Maui,Hawaii

Hawaii- Its a name that used to fill me with excitement just by the sound of it. Not because I had any connection to it or I had any memories there, but the simple reason being, it always meant a place where I can run away from my busy life or at least that is what I thought. My perception toward Hawaii was always fueled by the travel blogs and news articles I had read on the amazing scenery this place has to offer and the relaxing vacation a person can have in this beautiful place. 

At last this spring I got a chance to enjoy the beauty of Hawaii when I traveled to Maui with my family for a 5-day vacation. We planned this vacation to relax and rejuvenate unlike many of our other vacations where we tire ourselves to death exploring the city. Life has been pretty hectic for the last 1 year and this was our first chance to get some of the energy back.

Our trip:

San Jose, CA to Kahului, Maui - Alaska Airlines

Stay at Westin Maui Resort and Spa, Ka'anapalli for 5 nights

Kahului, Maui to San Jose, CA - Hawaiian Airlines

It was our first flight with Alaska Airlines and I was impressed by the airplane, the seat space and the general service provided by the airline. Lately, it has been very hard to appreciate anything about air travel as seats have shrunk, service has gone from good to bad to poor, in-flight entertainment is non-existent or terrible on most routes and its scary reading about the recent mishaps that has questioned Superman's own assurance. After a long 5.5 hour flight we landed safe and sound in Maui.

We picked up our car from Avis that we booked in advance and started driving to our hotel which was a further 45 minute drive from the airport. Then, I encountered the worst traffic jam ever of my life, something that I never expected to see in Maui. With the baby getting anxious after a long flight, every minute felt like eternity and we were stuck in it for almost an hour and half. By the time we reached the hotel, we had already been traveling for almost 12 hours including the 2.5 hours our plane was delayed at San Jose airport.  That day, we had been awake since 4 am to catch the morning flight and prepare baby food for travel that it seemed like an unending journey.

It is only after we reached the hotel, that we could come in our natural state of calmness. The check-in was smooth and the hotel lobby provided a good place for a kid to watch ducks, flamingos and fishes. But for that evening we decided to recluse ourselves to our hotel room and winded down with some food and sleep.

Our room overlooked the resort garden on one side and a distant ocean on the other. It was so refreshing to wake up to the birds chirp every morning and sit in the balcony having breakfast and coffee and watching birds scour their own food. The sound of the ocean waves provided a soothing music to the ears day and night and made the experience even more wonderful.

The next 4 days were amazing and all we did was relax, something we really needed. The resort provided a gateway to the beach which was pretty cool since we went there everyday to breath in the fresh air. There is something peaceful to just look at the vast ocean and absorb the energy it provides you in the sound of its waves and freshness of its air. My kiddo did have a hard time adjusting to the beach/ocean initially since she was scared of water and always maintained a distance from the waves hitting the beach. She did enjoy herself feeding the fishes at the hotel pool, watching the red-beaked duck and flamingos and running on beach trails. 

Places we visited there:

Whaler's Village - This was our main destination for dining and to grab something quick for the day. It is a small shopping mall with places to eat and shop and provides some commercial activity in this beach town.

Lahaina's Historic Town - This is the old town of Lahaina which is only 2-3 miles from Ka'anapalli. It is a small quaint place and provides some historic background about this place. Here you can also make reservations for dinner cruises and whale watching tours. It has abundant restaurants to dine at and small shops where you can buy souvenirs and local art.

Maui's Beach House - This was our designated place for shaved ice cream. The shaved ice with 3 fruity flavors on it and ice cream at the bottom and sugary cream at the top was the best thing I had in a long time. Even my kiddo enjoyed it so much so that she forgot she does not like cold things.

Road to Hana - We wanted to do it but just could not due to its distance from our resort. From the reviews and videos, it seemed like one of the roads to drive on and experience natural beauty at its best with waterfalls and beaches along the way. May be next time.

There are numerous activities like surfing, whale watching, scuba diving, hiking etc. that you can do here but we had a different kind of vacation in mind this time and skipped these activities.

Alas, it was the day of return and we said goodbye to a very beautiful experience of our life. We flew Hawaiian airlines back home to San Jose and it was not fun at all. They reminded me why its so painful to fly now-a-days and then lost our luggage too. Eventually, they did find it in San Francisco and returned to us a day later but it left a dent in an otherwise perfect vacation. 

I do hope to visit another island of Hawaii sometime in the future and make more memories.