We initially planned to go to Maui for a babymoon ahead of welcoming our first baby, but the pandemic changed those plans. Then we found out we were expecting our second in July 2022, so Maui became our babymoon location after all — celebrating both our first baby, then one and a half, and our second one on the way. We chose to travel at the end of August due to our schedule, but Maui is a fabulous choice for travel at any time of year.

I’m glad we were able to travel with our toddler because it showed us that Maui is an ideal tropical getaway with kids if you’re living on the West Coast. Family-friendly, safe, good food, easy enough to get to, and the perfect blend of laid-back beach days and adventuring… We couldn’t have asked for a better place to end the summer. Despite feeling like a week was plenty for the trip, it was such a special trip for our family that we’re already planning to return at least every few years.

Maui is about a 6-hour direct flight from Vancouver. We took a Westjet flight and when we travelled, there was only one flight each way per day, departing Vancouver at 6:30 pm and departing Kahului at 10:30 pm on the way back. These times worked wonderfully for us with a toddler, because she slept in my arms the entire time both ways. We landed at Kahului Airport, picked up our rental car at Alamo, and made it to our hotel around 10:30 pm local time.

We chose to stay in Wailea for its lush, luxurious setting and central location. This is where most of the nicest resorts are on the island, including the well-known Four Seasons and Fairmont Kea Lani. As we were booking, we noticed that most of the resorts were undergoing extensive renovations with many sections and amenities temporarily closed. This made it easy for us to choose Andaz Maui, one of the newest luxury hotels on the island, for our stay. Its contemporary design, beautiful location, extensive amenities and dining options made it the right choice for us.

We opted to have breakfast included in our rate, and the breakfast buffet at the Ka’ana Kitchen did not disappoint. We all looked forward to breakfast each morning. There was an endless variety of Hawaiian and American options that rotated daily, all made with fresh locally sourced ingredients. A juice bar, omelets made to order, incredible banana and lilikoi bread… There was no better way to start our day.

We had drinks at the Bumbye Beach Bar, lunch at Lehua Lounge and sometimes grabbed quick meals from Mokapu Market. Everything we had was good. Morimoto Restaurant, featuring Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, is onsite as well.

There is a daily resort fee charged as part of the room rate, which includes the following amenities:

• Beach chairs, umbrellas, and towels

• Outrigger excursion

• Guided kayak tours

• Stand-up paddleboard (SUP) lessons

• Snorkel equipment use

• Fitness classes

• Single & tandem bikes

• GoPro Hero 8 rental

• Culture lessons (ukulele, hula, lei making, coconut husking)

Since the resort fee isn’t optional, we recommend taking advantage of as many amenities as possible during your stay. We appreciated having our beach area set up for us each morning and made use of the snorkel equipment. We also did the outrigger excursion which was very fun for our toddler.

If you’re renting a car, be aware that the resort is valet parking ONLY. You cannot opt out of this and the daily valet fee is not optional if you have a vehicle. It was slightly annoying at first but we got used to it pretty quickly and their friendly staff was quick to retrieve our vehicle.

Make sure you have US cash in small bills on hand for tipping housekeeping, valet parking attendants, beach setup attendants and other hotel staff as you see fit.

Travelling with a toddler meant we adjusted our plans and schedule to accommodate her naps and limits. We would have breakfast at our hotel, then walk down to the beach or pool. We’d have lunch nearby before heading back to our room for naptime. After nap, we would venture out with our rental car to explore different parts of the island. The sunset was at around 6:45 pm while we were there, so we were able to catch it before heading back for bedtime. This schedule ended up working out well for all of us, since we had some dedicated time mid-day and in the evenings to unwind. Mid-day is also when the winds pick up and the ocean gets a little choppy, so it was good timing to take a break from the water.

Wailea

Wailea is a lush resort community known for its beautiful beaches, world-class dining, spectacular golf courses and serene spas. Since we were staying here, most of our time here was centered around our hotel. We also walked along the beautiful path that connects most of the beachfront resorts. We spent some time most days at the Shops at Wailea for shopping, supplies and lunch.

Makena

Located just south of Wailea, Makena is known for its beaches and large State Park. We went to Big Beach at Makena State Park one afternoon. Big Beach is aptly named at almost 2.5 km long, with golden sand and massive waves. This is definitely not a leisurely swimming or snorkeling spot — enjoy the beach but proceed with caution if you’re going near the water!

As this is a state park, be prepared to pay an entry fee.

While you’re in the area, don’t miss driving further south to the Pa'ako Cove "Moonsurfaces". The road practically meets the ocean here, and the black volcanic rocks give a nice contrast to the crashing waves. Park somewhere along the side of the road and enjoy the sunset.

Lahaina

Lahaina is a historic whaling village and features Maui’s oldest living banyan tree. Much of the town’s history has been preserved and walking down its famous Front Street feels a bit like you’re stepping back in time. The street is lined with art galleries, restaurants and little shops to poke your head into.

After dinner in town, we found a nearby “baby beach” (flat sandy beach and calm water) for a swim and to watch the sunset.

Ka’anapali

Ka’anapali was Hawaii’s first planned resort area, and it remains an incredibly popular area to stay in today. Ka’anapali Beach is almost 5 km long, with many hotels and condos facing it. There is an outdoor mall called Whalers Village with lots of shopping and dining options.

Pa’ia

Pa’ia is a small coastal town full of colourful buildings art galleries, small shops and restaurants. It is technically one of the first stops on the Road to Hana. We wanted to come this way the afternoon before we planned to do the Road to Hana, to check out the town and get our bearings before the big day. We had dinner in town and did a bit of shopping for our girls.

After dinner, head to Ho’okipa Beach. Known as the “windsurfing capital of the world”, this beach is also known for the dozens of turtles that come onto the shore. This is a really special spot to watch the sunset.

Road to Hana

The Road to Hana is a famous scenic drive known for its endless twists and turns and one-way bridges. We kept our expectations low for our Road to Hana experience, which is the only way to succeed with a toddler. We were prepared to turn around at any point since it wouldn’t be a fun experience if any of us was miserable. Our daughter ended up handling the day wonderfully, managing the entire drive in good spirits. There are many roadside stops you can make along the way, but we had a specific hike we really wanted to do so we only stopped at the halfway road marker, and Hana itself on the way there.

Waimoku Falls via the Pipiwai Trail

This beautiful hike features a historic Banyan tree, a bamboo forest and a stunning waterfall at the end.

Be prepared to pay the Haleakala National Park fee to enter. Stop at the Kipahulu Visitor Center to learn more about the area too.

On the way back, we stopped to eat and then drove back to Pa’ia to the baby beach near Baldwin Beach Park so our toddler could stretch her legs and play while we watched the sunset. A turtle came right up next to us while we were here and we got to see it up close.

Some final thoughts on the Road to Hana…

1. If your kids don’t like the car, don’t bother with this excursion until they’re older. It’s beautiful and unique, but it’s only worth it if everyone is having a good time.

2. Make sure your rental car company allows you to take your car the full length of the drive (some don’t let you go past Hana).

3. Prioritize your itinerary — for example, we knew we wanted to do a hike that was towards the end of the drive, so we went straight there, passing many cars that were stopping at attractions along the way. That led to a much quieter hike for us, vs the number of people starting as we were finishing.

4. Some other popular stops we would have gone to had we had more time:

   - Twin Falls

   - Pua’a Ka’a Falls

   - Wai’anapanapa State Park (reservation required)

   - Hamoa Beach

Kula

Kula was our last, low-key excursion before heading to the airport for our red-eye flight home. We wanted to explore this hilly region a bit and see what the views were like since we didn’t have a chance to get all the way up to Haleakala National Park on this trip. The drive was really lovely, and the views were indeed wonderful. We had dinner in Kula and found a playground nearby to watch the sunset. Definitely worth at least an afternoon visit out this way!

As mentioned, we had to adjust parts of our trip since we were travelling with our toddler. For reference, here is a list of the places we didn’t get a chance to see, or decided to save for a future visit:

• Kapalua Coastal Trail

• Honolua Bay

• Nakalele Blowhole

• Top of Haleakala National Park

• Iao Valley State Monument

• Molokini Crater

Flytographer

We wanted to get some family photos done on this trip and Flytographer was the perfect solution for that. Based in Victoria, Flytographer allows you to connect with photographers all over the world and makes for a stress-free, seamless experience.

We chose to stay close to our hotel and opted to have our shoot at Palauea Beach, but there are countless locations and photographers to choose from. Our Flytographer, Lauren, was so lovely and talented and our toddler instantly took to her which made for a pretty seamless experience. We chose to have our shoot on our last full day in Maui to allow us to adjust to the time change, and we got our gallery back so quickly we were looking through it on our couch our first evening back at home.

Maui was a special trip for our family. We loved every minute of our week in Hawaii and we look forward to returning as our kids get older. Although expensive, if you’re travelling from Vancouver we really don’t think there is a better tropical location than this. It was unforgettable.

Happy travels,

Maria