With it’s perfectly shaped beaches, gorgeous sunsets and flowing mai tais, Maui is known as a couple’s paradise – and it definitely earns its title as the most romantic of the Hawaiian islands. For these very reasons, my husband and I had visited the island of Maui on several occasions BC (before children.) We had so many wonderful memories that I really wanted to share this beautiful place with our kids – without turning our memories into a nightmare.
Whenever I plan any trip with our kids, I try my hardest to keep my expectations reasonable. The fact is that you know your kids the best and you know details that may make or break a family trip – do your kids wake up early? stay up late? eat on schedule? need a nap? get carsick? etc. For our trip to Maui, I adhered to the following guidelines: I picked a kid friendly hotel with a fantastic kid pool, the hotel had to be walking distance to a beach, I scheduled only a few activities that I knew were both kid and parent friendly, I made sure we visited Walmart upon arrival (I picked up lots of snacks, wine and sand toys), I made sure our kids went back to the hotel room for a few hours each day during the hottest time of the day and I consistently reminded myself to take a deep breath and enjoy the beauty of Maui!
As with all our trips there were hiccups along the way (including our son deciding it would be funny to ask if we were “there yet” every 2 minutes during our 2 hour trip back from Hana and then my daughter deciding to throw up when we were still half an hour from the hotel), but this was easily one of the best family vacations we have ever had. I definitely credit the planning but I also credit the fact that the more and more that we travel, I find myself more and more open to the unexpected and the unplanned. Hopefully the insight provided below can help you plan a much smoother trip too.
Accommodations
Marriott Wailea Beach Resort
The Marriott Wailea Beach Resort was absolutely fantastic! The scenery and views of the ocean were breathtaking. As soon as you exit your car and walk through the open lobby, you feel and smell the ocean breeze. There are palm trees swaying and ponds full of fish and frogs! And there are comfy seats everywhere to take it all in. Most importantly, I wasn’t the only one that fell in love with the Marriot it was also paradise for our kids. Our stay was truly wonderful.
The Room
Our 1 bedroom suite was everything we could have hoped for. It was spacious and included a living room, separate bedroom with privacy doors and 1 1/2 bathrooms. The living room had a huge sofa, part of which converted into a sofa bed. The room also included a refrigerator and an island/table. The suite had 2 balconies – one in the living room (with a 4 person dining set) and one in the bedroom (with a lounge chair.) Our room was located in the Hale Tower which was closest to the main lobby. For families, I would suggest asking to be located closer to the Nalu kids pool. The resort is big and therefore the first few days we were a little lost and it was difficult maneuvering through all of the buildings carrying all of the kids things (floaties, water toys, snacks etc.) Wailea beach is also a very short walk from the Nalu pool.
The Restaurants
Humble Market Kitchin by Roy Yamaguchi
Absolutely wonderful food – even our kids were impressed. We dined at this restaurant twice and also enjoyed breakfast there on two occasions. We also stopped in late on our last night on the island to enjoy one last dessert.
The dinner menu is fantastic – definitely try the Misoyaki butterfly fish with a glass of champagne. The restaurant had a kids menu and the kids were given crayons and a picture to color. Our kids actually tried the fish and liked it!!! The desserts were to die for – my favorite was the pineapple upside down cake. The kids also get ice cream with their meal.
For breakfast, kids eat free at the buffet. The buffet includes eggs, potatoes, meats, fruit, cereals plus some island favorites (the short rib was delicious.) They also have some fantastic menu items including the avocado toast and Haleakala Benedict – the kaulua pork was so good. Kids eat free whether or not parents order a la carte or choose the buffet so if you are a light eater like I am then you don’t have to worry about paying for the buffet.
Whale’s Tale/Mo Bettah Food Truck
The Nalu kids pool has a full bar and a “food truck” serving sandwiches, hamburgers, salads and poke bowls. Though the idea is cute and the food comes out relatively quickly, the food was not the greatest. We gave the food truck a couple of chances and then started bringing snacks for the kids and grabbed food outside of the hotel. If you are going to order food there I would stick to the sandwiches and hamburgers.
The Pools
Our kids absolutely loved the Nalu pool. They ran to the pool every day and cried when it was time to go (the pool closes at 6pm and all water features are shut off.) The pool has a huge rubber whale in the middle which the kids used to climb and slide. There are small rubber turtles with water spouts and water cannons that shoot water. There are also two kid sized slides which my kids, including my three year old, went down over and over again. If this wasn’t enough, there is also a grotto complete with a waterfall entrance. And for the adults, the waterpark slides are right next door – Wailea Wipeout (240 feet) and the Big Kahuna (325 feet!) Our kids loved to watch dad go down the slides.
In addition to the kiddie pool, the Marriott has a no frills pool that welcomes families and an adults only pool. I went out to the regular pool to read a book and enjoy a mai tai at one point, but we essentially spent our time at the Nalu pool which was fine with us.
Cabana Service
We reserved a cabana at the Nalu pool the first day we were in Maui. The cabana had 2 full sofas with pillows, a refrigerator and a lock box to keep your things. The curtains around the cabana can be closed for shade and/or privacy – it got pretty hot during our stay. The cabana also included waters, fruit with yogurt and dried fruit. The cabana comes with a $50 food credit – we paid $350 for the day. We enjoyed our day at the cabana and it was a splurge for us. It was nice to relax on the sofas and some of us (dad) were able to sleep while the kids splashed in the pool. If the cabana is out of price range then there are plenty of chairs around the kid pool. You will probably want to get there early to ensure a prime spot with a big umbrella.
Wailea Beach
Wailea is a 5 minute walk from the hotel and is directly in front of the Four Seasons property. The beach is gorgeous – and the sunsets are spectacular. The sand is so soft and the ocean itself has a sand bottom. The water was pretty gentle and so clear that you can see little fish swimming around you. We also saw a turtle swimming around (the turtles like to eat breakfast from the rocks in front of the hotel). There were many people snorkeling or scuba diving. Conveniently, the hotel provides 2 chairs and an umbrella for guests, though you have to bring your own towels from the hotel (again the Nalu pool is the closest and you can also get a hotel wristband there to identify you as a guest.) The umbrella is truly a necessity on a hot day. We tended to head to the beach in the early morning and were able to enjoy the beach without much of a crowd.
There is a pathway that runs right alongside the beach and past all of the adjoining hotels and homes. We walked along the path to give the kids some time to explore – the sunset view was also amazing. There are benches/seats available as you walk. We took our breakfast out to the cliffside one morning and watched as turtles fed off the rocks. What an amazing sight. Many people also use the path for their morning run.
Game Room/Movie Theater/Kids Club
The Marriott is so kid friendly that they provide a separate game room and movie theater for the kids. They also have a kids club for parents looking to spend some time alone. The game room includes board games, shuffle board, pool and playstation. The movie theater shows a different movie every night and has popcorn and punch for the little ones. Seating is on large bean bag chairs. We watched Lilo and Stitch and of course our kids loved it.
AMAZING KIDVENTURES
The Road to Hana
If you read any website or book about Hana, you will read the same thing – Hana is all about the journey and not the destination – and this is the absolute truth. The road to Hana is absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. During your drive, you will go through amazing bamboo forests, mountain pasture, rain forest and beaches. However, because this trip is all about the journey it also means a lot of time in the car and lots of stops in between. Depending on your kids’ threshold for long road trips – this trip may be an amazing kidventure or a big painful miss. We tried to make our trip as painless as possible so we made sure we had changes of clothes (there are beaches, waterfalls and mud along the way), towels, beach toys, snacks, water, blankets and our ipad.
There are so many stops along the Hana road that I would recommend buying a guidebook that will go over each stop one by one. I used “Maui Revealed” by Andrew Boughty, et al., and it was so helpful in deciding both where to stop and where not to stop. Because of the kids we purposely avoided anything with a strenuous hike and anything too “boring” (per my 6 year old.) Here are a few of the stops we made that we would do again:
Twin Falls (mile marker 2). These waterfalls were a popular spot. It was easy to get to the pools and waterfall and my husband and son were also able to climb to the top of the waterfall. We did not go into the pool but there were plenty of people swimming and jumping from the top of the cliff. Our kids thought that was pretty amazing. Limited parking is available along the road.
Waikomoa Ridge Trail (mile marker 9.5) A lovely hike through the rain forest -with an ocean view. The hike was pretty and it was fun for the kids – who loved the forest – but if you are looking for a real hike then this is probably not the best bet. If your kids need a break, however, the hike is not long and it ends at a nice lookout. We were able to do the entire hike with our 3 year old but my husband is also very sure-footed and carried her on his shoulders a large portion of the way down. There were a lot of tree roots and it was pretty slippery with the mud. Bring towels to wipe down shoes!
Ke’anae Peninsula (mile marker 16.8) A gorgeous peninsula surrounded by rugged black lava formations (the newest of the island) and breaking waves. The kids loved playing with the pebbles here and tossing them into the waves crashing into the rocks. The area is such a contrast to the sandy beaches you find throughout Maui. Make sure you grab some banana bread and coconut candy from Aunty Sandy’s shack. The best part was that the bread was warm and delicious. A much recommended and needed snack!
Pua’a State Wayside Park (mile marker 22) We stopped at this park mostly because we needed a bathroom break (actual facilities) but that being said it is a super easy walk to what was a decent sized waterfall (size changes depending on time of year.) There is a small park off the road complete with picnic tables and an overlook of the waterfall.
Hamoa Beach (Hana) Hamoa is a gorgeous beach! The kids loved playing in the waves and running on the sand. It was a perfect ending to our journey.
KID INDULGENCE!!!
Brother Stop
A must! A family owned road side stop serving authentic Hawaiian lunch plates – teriyaki chicken, macaroni salad, rice. The food is delicious and is bbqed by the family in their front yard – picnic tables available. The family is so sweet – my son told the cook that he loved the chicken and he gave him another serving! We have stopped here on all of our trips to Maui and it has never disappointed. Definitely a hidden secret.
Amazing Kidventures
Maui Classic Charters – Four Winds snorkel adventure.
My kids are huge fans of the water and so I booked a morning snorkel trip. They absolutely loved it! What is special about Maui Classic is that they provide kids (or nervous adults) with a snorkeling board which includes a window so they can watch the fish below as they lay on the board. This was perfect for my 3 year old who couldn’t figure out how to use the snorkel mask (we practiced with the kids in the hotel pool so they would not be making their first attempt in open water.)
But even better than the board, is the glass bottom window where kids can watch all of the colorful fish swim by. Both of my kids sat by the window for a long time. They especially loved when dad swam by.
The boat secured a good spot at Molokini and there was a large area to snorkel in. The trip also included breakfast in the morning (it is an early check-in) and bbq lunch (chicken, pork, hot dogs or vegiburger.) The food was decent and much welcomed after a long snorkel. The boat also has an open bar on the way back from Molokini (no drinking before snorkeling.) We had such a great time. I would definitely recommend a trip with your kids if they will get in the water (it is not a cheap adventure $360.)
Te Au Moana Luau
The Te Au Moana Luau takes place on the grounds of the Marriott Wailea hotel and was super convenient for us. As you arrive you receive a beautiful lei. There is soft Hawaiian music being played and various activities for the kids (tattoo stamps, coloring). There are mai tais or drinks available (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and you are invited to witness the unearthing of the pig. My kids were very interested in the pig (my 3 year old asked if it was Pua’s friend.) 
The show itself is a lot of fun. The performers look like they are having a good time and draw the audience in. There is a variety of dances performed. At one point they call all kids onto the stage to learn a hula dance. My kids basically ran up on stage. They really enjoyed it and my son asked to take pictures with the performers at the end.
The luau food itself is good and there is plenty of it. Our only complaint was the lack of shade. The dinner is held out on the lawn in front of the ocean so you can see the sunset. Unfortunately at the time you are told to arrive, the sun is beating down on this area of the hotel. Though we had had cloudier days earlier in the week, the day we attended the Luau was bright, sunny and hot. We had to move tables during dinner because sweat was dripping off of us. This made dinner difficult to enjoy. Once the show starts it was basically sunset and we had no more problems with the heat. This is probably a very recurring complaint so a few umbrellas would probably not be a bad idea.
