~ Aloha ~
Most of you know already that Jon and I go on an "annual
honeymoon". It’s usual somewhere warm and romantic, and it’s more of a
splurge than our normal trips. This year was a tough choice between Portugal
and Hawaii, but on a whim, we decided to go to Hawaii – and boy, was it awesome!
We’d both been to Hawaii before (him to Oahu and me to
Maui), so we picked Maui based on flight prices. We booked the resort through
Amex (we have a Platinum card and it has the best benefits – seriously check it
out here!) and got a great deal on the Waldorf Astoria Grand Wailea resort (P.S. it's a Hilton
partner, so you get all the Hilton Honors perks - aka free upgrade, free breakfast,
resort credit, etc.). I heard that this resort was “Disney World for Adults”,
and I’d agree. This was the best resort I’ve ever stayed it – and that
says a lot!!
I could easily go on and on about this vacation, but I’ll
spare you and give you the cliff notes version. I’ve put together our highlights, pro
tips, and what we missed during our Maui vacation.
Highlights:
-The Road to Hana. This is truly an all-day affair. We picked up our rental car at 7:30am and hit the road. We made a few stops and got to Hana town by 10:30am, far
ahead of most other visitors. We used the Shaka Guide app, which I highly recommend. It has GPS (which you will need) and a pretty entertaining tour guide that points
out all of the stops for you! The app cost $10 but is worth every penny. I can’t cover all the
stops we made, but a few good ones are Wailea Falls, the Wai’anapanapa State
Park (there were several things to do here: caves, Black Sand Beach, and
hiking), and our favorite: Venus Falls. This was a little cliff-jumping
place that the locals love. It was beautiful and a great spot for a swim!
-Resort days. The Grand Wailea has everything you need for a
perfect day: delicious breakfast, numerous pools, a spa (they have a happy hour
deal!), and beach access. Did I mention I love this resort? 💛
-Snorkeling – Snorkeling at the Molokini Crater is a must do
for any Maui trip, but the company you choose greatly impacts your trip. We
chose Maui Magic and have zero regrets. The food was delicious (try the Maui
wowie burger), the service was great, and we saw turtles, dolphins, eels, and
more! 5 stars for Maui Magic ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
-The Grand Luau – Many resorts host luaus every night, and I
don’t mean to be biased (I totally am), but the luau at our resort was 10/10. We
splurged for the premium seats (not necessary but lets you bypass lines, get
seated at the front, and have more time at the open bar). It happened to be a
gorgeous night when we went, and our table mates were super fun! Though it's very cliche and touristy, a luau is a must in Hawaii!
 |
| Our outfits matched the sunset💗🧡 |
Pro tips:
-Road to Hana – The road gets bumper-to-bumper by mid-morning, so it’s a pro move to drive all the way to the end first and make
your stops on the way back. 🤯 This way, you avoid traffic and the stops aren’t
packed yet!
-SNUBA - If you go on a snorkeling excursion, they'll try to up-sell you SNUBA (basically a mask that lets you go underwater = snorkel + scuba). Skip it! We heard from multiple people that this was not worth it.
-ABC store - Everyone talks about how expensive Hawaii is,
but honestly, stocking up at the store with snacks and drinks was cheaper than
NYC. Do yourself a favor and stop here early on in your trip. There’s one right
by the resort. 🥫🍲🍹🍺
-Car rental – 1) Get an SUV. Especially if you’re doing the
Road to Hana. 2) A lot of people rent a car for their entire
vacation, even though they only really need it a few days. Save yourself some
money by planning ahead and choosing exactly which days you need a car and Uber everywhere
else – this will save you hundreds!! 💸💰
-Hotel - Always tell the hotel you're celebrating something
(birthday, honeymoon, anniversary, whatever). Is it wrong? Maybe, but it
doesn’t cost them much to do something special for you, and it will really amp up
your vacation vibes.
-Drinks - To manage our budget, we let ourselves get 2 fancy drinks each day, then stocked up on cheaper
refills from our room (see ABC store section above). Bonus Pro Tip: At places like this, always order
a double. A single is already expensive, and it’s usually only $3-4 more for
an extra shot. What a deal! Oh, and always make friends with the bartender!
Things we missed out on (but you shouldn't):
-Monkeypod – This place is home of the best Mai Tai in Maui (or so I hear!!). Go and have one for me since we missed it! ☹
-Haleakala – This is a famous volcano that where you can watch an epic sunrise/sunset at the summit. We planned to go for sunset and visit the MauiWine winery on the way back but we lost track of time throughout the week. 🍷 This will be
top on our list for our next trip!
-Seven Sacred Pools- These pools are at the very end of the
Road to Hana. They were closed during our trip for an unknown reason, but they
look awesome!
Verdict:
We will definitely be back to Maui. Likely to the
same resort. Likely soon. Anyone want to join?
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