Once again, credit card points were a good option for us while traveling in Hawaii.
The hotel was a fair drive from the airport, but the scenery was interesting on the way. Much drier and rockier than expected but lush, beautiful plants wherever there was water. The hotel was at a beautiful location looking over the channel to Moloka’i. The grounds were gorgeous, including several resident swans. And surprisingly, resident South African penguins? Who also need entertainment…
We skipped the luau/ fire twirling dancing show due to budget-constraints. We mostly avoided eating out, but we did splurge on a food truck on the recommendation from one of the hotel employees. After driving into town and down a side street we’d never have picked, we found the food truck parked at what must be its stable location, as there were several picnic tables and an awning. It was the best poke I’ve ever had. It may have been the best sub-$20 meal I’ve ever eaten.
Snorkeling
There was snorkeling off the beach at the hotel, but the gentleman renting the snorkel gear said he went snorkeling every day and shared some better nearby spots with us for the current weather. The first spot was still a little exposed with the wind, limiting visibility and making difficult swimming conditions. The second spot however was incredible. While much more developed and ringed by condos, the public beach access led to a protected cove with clear water to about 15-20 feet deep. There were plentiful fish of many colors. And we encountered one curious (or possibly just bored) sea turtle.
Sunsets
The sunsets did not disappoint either.
Manta Rays
We also went out at night to snorkel with manta rays. We went with a group that had about 12 people paddling a traditional racing canoe. After we paddled out of the harbor, the guide anchored and put our lights. There were several other tour groups in the area. It didn’t take long for the manta rays to start showing up. We then put on our masks and helf on to a railing on the canoe while the rays swam around below the canoe. It was really neat to see them glide through the water. Even though the guide said these were not the largest he’s seen, they were still enormous (about 8-10 feet wingspan). I couldn’t get any good pictures without a strobe or other supplemental light.
We did not make it to Hana, but we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Maui (aside from the heat). The snorkeling was fantastic and easy to find. The poke was tasty and fresh. Maui was less crowded than Honolulu. Everyone liked our time here. It was Little Koi’s favorite part of the Hawaiian leg of the journey. But, we must move on… to the Big Island.
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