Aloha from Maui! Our recent family trip to this beautiful Hawaiian island was nothing short of magical. With my husband Chris, our son Jackson, and our daughters Rylee and Reese, we embarked on a journey filled with breathtaking views, exciting adventures and unforgettable memories. We love to travel, and the kids are on a mission to see as much of the world as they can which I love! Getting to mark Maui off our list was such a treat!
Our home away from home was The Grand Wailea, a luxurious resort nestled along the stunning Wailea Beach. The kids were thrilled about all the pools and waterslides on site with our favorite being the activity pool which was connected by a lazy river and featured four jungle pools, six slides, a rope swing, caves and Chris and I’s favorite, a swim-up bar. You could rent a cabana if you wanted to relax in the shade which is a nice option for guests and families with small children. If you didn’t want to spend your day at the pool, you could access the beach just a few steps away or tour through the different gardens. No matter what you chose to explore, the views were breathtaking.
Our first few days of the trip were spent pool and beach side which was right up the kids alley. It took us a day or two to adjust to the jet lag and time difference, but we got the hang of it after a couple of days. While lounging on the beach, we got to experience one of the coolest things we have EVER seen beachside! Sea turtles on the shore right by us!! Jackson, Rylee & Reese were in awe and took tons of photos. Another cool “first” we got to experience was fireworks on the beach. We like to celebrate 4th of July back home with all of our family, but it was nice listening to the ocean waves while watching the fireworks glow above them. So beautiful!
Pearl Harbor
After soaking up all the pool, water slide and beach time, we then ventured off to our first excursion which was visiting Pearl Harbor. Jackson is a huge history buff and loves to visit all the different memorials and historical sites. We booked our excursion through Pearl Harbour Tours – highly recommend Alex. She was amazing and helped ensure we got to do exactly what we wanted during the tour. After taking a quick flight to Honolulu, we spent the day touring the USS Arizona Memorial, Pacific Aviation Museum and the USS Missouri Battleship. Jackson could have stayed all day and night long taking in every single detail of this tour. He absolutely LOVED it! Once the tour was done, we hopped back on a quick flight over to Maui to our resort to whine down for the night.
Road To Hana Tour
Our next excursion was with Experience Hawaii Tours where we partook in their Road To Hana Tour. The staff was amazing with every detail of this outing! We did the private VIP tour where we were picked up at our resort and transported to the different spots. We stopped at Aunty Sandys Hut where we had THE BEST banana bread I’ve ever had! I’m telling you, the fresh tropical fruit stands are a stop you have to make along the way. Truly the freshest fruit I’ve ever tasted! We also stopped at a local Cacao farm which was so much fun, and the kids loved it because I mean what kid doesn’t love chocolate!?
Another stop along the way was visiting the black sand beach, seeing more sea turtles lounging beachside in the sun and swimming beside a waterfall. Jackson & Rylee were even brave enough to cliff jump into the water which they thought was the coolest thing ever. It was such a fun, relaxing family day trying all sorts of new things! I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Maui.
Luau
We knew the moment we booked our trip to Maui that we had to have one luau dinner. I have always thought they were fascinating to watch while enjoying local cuisine. We booked the Luau at Grand Wailea (our resort) which worked out great with the kids. All of the children got to run around and play in the grass waiting for the luau to begin, and we got to sneak in some family photos…which my kids just love so much! I know all you other parents can relate. However, the views were stunning and I just couldn’t pass it up!
The luau dinner was delicious, the show was amazing and we would definitely do it again. Reese kept saying one of the hulu dancers looked just like Moana which made her one happy little girl. She is obsessed with Moana!
Outfits From The Trip
One of the biggest requests I get besides sharing details of our trips are what did I pack. These were some of my favorite clothing pieces I packed and wore while in Hawaii. I wanted to stick with bright, tropical colors and patterns. Already wishing to go back!
Just A Dream Printed Set / Heart Of Paradise Two Piece Set / Sky Glimmer Color Block Open Knit Dress
In This Moment Berry Top / In This Moment Berry Skirt / Hold You To It Colorblock Maxi Dress / Golden Hour Gulf Orange Floral Dress
Botanical Blossoms Corset Tank / Botanical Blossoms Skort / Send A Postcard Striped Gauze Set / My Favorite Light Wash Button Fly Denim Shorts / Under The Palm Tree Green & White Set
Restaurants We Went To
The food in Hawaii was INCREDIBLE!! I had lots of fresh fish, sushi, fruits and veggies. Every restaurant was amazing, and I cannot recommend them enough. Here’s the list of the different restaurants we ate at and would definitely go back again:
KO Restaurant– This was an award-winning restaurant with phenomenal views that was just a few hotels away. Everything was incredible and highly recommend.
Humuhumunukunukuapuaa– This restaurant was at our resort and we ate there 3 nights during our trip. It was so great and even had a real aquarium in the lobby bar. The kids enjoyed it and they were super accommodating to our large party when our family arrived.
Monkeypod Kitchen- We ate here during lunch one day and it is a scratch kitchen. I had Fish Tacos with a fresh mahi caught that day. Chris had the Hawaiian pizza and it was incredible. Such a good restaurant for lunch or dinner.
Humble Market Kitchen– We went to this restaurant two of the nights and it was just at the resort next to us. It had a stunning sunset view and lots of fresh fish and main course options.
The hotel had pool restaurants and a grab and go which we did that the rest of the time. It was easy with the kids especially while lounging by the pool and needing a quick snack. We didn’t have one single bad meal and everything was freshly made and tasted amazing!
All in all, this was a trip of a lifetime and one that we will treasure for many years. I loved watching our children explore a new island with new foods, new sights and new adventures. The slow mornings, the lazy afternoons and all the memories made were perfect! If you have the chance to visit Maui, or any part of Hawaii, two words…DO IT!! Have fun traveling friends!
