Eateries on Maui and Magic

I got to see a turtle! We were out snorkelling and it was starting to look like this trip would go without me seeing one, but Z with his keen eye spotted one. This turtle was resting under some coral and I'm still not sure how Z spotted it, but there it was. The turtle seemed quite happy just hanging out there, but did look like it was going to go for a swim at one point but changed its mind after seeing us hovering.

Ok now for the actual topic of this post...there are a lot of places to eat on Maui and these are the ones we tried and would recommend. As mentioned in a previous post, we found Cheeseburger in Wailea to be a favourite spot for us. Great happy hour with live entertainment on the weekends. Food here is good and portions are more than enough to satisfy. A couple of my favourite dishes here: beef taco salad and the two burger sliders. We had breakfast at Mala at the Marriott. The breakfast
buffet has plenty of options for everyone ranging from pancakes, waffles, toast, yoghurt, very tasty fresh fruit, and made to order omelettes. Z took a liking to the Hawaiian papaya which is unusual because he usually finds papaya quite stinky. I don't know what he's talking about but it doesn't matter because that means more for me most of the time!

Duke's in Ka'anapali is right on the waterfront and just a short walk from the Westin Villas. We had breakfast here and quite enjoyed the food. Coffee is good as are the banana mac pancakes. Cilantro Mexican Grill in Lahaina is located near the Hilo Hattie store. This place appears to be a little off the beaten track but is worth checking out. The food is fresh, very tasty and reasonably priced. Betty's Beach Cafe was suggested by friends (thanks Mr. M and Ms. W). If you go here for dinner and arrive at the right time you might just get to watch the Luau show which happens on the beach in front of this restaurant as an added bonus. We enjoyed a three course set menu here because unbeknownst to us it was restaurant week on Maui (similar to Dine Out back home). Good food, friendly service, well priced for a set menu, and a free Luau show to boot! Cool Cat Cafe in Lahaina is a second floor restaurant across from the Banyan tree. Burgers are served a la carte and you soon find out why. There really is no need to order anything in addition to that burger. Good live entertainment serenaded us during dinner. Great place, has a bit of a 50's theme going on. Pulehu Italian Grill in the Westin is a nice restaurant but is on the pricier side. We got in early and opted for the three course set sunset menu which saves you about $10-15 per person and is a good way to go. This menu is only available between 5:30 - 6:00pm. The Chianti Braised Short Ribs were pretty good, though mine were a little on the too fatty side. I haven't ever been to an Italian restaurant that doesn't offer cappuccinos so be aware that if you want an after dinner coffee, you'll have to be happy with drip. Anthony's in Pa'ia is a little gem. Restaurant is small so it may be hard to get seating. It's a popular spot for people to stop in for breakfast as they start their journey to Hana. Food is good and service was quick. You can also order fresh made sandwiches for a picnic lunch on your journey, but we had already packed snacks so we were good to go after our big portioned breakie. And a must stop along the journey to Hana is the Halfway to Hana stand for some banana bread....best banana bread that I've ever had!! We had also done a little grocery shopping and ended up having breakfast and lunch a couple times in our room. The Westin has two little markets on site (one in each side of the villas), but I don't recommend buying anything there because it's really pricey; $7 for a loaf of bread!

A must do while in Maui is to go see Warren and Annabelle's Magic show. We were blown away! The show is in Lahaina and the theatre is a small intimate setting. You are up close and personal with the magicians. Warren was not performing the night we went, but the two magicians, John and Chris, were fantastic and put on a phenomenal show! There were a lot of "wow", "whhhaat"'s coming from the audience. A lot of extremely impressive tricks with some great comedy as well!! I was actually a participant in a card trick and it still blows my mind how the magician figured out what card I chose. The deck of cards had two elastic bands around it and I flipped through the corner of the cards selecting the 5 of hearts. Two other people did the same thing. Somehow the magician correctly picked out all three of our cards. I don't want to spoil the show so I won't comment on other tricks, but this is definitely worth checking out while on Maui and is a great night out.









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The road to Hana and Haleakala

People say not to attempt both these on the same day...probably good advice. Z has never experienced the road to Hana and so we thought it would be a good idea to experience this adventure this time around. Not only did he get to experience the journey - because it's all about the journey not the destination - but he got to do all the driving. If you've done the road to Hana before you know what I'm referring to....if not, keep reading!

We decided to follow the suggestions found in Maui Revealed (have I mentioned this is a must have guide book?) and started our journey after a breakfast stop in Pa'ia. I'll cover our different eateries in another post. The day started off cloudy with a few shattered showers here and there. Nothing too bad and probably kept a lot of people off the road which was a good thing because there is nothing worse than doing the road to Hana when it's terrible crowded. The drive is a very scenic winding road through very lush tropical forests with lots of bamboo trees. The road is generally a two-way road with many one lane bridges, many other spots where the two-way road is only wide enough for one car one way, many semi-blind hairpin turns, and countless switchbacks. Our trusty guidebook says that tourist info says there are 600 turns along the way....I didn't count but would not doubt that number and perhaps suggest there could be more! The drive is a tropical paradise with many breathtaking views of the coastline and the magnificent Pacific Ocean. Along the way are many beautiful waterfalls and again we only stopped at the ones that intrigued us in our guidebook, which gives a brutal but honest opinion about things on Maui and we have yet to really disagree with their take. As you reach about 2/3 the way to Hana, you come upon a little stand called Half Way to Hana and here you can buy the most delicious tasting banana bread. This is a must stop. We bought banana bread that was so fresh it was still warm as the lovely lady was placing it out on display.

Along the way we also stopped at Wai'anapanapa Park. Here you find not only incredible views but a black sand beach. I can't recall ever being on a black sand beach before so this was real neat. There is a cool cave you can access from the beach but have to beware of the tides because water will come into this cave. Several trails take you along the volcanic rock cliff side and in one area there is a blowhole, but no activity while we were there....I guess the tide wasn't high enough.

Back on the road, we drove through Hana without stopping because everything we read says there isn't much to see there. Instead we made our way to Ohe'o Hulch aka Seven Sacred Pools. The pools were off limits for swimming while we were there because the waters were high and it had been raining. Not a big deal, we could still view them and get some good pictures. From here we were pretty much done with our stops and drove the back way around which provides for some extra interesting driving. Before I explain, the road to Hana is about the journey, everyone will have different interests for stops and some will stop at every site possible. This does make for an extra long day. Our journey time start to finish was about 8 hours.

The back way around offers some more incredible breathtaking views that are not to be missed, but also provides for some more challenging areas to navigate. The vegetation here is noticeably different past Hana, less lush and more arid. This side of the island gets a lot less rain. Parts of the roadway here is merely gravel with some good bumps along the way. More often than not parts are truly one lane and caution is required when oncoming traffic approaches. Besides this, the drive is fun and exhilarating and Z had an awesome time negotiating the roads and particularly all those turns.

We decided as we finished our journey to Hana to try and make it to the summit of Haleakala in time for sunset. Sunset was at 5:49 and so we had just over 2 hours to get there and it took us pretty much all that time to get there. The summit of Haleakala is at 10,023 feet...needless to say it's COLD up there and if you haven't prepared properly you'll be freezing in a manner of seconds. The drive up
from the base to the summit is 21 miles and as you travel along the switchback road, you start below the clouds, in the clouds and then above the clouds. It's hard to describe the feeling of being above the clouds. Certainly a great view from up there and watching the sunset from above the clouds is truly an amazing experience and sight. I've been fortunate to watch some pretty beautiful sunsets but this vantage point definitely raises the bar for beautiful.

All said this incredible day of journey and breathtaking sights was worth every minute of this 12 hour day, but we probably should have heeded the advice not to do both on the same day.




Waterfall along road to Hana


Volcanic rock formations


Just after sunset Haleakala

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Back to Ka'anapali

Just over one year later we find ourselves back at the Westin Villas in Ka'anapali. This time we are staying in the north villas in a studio with ocean view. The difference between the north and south villas is that the studios in the north have full walk out balconies compared to the Juliet balconies in the south. The room has all the comforts you could want away from home - full small kitchen area, washer/dryer, jacuzzi tub, sitting area, and of course the heavenly bed. Our stay here was just as fun as last year minus our friends.

The weather has been great but it's been a little windy since moving to the northwest part of the island. Not complaining though because this is far better than back home!! We've been hanging out at Kahekili beach snorkelling before heading to the pool area in the afternoon, once we are tired of being sandblasted, to spend the rest of the day reading, snoozing and soaking up vitamin D. We've seen some cool fish which are plentiful and Z even got to see two turtles. I wasn't snorkelling at the time. Have to say the snorkelling right outside our resort is probably some of the best snorkelling on the island.

Staying true to our commitment to work out, Z has gone for a run along the boardwalk outside our hotel while I decided to use the try out the fitness centre and used one of their bikes; a 10k ride later I was feeling good but a little sore. I guess it takes a little time for the body to adjust after not having been to the gym for just over a month. The fitness centre here has everything one could need and while it's not quite the same as exercising outside you have a lovely view of the tranquil meditation area with lovely trees to look at.

Island life has been easy to get accustomed to. The pace here is slower and laid back. It's been great to have not a care in the world and the few times work has drifted into my thoughts, I've been able to quickly rid myself of those thoughts. In my world that's the perfect state of being when on vacation.



Rainbow seen from our room



Hot tub by pools at Westin

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Wailea

I'm not overly keen on running so my attempts at avoidance are quite successful....but, when Z suggested that we work out on this trip I thought it was a good idea. When he suggested we could go for a run one morning along the boulevard in Wailea I reluctantly agreed. It turned out to be the most scenic run I've ever done with the ocean waves crashing on the volcanic rocks beside me and seeing the beautiful sandy Wailea beach.

Our stay at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa included a buffet breakfast so each morning we made our leisurely way to Mala restaurant, waited for an outdoor table and had great breakfasts overlooking the vast Pacific Ocean.

This resort had everything we needed for our stay and so we didn't actually venture too far from the resort. It gave us everything we were looking for - great beaches on either side, three pools, a fitness centre (didn't get around to using it though), restaurant, plenty of places to lounge, and a shopping centre a quick 2 minute walk away. This resort was really a great place to stay and provided a scenic, relaxing place for us to start out our vacation.

The Shops at Wailea is an upscale shopping centre where you can find stores like Gucci, Tiffany and other high-end brands that I couldn't be bothered with, but also located here is our favourite restaurant in Wailea - Cheeseburger. Great food with live entertainment on the weekends and great happy hour specials, this is a family friendly restaurant worth checking out. You can also find a great ice cream store called Lappert's in the shopping centre. Lappert's makes their waffle cones fresh on site and you can smell them as you get close. In fact we were having dinner at Cheeseburger which is about four storefronts away and we could smell the waffles from there.


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Amazing Race connection in Maui

One of my favourite shows is the Amazing Race...wonder why? Could it have anything to do with traveling around the world? Sunday night we watched the show in our room and to our surprise at the end when the first team made it to the pit stop and won the leg, Phil announced they had won a trip to Maui....and no less to the same resort we were staying at....the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. That was pretty cool seeing the shots of the resort on the show which we were in the middle of experiencing.

The Marriott is not actually beachfront, there is a beach one either side of the property which are easily accessible. Wailea beach is to the left and Ulua beach is to the right. We spent one day at each and it's hard to say which was my preferred beach. The surf was pretty choppy the day we spent at Ulua beach which brought some pretty large waves in and so I didn't stand in the water too long but it would be a great beach for swimming when the water is a little calmer. This beach wasn't too busy and there was plenty of space to park oneself and soak up the rays.

Wailea beach is ranked as one of the best beaches in America, we found this out in
Maui Revealed - a must have guide book. This beach has amazing fine grain sand and is about a 1/3 mile long. The water was quite calm the day we spent there and I really enjoyed swimming around.

We spent the later part of the afternoons sitting and enjoying the Serenity pool at the resort. This is the resort's infinity pool overlooking the ocean. It's for guests 18 years and older so it really does provide some serenity.

We had the pleasure of seeing some marine life as well. Little did I know that i
a colony of green sea turtles that hangs out in front of the resort. We also got to see a Hawaiian monk seal who decided to sunbath on the volcanic rocks outside of the resort. It was quite the sight to see as he made himself comfortable so he could take in the sun. We discovered quickly as a volunteer monk seal response team member arrived that this little seal had to be something special. Thanks to the wonderful world of Google and Wikipedia we discovered that the monk seal is on the critically endangered list and there are only about 1100 remaining.




Hawaiian Monk Seal




Ulua beach




Chillin' in the infinity pool



Hawaiian sunset

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Return to Maui

I have always wanted to explore as many different places that I can in my lifetime and have said many times that I don't want to go back to the same place time and time again. But what does one do when they are offered a great deal at a resort that you visited the year before, it's fall but already feels like winter at home with temperatures only reaching a high of 10 Celsius and lows hitting below freezing, it's been raining for 3 weeks and you know it won't really improve until May if you're lucky but probably not until June or July? Well in Z and my case we book a trip back to sunny Maui.

I need to start off by voicing a little frustration with Air Canada and their "pineapple express" flight. It's really time to retrofit these planes to the modern age and while they are at it perhaps get some happier flight attendants. The biggest problem I had with the flight was that it was so incredibly cold. The AC was blowing and despite several people, including me, sitting in our area asking for the heat to be turned up there was nothing that could be done because other areas of the plane were warm. These old planes don't have proper climate controls capabilities. When we asked for a blanket the flight attendant shrugged and said they didn't have any on board unless we wanted to pay $5. Seriously?!?!

We arrived after our 6 hour freezing flight to a warm night in Maui. Our first few days take us to Wailea. There's something so freeing about being in a tropical location with not a care in the world. I've gone dark from work meaning the Blackberry is sitting at home and its red flashing light can't stress me out till I get back. The biggest decisions on day one were should we get up now? What should I eat for breakfast and should we hang out at the beach or pool for the day?

Our first day was just perfect. Ocean view breakfast outside on the hotel restaurant lanai, chillin' out in a hammock listening to the ocean waves crashing ashore, bobbing and frolicking in the ocean, swimming in the infinity pool overlooking the ocean, topped off with relaxing in the very warm sunshine.

Now all I need to figure out is a way for us to stay indefinitely.

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