The Privateer 'Local's Guide' to Maui
September 20, 2023
Out of respect for the continued recovery efforts on Maui and our focus on supporting neighbors affected by the wildfires through The Makai Foundation, Privateer's presence at the AMOS conference this year is limited. While we are happy to welcome friends and partners attending the conference to our offices just down the road, we would also like to encourage all those visiting – not just for AMOS, but as the island rebuilds, all who come to support it economically – to patronize local businesses and discover all the natural beauty worth preserving.
With that in mind, the Privateer team got together to compile a 'local's guide' to the restaurants, hikes, and other destinations and things-to-do for all to enjoy.
Wailuku / Kahului
(“Central / Town”)
Restaurants & Food:
Cafe o Lei at The Millhouse
The Millhouse is situated at the foot of a luscious valley and surrounded by tropical gardens, and the historical tropical plantation! Inside, a genuine sugarcane train sits beside the bar, and every wall holds historical maps, pictures, and artifacts! Every mocktail and cocktail has a variety of island favorites – from lilikoi, to hibiscus, guava, li hing mui and Hawaiian chili pepper water! We recommend a spicy margarita with Hawaiian chili pepper water for a kick.
The dining area is indoor/outdoor with an unobstructed view of Maui’s inland tropical beauty. The base of a valley often has the most refreshing evening breezes, so pack a sweater and enjoy the onion soup if you get cold! Cafe O Lei is also locally and family owned, and the staff makes every night a celebration. PS - Don’t leave without the malasadas!
Miko’s
A local favorite and hidden gem filled with quirky charm and authentic Asian food. If you can handle spice, try the spicy tofu soup!
Other places to visit include:
Brigit & Bernard’s Garden Cafe
Hikes:
This hike is a solid workout with stunning views of the West Maui mountains the whole way up, and a cool breeze once you get into the clouds. This is one of our engineer Matthew Lugo's favorite trails on Maui. If you enjoy dense rainforests and rich plant life, it’s completely worth your time. Plan 2-3 hours and start early in the day for the best experience. Don’t get scared by the steep incline at the start, it gets better!
Shopping Centers & Locations:
Maui Mall - Whole Foods, Regal Cinemas, Pure Barre, Fun Factory Arcade, Genki Sushi (Sushi on conveyor belts!), Baskin Robbins
Dairy Road Area - Target, Costco, Walmart
Destinations & Things-to-do:
‘Iao Needle/ ‘Iao Valley & Nature Center - ‘Iao Needle sits within a Valley of Mauna Kahalawai, or the “House of Water”, the summit of which (Pu’u Kukui) is one of the wettest places in the world, receiving an average of over 385 inches of rain a year. Much of this water flows through ‘Iao Valley.
The valley is historically significant, as this was the location of one of the fiercest battles fought in Hawaiian history, the Battle of Kepaniwai. This battle was between Kamehameha the Great of the Island of Hawaii and Kalanikupule of Maui, as the first major step to Kamehameha’s conquest and unification of the Hawaiian Islands. So bloody was this battle, that its name can be translated as “the Battle of the Damming of the Waters”, as the rivers were dammed with bodies of the fallen.
Now, the beautiful valley is home to the Heritage Gardens, which demonstrates the multicultural immigrant influence that Hawaii saw an influx of during the early 1900’s, when the economy shifted heavily into growing sugar cane. Additionally, there is a pleasant botanical garden to walk through, with native plants seated within view of the iconic ‘Iao Needle.
Alexander & Baldwin Sugar Museum
Beaches:
Kihei / Wailea
Restaurants & Food:
South Maui Gardens Food Truck Park
Ululani’s Shave Ice
Ululani’s is, in our opinion, the best shave ice you can find on Maui. For those who don’t know what shave ice is, it's essentially a snow cone but 1000x better. The ice is shaved extremely fine, giving it an almost airlike density. Coupled with the right combination of (many) flavors and with some toppings like mochi, sweetened condensed milk, or with some macadamia nut ice cream on the bottom, this is a treat that is perfect for a hot day.
The franchise is locally owned and operated, having started in Lahaina, but now with locations in Kahului and Kihei. If you find yourselves in these areas around the hottest part of the day, make sure you try this out!
Hikes:
Shopping Centers & Locations:
Destinations & Things-to-do:
Friday Town Parties (“Fourth Friday”)
Maui Fourth Friday is an outdoor pop-up night market that happens on a different side of the island each week. It’s a great way to spend your Friday evening — you’ll get to eat, watch live music, and support local retailers if you want to bring home a piece of Maui in the form of gifts or art. We recommend sampling food from a few different food trucks (they’re all great) and sticking around to see local bands perform.
This week during AMOS, Fourth Friday will be at Azeka Shopping Center in Kihei from 6-9 PM.
Beaches:
Kamaole Beach Park I, II, and III (“Kam 1, 2, 3”)
Makena Beach (“Big Beach”)
Ulua Beach
Great beach for all types of beach goers. There’s plenty of parking, and public showers for you to rinse off. Whether you prefer laying out on the sand under the sun, or snorkeling amongst the lava rock and reef structures, Ulua beach has it all.
There's a nice waterfront path above the beach that meanders below many of the resorts in Wailea, and through many other popular beaches. Definitely one of our favorite places to go for a dive before work.
Ma’alaea
Restaurants & Food:
Hikes:
Destinations & Things-to-do:
Maui Golf & Sports Park (Mini-golf)
Molokini Island (Snorkel Cruise)
Beaches:
Pa’ia / Haiku
Restaurants & Food:
Nuka (Sushi)
Choice Health Bar (Breakfast / lunch, vegan)
Better Things (Coffee shop / breakfast bites)
Cafe Des Amis (Curries, crepes)
Toby’s Poke & Shave Ice (Great poke / ahi salad)
Hikes:
Twin Falls
Beautiful waterfalls, deep pools for swimming and cliff jumping. Easy hiking through rainforest terrain.
Shopping Centers & Locations:
Central Pa’ia Town
Unique boutiques with an “island” feel. Artesan jewelry and local brands.
Beaches:
Ho’okipa Beach
Tons of turtles like to come nap on the far right side of the beach.
Baby Beach, Sprecklesville
Tends to get a bit windy here but great early in the morning. The outer reef structure has created a little “pool” area to swim in. Great for kids (hence the name)!
Pukalani / Makawao / Kula
(“Upcountry”)
Restaurants & Food:
Hikes:
Kahakapao Loop Trail
One of our favorites -- a 6-ish mile loop to trail run/walk. There are probably just as many people biking as hiking.
Not a typical "Hawaii style hike” as in no waterfalls, but you are up in the mountains so it’s a little cooler. It almost feels like you are in CA mountains. Great if it’s super hot, lots of pine and eucalyptus trees for shade. (Tends to be rainy/muddy in the winter so just check the weather/wear appropriate attire).
Shopping Centers & Locations:
Destinations & Things-to-do:
Friday Town Parties (“Third Friday”)
Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area
This is a beautiful area that offers both hiking and beautiful sunset watching, and there are even hunting opportunities for those that are extra adventurous. Feeling like you are too ‘low’ or overwhelmed? This is the place to get away from the business of some of the rest of the island, as it is situated at about 7,000 ft. and offers a road that goes up the side of Haleakala to nearly 8,500 ft.
We personally enjoy the top of Waipoli road the most, as it offers the best view of the sunset, as well as some of the other islands. There is also an abundance of wildlife up here including pigs, feral goats, axis deer, and lots of upland birds!
Haleakala
Hikes:
Haleakala Visitor Center Pu’u
Sunrise / sunset recommended!
Halemau’u Trail / Rainbow Bridge / Switchbacks
Hana
Restaurants & Food:
Hana Farms Roadside Stand, Pizza Oven and Bakery
The Restaurant at Hana-Maui Resort
Hikes:
Pipiwai Trail to Waimoku Falls
Destinations & Things-to-do:
‘Ohe’o Pools / Seven Sacred Pools
Beaches:
Waianapanapa (“Black Sand Beach”)
Editor's Note: We recognize the use of diacritical markings of the (modern) Hawaiian language including the ʻokina [ʻ] or glottal stop and the kahakō [ō] or macron (e.g., in place names of Hawaiʻi such as Lānaʻi). However, you may notice these diacritical markings have been omitted on some parts of this website to ensure the best online experience for our visitors. We recognize the importance of using these markings to preserve the language and culture of Hawaii and respectfully use them in all communications beyond the online platform. (Used respectfully from roadtohana.com)
