Our 2 Day Itinerary in the Valley Isle of Hawaii, Maui
Early November 2021, my husband planned a surprise trip to the Hawaiian islands and our first destination on the one week trip was Maui, The Valley Isle of Hawaii. For a complete itinerary on how to spend a week in Hawaiian islands check my last post. Here is a 2 day itinerary and our experience in Hawaii.
Day 1
In Maui, we stayed at the Kohea Kai Maui, Ascend Hotel Collection. We started early morning at around 5AM to head to the road to the Hana. If not this early, make sure you have a head start as the roads are narrow and you don't want to get stuck in that traffic. The road to Hana is so lush green and enjoyable early morning. In the quiet hour that we went, we were able to stop for some photo opportunities and also at times get lost in the small waterfalls that dwindle the road all around.
We made our first stop at Waianapanapa State Park. Make sure to do reservations before you go here. We reached at around 9AM and there were 10 other cars at the same time frame. You can reserve up-to 90 mins of time for your visit. We enjoyed the morning sun on the horizon and the views of the crashing waves at the black sand beach. Keep in mind that this beach is not for swimming at all.
From there we grabbed some fresh fruit at Hana Farms fruit stand and headed towards Pipiwai Trail to see Waimoku Falls. This is a 3.8 mile trail that is heavily trafficked and passes through a bamboo forest. I would highly recommend this trail in Maui . First because the view at the end of Waimoku falls is totally worth all of it. Secondly, you can hog on the guava trees that line this trail and lastly when you enter the Bamboo forest its like entering a different realm altogether. The best part is the soundscape that the bamboo trees makes when they slightly collide against each other. I would go on that trail again just to hear the sound again. Make sure you take as many photos here as the bamboo trees provide a good play of lights for the photo enthusiasts out there.
Our hungry stomachs then naturally led us to the nearby Laulima fruit stand. We ordered the fruit sampler and it was so refreshing.
Next we drove all the way circling highway 37 to the Haleakala crater. The road is really very rough and lanes are very narrow with cliffs on one side. So I would definitely recommend going to the Crater via highway 360 for a sunrise or sunset rather than highway 37. But given that I love driving rough roads, I enjoyed it nevertheless. Make sure you carry a jacket to the crater as the temperature slides rapidly as you ascend to 10,023ft. The views at the crater has numerous switchbacks all the way to the top.
After watching a sunset at the crater, we descended and reached Kihei. There we called it for the day by having scrumptious Mahi Mahi at Paia Fish Market.
Day 2
Our resort was not expensive and still covered all that we would need for a 2 day stay at Maui. There was literally a small accessible beach space right across our room. So this sunday morning we got up to watch the sunrise right in our pajamas. Later we headed to the nearby Ulua beach. This is a super cute local beach with lots of options for snorkeling and swimming. The beach has access to bathrooms and a shower as well.
After all that swimming, our appetite was craving for some desserts so we headed to the Leoda's Kitchen and Pie Shop at Lahaina. I bought my favorite key lime pie and finished it within minutes.
Next we went to the Kaanapali beach park where we at least attempted to burn down these calories. Just Kidding. This is good walk if you want to sneak peak into the the luxurious resorts that surround the West Maui coastline. Given it was Sunday, we decided to take a stroll on the Front Street at Lahaina and finally settled for lunch at Kimo's Maui. I would give really more ratings for their ambience than their food. We picked some souvenirs on our way back from Lahaina.
Ukumehame Beach Park
Our flights were at 5PM , so we had ample time for some afternoon nap. What better place than an open beach with some tree shade for a Sunday nap. Ukumehame Beach Park has several spots where you can park your car and take some shade and relax in the afternoon along Hoonopiilani Hwy. We ended our day with a flight to Honolulu, our next island in the week.
