Wailea Beach Resort
With so many things to do in Maui, it can feel like you need to rush—but instead, embrace life on island time.
As soon as I arrived on the island of Maui in Hawaii, I was living life on island time. I put everything else on pause, took my time arriving to each destination and tried to truly live in the moment, soaking in the beauty of the tropical Hawaiian island around me.
After spending two days on Ka’anapali Beach, I was ready to explore more of the wonderful island, with so many things to do in Maui. My husband and I packed our bags and headed south to Wailea Beach, and found ourselves loving the luscious greenery and laid-back vibe of the area.
WAILEA BEACH RESORT
Wailea Beach Resort
As we drove up to Wailea Beach Resort, we followed a long path lined with beautiful trees, tropical flowers and wild chickens—a common sight in Hawaii. Following the greenery led us to the outdoor lobby of Wailea Beach Resort, where we were welcomed warmly with cold glasses of Hawaiian POG juice—equal parts passion, orange and guava juices—and floral leis.
Wailea Beach Resort
We walked a short distance to our room, which we entered using a handy waterproof room key bracelet, and we were pleasantly surprised by what we saw. ‘Aloha’ was written on the bed to welcome us using beautiful plumeria flowers, the same flowers used in our leis, and there was a large outdoor-indoor window that led to a spacious patio with a direct view of the sparkling ocean. Beyond the incredible view, the accommodations were modern, clean and complete with ocean-inspired decor.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: FEEL THE ALOHA SPIRIT IN KA’ANAPALI, MAUI | HAWAII TRAVEL GUIDE
Following the greenery led us to the outdoor lobby of Wailea Beach Resort, where we were welcomed warmly with cold glasses of Hawaiian POG juice—equal parts passion, orange and guava juices—and floral leis.
Wailea Beach Resort
Wailea Beach Resort is home to the longest water slide in Hawaii, and that was our first mission to tackle when we arrived at the resort. We found the slide at one of the property’s three large pools, and it was just as exhilarating as we had expected. As we walked to the pool we saw an impeccably detailed sand sculpture.
After enjoying some pool time, we made our way to the star attraction—the beach. There were two excellent beaches next to the resort that we walked to, and we even saw a sea turtle swimming next to us as we floated in the crystal clear water.
Wailea Beach Resort
SHOPS AT WAILEA
Just a short walk from Wailea Beach Resort are the Shops at Wailea, the premier shopping mall in the area with more than 70 shops, luxury brand names, art galleries and excellent dining.
Shutterstock
We spent time browsing the incredible artwork in the galleries there, enjoying the tantalizing smell of freshly-made waffle cones from Lappert’s Hawaii wafting through the air. I loved spending time at the Shops at Wailea so much that we made more than one trip to the shops during our stay.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: BILLIONAIRE ISLAND | WHY LANAI SHOULD BE YOUR NEXT HAWAIIAN VACATION SPOT
TE AU MOANA LU’AU
Wailea Beach Resort
If you’re looking for things to do in Maui, one of the best ways to learn about the culture of the Hawaiian people is by attending a lu’au. We couldn’t miss the opportunity to experience the thoughtfully prepared Te Au Moana Lu’au at Wailea Beach Resort. Te Au Moana translates to “the ocean tide,” which is what connects the Hawaiian islands and people.
We were assigned a table in the back, giving us a full view of the traditional dance and song. Drinks were unlimited with our tickets, so we helped ourselves to tasty mai tais and lava flows from the bar before the show began, making small talk with the other two couples at our table. As the lu’au progressed, we were treated to a delicious three-course Hawaiian meal, served family style at our table.
ROAD TO HANA
One of the most highly recommended things to do in Maui is to take the all-day journey that is the road to Hana. Known for its dangerous cliffside roads, we decided to call in the experts and use a 5-star local tour service to travel the road to Hana.
Offering both private tours and group tours, Dynamic Tour Maui gave us the best immersive experience of the east side of Maui. They picked us up directly from Wailea Beach Resort, and we began our journey. Our tour guide, Malia, was very comfortable driving on the winding road and shared interesting historical facts about the island as we drove. We had several opportunities to get out and explore, including at a dazzling black sand beach where we had lunch.
After exploring Hawaii and all that Wailea has to offer, we slept soundly listening to the waves crashing just outside of our window.
©2023 ICONIC - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
