After a fun few days Kickin' it in Kauai we were off to explore Maui! Ben and I decided to add an additional island since we were already in Hawaii and Maui is such a popular hot spot for vacations. We did a bit of exploring on the island of Maui and I wanted to share my highlights of the trip using the hawaiian words I learned.

Ke KūʻOkoʻa - Freedom

Big Beach & Little Beach

Big beach is one of the most popular beaches on the island of Maui and named big for a reason. The beach expands at two-thirds of a mile long and is over 100 feet wide. The sand is soft and the water was warm.




On the other side of the rocks there is a smaller beach called Little Beach. Little Beach is a popular spot to sunbathe and swim in the nude. Lots of locals are spotted here relaxing and swimming on this beach. Did I go nude? I went topless and it was a ke KūʻOkoʻa experience.

Hala Kahiki - Foreign Fruit

Pineapples

If you know me you know that I’m obsessed with pineapples. One of my favorite fruit is pineapple, I love little pineapple trinkets, I don’t know what it is but pineapples just make me happy! In Maui the pineapple symbolizes warmth, welcome, friendship and hospitality. Locals place pineapple decor on their entryway of their home as a symbol of welcome.

Maui Pineapple Store

We visited Front street in Lahaina a few times during our stay since our hotel was only a short drive away. On our first visit I spotted Maui Pineapple Store from a mile away and had to go in and buy everything that had a pineapple on it (which is everything in the store obviously hence the name).




Ben wouldn’t let me buy the whole store so I settled with these really cute bath bombs AND two Maui Gold Pineapples, which were very sweet and juicy. Did you know that pineapples are rich in vitamins, enzymes and antioxidants? They boost the immune system, build strong bones and aid indigestion. Also, despite their sweetness, pineapples are low in calories. I love pineapples.

Dole Whip

When in Maui try the Dole whip. If you don’t know what dole whip is, it’s a dairy free frozen yogurt created by the Dole Food Company and the most popular flavor is pineapple.

A’a - lava - the roots

Nakalele Blowhole

Hawaii is all about surfing, adventurous hikes, and chasing waterfalls so we decided to be adventurous one day and did the Ohai Loop which is a really easy short (one mile) hike. The overlook had beautiful views of the ocean.




About a minute away was the Nakalele Blowhole which is more of a hike to get closer to the blowhole. The blowhole was really neat to and very salty when the water sprays all over your face. (that’s what she said. Sorry not sorry) But the best part was right around the corner from the blowhole was this really cool area that looked like mars. So I posed like I was fighting aliens. All the lava rocks were just so red and incredible.

Okole maluna - Bottoms up

Sail Trilogy

Ben and I love going on sunset cruises’ and Maui has the best sunsets so what better way to watch a sunset than on a catamaran? We had the BEST time with Sail Trilogy. We boarded the boat right on the beach and got served delicious cocktails right away. They even provided Ben and I with yummy vegan bites (We let them know in advance when we booked our reservation).




The sunset was incredible that evening, the sky turned different shades of purples and pinks. The whole experience with Sail Trilogy was amazing, I really enjoyed the staff, the drinks, the food, and especially the sunset.

Humuhumunukunukuapua'a - Fish that Snorts like a pig

Submarine

I have always wanted to go on a submarine since I watched Titanic. I’ve always been so fascinated with the depth of the ocean and have always wondered what lies beneath but I’m terrified of snorkeling and swimming in the ocean. A submarine is obviously the best and only way for me to see what’s going on in the ocean. We took a fun ride with Atlantis Adventures.




I’m not going to lie, I had high hopes that I was going to see big colorful coral reef and tons of schools of fish and sea turtles just swimming around everywhere. I thought it was going to be like the movie finding nemo. There were fish, lots of different ones, but the coral was very small and not much else to see. One really cool thing that Atlantis did was sink a ship for more coral to grow and bring more life to the ocean. The best part was seeing the submarine rise out of the ocean.

Pono - do what’s right

Vegan Eats in Maui

When I travel I like to use my Happy Cow App to find vegan restaurants or restaurants that offer vegan options wherever I am. Check out my reviews of all the places I’ve found and loved while traveling.

Morimoto Maui

Ben and I LOVE Morimoto and we’ve talked about going to Morimoto Maui on several occasions and it was awesome to finally see this location. Since Ben and I dine at Morimoto Napa often we are familiar with Morimoto’s menu and know what is vegan. One of my favorite experiences at Morimoto Napa was when Iron Chef Morimoto cooked me a vegan dinner. You could say we are Morimoto pros by now.

A’a Roots

A’A Roots is the only 100% plant based cafe in Maui. A’A Roots has a wide variety of different items on the menu with daily specials. We loved it so much that we came back the very next day. Check out my full post on Vegan in Hawaii: A'a Roots

Pho Saigon 808

Pho is seriously the best comfort food. I like to find a local vietnamese restaurant that offers veggie broth pho noodle soup. Pho Saigon 808 had great reviews on Happy Cow so we made a couple visits here during our stay in Maui. Pho Saigon 808 is located in the Wharf Cinema Center in the heart of Lahaina.

Down to Earth

We stayed at a hotel that had a full kitchenette so we went to Down To Earth to get our groceries. Down to Earth was 100% vegetarian market. The market was filled with fresh local fruits and vegetables, tons of vegan milks, snacks, and hot freshly prepared vegan and vegetarian food. There was no meat or eggs in the whole market. I wish there were more Down To Earth markets around the world!

A Hui Hou - Until we meet again

Sunsets

The best part of Maui were the sunsets. Hands down. It was the best part of the day. Everyone would walk to the beach and just sit and enjoy watching the sunset. If you’ve ever been to Maui did you enjoy the sunset as much as I did? What were your favorite moments in Maui?