Written by Ashley Lopez

I traveled to Maui, Hawaii and OHMYGOODNESS—it was amazing and everything I asked for. My boyfriend and I spent six days and five nights there. We stayed at an Airbnb hosted by an “Uncle Tony”; he’s a local and I felt like we had an authentic island stay on the northern part of Maui. 

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Fun fact, we got our airfare to Maui for free because we volunteered to take a later flight once on our way to San Jose, CA. My boyfriend and I each received a $350 voucher and we finally used it. We had to pay for our lodging, food, and activities. We had a full four days on the island, and I want to share each day with you! I’ll be sharing this in two parts so it’s not too lengthy. Welcome to part one.

Day One in Maui: Makena Beach, Miscellaneous Beaches, & Food

We decided to kick start our trip by having a beach day on the south side of the island. We started at Makena Beach. It was a pleasant beach to start our trip at, the sand was fluffy, the water was bright blue and a great temperature, there were volcanic rocks, and it wasn’t crowded. Makena Beach was probably my favorite beach that we visited during our time there. 

Next, we went to miscellaneous beaches and just spent the day in the sun. Some beaches have calmer waters than others so it was nice to get a variety. After beaching it, we got some lunch at Nalu’s South Shore Grill. I got THE BEST poke bowl and my boyfriend got a hamburger (it was sooo bomb). For dinner on day one, we went to a local restaurant by our Airbnb called Tiffany’s Bar & Grill. We got chicken katsu and honey walnut shrimp. 

Day one was beautiful and exhausting, we definitely slept great and warm due to our sunburns LOL. 

Day Two in Maui: Jungle Zip Lining, Black Sand Beach, & The Road to Hana

Okay day two was MY FAVORITE. It was like a dream. Everything felt unreal. Maui is like a real life postcard. We made a reservation for an 8-line jungle zip line tour ($139/person) at Jungle Zipline Maui at 50 E Waipio Rd, Haiku, HI 96708 (at the beginning of The Road to Hana). This lasted about two hours and the views were to die for. First off, if you’re scared of heights or just death in general (didn’t mean to get dark), these lines were great because although they are high, they aren’t crazy high or super long. The highest zip line was no higher than 600 feet and the lines didn’t last more than a minute. I know there are zip lines that are much higher and longer than this. 

The famous Black Sand Beach at Wai’anapanapa State Park is located closer to Hana (you need to make reservations before going). We had reservations from 3pm to 6pm ($20), so after zip lining we started our drive to the state park making various stops along the way. Along this famous drive with 620 curves, we saw countless waterfalls, rainbow eucalyptus trees, volcanic beaches, and to wrap it up, just an overwhelmingly amount of beautiful mother earth. I cannot believe all the beauty I saw on day two and it makes me wonder how much left I have to see. Earth, you are absolutely breathtaking. 

Black Sand Beach

Finally, once we made it to the black sand beach (an hour late), I was in even more shock! The sand was literally black, the ocean was roaring, and I was enclosed and surrounded by volcanic rock. The trees and plants were a bright green, the ocean was a deep blue, and the “cliffs,” or volcanic edge (don’t know if this is the right term), were black. It was soooo cool. I swam for a bit because the ocean was a bit choppy. There were only two other people in the water so I felt less scared to face the big waves. 

After a long day, we ended our night eating at a local fast food place called Cupies Drive In. Cupies is cheap and mouthwatering. Don’t underestimate cheap food folks, you can get good local food for a third of the cost. (We spent about $500 on food while there.)

Overall, day two felt like a fantasy. I wish I could do it all over again. 

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed reading about half of my spectacular trip to Maui. If you’re thinking about booking a trip to Hawaii, I recommend the island of Maui. I know I’m a bit biased because that’s where I went, but I did a lot of research before going! 

If you’re looking for less city, but some city with awesome hiking and outdoor activities, this is apparently the island to go to. I couldn’t be more pleased with my trip and I can’t wait to go again! Though the island feels small, there is SO MUCH TO SEE. I needed more time there. 

Thanks for reading, xo.

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