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, If you're the one behind the camera on every trip, this one's for you. I have been on 20+ Flytographer shoots around the world (8 of them in Hawaii) and I am a huge fan. Like, I will tell anyone who will listen how much I love this service. Because here's the thing: I take approximately one million photos of my kids on every trip, and I have almost none of myself actually in them. Flytographer fixed that. But what I didn't expect was how fun the shoots themselves would be. On...
Aloha Reader, Every single trip to Hawaii, I see the same thing: a convertible pulled over on the side of the road, top still down, rain coming in, one adult frantically Googling how to get it closed while the other tries to shield the kids. It's funny until it's you. Don't rent a convertible during rainy season. That's just one of the car rental mistakes I see families make over and over. Here are the others worth knowing before you book. Waiting too long is the big one. Rental inventory in...
Aloha Reader, If you're in the middle of planning a summer Hawaii trip, one of the first things you need to lock down is where you're staying. Prices go up fast and availability disappears faster. So today I'm sharing my actual favorite hotels on each island, the ones I personally recommend to families and have either stayed at myself or know really well. Let's go island by island. Oahu The Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach is where we stayed in February and I came away genuinely impressed. The...