One of Austen and I’s more frequented destinations has been Hawaii. Prior to having kids, we had visited three of the major islands; Hawaii, Kauai x2, and Oahu. Since most of our planned international travel destinations were still questionable due to the ongoing pandemic, we set our sights on visiting Maui with the family. Although we did run into some unplanned, highly stressful hiccups along the way, Maui was the perfect destination for two kids under three.

To stretch your days and bring you fun…You’re welcome.

Maui, Moana

The Oliver Guide to a Maui Adventure with Little Ones

Day 1

When we first arrived in Maui, it was really late at night so we picked up our rental car and drove straight to our AirBNB in Wailea. The next morning, after waking up extremely early (3-4 AM) due to the time change, we ventured out into town and stopped at Kihei Caffe. There, we enjoyed eggs benedict, loco moco, and turtle pancakes (pancakes and fruit in the shape of a turtle) on the patio overlooking the ocean. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was top notch.

Shortly after breakfast, we went to the grocery store (diapers, sunscreen, food, water), back to the AirBNB for much needed naps, and then spent the rest of the day in Keawakapu Beach. This beach is beautiful, great for playing in the sand, and venturing out about 10-15 feet into the water.

To wrap up our day, we went back to the AirBNB to…eat dinner. You read that right. On vacation, you do not have to eat at a restaurant for every meal especially if you have a good cook in the family. We all put on some comfortable clothes, Austen rolled out the grill, and he cooked steaks and chicken. After dinner, we ventured back out to the beach to watch the sun set.

Day 2

The following morning, we ate breakfast at the condo before heading down to the community pool. The pool was really nice; access to the community pool is included in your stay at this AirBNB. After getting our fill of the pool, we went back to the condo for naps while I ran down to a small beach by Kihei Boat Landing to get in a Camp Gladiator workout. I had the small beach to myself so it was the perfect place to stop to get my sweat on while enjoying beautiful views.

After naps, we went to Morimotos for a late lunch. The food was excellent and the service was incredible. Our girls tried edamame and pork belly for the first time; both of which were a huge hit for different reasons. The edamame was just fun to play with while the pork belly was scarfed down.

If you’re wanting to go to a nice restaurant and you’re on vacation with your little ones, a late lunch is the perfect time to go. You avoid the dinner crowds and in our case, there was only one other table seated.

After lunch, we went to the Shops at Wailea to walk around but we ended up lucking out! Prior to the trip, we weren’t able to book a luau. However, we came upon a directory at the Shops at Wailea and saw they were holding a free Polynesian dancing event a few hours after our arrival. To help pass time, we stopped by Lapperts Ice Cream and Coffee (both ice cream and coffee are highly recommended) and grabbed some Adirondack chairs on the lawn where the event was being held while we waited for the show to start. Our oldest and I also ventured over to the children’s store right next to Lapperts and got both of the girls mermaid Barbies. Between the Barbies and the ice cream, there was just enough to do before the music and dancing won over all of our attention. We walked away completely astonished that such a talented group of musicians, singers, and dancers had offered such an incredible, free event at the local mall. We highly, highly recommend you stop by even if you already plan on attending a luau.

Day 3

The following morning, we enjoyed home cooked steak and eggs for breakfast, spent more time at the beach, and then went back to the AirBNB for naps.

However, what we did later that day ended up being one of the more memorable, unique adventures throughout our entire trip: Surfing Goat Dairy Farm in Kula. We are suckers for any animal-related adventures so this was the perfect stop on our last day in this area of the island. We went on the short tour where we learned about and fed the goats, saw the milking process, and had our fill of different flavors of goat cheese with a “goat cheese flight” (*drool*).

To wrap up our day before venturing over to Ka’anapali, we stopped by Maui Brewing Company in Kihei. You do not have to a) like beer or b) even drink alcohol to enjoy this place. Although the beer I did try was good, the food and the views are what we walked away talking about.

Days 4 and 5

On our fourth day in Maui, we started our trek to our second destination in Maui called Ka’anapali. Before we checked into the hotel in Ka’anapali, we stopped at the Maui Ocean Center. Maui Ocean Center is a great stop regardless of whether you have kids with you or not. From an open ocean tunnel with sharks swimming overhead to an outdoor turtle lagoon and touch tanks overlooking the ocean, you will see and learn about a wide variety of sea life. After our visit, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Seascape Restaurant which is on site of the aquarium. There, we ordered poke, an oni fish sandwich, and enjoyed another aquarium and the view of the ocean directly from our seats.

Once we were done visiting the Maui Ocean Center, we drove to the Hyatt Regency in Lahaina/Ka’anapali where we stayed for the remainder of our trip. This hotel is nothing short of amazing. It has an onsite cool and infant splashpad, a walkable garden with fish and birds, luaus (book early!), and *drum roll, please* PENGUINS. Penguins, they have penguins. This alone sold me on staying at this hotel but I easily found that all other attractions/amenities made our stay 5-star. Additionally, this hotel is smack dab in the middle of all the popular attractions in the Ka’anapali area.

Once we got settled into the hotel, we hung out by the hotel pool for the next two days. The first evening, we didn’t feel like trekking far so we went to dinner at Umalu which is conveniently located directly beside the pool. The second night, we went to Joey’s Kitchen in Whaler’s Village. Unfortunately, I don’t remember much about the food because we had a pretty stressful “walk” to Whaler’s Village from our hotel. See “pack the double stroller” paragraph in the “things we would change” section for more details.

Day 6

Unfortunately, we didn’t learn until the second-to-last day about Baby Beach. If you have little kids, you must go to this beach. It’s shallow enough that your little ones can wade into the water about 50 yards. Go with them into the water to supervise but once they get some confidence, let them enjoy exploring the water and the sand. After a full day at Baby Beach, we went to Lahaina Pizza Company where we had our fill of “sweet pig” (ham and pineapple) pizza at the restaurant and again later that night with our leftovers.

Day 7

During our final day in Maui, we spent more time at the hotel pool. This pool was perfect for our little ones where they could run around in the splash pad and jump onto the animals that were spraying water. The pool, however, was designed for all age groups as it included basketball hoops on the side of the rock walls, swim up bars, and a tunnel to swim through. It also had slides for wrist band holders. After some pool time, we also ventured out to the beach right outside the pool area to get our last moments of the ocean and the waves.

After we got cleaned up, we had an early dinner at the local fancy restaurant called Roy’s. We had reservations around 3:30-4 PM so we were one of the only groups in the restaurant. Since this was the day before our departure, as well as the day before Austen’s birthday, we went all out with appetizers, main course, and dessert. We highly recommend this place for the food and service. We will be returning if we visit Maui again in the future.

Final Thoughts

Of all the islands, we thought Maui was perfect for young families. However, we also haven’t been to other islands with young children so we’ll just have to visit all of them again! Maui is great for finding tranquil places to relax, unique adventures that will add excitement to your trip, and breathtaking views while you enjoy delicious food. While we know there are many more adventures you can seek on this island (bike rides down Haleakala volcano, waterfall chasing on the Road to Hana), some of which I did in my younger years, we know that no matter your age, Maui will leave you itching for more. Thank you, Maui.

Things we would change

Fortunately, at the time of this post, it appears Hawaii has removed their COVID restrictions. However, if they were to ever implement the requirement to get tested again prior to arrival into the state, get the test done for all family members prior to the trip to avoid any headache. At the time of our trip, children under 5 were not required to get tested. When we arrived in California for our layover, we had to wait in a long line to make sure we fulfilled all the COVID requirements to enter Hawaii. However, after waiting for about 45 minutes, we were told that we could not be pre-approved because the girls had not had a COVID test; we would need to be approved at our destination. For any questions pertaining to travel restrictions into the Hawaiian islands, check here a few months, as well as a few days leading up to your trip.

Book your luau well in advance. Since we went to Maui during COVID, there were strict distancing restrictions at all luaus. We tried to book a luau 3 months before our trip and every single one of them was booked. Especially if this is your first time to the Hawaiian islands, you’re not going to want to miss a luau.

Pack the double stroller. Just do it. Don’t question it. If you have two kids under three, they will both get tired at the same time when you’re on a long walk to a destination. In our case, we walked from our hotel to Whalers Village which is about a 3/4 mile walk. It doesn’t sound like that big of a deal but when it’s toastier-than-you’re-used-to outside and you have a 35 pound 2-year old on your shoulders, it can get a little taxing and you may find yourself sweatier-than-intended for a nice dinner.

Don’t forget to pack multiple pairs of clothes in the bag you plan on carrying onto the flight with you…especially if one of your children is mid-potty training. I don’t think any other information is needed here.

Lastly, mentally prepare for a long and taxing day of travel to and from Hawaii, as well as about 2 days to get acquainted with the time change. We’re pretty seasoned travelers so I personally didn’t even think twice about the multiple modes of transportation just to get to our destination, nor did I consider how the time difference would impact everyone. Your kids will get fussy at some point and they will wake up bright and early in the morning for at least the first two days of your vacation before they really start to get accustomed to the time change.

Before You Travel

Rental car

We highly recommend getting a rental car when you go to Maui. Maui is extremely easy to drive and getting a rental car gave us the peace of mind that both kids were secure in car seats. Well before you travel, call the rental car company to ensure they have child seats available and whether the seats are an additional cost to the vehicle or included in the price.

At the time, we were only able to rent one car seat along with the vehicle when booking online. Since we were unable to book an additional car seat, we called the rental car company who confirmed we would not be able to book an additional car seat prior to the trip. However, they assured us that we would not have any issue getting another car seat upon our arrival. Although this did cause a little added stress, we were able to secure both car seats (front- and rear-facing). The entire rental car process on arrival and throughout the entirety of our trip was smooth and stress-free.

Packing

If you are traveling with a baby or toddler that is not potty-trained yet, be sure to only pack enough diapers/pull-ups for your travel days. Once you get to your destination, you can purchase diapers at a convenience or grocery store. Purchasing diapers at your destination will save a ton of space in your luggage!

Bring lots of toys (the buckle toy in the Lovevery Companion Play Kit has been a huge hit) in toddler backpacks, lots of snacks, and multiple pairs of comfortable clothes and shoes. We also pack an Amazon Fire Tablet with headphones but we try to use it as a very last resort.

Travel Day Reminders

During take-off and landing, give your kiddo(s) a sippy cup/bottle or have them nurse if they’re still breastfeeding. This will help them pop their ears which can help them alleviate some of the discomfort which we all know can make for a not-so-enjoyable half hour of crying and wiggling.

If your kids do have a rough day of travel, try not to stress about it too much. Babies and kids cry. They get tired, they get hungry, they get frustrated. People are more willing to help you than give you grief about your agitated little one.

Finally, take a nice, deep breath; you’re on vacation!