Stories from Maui
Long-form writing on Maui — the Road to Hana, whale season, Upcountry farms and the practicalities of travel around the island.
More stories
Hawaii's Beaches Are All Public. Here's What That Means in Maui
Kahoolawe: The Maui-Adjacent Island You Cannot Visit
Lahaina Since the Fire: What's Actually Open in 2026
Life in Paia: Inside a Surf Town's Culture
Maui After the Fire: How Tourism Is Actually Adapting
The Maui Sunscreen Law That Caught Me Off Guard
Maui's Only Ferry Goes to Lanai — Nowhere Else
Molokini Crater: How a Volcano Became a Snorkeling Sanctuary
What a Maui Hotel Room Actually Costs After Taxes and Resort Fees
The Road to Hana Through the Eyes of Locals
The Sea Turtle Distance Law in Maui: What 10 Feet Actually Means
Whale Season in the Auau Channel
Why Lahaina's Historic Banyan Tree Survived the Fire
Good to know about the Maui blog
The blog is where Maui Trip steps back from strict planning logistics and covers the questions that shape how a trip actually feels, written with the same honest, no-fluff approach as the rest of the site. It opens with orientation pieces — what to know before visiting Maui for the first time, and a direct look at whether booking a Haleakala sunrise reservation weeks ahead is really worth the trouble, which stays qualitative rather than inventing precise figures: for a family set on watching sunrise from the summit it usually is, while a flexible traveler with no fixed itinerary carries a smaller real risk.
A Kaanapali-versus-Wailea comparison helps travellers deciding between two well-known bases weigh up the practical differences in walking distance, parking cost and quiet from the resort strip rather than relying on vague impressions. History and culture get their own space: a piece on Lahaina's history covers what the town was before the August 2023 fire and how it's rebuilding today, without treating the site as a curiosity or pretending nothing happened, and a piece on Maui's settlement and monarchy-era history covers what's actually known about the island's past today, rather than repeating outdated stereotypes as fact.
Food and craft pieces make up a solid share of the blog: a Maui food guide covering Lahaina's dining strip and what a realistic plate lunch costs, a piece on Kula's farm stands and lavender fields, and a guide to the island's wildlife spots — which ones offer genuine encounters versus a standard snorkel stop with extra marketing, and what that trade-off means for crowds, calm and price. A best-time-to-visit piece pulls together the seasonal picture in one place: the dry season from May to October, the wetter months from November to April and humpback whale season, and hurricane season's storm risk traded against thinner crowds.
A safety and etiquette piece covers ordinary caution around ocean currents and reef safety, plus practical notes on the county's mineral-sunscreen rule and parking at trailheads. None of the blog content replaces the destination or guide pages — it's meant to be read for context and reassurance before or during a trip, answering the softer questions a strict itinerary or logistics guide doesn't cover.
Frequently asked questions about the Maui blog
Is booking a Haleakala sunrise reservation in advance worth it?
For a family set on watching sunrise from the summit, it usually is worth the advance reservation on recreation.gov; for a flexible traveler with no fixed itinerary, the real risk of missing out is much smaller and easy to work around with a daytime visit instead. The blog's dedicated piece walks through both scenarios in more detail.
Kaanapali or Wailea: where to stay?
Kaanapali sits closest to Lahaina's historic town and Front Street with the widest range of hotel dining, while Wailea offers calmer beaches near the resort strip and a shorter drive to Makena and the lava coast. Neither is clearly cheaper, so the right pick comes down to how much driving you want to do each day.
Why does Lahaina's history still draw so many visitors?
It was the historic capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, and even after the August 2023 fire, the surviving banyan tree and the town's ongoing rebuilding keep it central to Maui's identity. That combination of history and an active recovery is why it remains a meaningful stop for visitors who approach it with care rather than as a curiosity.
Which Maui spots are best for wildlife, not just swimming?
The Auau Channel between Maui, Lanai and Molokai is one of the most reliable places in the state to see humpback whales from December to April, while spots like Molokini lean more toward a simple, clear-water snorkel from a boat. The blog's wildlife guide explains which is which before you book anything.
What's the safest way to handle Maui's ocean currents?
Check the color-coded ocean safety flags and any lifeguard warnings posted at the beach before swimming, since rip currents and shorebreak strength vary by beach and by season - Big Beach in Makena is a known example. The same caution extends to reef safety - mineral, zinc-based sunscreen since the county bans oxybenzone and octinoxate products, and no standing on or touching coral while swimming or snorkeling.
Road to Hana tours on GetYourGuide
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GetYourGuide does not provide a product photo for this activity — the image shows the meeting point, photographed by us.
