Hawaiitravel

Tour Of Maui- Our Family Vacation Adventure Part 2

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Welcome back to part two of our Maui family vacation. You can see part one here

We spent a total of four nights on Maui. Our favorite day was when we took a private tour of the road to Hana! We jumped into our (partner) Advantage Rent-A-Car to meet up with our tour guide.

I can’t recommend hiring a local tour guide enough. We have done the big tour groups and the personal ones with just the five of us, and whenever possible, we always hire a private one. That way we can pick and choose exactly what we want to see to maximize our time.  

For us, we wanted to see as many waterfalls as possible and they totally delivered. It was also great not having to drive because those roads are windy and we would have missed out on sightseeing keeping an eye on the road. That isn’t to say that we wouldn’t have driven ourselves. I had heard that the road was a wild one to drive on, but it wasn’t that crazy. Just windy on the side of the mountain.

Here are some images from the tour…

Walking through a bamboo forest. This was pretty fun, but a few of us got eaten alive by mosquitos here… so be sure to reapply your bug spray. This was one of the only times we even saw mosquitos in Hawaii.

Seeing rainbow eucalyptus. There are a few of these trees on public property and a bunch on private property… so if you go, make sure you see the ones on the road and not in a person’s front yard. 

Forever views to the ocean!

Our favorite stop was to this waterfall to go swimming. It was semi-warm outside and the water was ice cold. Pretty cool (literally).

The beaches on Maui are so laid back. We found a few just by driving around. We also saw locals and visitors alike setting up tents, BBQ’s and picnics. 

Our favorite thing to do was to walk in the sand and watch the whales swim by. I still can’t get over how many there were. When we go back, we are planning to go during whale season again. The weather wasn’t super hot- more comfortably warm to even a bit cool at times, so that was nice, but we all loved seeing the whales. It was a bucket list experience for sure. Locals told us the best time to see whales is January to March, with February being the absolute best. We lucked out traveling there in February and we didn’t even plan it that way.

Next time we will also dedicate more “planned” beach time. Maybe we’ll pick up some food and eat it in a beach/park. This time we just happened upon these moments, but looking back, they were some of our favorite places.

We really loved Maui for relaxation and for fresh food with so many vegetarian and vegan options. It is completely different than the higher energy on Oahu. I could never pick a favorite. Instead, I think they are both amazing places that are perfect for different vacation needs. Both are very child-friendly. 

If you are like us and like relaxation and adventure, go island hopping in Hawaii. Then you don’t have to choose just one! Next up… we fly over to the Big Island!

Make sure to watch the video at the top of the page to see Pete and Ashley jump off a waterfall!

Heather Reese
the authorHeather Reese
Heather Delaney Reese is the storyteller and photographer behind the lifestyle and family travel blog, It's a Lovely Life®! For the past decade, she has vacationed over 150 days a year with her family. She is a vegan, and loves being by the water, spending time with her children, husband, 2 Shih Tzus and Cat.

55 Comments

  • Wow this place looks out of this World! Love the picture with the pool dam amazing 🙂

  • this brought back memories of our trip to Maui and the road to Hana as well – it is truly a beautiful place.. our trip was 20 years ago almost.. and now it is time to head back there – with kids in tow..

  • Love, love, love the pictures! One of my really good friends is from Maui and she’s always talking about the different adventures she goes on. I can’t wait to visit someday.

  • Maui is absolutely gorgeous. We’ve been to Hawaii several times, and Maui is our favorite spot. It’s magical.

  • I have forgotten most of my honeymoon trip to Hawaii. Your pictures and accounts make me want to go back with my kids. Love the forests and falls.

  • Maui is so pretty! That tour was really cool. I’d really like to take a long Hawaii trip with lots of exploration.

  • So many beautiful photographs! It’s wonderful that you can create these memories with your family! Hiring a private tour guide definitely sounds like the best way to get the most out of your trip. I’ll keep that in mind! 🙂

  • I love all of the amazing pictures! It’s wonderful that you can create these memories with your family! Hiring a private tour guide definitely sounds like the best way to get the most out of your trip. I’ll keep that in mind! 🙂 Thank you for sharing your trip with us.

  • Maui is so beautiful. My Dad use to work in Hawaii for 6 weeks at a time and my mom would go visit him from time to time way back in the 60s. We were in school and stayed home. One place that is on my list.

  • My Dad use to work in Hawaii for 6 weeks at a time and my mom would go visit him from time to time way back in the 60s. We were in school and stayed home. One place that is on my list. Looks like everyone had a wonderful time.

  • The bamboo forest and the waterfall are absolutely beautiful! Maui is definitely one of the places I’d love to take my family. It’s on “the list” for sure!

  • Oh my goodness what some absolutely amazing adventures you have been able to go on. I have to admit Maui is somewhere I would love to visit one day, definitely a dream destination for me.

  • This place is like heaven on earth! Look at them beautiful flowers and the greenery! I would love to visit as well and explore like you all did.

  • The islands of Hawaii are something out of a dream. There’s just so many places to see there. I bet you had a lot of fun making these memories with your kids, and those will last a lifetime.

  • I know it’s wrong to be envious, but I am. What a wonderful trip for your family.

  • What beautiful memories with your family. Maui is on my bucket list for sure.

  • Hiring a local tour guide is a great way to see all the best spots. I like to go off the tourist path and see what I can discover. Maui looks amazing. I would love to go there someday.

  • Maui is definitely on my travel bucket list. It looks like you all had a wonderful experience there. Lovely pictures of your trip!

  • Our family has always wanted to visit Maui and we totally will some day. Your pictures have me wanting to check flight prices lolol

    • Yes, it really was beautiful! Our kids do online schooling mostly, so it allows us a lot a flexibility to educate them in many ways

  • Maui looks so amazing. I have always wanted to go there. The scenery is beautiful!

  • I try to time my trips to whale watching season as well! That and I always book a horseback riding excursion – and if it is horseback riding ON the beach, all the better! 🙂

  • Wow! Such a gorgeous place and I would love to see this in real. This is really a magical place my kids will love it.

  • looks like it was an amazing family trip. we are actually headed there next year so I will pin this for later to get more ideas. thanks.

  • I went to Oahu, HI a few years ago. I had an amazing time. It was a solo mom trip, so I need to take my family the next time I go. The 10 hour flight was gruesome for me, which is why I have gone back yet.

  • To go island hopping in Hawaii would be a dream come true for me! I would love to experience both Oahu and Maui too. My children and grandchildren would have the best time exploring nature there!

  • This looks like such an amazing place to spend the holiday with family. We enjoy nature and spending time together outside. Your pictures are absolutely beautiful!

  • Wow! Maui looks fantastic. It’s so close to nature. I keep on remembering Moana with this. Will definitely include this in my bucketlist.

  • My cousin was assigned to work in Maui for 2 years. He enjoyed every single day he was there. When it was time for him to return, he got a wave design tattoo on his arm to remember his stay in Maui. It is so beautiful there. I wish I could get a chance to visit.

  • What a perfect vacation. I definitely like a mix of relaxation and adventure, and Maui looks like the ideal place to indulge in both.

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