Guide to Maui, Hawaii 2015

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Oh my goodness, could this be my favorite post of all time!? YES. It’s a Monday (painful), and I’m hoping to take you away on a little vacation today…

I’ve been promising y’all to do a compilation of some of our favorite parts of our recent trip (especially for those of you lucky ducks that are heading to Hawaii soon, I am happy for you and also hate you… just kidding, but am extremely jealous, yes), and here it is.

Sidenote: you can catch the roundup of our day driving the Road to Hana here, this Friday’s Five toward the end of our trip and this post for more photos!

Because it’s practically in my DNA to be the paparazzi, I was taking snaps left and right to capture the moments that I knew I would want to look back on. Below are some of our Maui favorites:

  • Hotel: We stayed at the intimate Hotel Wailea.  If any of you are thinking of Maui for your honeymoon or a romantic getaway – I can’t recommend this hotel enough. There are only 72 suites and when we were there, it was all adult guests.  The staff is extremely attentive and helpful and the smaller resort allows a really peaceful experience.
    • Complimentary amenities include yoga several days a week (I even convinced Christian to come with!), happy hour at the pool every day at 5pm, a mixology class on Sunday at the bar and a group kayak outing mid-week in the Pacific Ocean.
    • We had an ocean view suite that allowed us to watch the sunrise while drinking coffee in fluffy robes on the cozy balcony every morning (if only every day could start like this) and watch the sunset at night when we were in the room.  Incredible view!  A few of those sunsets you can see below.
    • The short walk to get Maui’s local organic coffee was another favorite part of my morning.  Of course I bought some – but at home it’s just not the same!
  • Rental Car: A must. I would recommend a convertible for a memorable time!
  • Adventures: Road to Hana, the drive to Haleakala for the sunrise over the volcano (I shared these photos in the Road to Hana post), surfing and shopping in Lahaina (that’s where the potato chips on a stick and the frozen lemonade are from!) and stand-up paddleboarding in the calm (and delightfully warm) Pacific Ocean.

These were my absolute favorite parts of the trip.  There was more that we did – but I just wanted to include the seriously brag-worthy notes! Of course there were things I would have liked to have done – snorkel, sail, take a helicopter tour, eat macadamia nut pancakes at The Gazebo, and this cinnamon roll place that I heard was life-changing – but until next time.

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And of course some iPhone snaps:

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I can’t thank you guys enough for all of your amazing recommendations and tips.  I seriously read every single one and was making notes on my phone thanks to all of your feedback!  Anything you think I missed?  I’ll take any reason to go back!

Thank you for reading and for always being a part of these adventures with me.  Sending out virtual hugs to “all yous!” *Real Housewives of NJ shoutout.* XO –

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21 thoughts on “Guide to Maui, Hawaii 2015”

  6. I love Hawaii!!!! It’s magical….. love your nail polish…which one is it??? The pics of your drinks made my mouth water 🙂

    1. Thanks Cathy! It was a gel color – kind of a white-ish beige if that makes sense. Sorry I’m not more helpful!

  7. We were so sad to see you and Christian leave, Kathleen! The pool just isn’t the same without you two… 🙂 Thank you for sharing your adventures and stunning photos. Wow. Incredible. We look forward to welcoming you both back again soon!

    1. Trust me, we were more sad to leave! We’ll be back – it was such an amazing week! Thanks for treating us so well – XO

  11. If you ever go back to Maui, you have to go to Mama’s Fish House. It’s on the north side of the island and completely worth the 40ish minute drive from Wailea. Lilikoi Creme Brulee is TO DIE FOR. As well as Haleakala, the lavender farm on the drive up is heavenly and the view from the top is like from another world. Go back! Go back!

    1. We went to Mama’s Fish House it was so fun!! The lavender farm sounds amazing, thank you for the suggestion!

  12. The website for this hotel says that its not on the beach but hear the beach. In your photos though it looks like it is right on the beach. Can you clarify?

    How was the weather in hawaii?
    What were the best stores to buy clothes for your vacation wardrobe?

    Thanks!

    1. That’s correct. We could see the beach from our hotel room, but you can’t walk to the beach, the hotel provides a private shuttle to the beach that they have chairs/umbrellas for. You can call the hotel and they can give you even more info! The weather was perfect and I didn’t go shopping much beforehand, just brought items I had.

    2. That is correct. We could see the beach from our hotel room but would take Hotel Wailea’s private shuttle to the beach when we wanted to go and they had umbrellas/chairs there. You can call the hotel for more info! Weather was perfect, but I think it’s perfect year-round! 🙂

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