Ep. 155: Don’t Visit Maui for the First Time Without Knowing This

Don’t Visit Maui for the First Time Without Knowing This

[00:00:00] Introduction: Avoiding the Biggest Maui Vacation Mistake

[00:00:00] Bryan Murphy: In this episode, you’ll discover the single biggest mistake many people make that can ruin a Maui vacation and how you can avoid it. We’ll get into the details. Most travelers overlook from what to know about Lela’s recovery to the hidden costs that catch most people by surprise. So if you’re planning your first trip to Maui, you want to know what to skip, what to double check, and how to save yourself a lot of hassle.

[00:00:26] Bryan Murphy: Let’s go.

[00:00:30] Meet Your Host: Bryan Murphy

[00:00:30] Bryan Murphy: Aloha. Welcome to Hawaii’s Best. The podcast helping Travelers Plan an unforgettable Hawaii vacation with insider tips in featuring local voices. I’m Bryan Murphy, a husband Data three, and certified Hawaii destination expert. Each week I share local insights, travel tips, and up-to-date news, sometimes with guests across Hawaii and sometimes solo.

[00:00:52] Bryan Murphy: All to help you plan your next trip to Hawaii.

[00:00:58] Episode Overview: What to Expect in 2025

[00:00:58] Bryan Murphy: Aloha and welcome to episode 1 55 of Hawaii’s Best with schools starting to wind down in the US and people starting to look forward to summertime here in the Northern hemisphere. I know a lot of people who listen are in Australia and gearing up for winter, but here in the US we are getting ready for summer, and that means travel probably Hawaii for a lot of people.

[00:01:24] Bryan Murphy: And if you’re planning your first trip to Maui, well, you’re in the right spot because in today’s episode, you’ll discover why many visitors get caught off guard by Maui’s prices. I know we all know Maui can be expensive. Hawaii is expensive, but specifically Maui, so we’re gonna talk about that today.

[00:01:42] Bryan Murphy: Talking about which parts of the island are open, talking specifically about Lana and what to know if you’re gonna be staying on the west side, which a lot of people do on Maui, and also about how missing a small detail in your planning can seriously impact your experience. By the end of today’s episode, you’ll know if you’re making one of these common mistakes that many first time visitors make when heading to Maui.

[00:02:07] Bryan Murphy: And if you are, that’s totally fine. That’s why I’m putting this episode out so you know how to fix it. A lot of it is just being aware of what to know prior to visiting, just to get rid of some of those surprises so you can have a better sense of what to expect when visiting Maui. I’ve been to Hawaii many times.

[00:02:27] Bryan Murphy: I don’t know, 30 plus maybe I, I’ve lost track honestly, but it doesn’t really matter because I didn’t visit Maui until my first time was back in 2019. So. It’s only six years ago and I went with my wife and we recorded a bunch of podcasts there and I’ll link those below. We got to talk with the GM at Leilani’s on the beach, which is in Ka Poly.

[00:02:48] Bryan Murphy: We spent some time with the West End and had them on the podcast as well as Garrett, the CEO co-founder of Maui Brewing Company. Also got to spend some time in the Kova Valley with Uncle Elu from Maui Culture Lands, and all of those episodes, all link below, and all of those really impacted me in a personal level, especially that time working in the Kova Valley for the day.

[00:03:16] Bryan Murphy: Just that experience alone showed me. What makes Maui just so special. It’s, it’s not just about the beaches, which are beautiful and one of a kind, and the resorts. It’s really the culture and connection to the land. As I’m talking and I get, I’m getting chills, just remembering that moment. It was really a special, a special time, and I’ll link those episodes below.

[00:03:36] Bryan Murphy: You can probably hear my excitement in those four episodes. But today’s episode, we’re talking about your very first trip to Maui and what you need to know in 2025, not in 2019.

[00:03:48] Maui’s Recovery and Current State

[00:03:48] Bryan Murphy: And yes, we’re gonna talk about Laina. The town is definitely still recovering from the devastating fires. You’ll understand what’s open, what’s closed, because there are some things open if you’ve been listening to the show for a little bit.

[00:04:04] Bryan Murphy: We talked about some of the spots that are open to eat in Laina, as well as the luau there, so we’ll talk about that a little bit. But let’s get into what you need to know before booking your trip to Maui. Some of you probably already have that ticket, and that’s okay. I’m just gonna go over what’s to know some, A lot of people are planning, maybe they’re visiting later on this year, or maybe they’re looking at 2026.

[00:04:29] Best Times and Places to Visit in Maui

[00:04:29] Bryan Murphy: But really the best times to visit Maui are April through May and September through October. These are the shoulder seasons. It gives you really great weather, fewer visitors and better rates across the board from flights to hotels.

[00:04:45] Accommodation Tips: Where to Stay

[00:04:45] Bryan Murphy: Now, where do you stay? That depends on what kinda experience you want.

[00:04:48] Bryan Murphy: South Maui specifically KeHE Yle offer family friendly beaches and accommodations ranging from budget, condos to luxury resorts. You know, think the white lotus that was filmed over there in Yle. West Maui, like Ka Nepali. This is where we like to stay. And nli, that’s up more up up on the coast. Excellent resorts though Laina itself remains closed, it’s important to know that the areas past Laina are open.

[00:05:19] Bryan Murphy: If you want a quieter, more local experience, consider Upcountry Maui or the North Shore. There’s a a ton of options, but there are options, and they are available a little bit, maybe a little bit less expensive than those big resorts. Hotel rates in 2025 have averaged around $368 per night for my research.

[00:05:42] Bryan Murphy: While vacation rentals run about 333 substantially higher than continental US prices, so. Definitely wanna budget accordingly when I research those numbers. We’re doing a road trip here pretty quick going up the coast. We’re in Southern California, so we’re going to do a coast, just kind of a local trip for us this summer.

[00:06:02] Bryan Murphy: We’re paying about those prices just to stay at like a residence in. Marriott or a SpringHill Suites is about that 300. Pretty average. I mean, we’re in Southern California, so prices are a little bit less than Hawaii, but not by much.

[00:06:19] Lahaina Update: What’s Open and Closed

[00:06:19] Bryan Murphy: Anyway, Lana update as of May, 2025, Lana remains closed to visitors.

[00:06:26] Bryan Murphy: Unfortunately, there’s been. Some videos going around where visitors have snuck into some of the closed off areas, and its sounds weird even saying this, but they’ve been videoed taking charter items from Lena Homes, which is really an unfathomable to do that. So know that’s out there. The recovery is ongoing, it is slow.

[00:06:49] Bryan Murphy: If you’ve seen anything, it has been slow. Only 20 homes have been rebuilt as of now. That’s out of, you know, the 2000 or so that have been destroyed. Front Street, Liana Harbor and most cultural sites are still off limits. Access is restricted to residents, construction crews, and official personnel only.

[00:07:09] Bryan Murphy: Do not attempt to visit closed off areas. It’s really obvious what is closed. It’s not like a surprise. I’m sure you’re listening to this podcast. You already are a considerate, kind person that’s not gonna go into a closed it off area, like line and steal stuff. That’s, I, I still can’t believe that anyway.

[00:07:30] Bryan Murphy: The rest of Maui is open and like I said, there are spots in Laina. You’ll just need to do your due diligence when you’re there. There is old Lana Luau that has reopened. Star Noodle is another spot that is open now, and we talked about them on a previous episode about where to eat on Maui. I’ll link that below as well.

[00:07:49] Bryan Murphy: Just know the rest of Maui is open. Visitor numbers two, Maui still haven’t rebounded all the way so. Your support there is definitely welcomed, but I think that’s really all the update that I have on Lahaina.

[00:08:02] Must-Do Activities in Maui

[00:08:02] Bryan Murphy: Now, I wanna talk about the must do activities. Talked about, you know, what you want to put on the itinerary, what you wanna not worry about.

[00:08:11] Bryan Murphy: So let’s talk about some of that. Poly ALA National Park definitely should be on the top of that list, and the sunrise from the summit is amazing. I know you’ve probably seen those pictures, but it requires reservations made well in advance. So that’s one of the things you want to make sure you reserve prior to going and, and this, I would recommend doing the sunrise.

[00:08:31] Bryan Murphy: Your first day or second day, because a lot of people who are visiting from the continental US are three to, I think, six hours ahead of Hawaii time. So you’re gonna be waking up early, you’re gonna be waking up, you know, four o’clock, five o’clock or whatever, and it’s like, might as well get that sunrise in.

[00:08:50] Bryan Murphy: Our girls will wake up at, you know, 3:00 AM and it’s like, all right, well I guess we’re doing this plan for that. If you don’t get reservations for sunrise, go for sunset. Because the sunset is equally as beautiful on Holly Acala. The Road Ohana is definitely iconic and a lot of people go to Maui and do the road ohana.

[00:09:08] Bryan Murphy: It’s not just the drive, it’s it’s all day with amazing waterfalls, black sand, beaches. Rainforest hikes it. It’s just beautiful. One thing you want to make sure is you can’t rush this experience, so consider planning well in advance. Maybe this is another thing you do that first, second, maybe third day on your trip because you wanna wake up early, especially if you’re staying on the west side in Kana Poly.

[00:09:35] Bryan Murphy: It’s gonna be a drive all the way up north to just get to the start of road Ohana, there are people who. Say you shouldn’t drive the road Ohana. Maybe you should just do a certified guide. I would definitely recommend that, especially if you’re doing road Ohana for the first time. If you’re the one driving, it’s gonna be pretty stressful trying to do all the turns and making sure you’re not parking where you’re, you’re not supposed to be parking.

[00:10:00] Bryan Murphy: A guided tour that is vetted and legit. Is gonna be so much more enjoyable as far as being able to relax and take in the road to Hana. Take in East side of Maui and just all the stops because you’re gonna stop at all the same spots, but you’re not gonna have the headache of trying to find parking, making sure you’re parking in the right spot.

[00:10:21] Bryan Murphy: I actually did an episode all about that, and I’ll link that in the show notes below.

[00:10:27] Top Spots for Snorkeling and Beaches

[00:10:27] Bryan Murphy: If you love the ocean, you love snorkeling. Molokini Crater is one of the top spots to do that. This crescent shaped eyelet creates a natural aquarium with incredible visibility and diverse marine life. So book with a reputable company.

[00:10:42] Bryan Murphy: We’ve done stuff with four wins to Maui. Definitely would recommend looking at their tours, but there’s a lot of great companies out there. Four RINs to M. They also do a sunset cruise that we did, and it was just, it was beautiful. Had a hula performance, had great drinks, food, so look into them as an option.

[00:11:00] Bryan Murphy: Some of the best beaches. Also, you got Kana Poly on the west side, which offers common waters and resort amenities. McKenna Beach, which is Big Beach in South Maui, gives you that. Perfect postcard experience with fewer facilities, though, but more natural beauty.

[00:11:17] Cultural Experiences and Dining Recommendations

[00:11:17] Bryan Murphy: For some culture. You want to visit the Alii Lavender Farm or the Maui Wine in Upcountry.

[00:11:24] Bryan Murphy: Also up there is ocean vodka. They have a, an experience there too. Now, where to eat? We covered so much. My friend Liza Pierce and I, we covered so much on a two part series on where to eat on Maui, so I’m just gonna give you a few of those spots. But also I wanna encourage you to go back and listen to those episodes.

[00:11:47] Bryan Murphy: Really Maui’s food scene can be budget friendly to extravagant ’cause there’s tons of food trucks to consider, which are budget friendly. But for special occasions, mama’s Fish House, you can’t beat it. It’s one of those spots, but you gotta have reservations. You gotta make months in advance. So if you’re on island.

[00:12:06] Bryan Murphy: And you didn’t get reservations, your best bet would be to go for lunch because lunch is gonna be a bit easier to get in than dinnertime. For a local plate lunch experience, I definitely would recommend Tin Roof and Caja Lui. You’ll love it there, amazing food, but also don’t miss that on farmer’s markets for fresh produce and prepared foods for fraction of restaurant prices.

[00:12:29] Travel Logistics and Budgeting Tips

[00:12:29] Bryan Murphy: Now when it comes to travel logistics and budgeting, you. Definitely want to budget for to run a car. Public transportation is limited on Maui and ride shares are expensive and not always available. Book your rental months in advance. Cars regularly sell out during peak seasons. If you’re staying on Maui for, I would say more than a week, so maybe like 10, 14 days, look into some inner island flights and do some PU hopping, and those are always worth the time because each island has its own completely different.

[00:13:01] Bryan Murphy: Experiences a short hop over from Maui to the big island. Is a quick flight and you can do, you know, volcanoes, national Park. You can do all that within a day and fly back over to Maui. Now for accommodations, consider condos over hotels. If you’re staying more than a few days, the kitchen will help you save some money on meals and you’ll often get more space for less money on a certified condo.

[00:13:26] Bryan Murphy: I also did an episode on. How to vet your vacation rental, and I’ll link that below too because there are some shady practices out there, especially in Hawaii. You also wanna book activities well before your trip. So think you know, helicopter tours, Lou owls and whale watching cruises, which are. Usually between December and April to get some whale watching done.

[00:13:49] Bryan Murphy: Those fill up fast though. You want to make sure you book those top activities. If you don’t wanna do any of those, then that’s totally fine. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we go without any reservations and we just see where the day takes us and you know, maybe we have like a little short list of what we want to do, but for the most part, there’s so much to experience, so much natural beauty, especially in Maui.

[00:14:12] Bryan Murphy: That if you don’t have any reservations for any of those tours, there’s still so much to do. Or maybe your budget is tight and you’re not able to do those types of tours this time around, you’re not going to feel like you’re missing out on on a lot. There’s, there’s, there’s so much more that you can explore and not.

[00:14:30] Bryan Murphy: Break the bank because you don’t wanna get back home and like look at that credit card bill and like was it all worth it? So it’s okay to skip those tours this time around, but maybe choose one of ’em if you’re able to.

[00:14:42] Packing Tips and Final Thoughts

[00:14:42] Bryan Murphy: When it comes to packing, the best tip I have for packing is don’t overpack. I remember my first few times visiting Hawaii, you know, some 20 some years ago, packed so much stuff and you’re like, you barely use any of it because the weather.

[00:14:55] Bryan Murphy: Pretty much stays the same. Sometimes you’ll get wet, so maybe you have a light jacket, but just don’t overpack. You want to make sure you pack that reef, say sunscreen. Or if you don’t have reef, say sunscreen, just buy sunscreen in Hawaii because then you know it is legal and legit, because there are some banned chemicals that are in most sunscreens.

[00:15:15] Bryan Murphy: Those are banned in Hawaii. So there’s Costco, there’s Target, though it does come at a higher price. Well, I can’t wait for you to visit Maui, and it’s such a special place. I really want to recommend again looking into Maui cultural lands with Elu Lindsay, they actually lost their home in the Laina fire.

[00:15:38] Bryan Murphy: They just have such a huge heart and such a giving heart. They provide opportunities for visitors to volunteer for the day in the Kova Valley, and it’s such a beautiful place. You gotta trek down into the valley and it’s some labor intensive, but if you’re able, it is such a great experience just to connect with E Colu and Ani.

[00:16:01] Bryan Murphy: So I can’t recommend them enough. We’ve actually have had. Listeners of the podcast reached back out to me and saying that they’d experienced a time in the valley and how amazing it was. Look up my buddy Garrett over at Maui Brewing Company. I say he was my buddy. He was a huge help during the whole Lana Crisis.

[00:16:21] Bryan Murphy: I. He was boots on the ground and he was on weekly on the podcast during that time, giving updates how people can support during that time. So a big shout out to Garrett Morero for that and his heart. And congratulations. He’s expecting his first kid. I saw that. So Garrett, if you’re listening, congratulations Ben.

[00:16:39] Conclusion: Live with Aloha

[00:16:39] Bryan Murphy: For more detailed planning tips or resources, you can check out the show notes or go to our website, hawaii’s best travel.com. If you found today’s episode helpful, make sure you hit Follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss the next one. And then till next time, my friend as always, live with Aloha.

[00:17:01] Bryan Murphy: Mala for listening to this episode of Hawaii’s. Best to stay up to date on future episodes. Hit follow on your podcast app. Hawaii’s Best is a production of shore break media group with editing by easy podcast solutions and music courtesy of our friends. Stick figure.