On the beach in Maui
(A very short report)
To plan a trip to Maui, consider visiting during the shoulder seasons of April-May or September-November for pleasant weather and fewer crowds. For a relaxing vacation, a 4-day trip might be enough, while a 6-7 day trip allows for more exploration and activities. Don't miss popular attractions like Haleakala National Park, the Road to Hana, and Molokini Crater. If you're interested in surfing, the winter months offer the best conditions. For a more immersive experience, consider renting a car or taking a shuttle.
We went for ten days because I have found that at least a day or two are dedicated to getting your “sea legs.”
Contents
You should go to Maui for its incredibly diverse natural landscapes, from volcanic peaks and rainforests to unique black and red sand beaches, along with world-class whale watching, luxurious resorts, and the scenic Road to Hana.The island provides a balanced experience, offering a wide range of activities like snorkeling, hiking, and cultural experiences for everyone, making it a quintessential tropical getaway.
Per US News & World Report: April – June: The tourist season slows and hotel rates drop at this time of year. Average temperatures range from the mid-70s to high 80s and there's generally little rainfall, making this period a great time to visit before hurricane season arrives.
Per Where and When: “When is the best time to go to Maui? Here's some information to help you in your decision:
The best times to visit Maui are April through May and September through November. The spring and fall shoulder seasons provide the pleasant weather Hawaii vacationers seek without the high rates and heavy crowds that accompany the summer and winter.
Snorkeling at Molokini Crater
The snorkeling in Maui was okay. Fiji has spoiled me in terms of beautiful coral (and I hope to be further spoiled by Raja Ampat in 2026). We saw lots of fish and especially turtles. We were not able to go to Black Rock and a few other places due to extreme wave action. Make sure you go early, before the trade winds pick up.
Primary Resources
Other Good Resources
Hiking
And More
It’s easy to get to Maui from just about anywhere. From Portland, it is a direct flight. We used Hawaiian Air.
Rent a car
We generally don’t eat out very much, opting to go to the grocery store and preparing food at our place. There are tons of places to eat in Maui. On a tip from a guy on the plane in route to Maui, we went to Cool Cat Cafe. It was good. We also went to the Paia Fish House, and that was also very good.
We are always looking for great pubs. Maui offers a variety of great pubs and bars for nightlife and drinks. Some of the top spots include Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman known for its innovative cocktails, The Pint & Cork with its wide selection of beers and whiskeys, and The Dog and Duck Irish Pub for a traditional pub experience. South Shore Tiki Lounge is also a popular choice with its tropical ambiance and live music.
For ten days, including flights, car rental, hotel, food, playing, and miscellaneous split between three people: about $3,000 per person. Perhaps a little less.
Lots of snorkeling, hiking, driving the Road to Hana, Haleakalā National Park sunset, Molokini snorkeling trip, great food, walks on the beach, waterfalls, aquarium, sitting on our balcony, watching the ocean and having adult beverages, and all the goodness of a 10-day tropical vacation. And did I mention the snorkeling? First time I ever saw a swimming moray eel (turns out it was a Whitemouth) and first time I ever saw a turtle cleaning station. Pretty cool! Oh yeah, and the first frog fish.
You could probably follow this itinerary and have a very good time, like we did. This itinerary is a direct copy of Marg’s Notes. She writes our daily activities in her calendar for every trip we take.
Hiking the windy Hoapili Trail
It was windy all night. We still woke up pretty early. Had tea and coffee and bagels. Then went on a walk on the beach. The beach at our place has been washed away but we can walk down the road a block or so and get on the beach. We went one mile out and one mile back. Then, we went to a Farmers Market for fruit: pineapple, papaya, bananas, and tomatoes. We got ready to snorkel and headed out. The beach parking lots were all full! So, we decided to do a hike instead. We drove South to the end of the road. We hiked on a lava trail out to a point. Hoapili Trail to Hanamanioa Point Lighthouse. Not a hard hike, but harder on the feet! Lots of people and very pretty. Still windy! 3.5 miles. Back to the condo for a shower and late lunch. Hopped in the pool, Nora and I, and got a nap. Cool Cat Cafe for dinner!
Thoughts & Tips
Haleakala Sunset
After breakfast we got ready to snorkel. Rod tried to fix his camera... [and Rod got really mad at his stupid camera ☹] We left a bit after 9:00. Drove past a bunch of resorts, passed some big homes too to Palauea Beach [aka White Rock]. Found a parking spot easily! 😊 Beautiful beach. There were a lot of people there but it didn't seem crowded. Swam around for about an hour. It was hard to keep track of Rod. I think his weight belt kept him lower when he was on the surface. Anyhoo… we couldn't see him ☹. Nora and I headed in a bit. Rod saw us and came in. The coral was really bleached, saw fish but no turtles ☹. We did hear whales under the water. Rod caught the sound on video. Back to our place for lunch and a rest, then, up the mountain. Drove up Haleakalā. We stopped at the visitors center first. A ranger told rod the best place to see the sunset was the parking lot of the Upper Visitors Center. The center was closed, but the potty was open. A long, twisty drive up the mountain. The observation area at the top was beautiful! Windy & cold tho! Back down at the Haleakala Visitors Center we went on a short hike. Great views. Had a snack & rest in the car. Sunset was at 6:39. Beautiful! Down the mountain in the dark! Leftover burgers for Nora & me. Rod had a croissant.
Thoughts & Tips
Today was an expedition to the interior & West Maui. Our first stop was The Iao Valley State Park. This was a timed entry for 9:45. We got there a bit early. That was OK. We climbed stairs to the top for views of the valley & mountains. We wandered around the trails & found one to Quarter- Mile Falls. Nice hike thru the forest along the creek to a small waterfall. Back to the main trail & thru a little garden. Our timed entry gave us 1½ hours & that’s about how long it took. We drove on around on 340…White knuckle drive, but beautiful views! One lane road. 340 became 30 at the tip of the island. We investigated a snorkel spot on the way down. Into town we stopped at a roadside park w/ tables & had our lunch…along Kaanapali. We tried to go to the Banyan Tree, but the streets were local traffic only due to the fire. Back at the condo, we rested & showered. We walked down to the Marina Area [Maalaea Harbor] to check it out & see where our snorkel trip started. Shops & restaurants… Chicken & salad.
The Iao Valley State Park
Up at 5:30 for our snorkel trip. Drove down to the marina (½ mile). There were a lot of people on the trip (88). We had a small breakfast when we got on board. Still windy, but a nice ride out to the Molokini Crater. We swam around for an hour. One of the staff members took us on a snorkel tour. Back to the boat & on to another place close to Maui…Coral Gardens & lots of other names [like Turtle Town]. Rod took a pic for geo coordinates. Swam around another hour, then lunch! The trip back was windy but uneventful. Back a bit after noon. I was tired! I zonked out! Took showers, then headed to Safeway & the ABC store in Kihei. Got supplies & food for dinner. Nora got some shirts at ABC. We got chocolate & coffee!
Thoughts & Tips
Snorkel at Molokini Crater
Headed west early ~8:00 to Honolua Bay. Had a nice drive & got a parking space. It was windy! We took the steps down to the beach with our snorkel stuff. It is a really nice beach! However, the water was really rough. We decided to try to find another place to snorkel. Tried to get to Black Rock again. We stopped at a nice park, Kahekili Beach Park. But it was too far to walk to Black rock. We were a bit short on time because we planned to go to the Maui Ocean Center in the afternoon. We think we found parking for Black Rock at the Westin, but decided to head back to our little Haycraft Park. We went straight there. Not as rough in the water. We went out pretty far. Coral was better out there. Rod & Nora saw a turtle! After showering & lunch, we went to the Maui Ocean Center. We walked there from our Condo. Very interesting. Saw turtles. There was a tunnel that was “underwater” where sharks & rays swam over us! After 2½ hours, we went to Happy Hour at Tante, which was close by…food was ok, but service was great. When we got back, we sat out by the seawall for sunset. Saw a turtle swimming around. It was chilly out on the grass!
At the Maui Ocean Center
This morning we went to Ulua Beach again. Earlier. Easily found a parking spot. We left our place at 8:00. Another beautiful beach. It was a bit crowded, but not too bad. Saw fish, coral at first. We went to the right (west?). seemed like everyone else went that way too. We wore our wetsuits today. Much better, but harder to dive. We headed away from the crowd to the other side. Nora was cold, so went to sit on the beach. Rod & I made our way around a little point into a small cove. Rod saw a turtle & took off after it. On our way back to the beach, I saw a movement by Rod & grabbed him just in the nick of time! He almost collided with a turtle! He got a good video of that one! There was a shower near the beach, so we got to rinse off. After cleaning up & resting & lunch, we walked down to the Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge.
There is a nice boardwalk there. We walked on the boardwalk towards our place. There were 3 beach access points along the way so we headed to the beach when the boardwalk ended & walked back. 3+ miles. Nice! I boiled our chicken carcass in the crock pot here! Did some laundry too! Had ham & cheese croissants & salad for dinner.
Hawaiian Stilt at the Refuge
The Road to Hana! We got up early to get on the road! Took yogurt & granola with us to eat later & caffeine! Hit the road at 7:00. Stopped at Costco to fill up with gas, then we were really on our way. We had a great drive! Not too much traffic. The road was not as crazy as our trip around the other half of Maui. Beautiful views & lots of water falls. There is very little parking by the falls. Lots of “No Parking” signs. People are also not supposed to swim! It has been a bit rainy so the water was really rushing! We planned to have our yogurt at the YMCA Camp, but we couldn’t find it. Close to where we though the Y was, we found Ke’anae Park. It was great! Beautiful views & a restroom! There were lots of tour vans there. Nora asked a guide about the Y camp. It is closed! We kept driving thru Hana up to a Congregational Church where Charles Lindberg is buried! Beautiful spot.
Big banyan tree in front of the church. We went back to the Haleakala Park Visitors Center at the Seven Sacred Pools. Set off on what we thought would be a short hike. In the rain! Did a loop to see the ocean & pools, then on to view the waterfall. At a sign along the way it said it was 2 miles to Waimoku Falls. After a brief discussion we forged on (of course). Saw another big banyan along the way. It was humid & occasionally rainy. The falls were spectacular! 400 ft! a great hike! 4.6 miles. Had lunch near the parking lot…then it started to rain! Headed home. Uneventful drive. Went to Long’s for supplies before going to the condo. I finished up the chicken soup by adding our leftover veggie, pasta & chicken stuff along with the cauliflower rice we bought. Late dinner & sleep!
Huge Banyon Tree at Haleakala Park
Today we headed out ~8:00 to go back south to the preserve, Ahihi Cove. Very close to where we did our first hike. Lots of parking (costs $5). We had to walk across lava to get to the cove, so we wore our reef shoes. There were people there, but not too crowded. There was a lot of black sand beach where we could enter the water. A bit rough tho. LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL FISH! We saw an eel. Rod got a good pic. When we got cold, we headed in. (Nora & I were cold) Nora got pushed into a rock getting out & cut her knee ☹. Came back & had a shower & hot soup! After a rest, we went to the ABC store, Safeway (for tonic H2O which was almost sold out!) & to the Pac Whale Co. for souvenirs. Happy Hour & more soup & salad w/ cheese & tomato sans [sandwiches] for dinner.
Another great snorkeling day! Back down south to Po‘olenalena Beach. Got there before 9. Plenty of parking. Nice big beach. Easy entry. We headed off to the left. There were a lot of tour boats off shore that way. Saw more fish, nice coral. Lots of turtles! Even a “cleaning station”! Rod saw an eel. Didn’t get as cold today. We were out for ~1.5 hours. Came back & cleaned our gear. Did some laundry & prelim packing. Finished the soup at lunch! Had a shor rest. Then off to Paia Town. Strolled thru shops. Nora got an owl picture. We had fish & chips at the Paia Fish House. Very good! Came back for evening drinks & bed!
Created: 2025