Thinking about spending your holidays lounging in the shade of palm trees and hiking to secret waterfalls? This island won’t disappoint! Maui is one of the most extraordinary of the Hawaii islands in that no matter what side of the island you’re visiting, you’ll be sure to find some unique experiences.
Things to Do
Visit the Iao Valley State Park
Iao Valley State Park is located in central Maui near Wailuku and has some amazing views of the Iao Needle. The trails are mostly all paved and it’s only a short walk up from the parking lot to the stunning viewpoint of the needle. Weather changes fast in Maui and we did get some rain and lots of clouds in the Valley. There is a small $5 fee to enter the park per vehicle for parking.
The ruckpack I used on this hike can be found here.
Find a Fun Place to Stay!
We booked our stay for the first 3 nights of our holiday trip this past December at this beautiful rental from Maui Beachside. We stayed here for our last unique Maui adventure. This 2 bedroom condo was the perfect size for my brother, his girlfriend and I and worked perfectly to host my Mom’s birthday dinner. It had a great view from the patio and was just steps from the beach! Located in Kihei, it is fairly central to all the hikes, beaches, and restaurants we wanted to check out.
For more information on this rental, click here.
I recommend booking your trip at least 3 months in advance if possible. Starting mid-December is Whale season and rates go up & the rental cars get booked up faster.
Best Lunch on Maui? Paia Fish Market!
If you’re looking for a great place to grab a bite to eat, Paia Fish Market Southside is the place to go! Located at 1913 S Kihei Rd, they serve some amazing fresh fish tacos and kept us coming back.
Hike to a Waterfall Along Hana
There are so many beautiful waterfalls along the road to Hana and this one was one of our favorites! It was flowing pretty good on this day in December, much different than the trickle we saw here back in June. Keep in mind to always watch the weather to make sure there is no rain north of this waterfall or in its vicinity as you never want to be in the path of a flash flood. This fall is only 800ft upstream from the road just past mile 13 on the road to Hana.
I always take a GPS with me on my hikes that uses a satellite service and SOS system just in case.
Click here to learn more about the model I use.
Visit Wailea Beaches and More
We were so grateful for this gorgeous 3 bedroom villa my parents got for the family so we could all stay another couple nights on the island together before the holidays. Located at the Grand Wailea, the Ho’olei Villas were a great place to relax near the beach. It was also my Mom’s birthday and the resort had a beautiful cake delivered to our place to help celebrate!
The Grand Wailea Maui has an amazing pool area with 9 pools! Five slides connect the pools plus they have a couple larger waterslides too. The Tarzan pool with a rope swing was a fun spot to sit and watch. One pool even has a sand beach. There are even caves, waterfalls, and a water elevator which takes you back to the top. We loved spending the afternoons here and drinking some delicious Mai Tais!
We brought the new Go Pro Hero 8 along with us so we could snag some fun photo in the pool area and it worked great!
Enjoy a cruise with the Kihei Canoe Club
For my Mom’s birthday she really wanted to do a family canoe trip morning on the ocean. Kihei Canoe Club has a great paddling program that you can join in on for the day. Since my parents are residents, they were able to join on for free and the rest of use did the typical $40 donation per person to be a part of the activity. We got to take some breaks out on the water and got in for a swim. We got super lucky with a clear day and smooth seas.
No matter what you’re in to, the island will always have something fun for you and your family around the holidays here on Maui. I must say, having a tropical winter vacation was a wonderful experience and the perfect break from all of the typical holiday hustle and bustle and I loved that I got to be there with the rest of my family :)!
Looking forward to many more family vacations here in the future!
Overview
- Visit Iao Valley State Park – $5 Entrance Fee per car
- Find a Fun Place to Stay – Check out https://mauibeachside.com/
- Grab a Fish Taco at Paia Fish Market Southside
- Hike to a Waterfall Along Hana
- Visit Wailea Beaches and More!
- Take a morning ride with the Kihei Canoe Club
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I only share products I have used, tested and love!
As always, please don’t litter! Keep these beaches and trails clean for future visitors & help clean up when you can! 🙂
