My wife and I were recently on Maui for four days to see how things are progressing on the tourism front following the deadly fires of August, 2023. More than 100 people lost their lives, and most of Lahaina is sadly gone.
The island is heavily reliant on a tourism economy to allow locals to put food on their tables, so it’s good to see almost all hotels and resorts open and there’s tons of great activities to enjoy. You’ll also find fine restaurants and affordable food trucks that feature everything from mahi mahi to burgers, and Szechuan pork ribs to South American sandwiches.
Here's a look at how we kept busy, and kept ourselves fed, during our brief visit.
MAUI ACTIVITIES
Maui Ocean Center
I’d passed this place dozens of times but never checked it out until this latest trip. It’s a fantastic family spot with excellent displays of everything from sharks and manta rays to diaphanous, pulsing jellyfish and colourful reef fish, including the state fish of Hawai’i, the humuhumunukunukuapua’a!
Visitors can learn about reefs and how locals are trying to keep them in good health. Don’t miss the vivid purple and creamsicle-orange growths in the fluorescent reef display, and be sure to check out the exhibit on the sacred Hawaiian island of Kahoolawe. Kids will love seeing the underwater turtle display, and there’s also a small, ocean-themed playground.
One of the larger tanks features a diver who goes down to feed hungry fish and picky sharks who only like to eat every few days. When we were there, I overhead a guide telling visitors that manta rays are bottom feeders, “kinda like an underwater Rumba.” Added bonus: visitors do NOT exit through the gift shop. The price for adults is $44.95. Kids cost $34.95.
The Sentry Golf Tournament
The renowned Kapalua Golf Club is home to the first PGA Tour event of the calendar year, the Sentry Championship is mostly open to players who won titles the previous years. That means you’re getting the top players in the world. Even better, you’ll enjoy (mostly) fabulous weather, perfect temperatures and magical views of the Maui coastline, the open ocean, and the beautiful mountains of Molokai in the distance. It’s fairy tale stuff. A tournament of this quality on the mainland would be so packed you could barely move, but the Sentry isn’t remotely crowded. That means you can get up close and very personal with some of the world’s biggest names. Even on the first tee box, you can often stand just five or six feet away from the best golfers on the planet. Word of warning: it’s a VERY hilly course, so don’t forget to bring your stamina, and a bottle or two of water. There’s good, local food at the concession stands, including fresh fruit and veggies from local farms.
Whale Watching
We had a great experience on one of the Teralani catamarans off Ka’anapali Beach. One enormous humpback whale jumped maybe 100 yards in front of us a few minutes after we left the beach, but I wasn’t prepared and didn’t get a photo. We spotted several more breaches, several baby whales, and more than a few fins poking out of the water on a sunny, 23C day. The Hawaiian humpback whales are born here in winter and go north to Alaska in summer to fatten up in nutrient-rich waters. They then trek back several thousand miles to frolic in the warm waters of Hawai’i and give birth in an area with no natural predators. It’s a great experience, even if you don’t get a great photo. The cruise folks offered lots of good commentary, and also had muffins and free drinks. Two-hour whale watching tours start at $59.95. The Teralani folks also do snorkel tours, dolphin-spotting tours and sunset sails.
A Brief Visit to Downtown Wailuku
I’ve always enjoyed my visits to the city of Wailuku, which is just a few minutes from the airport in Kahului and has tons of charm, especially along North Market Street. With a pawn shop and at least one tattoo parlor, no one would confuse it with the Champs-Elysees. But it’s got some fun, casual places and a real sense of community.
Lily’s on Main is a women’s clothing shop with bright, breezy scarves, colourful beaded purses, stylish dresses, and more. When I was there a shopper approached the woman behind the counter and said, “Say Happy New Year to your Mom.” I poked my head into one of the art galleries and admired the displays of local paintings. “How’s business?” I asked. “I’m still here,” the woman at the cash register said with a laugh. “The door’s open, and the air conditioning’s on.”
Down at the Antique Freak, a delightfully jumbled shop that sells everything from Hawaiian wood carvings to Miles Davis albums, and from tiki cups to vintage German pocket knives, the owner tells me he’s been here for 25 years and has an established business that attracts regular customers. We spotted several folks at the food trucks at Market Street and North Vineyard Street, noshing on Thai food and enjoying the shade of a towering banyan tree. Before we left, my wife and I ducked into Wailuku Coffee Company for a couple of terrific coffee lattes. It’s a fun space that’s carved out of what looks like an old industrial building, and seems to attract a lot of locals. One way to enjoy downtown Wailuku is to take part in First Friday, when they close off Market Street at 5:30 p.m. for a monthly festival with live music, food and art on display. The natural wonders of the I’ao Valley, including waterfalls, a Japanese garden, impossibly green, sheer mountain walls and banana bread/fresh fruit stands, are just a few minutes up the road.
GREAT MAUI FOOD OPTIONS
Ulu Kitchen by Merriman (at the Westin Maui, Ka’anapali)
This a relatively new and stylish spot at the fully renovated Westin Maui Resort and Spa that’s right alongside the Ka’anapalai Beach Walk. We were there in early January and they still had Christmas lights going, which nicely complemented the flickering tiki torches. We had good pork pot stickers with pineapple and habanero marmalade; not too spicy, as well as beautiful mahi mahi crusted with organic macadamia nuts alongside al dente garlic green beans. We also sampled a rich dish of lobster ravioli with lemon brown butter and cherry red, local, grape tomatoes. It’s one of several Maui restaurants run by Hawaiian chef Peter Merriman. Other options include Merriman’s at Kapalua, which has some of the best sunset-viewing spots on the island, as well as Monkeypod Kitchen at Whalers’ Village in Ka’anapali.
This long-time Maui favourite was initially located in an industrial area of Lahaina. They moved to the waterfront a few years ago. After the Lahaina fires, they moved north one door to a new, lovely spot right on the water. We couldn’t get a reservation for a Friday night, so we arrived at 5:30 and grabbed two seats at the end of the bar, which has wide windows that look out towards Lana’i and Molokai. The charred Miso butterfish is a rich and creamy delight that melts before it even gets to your mouth. The Hapa Ramen was pretty good, and the Hot‘n Sour soup outstanding, with chili limed dashi, smoked prosciutto, shrimp, cilantro, Thai basil, bean sprouts and fried garlic.
Sea House Restaurant (Napili Kai Beach Resort)
I’ve been coming here for more than 50 years, and have never been disappointed. We stopped in for appetizers and classic mai tais on our last visit. The ahi poke was lovely, but I was especially impressed with the spicy shrimp in tarragon cream with toasted bread. In addition to good food and drinks, the Sea House is just a few feet from Napili Beach and offers some of the sunsets you’ll ever see.
The Gazebo Restaurant, Napili Surf Resort
I’ve been to Maui maybe 30-35 times, but somehow this was my first time at The Gazebo. It’s a fun place where people usually line up early for a table, sometimes for 45 minutes. The ocean views are tremendous, and the eggs and Portuguese sausage are good. Visitors rave about the macadamia nut pancakes with pineapple and whipped cream, but I found them too sweet for my taste. The coffee was mediocre, at best. I did enjoy the homemade coconut syrup, and the wait staff was friendly. I’m told the fried rice is amazing.
The restaurant at the Maui Ocean Center surprised us with very good ahi poke tacos and massive, birria tacos that I found a bit heavy for lunch. It’s a pretty spot that’s open to the elements and has plenty of tropical vegetation and nice views of the Ma’alaea Wharf. Being at the ocean center and all, they serve 100% sustainable seafood, picked daily from boats fresh off the Pacific Ocean.
The dining room is a little austere, but they make very good furikake-crisped calamari with Siracha aioli, insanely tender misoyaki butterfish and fall-off-the-bone Szechuan ribs with a Mongolian bbq glaze. Chef Roy Yamaguchi is a Hawaiian treasure, and this is a fine place to eat just north of Lahaina.
This is a super casual spot in Honokowai (just north of Ka’anapali) that’s frequented by locals and features South American-style sandwiches on bread that’s like a thick tortilla. I had Hawaiian kalua pork with pineapple and a nice mix of hot sauces for about $13. The sandwich had to weigh close to a half-pound, so this is a great value spot. It’s only a short walk from several north Ka’anapali condo resorts, but it’s a space mostly frequented by locals.
This is a new spot across the road from the water in north Lahaina, just across from Mala Ocean Tavern (which is very good). We didn’t think much of the ceviche, but we had a very good smashburger and enjoyed fine views of the water.
The restaurant is being remodelled but has nice seating overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It’s one of my favourite restaurants on the island. This time we enjoyed tremendous Korean seafood pancakes, as well as terrific seafood Yaki Udon noodles, fresh sushi, and Cajun seared Hamachi sashimi. I also loved the Hokkaido old-fashioned cocktail, with nikka coffey grain whisky, akashi ume “plum” whiskey, Maui vanilla bean syrup, angostura bitters and orange bitters.
Other Options
In Honokowai, check out Slappy Cakes, where you can make your own pancakes at your table, as well as Pizza Paradiso, which makes a good pizza and also has Mediterranean sandwiches. The food trucks in Honokowai, just across the road from the Times Market (which offers good value groceries and very good poke), also are a great bet for good, affordable eating, including great Thai food. Further north in Napili, check out Joey’s Kitchen for good Filipino/Asian cuisine at modest prices. South of Lahaina, I love the lunches at Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop.
