Our family of 5 visited Maui in March of 2023. Unfortunately, in early August 2023, a series of wildfires broke out on the island of Maui causing widespread damage, killing at least 100 people and leaving four persons missing in the town of Lahaina on Maui’s northwest coast.
In October 2023 Maui reopened to tourists, and with an economy heavily dependent on tourism, I’ll now be sharing the details about our trip, while updating as best I can what is currently open/closed.
Best flights to Hawaii with Kids
As per usual, we flew on Southwest using our Southwest Rapid Rewards points and our two Companion Passes. You can read more about how to earn a SW companion pass (or two) in this post. There are a lot of flights from the west coast to Hawaii across most airlines, and we’ve also flown Hawaiian Airlines and had an excellent experience.
Best Hotels in Maui with Kids
We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa. As a heads up, even at 10pm it took us about an hour to get from the airport to the hotel. The resort, which opened its doors again on November 1, 2023 after housing displaced locals after the fires, has an amazing open air lobby (there are no doors!) and an incredible ocean view. To book on points, room rates range from 25-35K Ultimate Rewards points a night and we snagged a room with a partial ocean view and balcony.
Although we decided against the luau due to its steep price ($210 for an adult!), the breakfast buffet was one of the best we’ve ever had. It had an amazing array of choices, with the chia pudding and the fresh lychee being the standouts for me. The resort also offers scuba classes and a stargazing tour, “Tour of the Stars,” which became one of our favorite activities, offering us the ability to see stars not visible from the continental United States.
The resort is perfect for families, offering fantastic pools that cater to all ages – there is a kids pool, plus an adult pool but unfortunately the Grotto that connects both of them has since been closed for structural issues with no plans to reopen it.
They served this drink at the pool that was made from the purple sweet potato Ube (it was called Ube-bay, like oooh baybay), and it was delicious. The hotel also has penguins that live in its lobby along with koi fish, and every morning at 9am you can join them for feeding time. This definitely added a unique touch to our stay.
Best Things to do in Maui with Kids
Our Maui adventure wasn’t confined to the resort and we actually got to see quite a bit of the island’s natural beauty and culture through various activities:
Jungle Zipline: An exhilarating zipline experience through the treetops of Maui, and we were able to bring our 9 year old son to zipline with us! The little two stayed behind with grandma and grandpa.
Whale Watching Tour with Makai Adventures: They unfortunately lost their flagship boat during the fires but have since purchased a new one and are up and running for business. This tour was incredible, the boat is small with a max occupancy of 20 people, and we saw so. many. whales. The guides were very knowledgeable and also showed real care for the whales themselves, and it was one of my favorite things on our entire trip.
Surfing Goat Dairy: A quirky and delightful tour in Kula, where you can even milk goats during an evening tour. We did a goat cheese tasting, fed the goats, and since Kula is more inland and up in the mountains we got to experience incredible Maui views from a new vantage point.
Kapalua Bay Beach: Perfect for the kids with calm waters and the opportunity to hike the Kapalua Coastal Trail. We rented an umbrella and some beach chairs along with snorkeling equipment. Snorkeling here was magical; we saw a ton of brightly colored fish and several sea turtles up close.
Tour of the Stars (at the Hyatt Regency Maui): I know I mentioned this above, but we really enjoyed it and thought it was worth a bit more info. This activity does cost extra (I think it was around $40-50 for adults?) – you meet in the hotel lobby and then are led up the stairs to the roof of the hotel where a former NASA scientist has these incredible telescopes set up to view different constellations around the night sky. He was incredibly informative, and you can ask any questions you’d like.
The Road to Hana with Kids
If I’m being perfectly honest, I don’t think I would do the Road to Hana again with younger kids. It is a beautiful drive and there are a lot of cool stops and things to see, but younger kids often don’t appreciate stuff like pretty scenery or lava tubes, ya know? Plus the roads are very windy, and our kids don’t get carsick often but two of them were pretty nauseous by the time we headed back. If you do want to go and bring your kids, here are my tips:
- Plan to leave early. Just the beginning of the Road to Hana was already a full hour from our hotel.
- Download the Shaka Guide and pay the $20 or whatever it is for the guide – it’s GPS enabled and it’s amazing for understanding what you’re seeing and knowing where to stop. We would have absolutely missed the entrance to the Lava Tube without it!
- Bring a lot of snacks and activities for the kids to do in the car because you’ll be spending most of the day in there.
- Bring Kids Dramamine and also the kids nausea bracelets.
- Stop and get some banana bread – there’s a bunch of places to get it along the way
- Get out and hike once or twice to break up the day. We hiked at Twin Falls (2nd stop, but we did it on the way back). As a heads up, it was described as a “short hike” to the waterfalls (which are small) but I felt like it was a fairly long walk. Potentially because our 6 year old cried the entire way.
- Make a reservation for the Black Sand beach – we did not do this and were unable to enter.
- If you’d prefer to take it slow, staying a night or two at the Hyatt in Hana might be a good way to break up the drive a bit.
While we didn’t make it all the way to the Seven Sacred Pools (we got a later start and the kids were over it) we did really enjoy all the scenery along the way. It is beautiful, and yes the roads are windy and tight in spots. If you’re a beginner driver, this might not be for you. At one point I could put my hand out the car window and touch the wet moss on the side of a ravine.
Best Restaurants in Maui with Kids
These are the places we ate and enjoyed. We never felt out of place with our kids, although if you’re aiming for more upscale places, or want a confirmed table if you have a larger party, I would highly recommend making reservations several weeks to even months out for some places. Mama’s Fish House was highly recommend but they book up months in advance so we weren’t able to get in.
- Kihei Caffe Lahaina – incredible breakfast, we came here multiple times
- Leilani’s on the Beach – great for a casual dinner right on the water. Outside seating only.
- Leoda’s Kitchen & Pie Shop – excellent sandwiches (they’re huge) and yummy pies! Great stop for lunch after leaving Kula and heading back into Lahaina.
- Down the Hatch – TEMP CLOSED – Excellent seafood, we also came here multiple times – the Lava Lava Shrimp is incredible.
- Paia Fish Market – TEMP CLOSED – fish and chips
- Ululani’s Shaved Ice – TEMP CLOSED – best shaved ice we’ve ever had, we came here 3 or 4 times during our week trip!
- 808 Grindz – TEMP CLOSED – delicious home cooked breakfast, ran by a family, be prepared to wait (but worth it)
If you’re looking for information on what is open since the fires, I have found this website to be a good resource.
As Maui rebuilds, the spirit of Aloha has never been more important. Visitors are encouraged to extend grace and support to the local communities, contributing to the island’s recovery through mindful tourism.
Mahalo.