I began by setting a budget and putting my internet search skills to the test. I found us a one bedroom condo at the Westin Kaanapli Beach Villas for one week and then a 2 bedroom condo at the Ekolu Village in Wailea for our first 3 nights. I transferred the Turks and Caicos flights to Maui and voila! Just like that we were booked for 10 nights (Oct 26th to Nov 5th) in paradise!
On the morning of Oct 26th we got up early and caught a cab to the airport. We had a quick connection in Vancouver and, after a very long flight, we arrived around 2:30pm Maui time. The first item on the to-do list was to pick up the rental car. What a joke! We waited in line over two hours to get our car. The only good thing was I had reserved us a small car - like a Nissan Sentra but by the time the car rental company finally got to us, they had no small cars left. The had to give us a small SUV for the same price so at least that worked out.
After the car we were off to get groceries. As it turns out, Safeway in Maui is exactly like it is here - only they sell booze in-store and for considerably less than what we pay at home. Fast forward one hour and we were on our way to Wailea. It only took 30 minutes our so to get to Wailea and find our condo. As a high-end golf community, Wailea is easy to love. To me, it didn't even look real. Everything was so green and perfectly manicured. Our condo was easy to locate and was quite large. It had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. At first I was disappointed with how dated it was (think early 90's) but after I stepped out onto the lanai and saw the view, I was in love! I had requested ocean view and the Ekolu delivered. Our condo sat on the 11th fairway and had a 180 degree view of the water. It was truly outstanding.
We spent the next three days enjoying Wailea. They had a high-end outdoor mall called "The Shops at Wailea" and we visited there a few times. We used the car to visit different beaches with our favioute being Makena Beach (or "Big Beach"). Another lovely beach was called Wailea Beach and we shared that with the well-to-do crowd at The Four Seasons. One day we spent in nearby Kihei to visit Kamaole Beach and dine on fish tacos by the ocean.
Our time in Wailea seemed way too short but after three days we packed up the car and headed North to the area known as Kaanapali. Little did we know, the best was yet to come.
Just like every other Westin I've ever visited, the Westin Kaanapli had beautiful grounds, wonderful service and perfect accommodations. When we arrived at the Westin we learned we were upgraded to an oceanfront condo. Wow! Our room was just mere steps to the beach and we enjoyed beautiful Maui sunsets every night from the lanai.
It didn't take us long to settle into our new condo. Every morning we'd head to the beach to play in the waves, snorkel and build sandcastles. At noon we'd return to the condo for lunch and a little rest. After that we'd make our way to one of the two huge pools and lounge the afternoon away.
About half way through the week we discovered the Westin never closed the pools or hot tubs so we also started swimming in the pools at night by the lights of the tiki torches. We would float on our backs, look at the stars and listen to the live music that played at the poolside bar (one of my favourite memories).
Before going to Maui we had discussed doing all kinds of activities. Once we got there, however, we never really got up to much. Jamie and Brandon went jet skiing, we all visited the Maui Ocean Center, I enjoyed a morning at the spa (my birthday present!), we had our photos taken on the beach and that's kind of it. We did try to visit a beach known for having turtles but once we got there the surf was huge and Brandon had forgotten his bathing suit so that was that. We also ventured out one night to eat some of the best sushi of our lives. A little hole-in-the-wall spot called "Miso Phat Sushi" served fresh fish daily off their boat. The sushi and service made up for the lack of ambiance but that bill sure hit the wallet hard. Ah well when in Maui . . .
One of the highlights of our trip was the Halloween parade in Lahina. We used the hotel shuttle to get us to the town where hundreds of people in costume lined the main street to watch the high school band and town mayor go by. After that, the "keiki's" were invited to parade down the street and collect candy from bystanders and shop owners. It was fantastic! The people of Maui really enjoy Halloween and I couldn't believe how much candy Brandon collected. I think this event will stand out forever as the only time we were ever warm while trick or treating on Halloween day.
Ten days in paradise went by really fast and before we knew it, we were back on the plane to spend a night in Vancouver before going home. I really loved Hawaii back in 2014 and, on this trip, I fell in love all over again. It is such a beautiful place with a laid-back vibe. No one is in a hurry there, no one seems stressed or even like they have a care in the world. The weather was perfect every day and the beach was never more than a few minutes away.
Now I have more happy memories of a wonderful family vacation. May we have many more to come!
