{"id":6702,"date":"2015-06-08T09:27:57","date_gmt":"2015-06-08T13:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mayahoodblog.com\/?p=6702"},"modified":"2015-06-28T20:34:06","modified_gmt":"2015-06-29T00:34:06","slug":"maui-with-kids-what-to-see-and-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mayahoodblog.com\/maui-with-kids-what-to-see-and-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Maui with kids; what to see and do."},"content":{"rendered":"
Last month, my family embarked on an amazing trip to Hawaii. \u00a0It wasn’t our first time there. In fact, it was our fifth visit to what is known by many as ‘paradise on earth’. \u00a0What was new this time around was that we took all three kids along with us. That’s right… my husband and I were When we traveled to Maui for the first time five years ago, I wrote about our experience in Maui with Baby<\/a>. \u00a0Since we were back with three kids, I thought it would be a good time to write an updated post as we embarked on some new experiences this time around (although we did stay at Kahana Sunset<\/a> again).<\/p>\n Kahana Sunset Resort: Top three pictures were taken using the EFFECTS mode. Top left: Miniature Effect, Top & Middle Right: Selective Colour<\/p><\/div>\n I’ll also be sharing a lot of pictures from our adventure as part of my #NikonMOMents Ambassadorship program. \u00a0I only trust my Nikon DSLR D3300 camera to take amazing pictures without issues. \u00a0That’s why I’ve take a Nikon DSLR camera with me each time we’ve traveled to Hawaii. This time around, I got to play around with my new telephoto 55 – 300mm\u00a0lens and I was able to capture some amazing pictures. Next time we go though, I need to figure out how to make my Nikon DSLR water proof!<\/p>\n Here are some of the highlights of our trip:<\/p>\n When we entered “Hana” on the GPS, it stated that the drive is about 2 hours long. \u00a0What the GPS doesn’t account for is all of the stopping that you will be doing along the way. \u00a0The one-lane, windy road is probably one of the most spectacular drives you will ever take. \u00a0Mountains and lush forest on one side, and beautiful cliffs and the ocean on the other. We were oohing and aahing at every turn.<\/p>\n Most guides list several points along the road where you can stop, hike, take pictures and explore. Our first stop was at the twin falls. \u00a0Just a few kilometers into the drive, it’s one of the only well-marked spots along the road and it’s probably also the busiest. \u00a0A good 20 minute walk through the forest ends at the beautiful falls.<\/p>\n I took these two contrasting pictures of the falls using Guide mode. Under advanced operation, I selected “show water flowing”. The faster the shutter speed, the less blur.<\/p><\/div>\n We took our second stop at a little beach inlet along the road called Honomanu Bay where the sand was volcanic black. We enjoyed a lovely picnic lunch here.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I was able to capture this picture while I was in the moving car.<\/p><\/div>\n Our last stop before Hana was at Ke’anae Peninsula. This is a great little town to stop and get out of your car and stretch your legs. \u00a0The views of the volcanic rocks in the ocean are breathtaking, especially when the water hits them creating a big spray. \u00a0Kyle and I had fun walking all around the rock formation in the ocean and exploring the area.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hana itself didn’t have much to offer in terms of sightseeing so we continued to the Seven Sacred Pools located in ‘Ohe’o Gulch. \u00a0Unfortunately, the water levels were high, so the pools were closed off for swimming. After quick walk on the trail, we headed back to the car to make our trek back home.<\/p>\n We probably made three stops on our drive and the entire drive took us 12 hours return. \u00a0Insane, right? Worth it? Totally! However, the trip itself is better suited for adults or older kids. \u00a0The drive is long and the turns can even make the best of us\u00a0car sick.<\/p>\n If you want to get up close and personal with all of the wondrous sea creatures who call Maui’s ocean their home, you have several options. You can go to the Maui Ocean Center,<\/a> located on the North shore, go snorkeling on one of the many snorkeling tours (there is one that gives you the option to snorkel while your kids stay entertained on board if they’re too young to join) or you can go out on\u00a0a glass bottom boat. The two most popular options for the bottom glass boat are the Atlantis Submarine and the Reef Dancer. \u00a0The more popular option is the Submarine but your kids needs to be at least 3 feet tall to go on the boat and everyone must be able to walk down a flight of stairs independently. \u00a0The other (and more affordable) option is the Reef Dancer<\/a>; which is what we did (kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult).<\/p>\n The hour long tour takes you out into the ocean along a huge reef. Scuba divers swim along beside the boat and bring up a variety of sea life to the glass window to be viewed up close and personal. \u00a0The bottom of the boat is\u00a0kept at a cool temperature and you’re able to access the top of the boat at anytime. \u00a0The kids loved this little expedition and it was a great way for them to see first hand what the ocean world looks like.<\/p>\n If your’e looking for an easy hike and beautiful scenery to enjoy with your family, take a trip to central Maui’s Iao Valley State Park where you will get to see the iconic\u00a01,200-foot Iao Needle. While the needle-like lush mountain is spectacular, so is the valley surrounding it.<\/p>\n We spent a good hour plus in here just enjoying a leisurely hike and playing with the rocks near the stream.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you’re looking to explore a town in Maui, I would recommend heading over to Lahaina. \u00a0One of the oldest towns in Maui, the streets are now filled with art galleries, a variety of\u00a0stores, boutiques and some great restaurants overlooking the ocean.<\/p>\ncrazy<\/del> brave enough to travel with three kids under the age of five for 12 hours on two different flights to a time zone that is six hours behind all in the name of beach, sun and fun. Believe it or not, it was an amazing trip and the flight was much better than expected. While we initially thought we’d be itching to return home after a long vacation with the kids, we were pleasantly surprised with our overall experience. On our last day there we even commented on how we wished we were staying longer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The Road to Hana<\/h3>\n
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Observing Maui’s Sea Life<\/h3>\n
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Iao Valley<\/h3>\n
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Exploring Historic\u00a0Towns<\/h3>\n
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