Upon arriving at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort following our long journey from Toronto via San Francisco, we started our 8 night vacation in Maui. Much of our time was spent at the resort enjoying the pool and beach, but we also had the chance to go on several excursions around west Maui throughout the week. With little kids and toddlers in our group, we planned only one major activity per day so that we could accommodate nap time and grumpiness.
Maui overall is a very family-friendly travel destination, and there are plenty of activities and restaurants that are suitable for those with young children. Here is everything we did on our trip!
1. Dinner and a show at Drums of the Pacific Luau
On our first full day in Maui, I attended my conference in the morning and then joined the family for lunch at Whalers Village and pool time in the afternoon. That evening, we attended the Hyatt’s Drums of the Pacific luau. I wasn’t sure how bringing small kids would be received but this was very much a family friendly event with many other children there. The dinner was buffet style, followed by a show of traditional hula dancing. Teddy was mesmerized and surprisingly watched the show quietly for its entire duration!
2. Discovering sea life at Maui Ocean Center
The Maui Ocean Center is an easy 40 minute drive from the Hyatt. We arrived just after noon and had lunch at their Seascape Restaurant before exploring the aquarium. We didn’t realize that the areas between exhibits are outdoor so got a little hotter and sweatier than anticipated. We enjoyed seeing the exotic fish and sea turtles, although I’d say that it wasn’t quite as impressive here as Monterey Bay Aquarium which we visited last year. However, Teddy was much more engaged with this aquarium visit and loved walking around on his own and checking out the displays.
3. Taking a tram tour at Maui Tropical Plantation
The Maui Tropical Plantation is a working farm in the Upcountry area of Maui. It was a one hour drive from the Hyatt and we arrived in early afternoon in time for lunch at Cafe O’Lei. The plantation itself is free to enter but we bought tickets on site to go on the tram tour, which took us around the grounds to learn about the crops that they grow and to watch a coconut husking demonstration. Teddy wasn’t really interested in the tour but loved running around on the open fields and seeing the ducks.
4. Hiking at Iao Valley State Park
There is lots of great hiking to do around Maui but with a 25 lb toddler we could only manage a slow light walk. Our visit to Iao Valley State Park was a nice and easy excursion, taking us on a short walk along the paved Iao Needle Lookout Trail to the viewpoint of Kuka‘emoku (aka the Iao Needle), an erosional feature which abruptly rises 1200 feet from the valley floor. This “hike” is stroller accessible, although we used the carrier so we could climb the steps to the viewpoint.
5. Spotting sea turtles at Ho’okipa Beach
After an hour or so at Iao Valley, we headed to the town of Paia for lunch at Paia Fish Market. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at Ho’okipa Beach to see the giant sea turtles. There are about 80 Hawaiian green sea turtles that sit on the sand here. They are cordoned off by a rope but you can get close enough for a good view. The water is super choppy so not good for swimming, but probably perfect for surfing.
6. Hanging out with kids at Surfing Goat Dairy
We made another trip to the Upcountry area on the weekend, first to check out the Upcountry Farmers Market and then to visit Surfing Goat Dairy. This is a working dairy farm located on the slopes of Haleakala crater, producing more than two dozen goat cheeses. They offer a variety of tours and we chose to go on their baby goat experience which allowed us to cuddle with their little kids. Afterward, we tried a delicious goat cheese platter.
7. Swimming at Ka’anapali Beach
The Hyatt sits adjacent to Ka’anapali Beach, which Teddy enjoyed on several occasions. The water is pretty rough so we didn’t venture out much beyond the shore. If you’re looking for good swimwear for a toddler, I recommend a pair of water shoes. Teddy got super angry when we made him put them on at first but once he got used to them, they were nice to have for better grip at the splash pad and to avoid pricklies at the beach.
8. Eating lots of seafood, shave ice, and Hula pie
The food was incredible in Hawaii, especially as seafood lovers. Unfortunately I only managed to capture three food photos for the entire trip but pretty much every restaurant we ate at was family friendly, with high chairs and keiki menus for the little ones.
My favourite meals were at Duke’s Beach House for the macadamia nut and herb-crusted fish, and the famous Hula pie!
And Mama’s Fish House where we tried their sashimi, kanpachi, and banana macadamia nut crisp. This was also our fanciest and priciest meal, requiring reservations over two months in advance, but it was worth it.
I also enjoyed several portions of shave ice.
Our favourite slightly “off the tourist path” find was Takumi, a sushi place in the plaza where we went to do a load of laundry. We liked it so much we returned for dinner on our last night in Maui.
We had a wonderful time in Maui and I think this was Teddy’s favourite trip out of all his travels so far. Hopefully we can come back someday and have some more adventures in paradise.
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