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I’d include Maui Whale Watching Cruise for some time by the beach.

I love Hawaiʻi most when the trip leaves room to feel each island rather than racing through a checklist. Choose one or two strong bases, learn the stories behind the landscapes, and let beach time count as real travel—not empty space between sights.

Maui Whale Watching Cruise is a seasonal boat encounter with humpbacks that gather in the warm channels between Maui, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, and Kahoʻolawe.

Naturalists track blows, tail flukes, and breaches while hydrophones may reveal underwater songs. Morning departures are usually calmer, but every trip depends on wildlife and sea conditions.

TIP: Peak season is January through March. Choose an operator with trained naturalists and respectful approach practices, and take motion-sickness medication before boarding if needed.

Official website

Maʻalaea catamaran whale watch

Lāhainā whale watch

Small-group whale watch

Maui Whale Watching Cruise

Volcanic landscapes, coffee country, reef cruises, and the rhythm of Hawaiʻi Island.

Big Island Adventure

Oʻahu and Maui, with Kauaʻi’s gardens and cliffs unfolding on longer island-hopping trips.

First-Time Island Hop

Gardens, Nā Pali cliffs, coastal towns, and unhurried beach time on Hawaiʻi’s Garden Isle.

Kauaʻi Nature Escape

Rainforest roads, dramatic coasts, golden beaches, and an unhurried side of Maui.

Maui Scenic Escape

City energy, sacred history, surf towns, and beach time on Hawaiʻi’s most varied island.

Oʻahu City & Surf

Maui moves from sunrise above the clouds to rainforest roads, volcanic coast, and generous beach time.

Maui

Flight between Maui and Oʻahu links Honolulu (HNL) with Kahului (OGG) in either direction. The flight itself is usually under an hour, but allow the normal domestic check-in, security and baggage time at both ends. There is no ordinary road or passenger-car ferry alternative between these islands.

Kahului is the main island gateway; the west- and south-coast hotel areas need separate road journeys. Include checked bags and any sports equipment when comparing fares. The airport-to-hotel bus, taxi or rental-car collection is separate from this flight. Allow separately for the drive to your accommodation after collecting bags.

In the reverse direction, fly back to Honolulu and arrange onward transport on Oʻahu separately. Return any island rental car before departure; vehicles do not travel with you.

TIP: Leave a generous buffer when connecting from an international flight on separate tickets.

Flight to Maui

Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort is a design-forward Wailea resort cascading toward Mokapu Beach, with strong ocean views, layered pools, polished dining, and thoughtful Hawaiian cultural programming.

It works best for couples and style-minded travelers who want the resort itself to anchor the trip. The atmosphere is lively and contemporary rather than secluded, and pricing reflects its prime beachfront position.

TIP: Higher-floor ocean-view rooms make the most of the stepped hillside layout.

Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is a property that pairs Wailea’s broad beach with unusually attentive service, excellent pools, destination dining, and a resort-fee-free luxury model. It handles both romantic trips and family stays without making either feel secondary.

Choose it when service, beach time, and resort depth matter more than value. The property is polished and expansive, but the high-touch staff keeps the experience personal.

TIP: Entry categories can face the grounds; confirm the exact view before paying a premium.

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

Hana-Maui Resort is a secluded wellness resort where the Road to Hāna ends in open lawns, ocean air, and genuine breathing room. Bungalows trade televisions and visual clutter for lanais, tropical gardens, and a slower rhythm that rewards staying overnight.

Use the resort to turn Hāna from a rushed out-and-back drive into a real east-Maui chapter. The pool, spa, cultural programming, and proximity to Waiʻānapanapa and the Pīpīwai Trail make two nights feel purposeful.

TIP: Book dinner before arrival; Hāna's evening dining is limited and many kitchens close earlier than resort travelers expect.

Hana-Maui Resort

Hosmer Grove Campground is a small tent campground in Haleakalā’s summit district, set in the cloud belt just below 7,000 feet. Cold, wet nights are a real part of the experience, even when Maui’s coast feels warm.

The campground provides vault toilets. There are no conventional showers at the pitches.

Reserve before arrival and bring warm, waterproof sleeping gear. The current waterline-break alert means no campground water; collect water at Headquarters Visitor Center before setting up. Pets are not permitted.

Hosmer Grove Campground

Hosmer Grove Campground is open year-round.

Fee to reserve 1 campsite for 1 night at Hosmer Grove.

Reservation Fee - Per Night

All park visitors are required to purchase a 3-day Entrance Pass at the Entrance Gate upon arrival to the park. The campsite reservation does not cover your Entrance Pass. An automated entrance pass machine is available after hours.

Entrance Fee - Per Vehicle

Water at Hosmer Campground in the Summit District is shutoff due to a waterline break. Water is available 24-hours at Headquarters Visitor Center one mile up the road. At this point we don't have an estimate for when repairs will be complete.

No Water at Hosmer Campground

Hotel Wailea, Relais & Châteaux is an adults-only luxury resort of spacious suites set above Wailea's shoreline. The hilltop gardens, ocean-view pool, and quietly polished service make the property feel like a private estate rather than a beachfront mega-resort.

Days begin slowly here: breakfast above the water, a chauffeured beach drop, then sunset cocktails and one of Maui's strongest special-occasion dinners. Choose it when the hotel itself should be a major part of the trip, not simply a base between excursions.

TIP: The resort is not directly on the sand; its complimentary beach shuttle solves the hill, while the elevation delivers the wide ocean views.

Hotel Wailea, Relais & Châteaux

Kīpahulu Campground is a tent campground on Haleakalā’s humid coastal side, with ocean cliffs, picnic tables and the Kīpahulu visitor area nearby. It is a different base from the park’s high-elevation summit district.

The campground provides vault toilets. There are no conventional showers at the pitches.

Reserve before arrival and bring water, wet-weather shelter and food. There are no campground showers or RV/trailer pitches. The nearby visitor-center water supply is separate from the campsites.

Kīpahulu Campground

Campers will check in at the Kīpahulu entrance station. The check in time is 2 pm. Check out time is no later than 11 am on the last day of the reservation. Campers are expected to leave their camp site neat and litter free for the next visitor.

Campsite Fee

All park visitors are required to purchase a recreational use pass upon entering Haleakalā National Park. Passes are non-transferable and are valid for 3 days including the date of purchase. A variety of park passes cover park entrance fees. 

$30.00 per private vehicle - Valid for 3 days.
$25 per motorcycle - Valid for 3 days.
$15.00 per pedestrian or bicycle - Valid for 3 days.

A variety of annual passes are also available, see https://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvisit/fees.htm for details.

Entrance Fee

Maui Coast Hotel is a polished, good-value beach hotel directly across from Kamaole Beach Park in Kihei. It pairs resort-style pools and dining with a neighborhood full of casual food, making it one of Maui's easiest bases for travelers who want flexibility.

Modern rooms, bikes, and a local shuttle support beach mornings and dinners around Kihei or Wailea. Choose it when you would rather spend on experiences than lock the whole budget into a beachfront address.

TIP: The hotel sits across South Kihei Road from the sand; upper floors improve the outlook, while the free local shuttle reduces evening parking hassles.

Maui Coast Hotel

Maui Seaside Hotel is a relaxed harborfront hotel in Kahului, five minutes from the airport and useful for late arrivals, early departures, or travelers who want a practical central base. Its lawn, small beach, mountain views, and renovated pool make the stop feel more like Maui than a generic airport hotel.

Rooms range from straightforward doubles to renovated tower rooms and suites with kitchen or laundry facilities. A complimentary airport shuttle, on-site restaurant, and easy access to Kahului services keep logistics simple without sacrificing a waterfront setting.

TIP: Choose a renovated Makai Tower room for the freshest interiors; allow for the nightly resort fee and paid parking when comparing total cost.

Maui Seaside Hotel

Napili Kai Beach Resort is a low-rise condo resort wrapped around the calm curve of Napili Bay. Kitchens, generous layouts, and direct sand access make it especially strong for families and longer stays that need more than a conventional hotel room.

The bay is the centerpiece: swim early, snorkel near the rocky edges, then watch sunset from the lawn or Sea House. Kapalua's coastal trail and beaches sit close enough to broaden an easy resort day.

TIP: Buildings differ in elevation and ocean proximity; confirm the unit's exact location if stairs or carrying beach gear matters.

Napili Kai Beach Resort

OUTRIGGER Kāʻanapali Beach Resort is a culture-forward beach resort on one of West Maui's most swimmable, walkable stretches. Its daily Hawaiian programming gives families and first-time visitors more connection to place than a standard pool-and-palms stay.

The beach path links Black Rock, Whalers Village, restaurants, and sunset viewpoints, so resort days can unfold without the car. Rooms are straightforward; location, grounds, and cultural activities are the reason to choose it.

TIP: Partial-ocean rooms can vary widely—prioritize building location and walkability over a vague view category.

OUTRIGGER Kāʻanapali Beach Resort

Paia Inn is a small beachfront boutique hotel tucked into Maui's liveliest surf town. You can step from a quiet courtyard to cafés, galleries, and Paʻia Bay without planning every meal or evening around a drive.

Rooms are compact and individually shaped, while the beach access and town-center address do the real work. Stay here for a local, walkable counterpoint to Maui's large resorts and an excellent launch toward Hoʻokipa and the Road to Hāna.

TIP: Ask specifically about room position—street, courtyard, and ocean-facing rooms have very different outlooks and sound levels.

Paia Inn

The Mauian is a small, low-rise Napili Bay stay with direct sand access, tropical gardens, and an unhurried old-Maui feel. Studios with kitchens suit independent travelers and families who value the beach more than a full-service resort.

Choose it for a quiet, walkable base by one of West Maui’s best swimming coves. There is no elevator or full restaurant, so the appeal is simplicity, setting, and a more intimate scale.

TIP: Book a studio if kitchen facilities matter; standard rooms are more compact.