5 Tips To Planning Your First Trip To Maui!

Growing up I’ve been taught that if you plan something, and then have a backup plan or two, when the event comes by, youʻll just have to follow the plan and only fix what happens the day of the event.  I havenʻt used that teaching all the time, but when it comes to traveling, I do.

Going to Japan, Germany, Norway, England, Mexico City, and many more places I had plans upon plans. I had time scheduled to do specific things, and time to do random things. It helped me maximize my time, my relaxation, and my money. 

Here are my five tips to planning your vacation here on the beautiful island of Maui:

  1. Book Things In Advance:

No matter if you’re planning a year ahead or booking a last minute flight, booking things as far in advance as possible is THE BEST/GREATEST/HIGHLY PUSHED tip we can give you.  As an activities company, we have our luaus booked months in advance. So to try and get seats for your family of 8 to a luau the next day is almost impossible.  

Know who is going with you, and then do research on the activities.  Some will allow you to book 6 months in advance. If they are able to do so, you should take advantage of that!  Not just luaus, but all the activities you’re wanting to do. The best part, you donʻt need to make sure you have money for these activities when you’re in Maui, because you already paid for it!

  1. Learn About Maui:

Learning about where you’re going just makes it more real.  For some of you, it will calm down some of that anxiety about going to a new place. For others, youʻll go down a rabbit hole of education that is not taught anywhere else but Hawaiʻi.  Youʻll appreciate your visit more if you do a little research about Maui.  Letʻs help you out with some quick pointers.

  • Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands
  • The island of Maui is 1.3 million years old.
  • The island of Maui has a population of about 144,000 people. 
  • It is located between Oahu and the Big Island and offers a mix of quiet countryside and high-end resort areas. 
  • Apart from the natural wonders, you can experience fine dining and lots of shopping here. 
  • Maui County consists of 4 islands. Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and the uninhabitable Kahoʻolawe.
  1. Driving Time:

The roads in Hawaiʻi in general are misleading.  The islands may look small, but it can sometimes take you hours to get to your destination. We suggest you keep an eye on whatever traffic notification app you use and plan accordingly.  What looks like only 22 miles is 22 miles on a 1 way in/1 way out road, with everyone other tourists going to the same location you are. 

  1. Plan ahead:

Planning ahead is the main theme of this blog post, and for good reason too.  We’ve heard a lot of stories that people got to their luʻau late and didnʻt get to eat, or they totally missed their luau because they were still coming back from Hana. PLEASE plan ahead so that you donʻt miss out on any of the activities youʻve planned. Just to throw in a big hint here about planning, the Road To Hana is most likely an all day event. So, plan to have a relaxing dinner, but donʻt plan anything expensive.

  1. Go with the flow:

Things happen and we can’t change it.  It does rain in Hawaiʻi, heck we even have storms and hurricanes. Once, I was in the middle of a hail storm and almost tornado!  Our suggestion is to just go with the flow.  If your luau rains out, you’re still in Hawaiʻi… Go play in the rain on the beach! No one knows who you are, but they will see that youʻre having the time of your life, because you are!  You on Maui!!  Most people donʻt leave their hometown yet cross half of the Pacific Ocean to play at the beach in the rain!  

by Stefano

5 Things You MUST Eat While In Maui.

FOOD! Itʻs one of my favorite things on this planet. I, personally, love to be adventurous with my meals. I love to eat things and then figure out what I ate. It’s all because of the unique place I’ve grown up in. Hawaiʻi.

While on vacation here in Maui, here are some things I would suggest that you try. Some youʻll love immediately, others you will never want again. The important thing is that you tried it, and you lived to tell the tale. Here are my 5 things you should try to eat while on Maui:

Loco Moco

This is my favorite meal ever! To say this is my comfort food, I feel, would be an understatement. It is such a local favorite that nearly every “Local themed” restaurant/eatery has the original version or a specialty of their own. Some of my favorites are a Chili Loco Moco, Prime Rib Loco Moco, Chicken Patty Loco Moco, and so much more! Here are the original ingredients for this piece of Heaven.

  • Bed of rice
  • A piece of hamburger patty topped with gravy
  • And a fried egg.

Poi

This is a classic side dish here in Hawaii. Poi comes from the Taro Root, a vegetable similar to sweet  potato. The process of making poi includes steaming the taro, pounding the poi repeatedly while adding water until it becomes a paste like substance. This process repeats until it forms a thick delectable paste. From there, you eat it with creativity.  As a topping with your kalua pork or lomi lomi salmon, eat it with a spoon/your fingers, or you can use it as a dipping sauce if you want.

Kulolo

A Hawaiian dessert made primarily with baked or steamed grated taro corms and coconut meat/milk. It’s a snack I’ve grown up with, and still love to this day! Considered something in between pudding and fudge, this chewy, tapioca like dessert has a taste similar to caramel.

Guri-Guri

This is a popular treat on Maui that is a hybrid between a soft serve ice cream and sherbet. Typically made with a mixture of guava juice, lime soda, and condensed milk.  It’s served at a little shop called “Tasaka Guri-Guri”, at the Maui Mall.  They also have special limited time flavors that you may be lucky enough to get. The guri-guri comes in two flavors: Pineapple and Strawberry.

Poke

Ok… you may have had it someplace else on the mainland, and that’s all fine and dandy, but it’s not the same. I donʻt care who you’re talking to, poke from Hawaiʻi is different from the poke shop where you stand in line and they assemble it for you. The biggest difference is that in Hawaiʻi we marinate the poke with the ingredients. Other places put the ingredients on top, and then mix it. There are many flavors such as Shoyu, Hawaiian-Style w/ sea salt, inamona, limu kohu, spicy ahi poke, and more. We also substitute the ahi for things like salmon, tako (octopus), shrimp, and more. 

For me, I love experiencing a culture.  From itʻs history, language, people, and the local meals.  I welcome your experiences with these foods, and even your opinions on other foods not on this short list. Leave a comment, share photos and videos, and donʻt forget to like, subscribe, and follow our social media accounts!

by Stefano