A Maui Roundup

Back in July I began a new series called, “The Roundup” which basically recaps our most recent adventure, and includes location tips, lessons learned, and things we will change on our next visit.

I’m notorious for packing too much into our vacations, but to be honest, this is by design. If we decide to skip an activity or things don’t go exactly as planned, we end up with places and experiences that get bumped to the next vacation. (Which is completely okay by me, because that means we get to go back sometime, right?) 🙂

On our third visit to Maui we knew the island well; we knew what activities we wanted to try, and we knew what restaurants we absolutely HAD to go back to (Leilani’s, anyone?) That’s not to say I didn’t try to find NEW things for us to do, mixing in a little familiar with a dash of the unknown, and it worked perfectly!

• LODGING: On our last visit to Maui I promised my husband that we would stay near Hana on our next visit, and I didn’t disappoint. Neither did the condo we rented. I could not recommend this condo more highly and I look forward to the day we can visit again. And during our time over on the West side we stayed at Valley Isle Resort which was a familiar and nostalgic place that we enjoyed on our Honeymoon back in 2011. And while I’m saddened to say that neither of these two locations will be on the itinerary on our next visit (we have plans to FINALLY stay along Ka’anapali beach), I am whole-heartedly looking forward to spending much more time at these two rentals in the future.

• SCUBA DIVING: Now that I’m certified, I’m always looking to spend a day or two below the surface. While on the Big Island I gushed over my manta ray night dive with the Kona Diving Company, and I recently found out that Maui offers a Manta Ray Dive as well. On our last visit, we unfortunately could not make this dive happen due to scheduling conflicts, so I’d love to make this dive a priority on our next visit. Also, I had so much fun with the Pride of Maui that I’d love to book another dive at Molokini Crater.

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• OCEAN VODKA: Touring Maui’s very own vodka distillery including samples and a free shot glass, it sounds like you miiiiight have to twist my arm to get me to go. Just Kidding! I’ve been intrigued with Ocean Vodka ever since I read about this Hawaiian vodka made with organic sugar cane. Sign me up!

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• MAUI BREWING COMPANY: Two boozy venues in one post? Well, I do enjoy a good time, and it is a vacation after all… 😉 I’ve always wanted to go to the Maui Brewing Company but unfortunately our schedules have never lined up to make it work. Touring a Brewery is on my 101 goals in 1001 days list, and what better way to complete this goal than to explore one while in Paradise.

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• HANG GLIDING MAUI: Mom and Dad, please skip this paragraph and move on to the next bullet… trust me on this… Okay, now that we’ve successfully adverted their eyes, this adrenaline junkie would like to hit the skies and soar like a bird over the incredibly lush, jungle covered, mountains near Hana. Flight lessons with Hang Gliding Maui is bucket list worthy and just happens to be on my 101 in 1001 goals list.

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Maui… you absolutely have it all. As my second favorite island in the chain I look forward to many more visits and much more time spent along your beautiful shores. Maui No Ka Oi. Maui is the Best.

What did I miss? What’s your favorite thing to do on Maui?