MAUI WOWS ALL AGES
Warm sunshine, jaw dropping sunsets and endless beaches make it easy to harness the aloha spirit
As the beat of the drums quickens the dancers’ pace accelerates and the stage bursts into a frenzied swirl of fire. Sitting in the front row I can see the reflection of flames in my daughter’s wide eyes. Mesmerized by the troupe of fire-knife dancers, her body moves with the rhythm. When the Luau’s final performance ends, she pleads to go on stage and dance for the audience. An encore of sorts. Using artful negotiation, we manage to dissuade her. But a seed has been planted and she is as in love with the Aloha State as her parents.
The Westin Maui’s Wailele Polynesian Luau in Kaanapali is the best I’ve been to and a total win with kids. We booked preferred seating, which put us closer to the stage, but from what I can see there isn’t a bad seat in the house. Free-flowing Mai Tais and wine and a buffet to please the pickiest of palates complement the stage spectacle.
Hawaii is brilliant for kids — whether you go high end, budget conscious or somewhere in between. Warm sunshine, jaw dropping sunsets, endless beaches and an array of restaurants and accommodation choices make for an easy, laid back holiday. Maui in particular holds a special place in my heart as I married my husband on a secluded beach here five years ago. We recently returned for the first time since our wedding with our feisty, three-and-a-half-yearold daughter and it didn’t take her long to harness the aloha spirit.
Our trip began in west Maui at the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas. We chose the property for its beachfront location, familyfriendly resort amenities and fully-equipped suites. When travelling I appreciate the convenience of having an in-suite kitchen and laundry facilities. With three restaurants and grocery stocking services, the Westin is the best of both worlds. Add in a spa, Kid’s Club, splash pools and shaded playground, and you have the makings of a perfect family vacation. We travelled with friends and took full advantage of the outdoor barbecues for most of our meals. The resort is also connected to the shops and restaurants at Whalers Village by a scenic oceanfront boardwalk, which we wandered along almost every day.
The historic seaside town of Lahaina is just a short drive from Ka’anapali and well worth a visit. Stop by Ululani’s on Front Street for a Hawaiian shave ice and enjoy it in Banyan Court Park, beneath the shade of a sprawling banyan tree the size of a city block. For a family-friendly ocean adventure, book a tour with Atlantis Submarines in Lahaina. You’ll sink more than 36 metres to see some of Maui’s incredible marine life. Highlights of our trip included reef sharks, sting rays, an octopus and barracuda and of course SpongeBob SquarePants strapped to the side of a sunken ship.
Another way to get up close and personal with Hawaii’s underwater world is at the Maui Ocean Center, which we visited en route to Wailea. Stingrays, jellyfish, baby green sea turtles, six species of sharks and a plenty of native tropical fish are some of the ocean creatures you’ll see. Our daughter loved getting her hands wet in the Tide Pool and was utterly mesmerized by the sharks swimming above her head in the Open Ocean exhibit’s walk-through tunnel.
Our final days were spent beachcombing in South Maui. We first checked into the Fairmont Kea Lani, where every room is a large one-bedroom ocean view suite with balcony, so you enjoy a spectacular view while the kids are napping. The ocean was a bit rough to swim in during our stay, but our daughter was more than happy to build sandcastles, hunt for treasure on the beach and then cool off in the pool. The Fairmont’s Ko Restaurant features one of our favourite happy hours on Maui, and children under five dine for free at all of the hotel’s restaurants.
Another resort our family adores is the Grand Wailea, where we spent the majority of our time floating around the Canyon Activity Pool. Its name, however, doesn’t quite do it justice, as there are actually nine pools connected by waterslides, a lazy river, white water rapids and waterfalls.
For my husband and I, the highlight of our stay — and perhaps even the trip — was the Grand’s Humuhumunukunukuapua’a. Over the years we’ve eaten at a lot of restaurants on Maui and Humu is by far the pinnacle. We dined at sunset, watching tropical fish swim in a picturesque salt water lagoon. The food, atmosphere and service were pure perfection. As with most Maui resort restaurants, children are welcome, but given the romantic setting I recommend taking advantage of the Kid’s Club.
If you seek a lower priced, beachfront property in South Maui, the all-suite Hale Pau Hana on Kamole Beach Park II in Keihi is a fantastic option. The friends whom we travelled with stayed here with their 10-month old and loved the convenience. Book a renovated ground-floor suite for ocean views and easy access to the large stretch of sandy beach.
The trip was hosted by the Hawaiian Tourism Authority. No one from the tourism authority read or approved of this article before publication.