Our highlights on a week's Maui holiday in Hawaii
At 1890 square kilometres, Maui is the second largest Hawaiian island. Formed by two volcanoes: the dormant Haleakala and its older brother Mount Kahalawai. The underground lava flows of these gigantic volcanoes were so enormous that they created the islands of Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe. Once, this mass formed a large landmass called Maui Nui (Great Maui).
Known for its lifestyle, the Hawaiian island of Maui has more than 81 accessible beaches with white, yellow, black, greenish and red sand. Beach lovers and surfers love to be here.
Maui is much more touristy than Kauai, with more than two million visitors. There are often traffic jams - as you know them from Oahu. The island has - like Big Island - with the Haleakala including crater a great volcano, which you must visit.
The beaches are nicer than on Kauai and much easier to reach. As on the other Hawaiian islands, you need a rental car.
Maui is especially popular with tourists in the winter months (especially February and March). On some days, more than 800 whales cavort in the shallow waters between Maui, Lanai and Molokai. Seeing the fountains of the many humpback whales from land must be gigantically beautiful.
What we really liked about Maui? The diversity!
You find rainforest, cloud forest, high mountains (volcano Haleakala) and deep valleys (Iao Valley) on Maui. In addition, for road trip fans like us, there are dreamlike, winding roads (Road to Hana and North Coast) as well as tropical flatlands.
The diversity of the underwater world as well as the great beaches put the icing on the cake of a visit to Maui!
I have summarised my highlights on Maui. We were on the island for seven days. The points are in any order.
Have fun reading!
Are you planning your Hawaii holiday right now? Then check out these articles:
Hawaii holidays: island hopping tips and round trip planning.
All travel reports & tips for the Hawaiian Islands at a glance
Kauai: 15 reasons why the Garden Island is a highlight of your Hawaii holiday
Eating on Kauai: 7 food highlights on Hawaii's garden island
Oahu: Highlights for 1 week
Highlight of the biggest island: Big Island, Hawaii
Video with our Maui Highlights
Road to Hana
The Road to Hana is THE panorama road and therefore the most beautiful road on Maui. It is extremely popular with tourists and therefore very busy. The stops on the approximately 100 km long panoramic route are numerous. So are the superlatives: 600 curves and 54 single-lane bridges make you need a little patience. The serpentines are lined with waterfalls, rainforests and steeply sloping coastal sections.
In a separate article, we will soon summarise all the worthwhile stops for you!
Our tip: Drive the Reverse Loop
Make sure you drive the Road to Hana anti-clockwise and set off very early in the morning. You won't be able to see all the stops in one day! We had to break off at some point and drive the rest again on another day.
You can spend the night in Hana halfway. We didn't want the hassle for one night and stayed in Kihei throughout.
Note: Download a map offline to your mobile phone or the Shaka Guide ("Reverse Road to Hana Tour). This costs a little money, but makes the trip all the more entertaining. An interactive guide announces the next stop in advance. In addition, you will be told everything you need to know about Maui's history. Great recommendation!
Alternatively, pick up a printed map of the Road to Hana from one of the many free Maui magazines.
There are great fruit stands and food trucks all along the route. Coconut Glen's (Haiku) is a must-see. The colourful truck offers vegan ice cream and is really delicious!
In Hana, we also stopped at the food trucks. Thai food like you can't get better in Thailand is on offer here. There are stalls everywhere selling banana bread, pineapple and coconuts. Grab a bite and take a break!
A separate article with our highlights of the Road to Hana will follow soon.
Impressive "Large Banyan Tree" on the Pipiai Trail (Road to Hana) on Maui, Hawaii. 
Bamboo Forest at the Pipiwai Trail on Maui 
You will find this red beach on the Road to Hana Helicopter Flight
A helicopter ride on Maui is especially spectacular when it has rained beforehand. That was the case during our visit. After thinking for a while about which route to book for the flight, we decided on the "Waterfalls and Molokai"-Tour with Pacific Helicopters.
We wanted to do the Road to Hana ourselves, we didn't have time for Molokai. So this route was ideal. I can highly recommend it. Besides a blowhole and the beautiful north coast of West Maui with great winding roads (more beautiful than the Road to Hana?), we also flew over the bay to Molokai, its Halawa Valley and the breathtaking Mo'oula Falls. Of course, we also flew over the West Maui Mountains.
Whales were unfortunately not yet to be seen. What a sight it must be when there are whales here too? Gigantic. This writes after another whale season trip to Maui and Molokai.
In Molokai we fly along the cliffs and see many, many waterfalls that pour directly into the sea. Wow. I was speechless. This nature in Hawaii and especially in Molokai will blow you away!
Take this helicopter tour! With Manni, we even got a pilot from Austria. Thank Manni, if you are reading this. It was brilliant!
Book the tour with Pacific Helikopters
Tour: Molokai & West Maui Waterfalls, without doors off
Duration: 1 hour
Cost: $320 (we got the flight $58 cheaper due to a holiday sale)
Meeting point: Kahului Heliport (parking possible directly in front)
"Waterfalls and Molokai" Tour
with Pacific Helicopters Maui has the most beautiful beaches in Hawaii
We found the most sandy beaches of all the "Islands of Hawaii" we visited on Maui. They were all beautiful without exception. Because there are so many great bays on Maui, the people spread out quite well.
Theonly negative point: the beautiful beaches around Lahaina and Kaanapali are hotel beaches framed by large complexes. Access is difficult to find. If you come with your own car, you will have a problem finding a parking space. We were very annoyed and preferred to drive back towards Kihei.
We found the most beautiful beaches around Kihei and near Hana. Here, the somewhat hidden Kaihalulu (Red Sand) Beach is in a really great location. However, the path there leads across a private estate. However, everyone walks this path. On the one hand, locals want to attract tourists, on the other hand, they don't want to reveal their favourite places. You can find the beach in any guide for Maui.
Otherwise, we really liked Oneloa and Makena Beach in Makena Beach State Park. This park has three entrances. The above-mentioned beaches are simply called "Big Beach" and "Little Beach" by locals. By the way, Makena Beach is the most photographed beach in Hawaii!
Other great Maui beaches:
Black Rock Beach (Pu'u Keka'a)
Charley Young Beach
Hamoa Beach
Hana Bay (Hana Beach Park)
Honomanu Bay
Baldwin Beach Park
Ka'anapali Beach
Wai'anapanapa State Park
Palauea (White Rock)
Kapalua Bay
Olowalu
Ho'okipa Beach Park
Oneuli Beach
Kamaole Beaches
La Perouse Bay
Beautiful long and hardly visited sandy beach: Oneloa/Makena Beach, East Maui. Whale watching on Maui
What is the highlight on Maui besides surfing and volcanoes? That's right: whales!
The best time for whale watching on Maui is winter. From mid-December to the end of March/April you can watch whales from the west coast in the shallow sea lanes between Maui and Molokai and Lay respectively.
About 4000 - 5000 humpback whales pass through the Hawaiian Islands every year. Considering that there are only 6000 - 10,000 left in the Pacific region, this number is astonishingly high.
Most whales are seen between February and March. During our visit, the whales were extremely late. Very few were sighted in early December. The official whale season started on 15 December 2019. Nevertheless, we were able to spot about eight whales on our Whale Photo Safari.
Book the tour with Pacific Whale
Duration of the tour: About 3 hours
Departure from Lahaina Harbour
Cost for 2 persons: 223 USD
Snorkeling spots on Maui
Maui is ideal for snorkelling. In winter, however, the current on the North Shore is very rough. Ideal for surfers, a no go for snorkelling.
We tested a few beaches for snorkelling:
Turtle Town Maui & Maluaka Beach: As part of our snorkelling tour to Molokini Reef, we snorkelled for turtles on the sea between underground lava flows. Unfortunately, there are always quite a few people in the water during tours. If a turtle appears, there are immediately 20 people (or unfortunately more) around it. I was lucky that twice turtles appeared right in front of me.
The aforementioned Molokini Reef is also suitable for snorkelling. The visibility is great, but there are often many tour boats in the crater. This keeps the larger animals from coming. You will see hardly any turtles here. But you will see lots of colourful fish.
Other spots are the more secluded Ahihi-Kinau Natural AreaReserve. Ideal area for snorkelling. We were late just before sunset. Make sure you snorkel only in the permitted area. Most of the area is protected.
In West Maui, Honolua Bay (not in winter) and Kapalua Bay, a quieter shallow bay, are suitable.
In summer, Ho'okipa Beach Park is also worth a visit. There are often turtles on the beach. We were here in December. This is when the best surfers in the world are to be found. It is not suitable for snorkelling then and life-threatening.
Turtle at Maluaka Beach - better known as Turtle Town on Maui. Road trip along the north coast on West Maui
We liked the north coast of West Maui so much. Maybe even better than the Road to Hana. The West Maui Mountains with green mountain slopes dominate the seaside. Best seen from a helicopter.
The highest mountain is Puu Kukui (Hill of Light) at 1,764 metres, once considered the gateway between heaven and earth.
The road winds beautifully with bays and sandy beaches and definitely compensates with fantastic views. The 32 km route will take you about 2 hours. Longer at many stops.
On holiday, don't let yourself get stressed. Look out for the Nakalele Blowhole and go in search of the best Banana Bread.
Nakalele Blowhole on the North Shore on West Maui Maluaka Beach - Turtle Town
South of Wailea at the end of Makena Road is the famous Maluaka Beach. Also called Turtle Town.
Probably the second best snorkelling spot on the island of Maui after Molokini Crater. The good thing is that you can get there by rental car.
The section is located between Kahuna Point and Black Sand Beach. It's best to park at the Keawalai Church car park and walk the distance.
The Hawaiian sea turtle can be found between two lava fields that are underwater. Not in the sandy area. Swim along the lava rocks and wait for a turtle to appear.
Note: Keep your distance, do not crowd the turtle and DO NOT touch it!
Maluaka Beach, known as Turtle Town. From the water on the snorkel tour on Maui. Molokini & Turtle Arches Snorkel Tour
The tours to snorkel at Molokini Crater are very popular. They visit a second spot known for its green sea turtles and underwater lava arches. This is no less a spot than the one at Maluaka Beach mentioned in point 7.
What I didn't like were the crowds. I did some extra research before the trip and decided on this sustainable provider. Unfortunately, this is exactly the tour for the masses. Many people crowd around a turtle and leave it no room.
As much as we enjoyed the whale watching tour, I found this tour terrible. I'm not sure if there are tours to Molokini Crater with fewer people on board. If you have a tip, let me know.
In general, Pacific Whale Foundaition does a good job.
Book the tour with Pacific Whale
Duration of the tour: About 5 hours
Meeting place: Pacific Whale Foundation Ocean Store, Maʻalaea Harbor Shops, nearo Maui Ocean Center.
Cost for 2 people: 125 USD with small breakfast and BBQ.
Book here: pacificwhale.org
Molokini Crater - snorkelling off the coast of Maui. Iao Needle in Iao Valley State Park
The ʻĪao Valley on the island of Maui is located just a few kilometres from Wailuku. The valley lies in lush green steeply sloping hillsides of the West Maui Mountains. A special highlight and probably Maui's most popular photo motif is the Iao Needle.
The green rock needle is 365 metres high. Climb the 133 steps up to the viewing platform. The needle is of spiritual significance to Hawaiians.
Also worth seeing is the Botanical Garden in Iao Valley. At the river we often meet people taking a cooling bath in it. Pack your swimsuit.
Tip: Be here early in the morning, because Iao Valley State Park is close to one of the wettest places on earth. This means that this place is almost always surrounded by thick clouds. It is also quieter and emptier in the morning. The tourist buses don't arrive until late morning.
Here in the park you can do shorter hikes. At All Trails you can find great hikes (also recognisable from the pictures). However, these are RESTRICTED! Please stick to this. We have repeatedly seen people climbing over the fence and ignoring the no entry sign.
5$ parking fee.
The car park is often crowded, just be patient.
Iao Needle in Iao Valley State Park Pipiwai Trail and Waimoku Falls
The Pipiwai Trail with Waimoku Falls is a 5.5 km hiking trail near Hana. We did the trail on the way to the Road to Hana.
You hike along a river, through a great forest with an impressive Banyan Tree.
I would classify the hike as easy. The mud is very limited compared to other hikes on the Hawaiian Islands.
The bamboo forest is huge and impressive. The Waimoku Waterfalls at the end of the loop hike is equally awesome! Walk this trail early in the morning to avoid the crowds of people. This hike is very popular.
You can find all the information about the hike in the app "All Trails", which we recommend for all hikes in Hawaii.
The Pipiwai Trail is located in Haleakala National Park. There is a ticket machine at the car park. If you have been to the Haleakala volcano before, you should put the ticket visibly in the car.
Waihe'e Ridge Trail
The Waihe'e Ridge Trail is a pretty trail of 6.3 km (out and back). You'll get great views of the valley and a beautiful forest of Cook Island pines, mahogany, guava and kukui trees. Do the walk as early in the day as possible. Towards afternoon it often gets cloudy and you won't see anything. No views and therefore no worthwhile hike.
Enjoy the view of Makamaka'ole Falls. As I said, clouds come into the gorge often and quickly. If you are lucky, you will get an incredible view of the green Waihe'e Valley.
A few switchbacks and flat areas later, you finally reach the end of the often very muddy and slippery trail. The destination is the hill called Lani-lili at about 781m. There is a small terrace with a picnic table.
If you are lucky, you can see Haleakala on one side and all the way to Molokai on the other. We saw: Nothing.
Haleakala National Park Volcano and Hikes
A very impressive visit to the Haleakala volcano with its gigantic crater and lunar landscape will remain in my memory for a long time. For me, it is the highlight and number 1 of Maui's sights.
The drive up takes about 1 hour and takes you from sea level up to 3,055 m via serpentines. This makes the road one of the steepest in the world.
Supposedly, both sunrises and sunsets on Haleakala are magical.
Hand on heart: to watch the sunrise on Haleakala you need a permit. In winter, you almost never see the sun rise. The cloud cover is too dense. Sunset is often not visible either. We were glad that the clouds cleared briefly during the hike in the crater and that we had any visibility at all.
We hiked the Sliding Sands Trail for a few kilometres. Since it was foggy for 90% of the hike, we turned around at some point.
Great and best view from Leleiwi Outlook. Here you can see all 9 cinder cones from which lava once flowed.Hiking: Sliding Sands Trail (Keonehe'ehe'e) with shortcut around crater rim.
Pre-book sunrise permits on the official official website in advance. Entry between 3am - 7am, bookable 2 months in advance. Cost of reservation: $1 per ticket per car.
Entrance fee to Haelakala National Park: $25 per car. Note: If you take the Road to Hana Reloop as we recommend, you will need the ticket again. This is because you also drive through the national park (along the backside of Haleakala).
Food Trucks on Maui
Hawaii is famous and well known for food trucks. They are everywhere. We found the best food at the food trucks in Hana (Thai).
However, you can find them all over the island. I list the best ones here:
Braddah Hutts BBQ Grill, Hana (closest address for Google Maps: 5305 Hana Highway).
Like Poke? Yes, we love poke! You'll have to be quick here because the poke is popular and sells out fast. The food truck is located at Costco in Kahului.
Mediterranean Grill, found seven days a week at Haiku in Market Square. Falafel, shawarma and kabob.
Three's Food Truck. Yes, the great restaurant in Kihei also has a food truck. The truck often changes locations on the island. However, every Saturday you can find it at the Saturday Kahului Swap Meet or at the "Maui Friday's Parties" in Wailuku (first Friday of every month), in Kihei (4th Friday of every month) and in Makawao (3rd Friday of every month).
Maui Fresh Streatery. Truffle Fries, Ahi and only local ingredients. Check Facebook to find out where the food truck is at any given time.
El Taco Borracho. Food Truck Courtyard in Lower Kaanapali.
Jaws - Big Wave Surfing
Have you ever heard of big wave surfing?
The world's highest waves have been on Maui in recent years.
The spot is known as "Jaws". Only when the conditions are right are there huge waves that can be deadly. Because directly under the wave there is no sand but stones.
We missed the high waves by three days. Check our map at the end of the article for the lookout for Jaws. However, we advise parking the car and walking there in case there is an alert for high waves. Otherwise, there is nothing to see at that spot. Besides, this nasty track is very slippery and hardly passable even with 4x4 jeeps.
Paia
This little hippie village has a special charm. My favourite place on Maui. If the accommodations weren't so expensive in winter and booked out long in advance, we would have set up base here.
The dream beach for windsurfers and surfers Ho'okipa Beach is close by, as is the famous big waves spot "Jaws" (Peahi).
In town you will find small shops and galleries of artists. We bought some great souvenirs here. There is also a great mural of a turtle in Paia. You really can't miss it.
Surfing on Maui
Maui offers you a wave to surf almost everywhere. In the winter months, the beaches on the North Shore are for experts. Especially Jaws (Peahi) and Ho'okipa Beach are places where almost only professionals jump into the high waves.
In general, we saw surfers almost everywhere. Also in Lahaina in the harbour when we came back from the whale watching tour.
A surfer on a wave just before entering the harbour in Lahaina. Lahaina
Did you know that Lahaina was the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom until 1845? Only then was the capital moved to Honolulu (Oahu).
In Lahaina you will find numerous shops, cafés, restaurants, galleries and the harbour with ferry connections to Lanai and whale watching boats.
Most of Maui's 120,000 inhabitants live around Lahaina (with Ka'anapali, Kahului and the island capital Wailuku).
More tips & info for Maui
The five regions of the island
Central Maui. (Kahului Airport OGG, most of the population lives here, Iao Valley State Park with Iao Needle, Wailuku, Kahului
East Maui. Road to Hana with numerous waterfalls, rainforests, pineapple and banana bread stalls at the roadside. Kipahulu in Haleakala National Park and its impressive Pools of Oheo (also called Seven Sacred Pools).
South Maui. The driest and sunniest region on Maui. Long sandy beaches, views of Lanai, Molokini and Kahoolawe islands.
West Maui. Resortswith hotels and many tourists. Historic whaling town of Lahaina with many restaurants and shops. Hot spot for whale watching in winter (unfortunately also cruise passengers). Kaanapali Beachwalk, Kapalua (championship golf course). Too touristy for us.
Upcountry Maui. The highlight is Haleakala National Park with the highest peak on the island, great golden beaches, beautiful hills and volcanic landscapes. Plus the Hawaiian cowboys, taro fields and the backside of the Road to Hana.
Accommodation on Maui
Are you also thinking about where to stay on Maui? Paia was recommended to us before the trip. In winter, when Ho'okaipa Beach and Jaws (monster waves) have surfers all over the world waiting for the best conditions, this place is packed. Accommodation is extremely expensive.
That's why we looked for one of the many accommodations in Kihei an on East Maui of the right half of the island. In Lahaina on the northwest coast, everything was too touristy for us. In general, I would advise you to look for accommodation in Kihei, Wailea and Makena. Everything on West Maui from Lahaina to Kaanapali to Kapalua didn't appeal to us.
You can see our accommodation here: Airbnb in Kihei
Rental car
To explore the island of Maui, we advise you to book a rental car. You don't necessarily need a four-wheel drive (jeep). Unless you're trying to get to the lookout point for JAWS like we did. However, the path was so muddy that we voluntarily parked our jeep and continued on foot.
We rented a car before the trip after extensive comparison at Sunny Cars booked. The Jeep Wrangler for 7 days cost us €369.
Flights to Maui
We booked all flights between the Hawaiian islands with Hawaiian Airlines before the trip.
Sign up for the bonus programme with Hawaiian Airlines. As a member, you save money on the baggage allowance for inter-island flights. Example: The first piece of luggage on the flight from Honolulu (Oahu) to Kauai costs only $15 instead of $25. With a minimum of three flights, each saves $35. See more tips for Hawaii and planning here.
Cost of flights to/from Maui
Kona (Big Island) - Kahului (Maui): $117
Kahului (Maui) - San Francisco: $208.60
Travel guide for Maui
It's hard to find a really good guidebook for all the islands of Hawaii. The best one we found was Fodor's Essential Hawaii (Fodor's Travel Guide) and the Revealed Maui Travel Guide. We also bought the Shaka Guide app for the "Reverse" Road to Hana Tour. Ideal.
Food and drink
There are numerous supermarkets on Maui. We almost always went to Woolworth 's in Kihei. Cosco is the cheapest place to buy food. However, only for locals with a member card.
Mama's Fish House on the Road to Hana is said to have the best food on Maui. The food is expensive and not really local. If you want to eat here, you have to reserve a table in advance (at least 1-2 weeks). We wanted to be flexible and did without.
Grandma's Coffee House (Kula) is very cosy. Drive the Road to Hana counterclockwise and start the day with breakfast here!
If you drive the Road to Hana, you must have breakfast at Grandma's Coffee House! 
The Açai Bowl and Breakfast Bagel are highly recommended!
On our last night, we had excellent Furikake Fried and Ramen à la Chef at Three's Bar & Grill in Kihei. Book in advance via Open Table if you don't want to wait long for a seat.
We also had a good meal at Aloha Mixed Plate in Lahaina with a view of Lahaina at sunset.
Another tip was the Paia Fish Market. You'll come across it again and again when you're researching Maui. We walked right back out of the shop. We didn't want to eat greasy fish and chips.
You can get very good food (and beer) at the Maui Brewing Company.
Are you planning your Hawaii holiday? Then check out these articles
Hawaii holidays: Tips for island hopping and planning your round trip
All travel reports & tips for the Hawaiian Islands at a glance
Kauai: 15 reasons why the Garden Island is a highlight of your Hawaii holiday
Eating on Kauai: 7 food highlights on Hawaii's Garden Island
