7 Perfect Days on Maui -- South Side (Kihei) Edition

So you’ve planned a Maui escape! You’ve booked your plane ticket! You’ve secured a great AirBnb on the south shore! You heard Kihei is a sunsoaked, laidback beach town with the perfect chill vibe for a getaway, and you heard right! 

I’ve lived on Maui for 21 years, and Kihei was my first stop after leaving Kahului airport when I arrived in 2005 with my two suitcases (which were INCLUDED in my super basic economy airfare at that time!), ready to experience island life.  Here are my recommendations for a 7 day vacay that will piss off all your friends back home missing out, but keep in mind, I like to keep it moving.  So do what moves YOU, and chill by the ocean or pool the rest of the time!

You’ll likely arrive in the afternoon, so we’ll go with that assumption when planning your arrival activities. I recommend grabbing food first, because I’m always hungry, and your AirBnb may not be ready yet.  My number one recommendation for your afternoon welcome-to-Maui meal is Nalu’s South Shore Grill.  HOWEVER, you also need to experience Nalu’s breakfast, so plan on at least one visit later in your stay, in the morning hours.

Nalu’s Classic Loco Moco is served all day, even though it’s considered breakfast food. Same with the chicken and waffles, and both of these are fantastic choices!  They also have great açaí and quinoa bowls. But my absolute favorite item is the Nalu’s Raw Salad.  Sounds aggressively healthy, but trust me, it’s incredible.  I get it with the seared ahi, which if you’re a raw fish person I highly recommend, or crab cakes.  You can also do shrimp, chicken, fish or tofu. If you’re fancying a burger, the Apple Brie Burger is chef’s kiss.

Nalu's Raw Salad with fresh seared ahi

Apple Brie Burger

Classic Loco Moco

After Nalu’s, drop your stuff at your lodgings and hop right back in the car. Don’t take a nap, because you’re likely in a gnarly time zone tunnel and sleep at this point will just mess you all up. Nope, we’re going exploring.  If you’re staying in Wailea, get the ocean on your right side and just start driving, there’s really only one road.  If you’re staying in Kihei, same directions, head toward Wailea and keep the ocean on your right at all times. Don’t call me asking which side is your right.

Remember our banner pic above? Here is is again. You're on this road. Ocean on your right.

The mission: La Perouse Bay. 

Get your least-crappy driver behind the wheel. This road becomes a little treacherous and don’t tell the rental car company I sent you.  What you want to do is drive past all the fancy Wailea resorts.  And then just keep going. And then just keep going some more.  The view will continue to get more breathtaking and then you’ll eventually see the road narrow, and you’re on the right track. 

You’ll pass some majestic bays and a few great snorkeling spots, which you may want to return to later in your trip when you’re rested. You might pass some celebrity mansions, but you'll have to Google whose. One of them is a trillionaire (estimated), and one is a dude who looks like a lady, his words (allegedly).

You’ll also go through some very rugged lava from Haleakala’s last eruption, ten trillion years (approximately, jokes) ago. Continue all the way to the end of the road. Just be careful and take it SLOW on the one-lane sections.  The parking lot is pretty bumpy and rocky so be careful navigating it, and then you can just wander around and enjoy the beauty. There is a hike through the lava on the edge of the water, but I don’t recommend it without real hiking shoes/boots.

Here's me NOT taking my own advice on footwear and hiking in some piddly little Nike Airs.

After La Perouse and getting yourself back in one piece, drop by Kamaole Beach Park 3 for sunset.  Big grassy area if it’s windy, gorgeous beach if it’s not.

If you’re hungry again, Monkeypod Kitchen in Wailea is great for shareable bites. They have yummy brick oven pizzas, fish and chips, poke tacos (again, if you like raw fish) and my favorite, the bulgogi pork tacos. They’re also famous for their mai tai with lilikoi foam on top. The most Instagrammed drink on the planet or something like that.

Snorkel time! (If you don’t have this prebooked,  you may need to switch this with another day on the agenda.) I recommend the boat tours leaving Ma’alaea Harbor.  There are plenty of options for companies, at various price points.  Pretty much all of them go to Molokini Crater and Turtle Town for snorkeling, conditions permitting.  The two companies I’ve had the best experiences on are Calypso, a triple-decker catamaran and Four Winds, a 55-foot, glass-bottom sailing catamaran.

If you’re here between November and March, you may get a built-in whale watch as well, since the humpbacks visit us from Alaska during those months.

If you’re a certified scuba diver and prefer to dive, I’d recommend booking the Cathedrals dive off of Lanai. It’s a long day, but completely worth it.

After the boat, if you’re hungry, Point Break in Ma’alaea has fantastic pizza and I highly recommend it.  If you’re not too wiped out from the day and haven’t seen enough fish (or sharks), Maui Ocean Center, our aquarium, is a great way to round out the afternoon.  Be sure to go to the whale experience in the round white orb, you can’t miss it.

For dinner tonight, it’s South Maui Gardens.  It’s an oasis featuring amazing food trucks, as well as great little local boutiques with jewelry, clothing, art and other unique finds.  They also have a weekly market every Thursday from 9 AM to 1 PM with handmade local goods if you like one-of-a-kind treasures!

You’ve settled into island life, but yesterday was tiring, so let’s do a beach day, pool day, or both.  My favorite south shore beaches: Keawakapu (has three entrances, you can’t go wrong with any of them), Charley Young Beach, Polo Beach, and Big Beach (Makena).

There are plenty of places to rent beach gear in Kihei, so grab boogie boards, snorkel gear, whatever you like, and maybe pick up some cheap sand toys from Long’s if you have kids.  If anyone wants to try surfing, Cove Park is a great spot and not too intimidating. Board rentals are plentiful in Kihei.

Great easy eats for lunch:  Paia Fish Market (the Kihei location that is), 808 Deli, Pizza Madness, Cool Cat Cafe, or Da Kitchen if you want some real local grinds. 

For dinner, here are a few great options: Miso Phat Sushi (two locations on South Kihei Rd), Maui Thai Bistro, Three’s Bar & Grill, or if you’re feeling a little fancier, Koast or Aurum in Wailea.

This one’s controversial, and I get why. It’s definitely worth it, and there are some ways to make it easier.  Leave early, ideally no later than 7 AM, and plan ahead with snacks/beverages, extra clothes and swimwear, super comfy shoes, and whatever will get your kids through a long car ride.  For the drive itself, leave all ego behind and take your time, and pull over and let local vehicles pass.

I’m just going to leave my favorite road to Hana stops here: RED SAND BEACH (If you only get out of the car once, this is the place). I do have a scar on my toe from swimming in the jagged lava rock, and it's just a reminder of a fond memory! But be careful, it's sharp and there are waves.

Wainapanapa State Park Black Sand Beach

Pipiwai Trail in Haleakala National Park (4 mile round trip bamboo forest hike leading to a 400 foot waterfall, Waimoku Falls, but ONLY do this early in the day. You do not want it getting dark on you, take a wild guess how I know). The Seven Pools are also in this area, and they’re more of a walk, not a hike and you can swim if conditions are good.

You’ll also pass the rainbow eucalyptus forest early in the drive, which can be seen right from your car and is pretty stunning.  There are also waterfalls that can be seen from the car.

And stop for banana bread and shave ice. There are lots of food options along the way, but they’re a bit spread out, so when you see something good, go ahead and stop. For lunch, if you like Thai, go to Thai Food by Pranee in Hana Town.  Absolutely incredible!

If you want to go to Hana but the drive seems too daunting, you can easily book a tour and let someone else do the planning and driving!

And for a little adventure in the mix, the Flyin Hawaiian Zipline course is right on the plantation!  It’s a relatively mellow zipline course, no crazy heights or wild speeds,

just a fun ride over some beautiful scenery! 

(Special mention: if you want a more adventurous zipline and don't mind a drive, here is another option!)

For lunch, Cafe O Lei is on the property and is absolutely delicious, so look no further!

After lunch, continue up the road to I’ao River Valley. This may be one of the most unexpected beautiful surprises of your trip! It doesn’t get as much attention as some of Maui’s sights, but it’s one of my favorite locations.  The most lush green scenery you can imagine, along soaring clifflines and a majestic river.  This valley has a lot of historical significance in Hawaiian history as well, and there are signs explaining the battle that was fought there in 1790.  It’s a hauntingly beautiful place.

There is a fee to enter the parking lot at I’ao, so please check online for current rates.

Tonight, it's luau time! We recommend the Te Au Moana Luau at Wailea Marriott Beach Resort. Dinner served at your table, a fire knife show, and incredible Polynesian dancing. All with the most stunning ocean view and sunset experience!

The common wisdom is that Haleakala Crater is best at sunrise. I won’t lie to you, seeing the sun come up above the clouds over the stunning colors of the volcanic crater is a thing to behold, and a spiritual experience if you believe in those.  HOWEVER, it requires you to wake up at an obscenely early hour and it is COLD.  Even if you think Hawaii can’t be cold, trust me, at 10,023 feet it is COLD. Additionally, if you go between 3:00 and 7:00 AM, you need a reservation to enter the summit area. 

I’ve been up there for sunrise many times, but I now prefer to go for sunSET.  It’s arguably just as beautiful and longer-lasting in terms of colors and layers, and you can get a normal night’s sleep the night before and won’t be tired all day.  Spend the early day on the beach and then head out in the late afternoon! There is a fee for entering the national park, so be sure to check online for current cost.

Here’s what we do:  Leave a little extra early for sunset (it will take 1.5-2 hours to get to the summit from Kihei) and stop at Flatbread Pizza in Paia on the North Shore, which is on the way, and get pizza to take with us. It’s still cold up there, but not completely miserable, and you’ll have pizza.  And no reservation needed! 

If you do want to go for sunrise, there are guided options that will make the early hour a ittle easier. Here is an option for a tour with breakfast, and here is one that takes you to the summit and then allows you to bike down the volcano!

 If you’ve stayed strong through all these recommendations, you have seen some amazing sights in one week! You’ve earned a relaxing day before you hop on your flight home.  Go to Kihei Caffe for breakfast, if you haven’t been there yet. Get a float and laze around in the ocean, or if you’re feeling energetic, rent a paddleboard or kayak and go say hi to some fish. Or a surfboard, if you want to hit Cove Park before your journey back to mainland life!

I didn’t include a lot of hikes or any golf on this itinerary, so I’ll do a quick mention here…there’s not much hiking in Kihei except the one in the lava field at La Perouse (where I had my inappropriate footwear), but if you do want to hike and don’t mind a drive, my favorites are Waihe’e Ridge Trail, 13 Crossings, Makawao Forest, and the one I mentioned in Hana, the Pipiwai Trail. These are all featured on any major hiking app or guidebook. 

If you're like to plan more hiking, here is a great option for guided waterfall and rainforest hikes.

For golf, there’s Maui Nui Golf Course in Kihei or Wailea Golf Club which has three courses.

For souvenirs, there’s a market on Saturdays at Kukui Mall to buy crafts and unique items. For a bigger selection of souvenirs, the Maui Swap Meet in Kahului on Saturdays is the place to go.

There’s plenty more where this came from, but I think this is a solid plan to properly explore and eat your way through South Maui, which is always what I want to do when I go somewhere new! 

Enjoy, improvise and please share your experiences with anything you choose from this amateur travel planner’s picks!

Much Aloha!

~Bethany from The Maui Life Vacations