I've visited Hawaii more than 40 times and I know ALL the tips and tricks for planning the ultimate Hawaii family vacation! I offer free Hawaii planning email courses. I also send weekly emails on Fridays where I share my top things to do in Hawaii with kids, the best family resorts in Hawaii, and my ultimate packing lists! Mahalo!
Fresh from Maui: your questions answered
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Aloha Reader, Just got back from a few days on Maui and wanted to share what I found while it's still fresh. You all sent me some great questions before I left, so let me get right to it. The Maui Ocean Center is still worth it (and there's a bonus now) Several of you asked about the Maui Ocean Center and I'm happy to report it holds up really well. We happened to go on a day with a massive local school field trip so it was busier than I expected, but even with the crowds we had a great time. My 12-year-old loved the sea turtles and baby sharks, and the walk-through tunnel is just as impressive as ever. You're literally surrounded by sharks, manta rays, and tropical fish. It never gets old. The big news: they've added an Ululani's Shave Ice inside the Ocean Center now. My son declared it the highlight of the entire Maui trip. The line moves slowly but I promise it's worth it. South Maui is delivering on the food front You also asked about where to eat and I came back with some solid ones. Coconut's Fish Cafe in Kihei still has my favorite fish tacos in all of Hawaii. Truly. If you're traveling with a picky eater, Peggy Sue's is right next door and does burgers, fries, and milkshakes. My son was very happy. We also tried Sweet Hula, an acai bowl food truck in the South Maui Gardens, and it completely lived up to the hype I'd read online. They have premade bowls or you can build your own with a really extensive topping list. Great option when you're traveling with kids who have strong opinions about their food. On the Hyatt Regency Maui Places to stay was your third big question and I spent three nights at the Hyatt Regency Maui. I booked it with points and the resort fee was waived as a result. Worth knowing if you have World of Hyatt points sitting around! The property is beautiful, the pool is excellent, and the staff were genuinely on top of things. We had a wifi issue and they fixed it via text within minutes. We also did a cabana day and the Drums of the Pacific luau while we were there. The luau was a great show with dancing from Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Tonga. We got caught in a light drizzle so if there's any chance of rain, bring a light jacket. I was wishing I had! What I'm updating in my recommendations: The Hyatt Regency Maui is moving up my list for families who want a true resort experience in West Maui. The pool, on-site dining, and luau all in one place make it a really strong home base. If you're planning a Maui trip, here are my most current guides:
Want help building your Maui itinerary based on what I just learned? Book a consultation here and I'll give you my latest tested recommendations. Marcie |
Aloha! I'm Marcie with Hawaii Travel with Kids
I've visited Hawaii more than 40 times and I know ALL the tips and tricks for planning the ultimate Hawaii family vacation! I offer free Hawaii planning email courses. I also send weekly emails on Fridays where I share my top things to do in Hawaii with kids, the best family resorts in Hawaii, and my ultimate packing lists! Mahalo!
Aloha Reader! I just got back from Oahu and Maui and I have been trying to figure out where to even start with this email. I'll start with parking, because I'm still a little salty about it. I've parked in Waikiki before. I know it's not free. But when I pulled into the garage at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and the total came to $65 for self-parking, I had to just sit there for a second. That's one day. The garage is also so tight that on one afternoon there were zero spots...
Aloha Reader, Planning spring break in Hawaii? I need to be straight with you about a few things that are genuinely different from other times of year. First, spring break isn't one week. Different school districts break at different times from late February through April, which means Hawaii doesn't get one big surge and then quiet down. It's sustained busy for weeks. If your dates are flexible at all, avoiding that peak March 15-30 window can make a real difference in both crowds and...
Aloha Reader! My son and I landed in Honolulu on Saturday all psyched up for a super tight schedule so we could maximize our time on this research trip. My mom actually flew over from Kauai to spend the day with us! Thanks to everyone who responded to my email last month with the things they wanted us to investigate. Some of the suggestions were Hanauma Bay, Pearl Harbor (they have a couple of new kids activities), and the Mauka Warriors Luau (since it gets a lot of Instagram love). Here's...