30, Flirty and In Hawaii Thriving!

Posted bySavanna D LeighPosted inTravel, UncategorizedTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This past May was my 30th birthday and one that I dreaded for months and even years prior. I’m not sure why turning 30 was so scary but I think it has a lot to do with the pressures we put on ourselves, especially as women. It’s this feeling that you are now considered a full fledge adult but I don’t feel like an adult at all. I still rent, I’m not married, I don’t have kids. The mentality that I should have it figured out by 30 is bullshit.

With that said, I decided that this year I was going to plan my birthday so that I could control it (not type A at all) and I could make sure that I wasn’t at home sad and throwing myself a pity party.

So my boyfriend and I booked tickets to go to Maui! Below I’ve put together a list of must dos, things you can skip and where the food is actually good!

Savanna Sipping Champagne’s Guide to Maui:

We flew in from LAX and had a layover in San Jose. There are technically more than one airport in Maui but the main one is OGG. OGG feels small but can get crazy busy. I didn’t think there were very many food options and everything was very expensive…even Burger King was ridiculous.

Accommodations

We stayed at the Westin Maui Resort & Spa in Ka’anapali and we HIGHLY recommend! I’ve also included a few additional hotels that are very nice.

If you’re feeling really bougie:

There are so many awesome hotels in Maui and it really just depends on what you’re looking for. Ka’anapali is touristy and can be busy but there’s other areas that are very quite and calm. I’ve heard mixed reviews about Airbnb in Hawaii and I personally preferred to book a hotel. Just make sure to do your research before you make a final decision.

Transportation

Uber is very active throughout the island and there are rental cars. I recommend renting a car in advance as they do book up early. We rented ours through Costco Travel and I highly recommend. Of course we had to rent a Jeep Wrangler because why not?! We only rented our car for a few days to drive around because we planned to stay on the beach/pool most of the time.

Food

This may be a very controversial statement but there is a lot of bad food or meh food in Maui and you have to really look for the good stuff. We noticed this throughout the island and the food there just wasn’t anything that was worth remembering…except Leoda’s Bakery which we will get to.

Breakfast:

  • Kihei Caffe
  • Acai Bowls – you can find these everywhere and we would typically do this for breakfast

Lunch/Dinner:

  • Leoda’s Bakery – amazing sandwiches or if you just want desert, you can’t leave Maui without a Banana Cream Pie from here!
  • Monkeypod
  • Mama’s Fish House – we did not go here because you have to get a reservation about 3 months in advance but everyone says this is a top restaurant
  • Fleetwood’s on Front St.
  • Lahaina Grill
  • Leilani’s
  • Hula Grill
  • Westin Maui also had great restaurants – some of our best food and drinks was at our hotel
  • Teppan-Yaki Dan – this is at the Sheraton Maui so it’s not the whole typical island vibe but this was an amazing hibachi place
  • Paia Fish Market
  • Duke’s Beach House

Drinks:

  • Monkeypod has an amazing Mai Tai
  • Down the Hatch – food was meh but drinks are good

Desserts:

  • Leoda’s Baker – cannot say anything bad about Leoda’s get their banana cream pie…you will fall in love
  • Shave Ice – You’ll find this everywhere throughout the island

Things to do:

We personally did half of the Road to Hana, went to Paia, snorkeled in Molokini Crater and Turtle Town, Lahaina and Front St., Ka’anapali, Whalers Village and then just explored the island on our own.

  • Road to Hana – if you’re going to do this wake up early and be prepared for the most nerve wracking drive of your life. Here’s the itinerary I put together but we stopped about halfway through and I didn’t even get Aunt Sandy’s banana bread because they ran out! Full drive is supposed to take about 10/12 hours because it’s extremely narrow, winding and just stressful…it is very pretty though! Leave at the crack of dawn and I highly recommend downloading the Gypsy Guide which will tell you everything you’re seeing and talk about the Road to Hana as you go through it. Something to note is that many places are cash only!
    • Start at Kahului – 45 min from Hotel – Road 36
      • Pass through Paia – Mile Marker 1
      • Stop 1: Twin Falls – Mile Marker 2 – 10 min hike to the waterfalls. Go to the smoothie stand. This was very cool! Could have stayed here all day
      • Stop 2: Ka’anae Peninsula/Banana Bread at Aunt Sandys – Mile marker 16-17 | halfway to Hana – Turn around here depending on time
    • Halfway point
      • Stop 3: Upper Waikani Falls (Three Bears Falls) – Mile Marker 19
      • Stop 4: Wai’anapanapa State Parker (Black Sand Beach) – Mile Marker 32
    • Past Hana
      • Wailua Falls – Mile Marker 45 – 80 foot waterfall 
      • Haleakala National Parker – Mile Marker 41 – need to make a reservation to attend
    • The Pools of Oheo – $25 per vehicle 
    • Important Tip: When you first type this route into Google maps, it’ll show you two different routes. Be sure to take the longer route as the other way around is more dangerous and oftentimes against the rules of your car rental company. Also fill up gas in Paia if needed.
  • Whalers Village – grocery store, cute shops and restaurants
  • Luau– this isn’t a must do but still a very cool experience. Here are a few of the most recomended Luai’s:
    • Old Lahaina Luau
    • Maui Nui Lu’au
    • Feast at Lele
  • Beach Days – We of course enjoyed Ka’anapali’s beach but there’s also a ton throughout the whole island just do you research as there are some that are not meant for the public and you need to respect the island.
  • Snorkeling
  • Visit Town of Paia
  • Front St. in Lahaina
  • Whale Watching – there are a lot of tours for this but the whales are only there during a certain time period. They were not there when we were in Maui in May.
  • Hiking
  • Haleakala Volcano – we did not do this but plan ahead as I’ve heard it’s worth it
  • Cliff Jump at Kapalua Cliff House
  • Surf Lessons
  • Wander and Respect the Island

Recommended tours:

  • Highly recommend the below snorkeling tour. You get breakfast, lunch and mai tais and it’s just a great experience.
  • We also did a sunset cruise and I didn’t think it was worth it…we were back in before the sun was even starting to set and you can get the same experience just sitting on the beach for free.

What to pack that you may not think of:

  • Comfortable Shoes
  • Reef Safe Sunscreen
  • Snacks – I packed these for the flight and when we got to the hotel. Things aren’t cheap in Hawaii so I had a few things already
  • Jacket – it can get chilly at night

Things to know before you go:

  • If you do the Road to Hana, respect the road and move over for the locals since this is the only road there is for some to get to work
  • Learn a few key words:
    • Aloha – can be used as hello and goodbye and it has a much deeper meaning to the Hawaiian people. It means kindness, love, affection.
    • Mahalo – Thank you
  • Don’t touch any of the animals
  • Make dinner reservations in advanced – things fill up so fast and some aren’t at full capacity yet
  • The sand gets so hot – wear sandals
  • Before you leave your bag has to go through a agricultural check to make sure you’re not bringing anything you shouldn’t be home
  • Respect the island – pay attention to signs, follow the rules and just be a decent human

I hope this was helpful and that you full enjoy your trip to Maui! It was magical and something you have to do once in your life.

Savanna Sipping Champagne

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