Maui makes the top of the my list of places I’d like to live when Rowell and I retire. It is absolute paradise. I dream of sitting on my front porch, drinking coffee and reading a book while gazing out into the ocean. I can envision exactly what I want our house and life to look like!
In the meantime, we must resort to visiting as often as we can. We are fortunate enough to live just a 5-6 hour plane ride from Maui so it’s a fast enough flight to be able to bring the kids.
Maui is one of the most kid-friendly vacation destinations you can go but you have to come prepared.
Here are four tips for families traveling to Maui.
1. Stock up on Snacks and Water
The first thing we did when we arrived in Maui was head to Costco to buy some snacks and water for the week. If you have kids, you know what monsters they become when they’re hungry. In our case, when Emilia is hungry, she unleashes the beast inside her and it’s down right scary so we made sure we had crackers, chips, cookies and water with us at all times. (Side note: I found the prizes at the Costco in Maui to be cheaper than in the Bay Area.)
2. Don’t Do Too Much
It’s easy to feel tempted to do a million activities in one day and to try 20 different restaurants because well, there is just so much to do in Maui but if you have kids, you know that your schedule is never really dictated by you but by your kids. Make sure not to pack the days with too much activity or you’ll burn them out and have a bunch of cranky, tired kids to deal with. That is not fun for anyone.
Here’s a schedule that worked for us:
- Wake up around 6:30-7:00am (We were on West coast time)
- Walk around the hotel and check out the penguins at the Hyatt (check out my hotel review of the Hyatt Resort and Spa here)
- Breakfast either at the hotel or a restaurant
- Activity such as checking out a lookout point, going to a different beach, or snorkeling
- Snack in the car (we bought lots of snacks and water at Costco as soon as we arrived)
- Checking out another scenic spot
- Lunch between 12:00-1:00pm somewhere casual like a takeout place or food truck
- Go back to the hotel and play in the pool for a bit/ Mama and Dada have drinks by the pool
- Rest in our room/Get ready for dinner
- Head out to dinner between 5:00-6:00pm
3. Unplug and Enjoy the Healing Powers of Nature
Having a husband whose business is solely around providing WiFi to other businesses and establishments, it was so refreshing to not have good WiFi on the island of Maui! But don’t tell him I said that! Having zero cell signal and no WiFi meant we had no choice but to unplug and relish in the beauty and nature that surrounded us. It was so refreshing to just sit back, look around and listen to the sound of the ocean. Enjoy it.
4. Slow Down. You Are On Island Time.
Try not to fall into the trap of hurrying up on this trip. You are on island time after all and there is no hurrying allowed. If you see a lookout point, stop, get out, and enjoy the view. If you see a food truck that says fresh anything….stop and try it! If your kids want to see turtles and there is a chance you’ll see turtles somewhere, go and see if the turtles are there! That’s what you went all the way to Maui for! Create memories and relish in every single moment you have with your family.
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