difference. Turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth, not opening things offered by the hotel you are not going to use, re-use towels and your clothes.