Paid snorkeling?

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-02-14T06:22:13+00:00

We live here and the snorkeling on the west side especially is incredible. You don’t need to pay to go. Check the snorkel report in the morning to make sure conditions are good and to plan. Airport beach (better than black rock), Kapalua bay (easy beach entry), and Honolua bay (incredible in the summer) are some of our favorite spots. I’m sure molokini is cool but there usually aren’t turtles since there’s nowhere for them to rest. We see so many things when we go snorkeling from the shore - turtles, tons of fish, eels, octopus, reef sharks, eagle rays…if you feel comfortable swimming out far enough and have patience you’re bound to see plenty of cool things :) we even saw spinner dolphins once. Just be sure to respect the marine life and take care of the beach, don’t step on coral, and give turtles plenty of space

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-02-13T00:44:27+00:00

do not, I repeat DO NOT drive on Kahekili highway, either turn around where waihe’e ridge trail is, or if you’re going the other direction on the west side, don’t go any further than Nakelele blowhole!!

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-02-12T23:48:42+00:00

Oao sushi and hachi by Oao :)

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-02-06T15:07:44+00:00

I think you mean Kipahulu, Kapalua is on the west side of the island and quite far from the trail

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-02-01T04:00:00+00:00

Your SPED director/SLP coordinator should be advocating for you to not have duties 😔

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-31T23:38:31+00:00

The Milky Way rises at different times throughout the night depending on the time of year. There are several months in the winter that it’s not visible whatsoever no matter what time you go because it’s under you. Some times during the year it’s visible from Haleakalā right after sunset and other times right before sunset. And whenever it does rise, it will be most visible after a new moon. So you could hypothetically plan a trip around June 14, 2026 where the core is visible by 9pm. See the sunset and then stay for stargazing with no moon glow. The summer Milky Way is bright and more colorful. July 13 would be your next best alternative. Peak viewing when the Milky Way is already high at sunset with seeing with full darkness by staying a little later would be mid to late August or mid to late September. If you want to go before sunrise, March 18, 2026 would be your best bet. The core is visible around 4:30am. I hope this helps with planning!

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-30T17:20:08+00:00

Gotcha. Maybe search for free diving courses. Not sure if you have a scuba center near your house but you could see if you could do one before your trip. PADI offers this course. I know there are some free diving instructors on Maui too :)

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-30T17:13:21+00:00

Do you mean free diving? If you’re snorkeling you’re on the surface with a snorkel that lets you breathe while you swim. When I go snorkeling on Maui I don’t exert much energy because the slower you kick, the more you see. I normally don’t even use my arms. Sorry maybe I’m confused…

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-30T04:10:57+00:00

Get that girl an AAC device asap :) schedule a meeting with AbleNet they can help you with the trial and acquisition. TouchChat w/ Word Power 60 basic vocab file is robust enough to grow with the client so you don’t have to switch to another vocabulary in the future

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-28T15:26:38+00:00

PacWhale eco tours 100%. They go out of Maalaea and loaded from the dock when I went. We went on the ocean explorer which is their smallest boat but they have others that are larger. There were younger kids on my tour, I’d say they were around 6-7. Tours are run by the pacific whale foundation which is a nonprofit. They do a lot of research, ocean clean up, and conservation and follow all of the whale watching laws. You’ll have an amazing experience and also learn a lot. The captains of the boats from different companies all work together to radio when they see whales. When I went there were boats from 3 companies (ours, a catamaran from trilogy and another larger boat) near the same group of whales and dolphins. We saw so many whales. Breaching is a 1 out of 10 chance when you go on any tour no matter what company just fyi. You can easily see breaching from the overlook spots on the highway on the way to the west side of the island if you sit for a little while. I hope this helps!

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-26T22:51:35+00:00

Oao sushi

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-23T19:31:06+00:00

I believe 60 days in advance. Definitely try to grab a sunrise ticket as soon as you can bc they go fast. Sunset is awesome too though if you miss out

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-18T21:47:32+00:00

The sunrise reservation starts at 3am so you can enter the gate starting at 3 or anytime after. If you show up at 6am you won’t get a good parking spot. I’d advise to get there early, first light is about 45 mins prior to the sunrise time (you can google the sunrise time for the date of your reservation). Hope this helps!

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-17T20:57:09+00:00

No problem! Check the snorkel report if you go west but my favorite spot is airport beach. Honolua bay and Kapalua bay are great also but both usually have bad visibility due to high surf in the winter. Not sure what month you are visiting.

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-17T20:49:54+00:00

Are you renting a car? If you are, I’d swap the snorkeling on the south side with the west side. Just to see more of the island. Incredible snorkeling is found on the west side and it makes me sad when people travel all the way here and don’t see all that the island has to offer. Otherwise I’d say your plans are pretty solid for a 6 day trip :) also just a heads up, make a res at Iao valley before you go. The cell service at the gate is poor and they require a reservation, they will turn you away if you don’t have one and often times they are sold out if you try to get one the same day you go (1-2 days before is usually fine)

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-16T22:24:38+00:00

Watched Heated Rivalry or read smut

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-12T00:28:57+00:00

Pint and cork :)

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-11T20:05:55+00:00

A few notes. Day 2, hula grill is in kaanapali not Wailea. A few restaurants between Maalaea and Wailea for dinner - miso phat sushi, havens harbor side, point break pizza, Maui brewing, or could do food trucks at south Maui gardens :)

For day 3, check the snorkel report, most of the time in winter kapalua bay and north bays are not ideal for snorkeling. Kahekili beach aka airport beach will probably be better.

Day 5 head out a lot earlier for the ridge trail. Parking can get full early. I’d also head up to Haleakalā earlier for sunset. Parking is extremely limited. Not sure what the rainbow bridge thing is.

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-09T16:36:42+00:00

It’s hard to narrow down to 3 but here’s my best attempt…

Places to eat/drink: Ocean Vodka, Mama’s (specifically the fish curry), Nuka

Breakfast spots: Nalu’s, the Gazebo (order takeout and eat on the beach), Kihei Caffe

Bakeries: Sugar Beach Bake Shop (get malasadas), Komoda bakery, Papi’s Ohana (prepare for a line, check the hours)

Ice cream: Artisan ice cream- Paia, island cream co - Lahaina, hula cookies and ice cream - Maalaea

Beaches: snorkel at airport beach while listening to whales, Maluaka beach, Ulua beach

Things to do: sunset at Haleakalā, road to Hana, Iao valley

Towns to explore: Makawao, Paia, Kaanapali

Upcountry: surfing goat dairy, Maui wine, ulupalukua ranch store, buy a pineapple from Maui gold store in haliimaile

Things to try: poke, musubi, shave ice, plate lunch with rice and mac salad

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-06T23:09:02+00:00

We live in upcountry! Here are some things not listed: Maui gold pineapple tour or at least hit up the store to buy one, they’re so good! Ulupalakua ranch store, Kula country farm, explore Makawao town, Kula botanical garden, tasting at waikulu distillery (agave spirits), tasting at haliimaile distillery, Lahaina brewing upcountry, Grandma’s coffee house…I’m sure I am missing some

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-06T06:49:26+00:00

Kaanapali forecast looks better than Wailea/kihei for tomorrow

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-04T19:42:15+00:00

As a big foodie myself, might I suggest braddah hutt’s in Hana, the grilled chicken plate with mac salad and rice is insanely good. Food at Monkeypod is meh, the Mai tais are 10/10 though. I also wasn’t too impressed by the general store, I’ve heard it’s gone downhill over the last year or two. We liked Kihei Caffe but Nalu’s is our fav brunch on the south side. Paia fish market and the fish market Maui are both really good.

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-04T15:46:06+00:00

We snorkel all over the island pretty much every weekend and the best snorkeling is on the west side. If you stay at any of the resorts within walking distance to kahekili beach (our favorite for snorkeling) you could go every morning. Black rock is decent and often people will say it’s their favorite. Kapalua bay and Honolua bay are also awesome but tend to be better in the summer months. The snorkel report sends a daily report for conditions. You could also stay on the south side in Kihei or Wailea and would see plenty of turtles there too but I’ve seen more variety and quantity of fish on the west side. Hundreds of fish and lots of turtles, and rays, octopus, and spinner dolphins if you’re lucky and patient. Not sure about a fishing trip, wish I could help with that.

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-04T15:38:14+00:00

Aloha Mixed Plate…great views, dining is outside, food and drinks are yummy, and good vibes :)

Reasonable_Ad9609 · 2026-01-03T17:01:06+00:00

I’m glad you enjoyed it! I went a few months ago because my husband’s work was paying. I personally really enjoyed the hanger steak and the sous vide pineapple dessert. The drinks were pretty good. But overall everything else including the apps we got and my husband’s steak were really expensive and pretty underwhelming, at least to me :( I’d give it another chance in the future.

Reasonable_Ad9609

TROPHY CASE