Hawaii Honeymoon: Maui
For the second half of our honeymoon, we went to Maui. If you missed my first post about Kauai, check that out! We spent 6 days exploring most of Maui. I’m sure that there is tons that we didn’t have time to do but here is what we did.
We stopped by Baldwin Beach the first day we arrived, for sunset. We didn’t get a chance to go back, but it’s a super nice beach. It kind of reminds me of Hanalei Bay in Kauai because there are mountains on the left side.
My favorite beach in Maui is Big Beach at Makena State Park. Its huge and very private. The water was amazingly clear and blue. I think it was the clearest water I have ever seen. It’s a good place to spot sea turtles as well. There were a ton of locals there so I think it’s more of a less known spot. Now I am wondering if I should be sharing or keeping it to myself (lol). It’s the best beach.
Road to Hana
Our first main stop on the Road to Hana was Twin Falls. It’s a short hike that leads to two waterfalls (the one on the left is smaller). There is a little pool of water at the bottom. It’s a nice little hike that goes through some bamboo.
We made a few other stops along the way but another one of my favorite stops was the Lava Tube. I visited a lava tube when I went to the big island but this was was more elaborate. You can go further inside and there are all sorts of cool formations. You do have to pay $12 to get in, but it’s worth it. Watch out for giant cockroaches!
These photos were taken at the black sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park. It’s a mandatory stop on the Road to Hana. There are some lava arches, caves, and trails. I wish we could have spent more time there but the Road to Hana takes a whole day. We left by 6:30am and made as many stops as we could. We went as far as Haleakala National Park and turned around to make it back as the sun was setting. The roads on the Road to Hana are super curvy and you don’t what to be there when it’s dark. Almost every curve is a one lane, with yield signs. A lot of the local drivers don’t yield very thoroughly, so it can be scary. I’m not going to map out the whole journey with mile markers and stops because there are already so many travel bloggers that have done that. It’s pretty easy to find if you search for it.
The last stop, after Hana was Haleakala National Park for 7 Sacred Pools. We had to do this hike the same day as the Road to Hana because the other route goes around the back of the National Park but it’s not paved. You can’t really go that way unless you have a jeep. Although the waterfall and pools were really pretty, my favorite part was the huge bamboo forest that the path goes through. It’s super dense and very large. I had been to one on the big island but I don’t remember it being so large.
Another must-do is Haleakala for sunset or sunrise. We went for sunset because you have to make a reservation in advance for sunrise. I’m not sure how hard it is to get one. I prefer sunset anyway. You need to plan to get to the top a little earlier than sunset and it’s hard to find parking because the lot is very small. We actually had to park at the visitor center and hike to the top. Also, it’s pretty chilly up there so bring a jacket and pants. This was one of my favorite things from the whole trip. It feels like you are on a different planet.
I’m not sure the name of this beach but it’s north of Lahaina. There are a bunch of little coves that are good for snorkeling. They are by resorts but you can go to them if you can find parking. It’s a law in Hawaii that every beach have public access.
A really good snorkel spot is Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve. You head toward Makena State Park, pass the park and continue until you reach the parking lot on the right. We went a few times and the lot was never full. You must have reef safe sunscreen to snorkel there. We saw some sea turtles and tons of cool fish. I think this was the best spot that we actually snorkeled at on this trip.
We saw so many rainbows on this trip, especially in Maui. I think we saw about 15 in Maui alone. This one was from our resort.
The Waihee Ridge Trail hike is another must-do. It’s 5 miles round trip. The first 2.5 miles are completely uphill so it is a bit tiring. It’s so amazing though because you are hiking on a narrow ridge. There are beautiful canyons on both sides and you can see the ocean. Once you get about halfway up you are totally in the clouds. I think I will always remember this hike.
The perfect ending to the honeymoon
