Unreal Hawaii....Fabulous Maui

Aloha!

Vacations are like parties, you have lots of fun that can take a toll on the body and require time to recover from. A vacation in Hawaii, though all about pleasure, can be a recovery of your senses, leaving you with a feeling of rejuvenation.

Hawaii is one of my favorite travel destinations in the States. I just love the weather there, the water, the sun, blue sky, the powdery sand and much much more. Hawaii has something to offer everyone.

We went to Hawaii and December when the bay area tech industry has a shutdown and we are lead to a forced 2 weeks holiday.Well, I would take it any day :) and go on a vacation. So, this time we decided to go to Hawaii. It was a good time to explore Hawaii but you will have to shell out quite a few for this time of the year. But, let em tell you Hawaii is totally worth it.

We were in Maui for a week and would say "Maui is a paradise". It has pristine beaches, great resorts, good food and wonderful weather. We stayed at Kanapalli beach in Maui and it was heavenly. You step out of your room and hit the beach, what more do you what on a Hawaiian vacation...truly bliss.

We did a road trip to Hana and it was pretty awesome. It was an adventure in itself. Hana is a rainforest and has great waterfalls, nature pit-stops. You'll get some nice local food on the way, banana bread is sold at local shops which was yummilicious. The black pebble beach and the red sand beach are unique, my 7 month old loved the blow holes and lava cones. He just loved the waves when they hit the blow hole creating a fountain...sounds exciting isn't it?

Kanapalli is the most well known and touristy beach in Maui. But I would recommend to explore other beaches as well. They are all beautiful. Most beaches in Hawaii do not have lifeguard stations—but many do. Although lifeguards won't want to engage in long conversations with visitors, don't be afraid to ask them about conditions. That's what they are there for.

We went to Haleakala summit to see the sunrise. Locals recommended to witness the sunrise or sunset from there. So, Haleakala is a dormant volcano, you drive up to the crater to see the sunrise/sunset. It is just beautiful. We got up at 2am at night to travel all the way up to the volcano to 10,000ft to see the sunrise. While we were waiting in the parking lot(please note: parking is limited there, so reach early if you want to get a spot) there was a sudden storm and came a big cloud cover. And all of a sudden everything was invisible. There was no chance to see the sun rising above the crater. I would say it was just sheer luck. Anyways, we tried to get a few glimpses when the cloud cover went away.

We attended Luau and saw the traditional Hawaiian dance performance called Hula. I tried Hula dancing and just loved it. At the Luau they greet you with garlands and drinks in a traditional way. I liked it, you'll feel that you are in Hawaii.

What else? Just don't miss the sunset at any beach or Lahaina while you are in Hawaii, its beautiful. I saw the sun setting each day of my stay and just stare at it for hours sitting on the beach.