The Hawaiian Islands

By:  Jennifer Milano, written October 2015, traveled April 2015

Hawaii is one of those unique places where you can leave the Unites States without leaving the United States.  Both geographically and culturally,  Hawaii seems to belong more to the South Pacific than to the U.S.  But while over 100 years of American influence have overshadowed Hawaii's Polynesian and Tahitian cultural roots, if you look through the large resorts and chain restaurants you can still catch glimpses of Hawaiian traditions.  Hawaii is a true natural paradise, boasting volcanoes, rain forests, beaches, waterfalls, and deserts.  And even though Hawaii has most of the world's climate zones within its borders, average temperatures in Hawaii are the in the mid-70's year-round, which means you can visit Hawaii at any time of year and enjoy warm, sunny beach days.

Maui

As a teenager, I spent my entire Maui vacation on the hotel's water slide and in its pool.  As a parent of two young children, I spent ALMOST my entire Maui vacation on the hotel's water slide and in its pool.  Luckily, I had a cousin who had been living and working on Maui for the past twelve years as our personal tour guide, and I'm passing all of her insider's tips on to you.

How to get to Maui:  Many airlines fly directly into Maui (airport code:  OGG) from the U.S. mainland, or you can connect in Honolulu to an internal flight.  At the airport, rent a car so that you have the freedom to explore the island.  We splurged for a Mustang convertible.  At the airport, our kids gleefully chose the red one and hopped in the back, arms stretched over their smiling faces like they were on a roller coaster!

Where to stay on Maui:  Like the rest of Hawaii, Maui is expensive.  The two main areas where you will find large beach resorts for tourists are in Wailea and Ka'anapali.  The first time I visited Maui, I stayed in Ka'anapali, but I prefer Wailea, where I have stayed on my last two trips.  Wailea has a beautiful beach, and an oceanside path for your morning walk or jog.  On one trip, a group of friends and I rented an affordable condominium by the golf course in Wailea.  Luckily, we had friends staying at The Four Seasons across the street, where we could use the pool and beach.  If you want to save money on accommodations, go for a vacation rental.  If you prefer a resort, here is what I did to save money. 

I stayed five nights at The Fairmont Kea Lani, but paid only for two nights.  With the Fairmont Visa credit card (click here for more information), I had two complimentary nights at the hotel.  And as either a cardholder or a President's Club member (I could never figure out which), I had a "third night free certificate."  Since I was paying for two nights, I could apply the third night free certificate, and add on my two free nights.  Pretty nifty, right?  Each night costs over $600 at this hotel, so for about $1200 (plus tax, plus service, plus all of the poolside meals and drinks we charged to the room), I stayed for five nights at a very nice hotel (all rooms are suites, making it a great choice for families), on the beach with a swimming pool and water slide.  The resort was crowded on our first two days, meaning we had to claim pool chairs right after breakfast, but for the remainder of the week, we found chairs without a problem at any time of day.  Before you book, join the Fairmont President's Club ((membership is free, click here for more information), for free wi-fi and other benefits.

We moved down the beach to The Grand Wailea for our last two nights, only so that our kids could experience the hotel's amazing pools and water slides.  We booked the least expensive room, which cost around $500 per night.  The pools were really fun, and I'm glad we stayed at The Grand Wailea once, but I wouldn't return.  The resort is so large that if you forget your sunglasses in the room, it is at least a 20-minute round trip walk from the pool to retrieve them.  Also, our friends had advised us to book a cabana because otherwise it is nearly impossible to secure poolside chairs during spring break, especially if you want some shade.  The cabana cost $500 for the day.  Can you believe it?  We did like the cabana's combination safe for valuables, and "complimentary" snacks and drinks.  If we hadn't booked the cabana, we would have had to get up at the crack of dawn to find chairs with an umbrella.  So in a sense, we were glad we booked the cabana for the day.  But we were pretty annoyed when a family of six moved into the cabana next to ours when they clearly hadn't reserved or paid for it.  They were kicked out once, but moved back in half an hour later, where they spent the rest of the day.  If you are traveling off-peak, meaning at a time of year when most children are in school, the cabana reservation is probably not necessary.  We spent the remainder of our time away from the resort, enjoying Maui's attractions.

What to do on Maui:  Hike.  Surf.  Swim.  Snorkel.  Eat.  Sleep.  Repeat.  Despite the temptation to stay at your hotel enjoying its amenities all day, exploring Maui will add richness to your Hawaiian vacation.  Here are some of our favorite Maui activities (thanks, cousin Krissy!):

• Snorkeling beaches:  While you can pay for a boat excursion to a snorkeling spot, in our experience the snorkeling is just as good off of the beaches, and costs 100% less than a boat trip!  Morning is best for snorkeling, because the wind and waves generally pick up in the afternoons. We rented snorkel equipment, along with a couple of boogie boards, for the week at a snorkel shop in Kihei called Maui Dreams Dive Shop.  The price for the whole week was less than it would have cost to rent a boogie board at our hotel for an hour.  We kept the equipment in our car's trunk, so whenever we passed a beach and felt like riding the waves or checking out underwater life, we could.  My cousin, Krissy, suggested we try Ulua (between the Marriott and the Andaz hotels), and we loved the snorkeling there.  When we arrived, a volunteer was on hand to answer the kids' marine life questions.  We also snorkeled at Makena Landing, and had the beach and reef nearly to ourselves.  We saw more fish at Ulua, though.

• Swimming & boogie boarding:  We liked Big Beach (also called Makena), and the beach by the old Maui Prince Hotel.  We also loved the beach at Wailea by both the Fairmont and Grand Wailea.

• Surfing:  Our son had instant success with his surfing lesson by Maui Beach Boys in Kihei.  The only annoyance was when the supervisor directed us to tip the instructor.

• Hiking:  Krissy took us on a drive south of Wailea to where the road ends in a lava field adjacent to the ocean.  It is beautiful. We parked, and did the La Perouse hike along the lava fields and ocean.  The walk is great to do with kids, as it is flat and there are little beaches to explore.  Krissy also recommends the Waihee Ridge Trail, the bamboo forest in Kipahulu, and the Makawao Forest Reserve.

• Volcano:  Haleakala is Maui's highest peak, and the summit of the volcano is over 10,000 feet.  From the Wailea/Kihei area, it takes approximately two hours up a steep and winding road to drive to the top.  Pre-kids, we drove up and hiked down into the volcano's crater, which felt as close to being on the moon as I imagine I'll ever get.  It is absolutely amazing.  Most tourists drive up or take a tour to the volcano at sunrise, which is supposed to be incredible.  There are travel companies that drive you to the summit in the middle of the night, and at sunrise you bike down the volcano.  All of this sounds pretty cool to me.  But I like sleeping a lot, especially when I'm on vacation.  So while I had intentions to go up to Haleakala at sunrise and bike down, I never motivated to do it.  On our trip with the kids, I wanted them to see the volcano, but they didn't want to sit in the car for four hours round trip at any time of the day when there were water slides at our hotel.  If you go to Haleakala, bring a jacket - it's cold at the summit!

• Road to Hana:  Pre-kids, we drove the famous road to Hana.  If you read the previous paragraph, you'll know that my kids hate sitting in the car and they don't care that much about a good view, so we skipped the drive this last trip as it really takes all day.  My cousin recommends getting the Road to Hana CD Guide for your car, so you can enjoy the scenery and listen to information about what you are seeing, and where to stop.  The drive is beautiful, and stopping to swim at the black sand beach is something I'll never forget.  Plan to leave Hana at least three hours before sunset so you are not driving back in the dark.

• Luau:  There are lots of luau choices on Maui, and we bought tickets for the Te Au Moana luau at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa because I read that the food was good and it was located near our hotel.  Luaus are expensive - $110 per adult and $63 per child!  We paid an extra $10 per person to have reserved seating in the first row so the kids could see, and I think that was worthwhile, but not a necessity.  I had also read that The Old Lahaina Luau is an authentic and intimate luau experience.  We did not want to drive back to our hotel from Lahaina late at night, and we also thought our kids would like the added Polynesian and Tahitian components of the Te Au Moana luau (read:  the dancers do cool tricks with fire).  While the luau experience is touristy, it is also lots of fun.  We were sitting right by the ocean, wearing our leis, eating roast pork and Hawaiian fried rice, and learning about Hawaiian culture.  Really.  I thought that maybe the cultural piece was put on for tourists.  But later in the week, Krissy took us to the school where she teaches to attend a party.  To attend the Kamehameha School, students must be of Hawaiian descent, so all of the families there were at least part Hawaiian.  And they were all sitting outside, eating yummy food and watching their children perform various hula dances, grass skirts and all.

• Waterfalls:  Pre-kids, we swam in the waterfalls at The Pools of Ohe'o (the Seven Sacred Pools), located in the Haleakala National Park.  The falls are beautiful, but popular, so dismiss any notions you may have of a secluded, romantic swim.

• Watching the surfers at Honolua Bay:  If you are driving up the coast past Lahaina to Ka'anapali, continue on and park above Honolua Bay (it is hard to find, so look for a line of cars parked on the cliff side).  It is fun to find a rock to sit on and watch the surfers take on the big waves. 

Where to eat on Maui:  For a romantic meal out, Krissy recommended Mama's Fish House, Spago's and Capiche.  One evening, Krissy took the kids out for pizza and mini-golf and my husband and I went to Mama's Fish House.  Oh my goodness!  We parked the car, then walked down a set of steps to find a secluded little beach with perfect palm trees coming up out of the sand.  We had to wait a bit for our reserved table, but given that Krissy had recommended we book a time to coincide with sunset, we didn't mind.  The view was amazing, as was our dinner. 

Our friends, Dave and Julie, had recommended eating with the kids at sunset at Ferraro's at the Four Seasons, and it was a wonderful dinner.  Ask for an outdoor table facing the water when you make your reservation, so you can enjoy the view and the Hawaiian breezes.  After the sun goes down, the staff lights tiki torches around you while you eat a delicious Italian meal.

For more casual meals, we loved the fish tacos at Coconuts, and the Poke Bowls at Eskimo Candy (both in Kihei).  We didn't have time to try Paia Fish Market, but Krissy highly recommends both the Kihei and Paia locations.  For real local Hawaiian food, Krissy sent us to Da Kitchen in Kihei, and we loved its authenticity.  At all of these restaurants, customers order at the counter and find a table in the small dining space.  For sit-down pizza, Flatbread is a farm-to-table restaurant in Paia, with the menu featuring amazing pizzas with local ingredients grown on mostly on the volcano mountainside.  The pizzas were delicious, and Paia is an adorable little town. 

At some point, you will probably find yourself in Lahaina, which is a touristy, but cute town on the water filled with bikini shops and fish restaurants.  We had a delicious lunch by the water at Kimo's, and then I popped into the bathing suit shop across the street and purchased my favorite bathing suit to date.  If you are tired of seafood, Cool Cat has fantastic burgers in a 1950's diner-like setting.

For breakfast, we really liked Longhi's in the Shops at Wailea, but most mornings we grabbed something light at the take-away café at The Fairmont or used our free breakfast buffet certificates (thanks, Fairmont Visa Card!).  For dessert, try shave ice at least once.  Squirting chemically-flavored and colored dyes all over a snowball isn't my idea of dessert, but it's fun for the kids and cool to watch the ice being shaved off onto their cone.  Ululani's (multiple locations, including Lahaina and Kihei) is the most popular spot on Maui to try shave ice.

Oahu

Oahu is home to Hawaii's capital, Honolulu, as well as the famed North Shore waves that attract big wave surfers from all over the world.  I was lucky enough to stay at The Halekulani Hotel on Waikiki Beach in the 1980's, and the hotel remains one of Oahu's top-rated resorts.  My first surf lesson was on Oahu, and for years afterward I was proud of the scar on my knee from falling off my board onto the coral (before I recognized that (a) I fell off because I could not really surf, and (b) falling on coral damages not only my knee, but also the reef).  While swimmers are not permitted to enter the water on Oahu's north shore, just watching 40-foot waves crash into the shore is fantastic and mesmerizing.  And no visit to Oahu is complete without time spent at Pearl Harbor.  Click here to reserve your visit in advance and learn more.

After her years on Maui, my cousin Krissy spent a year living in Honolulu.  She loves to run in Ala Moana Beach Park, which has great sunsets and is a good spot for surfing and Stand Up Paddle Boarding.  The rocky bottom makes it a poor swimming spot.  For a great lunch or dinner spot in Honolulu, Krissy recommends Nico's Pier 38.  It's a casual seafood restaurant overlooking the pier.  Krissy's favorite dishes are the Furikake Ahi or Seared Ahi Poke Salad.   

Kauai

Kauai is my favorite Hawaiian island so far (I have visited only Oahu, Kauai and Maui.  Next on my list is the Big Island).  Kauai, which is known as "The Garden Island," is dramatically beautiful and naturally diverse.  You can go from the picture-perfect Poipu Beach in the south, to Waimea Canyon and the dry, desert-like landscape of the west, to the tropical rainforest in the north and east, to the rugged coastline of the Na Pali coast in the northwest.  The difference in landscape means variations in weather, so don't make the same mistake we did and rent a jeep with a manual, zip-on roof.  We had to stop the car every twenty minutes as the weather changed from sunshine to downpour, zipping the roof on and off while we got, or remained, soaked.  If you want the breeze in your hair, a convertible with an automatic roof is better bet! 

While you are driving around Kauai, stop for a swim at Poipu Beach, a walk around Waimea Canyon State Park and, best of all, a hike on the Na Pali coast.  The path meanders along the spectacular coast, and into the forest where you can swim in waterfalls.  If the budget allows, consider viewing the coast from the air by helicopter (spectacular), and from the water by boat.  The coast is inaccessible to cars.  And while Kauai has its share of large seaside resorts, it is remarkably less developed than Oahu and Maui, making the visitor feel like she is truly in Hawaii rather than southern California.

My friends, Julia & Rob, recently visited Kauai and really liked their stay at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, in Poipu.  While Rob was stuck in a conference room, Julia hiked northwest from the hotel toward the oceanside cliffs, stopping to snap photos every few steps as the changing view got better and better.  They also enjoyed their meal at Josseline's, a restaurant in Poipu serving Asian tapas.  And Julia is a chef, and founder of the Institute of Culinary Medicine!  Check out her website at www.drjuliacooks.com.