TRAVEL BLOG THURSDAYS - MAUI
SOLO DOLO BIRTHDAY ADVENTURE || MAUI || HAWAII || OCTOBER 2017
For my 28th birthday, I decided to have a month of self-reflection through solo travel; I secretly just wanted to travel to a bunch of places for my birthday and needed an excuse. But it turns out, when you travel solo for so long, there is a lot you learn about yourself, a lot you overcome, and a lot of decisions you’ve been putting off get made; At least, that is my experience.
Anyway, so Hawaii, ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!! I recommend going whenever you have a chance. I came across a $316 Seattle to Maui round trip flight deal and immediately booked! I also happened to have a $200 voucher from the airline I was flying so the flight turned out to be only $116 total. I book a super cheap Airbnb and was on my way! I only had 4 days on the island because my PTO was scarce by that time of the year but I also love cramming a bunch of stuff into quick trips; it’s kinda my thing.
Day One:
As soon as I got my rental, a cute little VW bug convertible, I headed to Maui Tropical Plantation for a tour and some free fruit. I had a list of things I wanted to see and the plantation had most of it. I saw papaya, pineapple, learned how to open a coconut, saw sugar cane, avocado trees, mango, macadamia nut trees, and so much other stuff. Of course, it was a beautiful day on the island and the weather was perfect!
Side Note: This was my second time being on a tropical island; the first being Bermuda a month before. This time, I spent more time on the island, as the Bermuda trip was spent mostly on a cruise ship. I’ll tell you the story of my first cruise experience another time. Two words. Sea Sick!
After the tour, I went to the beach… all I can say is “breathtaking!” Spam musubi was my snack of choice during my trip but I also went grocery shopping for food because it was pretty expensive to eat out every day. I stayed in Kihei and frequented Da Kitchen Express since it was super close to my Airbnb. By frequent, I mean I went there every day! So delicious!
Day Two:
I woke up super early to do drive up to the Haleakala Summit and watch the sunrise. I was extremely nervous driving up windy narrow roads in the dark. It was about an hour drive up but I listened to my favorite podcasts “The Read” and “Jade & X.D.”to keep me company. I made it just in time to experience the sunrise ceremonial chant to the sun god and see the sun break across the horizon. Pictures don’t really do it justice.
I made my way back down, after the sun came up, and stopped along the way to see the sights and the cows. The drive looks way different when it is light out. I was amazed at all the beauty AND surprised at all the cliff edges I was driving next to in the dark. When I returned to my AirBnB, it was nap time. I had about 7 more hours of driving to do once I woke up.
Against the recommendation of everyone I talked to about it, I decided to take on the Road to Hana by myself as well. This was another nerve-racking drive consisting of narrow windy roads that sometimes only one car at a time could go through. It was sometimes hard to see who was coming ahead and I got really nervous when I saw all the cars driving in the opposite direction of me at one point. It also started raining a bit (I was driving through a rain forest) but I still kept my top down because why not?! Everything would dry eventually and natural hair loves water. *shoulder shrug*.
The trip however, was worth all the uncertainty because of the gorgeous things I got to see along the way. There isn’t really a way to drive straight through Maui because of the geography of the island which is why the Road to Hana is such an interesting and long drive. The island is shaped like a figure 8 and you literally must go around things to get anywhere on the island; things being, a mountain on one side and a volcano on the other. I made my way to each of the stops along the road listening to Big KRIT’s 4eva is a Mighty Long-Time album that just came out that week. For the sake of saving words, I’ll just list the stops I made on the road:
- Paia Waterfront
- Twin Falls
- Wailua Falls
- 45 Miles of often One Land Windy Road
- Hasegawa General Store: At some point along this journey, I stopped at the Hasegawa General Store, simply because one of my friend’s last name is Hasegawa and she told me to stop there.
- Banana Bread Stop: After the falls, I stopped at a food stand and purchase some homemade banana bread from the woman working at the shop. She also was the one who baked the bread. It was tasty and satisfied my sweet tooth at the time. I didn’t catch the name but it was either the Twin Falls Farm Stand or the unnamed fruit stand on Mile Marker 8.
- Hana Lava Tube Stalagmites & Stalactites: In hindsight, this was not something I could complete alone. I have a huge fear of volcanoes (active volcanoes) and I wanted to try something to overcome that since this volcano is no longer active. I decided to stop at this attraction and go see what the result of a lava flow looks like. It seemed like a great idea until the tour guide said people don’t normally go in alone. He gave me an extra flashlight in case the first one ran out of batteries. It gets pitch dark the further in you go; not like Egyptian pyramid tomb or Valley of the Kings tomb dark, but like dark dark dark dark! That’s typically a no for me. I started walking down the tube and it was cool until there stopped being people I could see and hear ahead and behind me. I promptly turned around, repeating the words “nope, nope, nope” out loud and gave the guide his flashlights back. He said, “you only got to see a little bit” and I told him, “I got the gist”, thanked him and got back in my car. Ha!
- Koki Beach: This is where I ended. The beach had black rock and sand and the water was rough. I saw some people trying to surf but it looked like a storm was coming in so I only stayed for a little bit. The sun was just starting to set and I had about a 3 and a half hour drive back to my AirBnB through those same windy roads; best to do that while it is light out
- Ka Haku Smoke Shack: On my drive back, I stopped at another stand, Ka Haku Smoke Shack and got some bomb Hawaiian BBQ (chicken and pork). It was cooked on tea leaves and guava wood so the flavor was distinct. The lady who owned the shack was beginning to pack up when I got there and I told her it was my birthday so she made me a plate… so sweet! We started talking and I found out she used to live in Seattle for a little bit, with her family, but moved back to the island a few years ago. Once she made my plate and finished packing up she told me Happy Birthday and that she had to go so she could make it to Costco before they closed. I appreciated her taking the time to talk to me, as I didn’t have much other conversational interaction during my trip up until that point, since I was traveling solo.
- Ho’okipa Lookout: This was my final stop on my way back; just taking in the beauty one more time before I made it to my AirBnB for some sleep.
I did 9 hours of driving that day and by the time I got back it was dark again. I was READY for some sleep!
Day Three:
This was the day I decided to do something I’d never done before, snorkeling. The thought of breathing through a straw, underwater, has always been a struggle for me, but I figured, why not have my first time actually doing it be in the middle of the ocean? I googled for discount snorkeling trips, found one, and booked it. After stopping for my daily dose of spam musubi, I ended up in a small group of others on a speed boat, out to Molokini Crater. I hopped out of the boat and into the water with my snorkel gear and began to look down at the bottom of the ocean. It’s amazing how much marine life you can see and how clearly you can see it! I met some cool people from California on the snorkeling trip which allowed for a bit more human interaction. I feel like my little introverted heart got just the right balance of solitude and interaction on this trip… it was perfect! AND I didn’t die! I relaxed for the remainder of the day on the beach.
Day Four:
This was the day I flew out but not before taking the Maui Pineapple Tour and visiting Lahaina Town. On the tour, I learned how pineapples grow, when they mature, how they are picked, how to choose and cut a pineapple, and my favorite part, how to make alcohol from sugarcane and pineapple!
That part of the tour was done by the Haliimaile Distilling Company which was right next door. We also got to take home a pineapple after the tour which was one of the sweetest pineapples I’d ever eaten.
After the tour, I made my way to Lahaina Town to see the Banyan Tree, get a shave ice from Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice, and check out the shops. Once I got to Lahaina, I finally found where all the tourists hang out because up until then, my only interactions had been with locals, except on the snorkeling trip. It was a bit overwhelming considering the chill, quiet tone of my previous 3 days on the island. It seemed like ALLL the tourists were there, ALLLL the cruise ships were there, ALLLLL the fanny packs were there and that was my cue to leave. Ha! While I was walking and eating my shave ice, heading to my car, I met a group of older black ladies who were trying to figure out how to get back to their ship using Uber. I helped them find where their pick-up location was and they all gave me a hug which was nice and unknowingly needed by the end of my trip. I love black women so much! After I killed some time in Lahaina and ate the grilled fish plate I purchased after finishing my shave ice, I drove back to the airport and headed home.
On this trip I learned and accomplished three things:
- Some human interaction is needed. I used to think I didn’t need any.
- Buy groceries on Maui or you’ll blow your whole budget on food.
- Don’t be afraid to try new things by yourself; I slightly concurred my fears of volcanoes and breathing underwater. I’ll have to try both again at some point to make sure I’m good.
And most importantly, the trip just reinforced how good God is and how this world is His canvas!
Thanks for reading all these words!
Love ya!
Taste Tutor