What I did on My 10 Day Trip to Maui

I have FINALLY finished the breakdown of all the things I did on my recent trip to Maui! It was my first time going to any of the Hawaiian islands and I had such a spectacular time. I did my best to list all the things we did and ate, and gave links where I could. I would also like to say I have a pretty decent hip injury right now so we couldn’t do any of the hikes or super athletic things the island has to offer. But my boyfriend (who I went with) is from Maui, so there will be many more trips when I am in better health with more outdoorsy things! But overall I feel like this was the best way to have a first trip to Maui. So let’s get into it!

Where we stayed- My boyfriend’s family home so I will not give out those specific details, sorry! But we did stay in Wailea and I loved that area so much. We went all over the island and this was still one of my favorite places on the island, so even though I cannot recommend the exact place, I do recommend Wailea!

Restaurants- We ate at so many unique places, varying from budget-friendly to high-end, but I included everything and will include whether it was high-end or more manageable price-wise! Something to keep in mind is that things on the island are generally more expensive just due to the high import cost to get things out there. Plus, seafood anywhere is not inexpensive and the food is quality on Maui so in my mind, it is well worth the cost!

Monkey Pod- This is one of the more popular spots on the island and they have two locations to cheese from. It has elevated food choices and an enjoyable atmosphere with a giant patio so you can eat outside with plenty of space. The cocktails here were AMAZING; I had the Mai Tai which had won the best Mai Tai award and I fully agree with that statement. I couldn’t have loved it here more! They had everything from more traditional American food to Hawaiian and seafood, to some food with Asian influences. I could have eaten everything there. $$

Nicks Fishmarket- This is located at one of the resorts near the water and is a full-on seafood restaurant and the best one I have ever been to, no questions asked. The cocktails were amazing, the food was amazing, we got to dress up which is always great in my book, and since it is a resort on the water the ambiance was immaculate. This was a high-end restaurant with a high-end cooking style, and I would recommend looking at the menu before going. Monkey Pod has something for everyone, but this one might not! So definitely something to keep in mind. $$$

Morimoto- This was some of the best sushi I have ever had! The cocktails here were good, but nothing overly special, so the food did shine. This one was also in a resort right on the water so the ambiance, once again, was truly unmatched. This seemed to be a place where casual or fancier attire was allowed so dealers choice on that one! $$$

Nalu’s- I loved everything about this one. We came here twice, once for dinner and once for brunch and both were simply wonderful. This one is a lot more chill and casual than the others on the list thus far, and very family-friendly if you have kids with you. It’s kind of like pub food but with a Hawaiin twist, and so delicious. I got an ahi club with the best gluten-free bun and homemade chips ever and then had a great crab eggs benedict a couple of days later. Truly nothing to be mad about here and you need to go. $$

Flatbread Company- This was another delightful but casual dining experience we had.

Food Land- This is a grocery store but it has the best pokè on the island (says the locals) and I do have to agree that this was the best pokè I have ever had. They had a whole counter for you to go in and choose what kind you would like and all the different flavors we got were amazing. We had some other pokè as well but this was seriously the best and I cannot stress enough that you need to get some Foodland pokè. $

Honolulu Coffee- We got coffee from quite a few different cafes there, but this was one of my favorites. They had some of the best coffee I have ever had, to the point that I was able to just get basic oat milk lattes and not make them any fancier than that. Hawaiian coffee is superior in most ways, and this was a great show of that. They also had the most education on Hawaiian coffee I saw while we were there, which is always a fun perk for me.

Food Trucks of Kiehe - I am a sucker for food trucks and this place was no exception. They had a whole courtyard full of different food trucks with a variety of options from classic Hawaiian cuisine, to Asian food, to this seriously insane burger my boyfriend ate that I am very bummed I do not have photos of. There is something for everyone there, and they also had an amazing coffee truck called Kraken that I loved. Overall I could not recommend that spot more!

Activities- We didn’t get to do as many things as we wanted because I currently have a hip injury that makes a lot of movement hard (on top of all my other issues), so this was a pretty chill trip and a little introduction to Maui. Once I am a little more stable on my feet, we will go back and hopefully have some more adventurous things to show!

Snorkeling- I was very lucky with this one because my boyfriend grew up in Maui and so he is diving-certified and was able to teach me how to snorkel. We also had his family’s equipment to use, but we did end up renting a floaty from Boss Frog, which is one of the best places to rent equipment from on the island. I did not take to snorkeling very well though, not for the lack of Holden trying. Better luck next time!

Kula Botanical Gardens- This was a gorgeous little stop-off before we went on the hike listed below. It was so wonderful to go up into the hills, see a little more of local life, and spend time in nature like that. This was also where we got to see the chameleons, wild and free, up here in the lovely cool mountain air. They did have damage to their koi pond last year due to a mudslide, so if you have anything to spare to help them fix it, they would so appreciate it!

Bamboo Hike Waterfall- This isn’t helpful and I know that (lol) but it was a gorgeous waterfall and a small hike up the Road to Hana a very little way. It was gorgeous and a very simple hike that even I could do with my bum hip. Next time we go I would bring a swimsuit because there’s a very nice little swimming hole. You can also go further up this hike to an even large waterfall, but that was above my abilities for this trip.

Maui Ocean Center- This is a very small aquarium with Maui-specific fish and sea life, as well as a whole Informational center about some insane Maui history! It was a lot of fun, and I especially enjoyed it having never been to Hawaii before. it was a great break from the sun and the heat, and I still got to learn some new things about a really interesting state I know very little about.

Beach time- This was the most relaxing part of the trip. We would pack up, make a water bottle full of a cocktail, and bring our books to enjoy some much-needed downtime for both of us. I love nothing more than to lounge on the beach and swim in the ocean and this was such a restorative part of the trip. We went to so many beaches I cannot list them but it’s an island so you can go to so many different beaches while you’re there.

I hope this post was helpful, and maybe gave you some ideas if you have an upcoming trip to Maui! Or maybe inspired you to go if you’ve never been. I absolutely fell in love with this island and this culture, and am seriously considering moving here, even for a short term.

See you guys next week!

Madey