Beautiful Maui

Ever since I was a kid, I have always dreamt of having my honeymoon in Maui. As to how or when it will happen? I honestly didn't know. I've lived in 2 countries my entire life. I was born in the Philippines and moved to Qatar when I was 13. Now, if you were to ask my 13 year old self, "How in the world will you be able to have a honeymoon in Maui?", I probably would have said, " I don't know, but it will happen someday".

Fast forward to 2017 when I met the love of life over a swipe on Tinder (yes, you better believe it!). I got married in April 2019 and we both did not want to go straight to our honeymoon right after our wedding (that just sounds hectic!), so we decided to wait until November 2019. With that being, here's my long overdue wedding/honeymoon blog entry!!

So 7 months after our wedding, we flew to Maui for our honeymoon. For those of you who don't know, Maui is the second largest island in Hawaii and has been voted the "Best Island in the U.S." by Condé Nast Traveler readers for more than 20 years.

We took the earliest flight from San Diego (SAN) to Kahului (OGG) Airport through Alaska Airlines. It took us 5 hours and 30 minutes (it felt longer actually) to reach our destination. After landing, we rented a car and grabbed some lunch from Tin Roof Maui. They did not have enough seating area so we spent our very first honeymoon meal inside a rental car! But trust me, it was so worth it. That Ahi Poke Bowl was probably THE best one I've ever had.

After our first meal in Maui, we headed to the one and only Target on the island (which was in Kahuli) to buy some last minute essentials. Note: It's probably the only Target in the world that you'd see chickens casually walking through the parking lot. It was very entertaining!

From Kahului, we drove to a small town called Lahaina and checked in at the Maui Garden Oasis. The accommodation was really charming and clean. We took a little nap (that 5 hour flight drained us) and then headed down to The Feast at Lele in downtown Lahaina. Anyone who goes to Hawaii should try a Lūʻau. It is one of the most festive experiences that's full of lively music and vibrant cultural performances. Before the festivities began, we started off the evening by sipping on pre-show cocktails while watching the sunset.

The performances were not only fun and entertaining but also educational! (Probably only in the first 2 hours though because you'd probably not even learn anything in the 3rd hour...well at least for me, I blame their amazing Mai Tais!). Our first day ended and we had our much needed rest for our busy week ahead!

On Day 2, we were planning on going to Gazebo Restaurant but the line was very long so we ended up at Slappy Cakes Maui and they did not disappoint! They had make your own pancakes and the best portuguese sausage!

We headed to Wailuku town to see the Nakalele Blowhole which is approximately 20 minutes from Lahaina. We hiked all the way up to see the blowhole from the top of the mountain. A lot of people recommended not to come closer because it is very dangerous (deadly actually), we've found a few memorials of people who died while visiting the blowhole.

On our way back, we passed by Honolua Bay and stopped at Makaluapuna Point to witness the panoramic view of West Maui. It was beautiful! We saw a coconut shack and made a pit stop so I could finally get to eat real coconut after 10 years!

We then headed to Kapalua Beach Coastal Trail and Dragon's Teeth Trail where we saw the amazing rock formations. The breathtaking view of the waves crashing down on the rocks was just irreplaceable.

We had our dinner at Hula's Grill and got to enjoy our meal right by Napili Bay. We also got the first out of the many complimentary Hula Pies because the waitress knew we were on our honeymoon!

The next morning, we had our brunch at Aloha Mixed Plate - another restaurant with waterfront dining. Their Loco Moco was so good that we actually had to come back for more the next day!

We strolled around Whaler's Village in Napili and visited Ka'anapali Beach and Napili Bay. The waves were a bit calmer in Ka'anapali beach than in Napili Bay so we decided to go swimming there. It was scorching hot so we decided to grab some Hawaiian Shaved Ice. And what better way to try it than trying a local favorite? We found out that Ululani's Hawaiian Shaved Iced was everything that it was hyped up to be! We sat along the boardwalk to enjoy our shaved ice and then headed back to our accommodation to get ready for dinner.

For dinner, we ate at Kimo's Maui. This is where I had the best meal that I've ever had in my entire life! We tried their special catch of the day - a fish called Onaga. It was so good I honestly can't even explain it. We then had our 2nd complimentary Hula Pie! And because it was a Friday, we got to enjoy Lahaina's weekly block party. We walked around the courtyard and watched a few bands play. We also had the chance to see small business owners in their booths. They were all very hospitable. It was nice to feel like we were part of a small town.

The next day we came back for more Loco Moco at Aloha Mixed Plate and went gift shopping at the Lahaina town center since it was the last day before heading to another town called Haiku before our Road to Hana drive the next day. On our way to Haiku, we stopped by Baldwin Beach Park and Paia Secret Beach. We ended up only staying at Baldwin Beach Park because Paia Secret Beach was very crowded and parking was such a struggle (probably not a Secret after all lol)

We then checked in to an AirBnb in Haiku. The accommodation is literally in the middle of nowhere. It was so quiet and remote that you could literally hear the crickets chirping and waves crashing very clearly. Before our dinner, we went and had some Ululani's Shaved Ice in Paia (from there we made it a mission to try every single Ululani's Shaved Ice on Maui).

We then headed over to the very famous Mama's Fish House. The food was amazing and their service was top notch. This time, we did not get a complimentary Hula Pie, but instead, we were given a lovely dessert enclosed in a shell and champagne along with a card. It was very thoughtful of restaurant staff!

We needed to rest early that evening because we were going to drive the world famous Road to Hana the next day. The Road to Hana is a 64.4-mile-long stretch drive full of sharp curves that hug the Maui coast. It has a total of 620 curves!!! And on that note, I just want to say that I think Road to Hana deserves another blog entry because I have no idea how to condense a 12-hour drive into one paragraph. So stay tuned for our Road to Hana adventure! We returned to our AirBnb at around 8pm and ended up ordering Chinese food for takeout because we were so exhausted.

The next day, we left Haiku and did a Molokini Crater snorkel tour by Seafire Chapters in Kihei. We swam along the back wall of the Molokini Crater that drops 350 feet. It was terrifying, but probably one of the best experiences that we've had.

After the tour, we headed to Kula to prepare for our Haleakala Summit hike the next day. We found this amazing place called Kula Sandalwoods. Our room was overlooking the Maalaea Bay. We had a lovely dinner at the Kula Lodge which was just across the street from our accommodation.

The next morning we had to be up as early as 2:30 AM so we could arrive at Haleakala National Park by 4:00AM for the sunrise. We made it to the summit and it was breathtaking. According to www.gohawaii.com, at 10,023 feet above sea level, this dormant volcano is the stage for a breathtaking range of landscapes—and skyscapes. Haleakala means "house of the sun" in Hawaiian, and legend goes that the demigod Maui lassoed the sun from its journey across the sky as he stood on the volcano’s summit, slowing its descent to make the day last longer.

It was freezing! Here's a tip - people with respiratory problems like me need to take their inhalers with them because of the high elevation, the air was so thin that you could barely breathe! But when the sun began to rise and the moon started to set, I could say it was all worth it. It was amazing to witness such a beautiful sight.

We checked out Kula Sandalwoods and headed to the lovely town of Wailea. It was a bit or a drive but we didn't mind because it was a scenic drive. When we reached Wailea, we went to Makena Beach and spent a few hours to relax there. We had lunch and then checked in at the Marriott Wailea Beach Resort. The service as usual was topnotch and the the staff were amazing, especially our bellman Rommel who took great care of us when we arrived and when we left!

Since it was our last day in Maui, we wanted to relax so we spent our time chilling at their infinity pool and had unlimited drinks (oh and yes, they had a pool bar with very attentive service) it was just very worry-free.

We had our last dinner at the hotel restaurant called Humble Market Kitchen by Roy Yamaguchi. We then ended the evening with champagne and Chef Roy Yamaguchi surprised us with a cake to celebrate our honeymoon. We really appreciated the lovely gesture.

The next day, we headed back to San Diego (another paradise) where I'm lucky enough to call it home.

What a trip, what a week. My dream honeymoon couldn't have been any better. I've been a planner all my life and I've always planned how my honeymoon was gonna be - when, where, how. But things never go as planned. Even though it did not go as planned such as - where to eat, how much time to spend, where to go, how much to spend, I'm just grateful that it went a hundred times better than what I planned. My dream came true and for everyone reading this, yes - dreams do come true.

For those of you who are planning to visit Maui, here is our original itinerary! As you can see, we all know how much that changed. But feel free to check it out. You can also download this google sheet! :)

Day 1:

(AM)

Flight from San Diego (SAN) to Kahului (OGG)

Arrival in Kahului Airport

Car Rental

Lunch at Tin Roof Maui

(PM)

Accommodation Check-in (3 nights)

The Feast at Lele

Day 2: Napili Bay and Lahaina

(AM)

Breakfast at Gazebo Restaurant

Nakalele Blowhole

Honolua Bay

Makaluapuna Point

Lunch

(PM)

Kapalua Beach Coastal Trail/ Dragon's Teeth Trail

Dinner at Hula's Grill

Day 3: Napili Bay & Lahaina

(AM)

Brunch at Aloha Mixed Plate

Whaler's Village

Napili Bay, Ka'anapili Beach and Black Rock Beach

Lunch at Napili

(PM)

Ululani's Hawaiian Shaved Ice

Lahaina town and Banyan Tree

Dinner at Kimo's Maui

Lahaina Town Party

Day 4: Paia

(AM)

Check-out accommodation in Lahaina

Brunch at Aloha Mixed Plate (again!)

Gift shopping

(PM)

Baldwin Beach Park

Paia Secret Beach

Hookipa Beach

Check-in to Airbnb in Haiku (2 nights)

Paia Bay Coffee Company

Alice in Hulaland

To the Moon and Back

Dinner at Mama's Fish House

Day 5: Road to Hana

(AM)

Early rise as early as 5AM!

Start Road to Hana

(PM)

Back to Haiku

Dinner at Paia Fish Market

Day 6: Paia and nearby towns

(AM)

Leave Paia and check out Airbnb

Molokini Crater Tour

Lunch at Coconut Cafe

Kihei Beach

(PM)

Leave Kihei and check-in at Kula Sandalwoods

Dinner at Kula Lodge Cafe

Early to bed for the Haleakala Sunrise

Day 7: Haleakala National Park & Wailea

(AM) - super early as 2:30AM

Arrive at Haleakala National Park by 4:00AM

Sunrise at 5:00AM

Back to the accommodation and check out

Brunch

(PM)

Makena Beach

Check-in at Marriott Wailea Beach Resort

Relax and enjoy their amenities

Dinner at Humble Market Kitchen by Roy Yamaguchi

Day 8: Last Day

(AM)

and Kayaking - went to the Turtle washing station Snorkeling

Get ready to check-out

Lunch

(PM)

Flight back to San Diego (SAN)