Maui Coast to Coast

Maui, West

The first thing our kids see at the Maui airport is a pair of chickens skittering across the Budget parking lot. (“Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to Avis!”) There’s just something about landing in Hawaii that brings a smile to one’s face. We’ve got just four days to cover the entire island, from the westernmost tip to the easternmost, so no time for joking around—we’re off!

Forty-five minutes up the coast (and several whale sightings later) we pull into the Ritz Carlton Kapalua, a property of gentle rolling hills and views into the countryside, dunes and Pacific Ocean. True, it’s high whale season in mid-February, but the show is still spectacular.

Our first meal, taken at the plein-air lobby bar, is a martini glass of ahi tuna poke, almost fluorescent pink, with black sesame and tree seaweed harvested from the Big Island. Sublime. Our suite with ocean views is incredibly private and luxurious and, although there is a cold front passing through, we enjoy whale watching from the private lanai.

With kids safely enrolled in a beachcombing camp (the Jean-Michel Cousteau-designed children’s program—yes, that’s Jacques’ grandson—has them learning all about ocean ecology) we play tennis and relax around the pool. Later, we team up for a family game of soccer on the new pitch, with a gold soccer ball and a five-year-old goal tender, no less. Kites, basketball, even lacrosse is available for guests, and we take full advantage. When the rainstorm hits we turn to the two massive 55-inch flat screens newly added to the rooms to catch up on Oscar picks.

The next morning, with our kids geo-caching around the property (yes, there’s an app for that), we take a run through the oceanfront dunes and return to the spectacular spa for a couple’s massage. With a six-hour drive ahead of us, we need to prepare. After a final goodbye to the resort’s resident Vietnamese pigs (who eat quinoa and provide hours of entertainment for the children) we head out onto the road, eastward-bound.  

The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, 1 Ritz-Carlton Dr., Kapalua, Maui, 808-669-6200, www.ritzcarlton.com

Maui, East

They say that getting there is half the journey. No better a way to describe the drive to Hana, located on the easternmost tip of the island of Maui. The Road to Hana is the stuff of bucket lists (not to mention among the Top 10 Drives in the World, alongside Vancouver’s famous Sea to Sky Highway). A slender ribbon of switchbacks, blind turns and single-lane bridges, depending on how well you’re channelling your inner Mario Andretti, the 84-kilometre stretch can take up to three hours to navigate. But you may wend your way longer: there are plenty of pullouts from which to admire craggy oceanfront drop-offs reminiscent of Nice’s Grande Corniche and soaring verdant cliffs, resplendent with red flowering Flame trees and waterfalls. You can stop at a black sand beach and a bamboo forest, or pull into a fruit stand, all the while looking out for tiny wild pigs by the roadside.

We arrive tired but exhilarated after the journey, which can only be described as a nail-bitingly magical tropical rainforest fairy tale, and check into our two-bedroom family suite at Travaasa resort. (The room’s gargantuan size makes more sense when we later learn from a longtime guest that they were originally built as million-dollar condos.) We look onto the pitch-and-putt golf green and prepare our Mahi Mahi in the simply equipped kitchen. With no TVs in the bedrooms, it’s early to bed.

Day 2 opens up with glorious sunrise yoga, followed by a family bike ride through the rolling countryside. Our kids aren’t old enough for the daily horseback riding, but we play a few rounds of croquet before delving into a hearty lunch of octopus salad with BBQ ribs we picked up at the roadside food truck Braddah Hutts BBQ, known islandwide. The kids play ukulele with the staff while we pick out our snorkeling gear and boogie boards and catch a shuttle to Hamoa beach. Pristine white sand and exciting waves await on this private half-moon beach, where the hotel provides towels, umbrellas and loungers for guests. As we enjoy the sunset on our patio before heading to the resort restaurant that night, I wonder: has this been the best day of my life? (Did I mention the Wi-Fi was out the entire two days? Apparently Time Warner’s repair guy wasn’t as excited about the drive as we were.)

After yoga—my husband’s turn today; he declares he’s a new man—we’re back to beach and venture to the Huli Huli chicken restaurant with bamboo huts set up beachside. Massive plates of pulled pork, chicken, rice and salad with live local music set us up for the road. While we pack, the kids make real flower lais in the activity centre, and it’s all we can do to drag them into the car for the long journey home.

While circumnavigating Maui for a long weekend may seem ambitious (not to mention with kids), with the breadth and depth of food, fun and adventure, we’d gladly do it again. —Sarah Bancroft

Travaasa Hana, 5031 Hana Hwy., Hana, Maui, 888-820-1043, www.travaasa.com

Maui Pit Stops

dining: Just before hitting the airport for our red-eye home, we dined at Migrant—a Wailea hot spot where popular chef Sheldon Simeon has become famous for his modern take on Hawaiian ingredients, served family style. The oven-blistered green beans with crispy quinoa were a favourite, as was street-style corn on the cob and the perfect hangar steak, served simply with thinly sliced hot peppers. Migrant, at the Wailea Beach Marriott, 3700 Wailea Alanui Dr., Kihei, Maui, 808-875-9394, www.migrantmaui.com

groceries: If you’re in a self-catering suite, fresh local fish and a great wine selection can be found at Foodland Farms, just off the highway in Lahaina. Foodland Farms, Lahaina Gateway, 345 Keawe St., Lahaina, Maui, www.foodland.com

shopping: On the way to Hana, make sure to pull into Paia—a boho surf-town reminiscent of Tofino, with amazing shopping. We found gorgeous shell-and-coral-embellished delicate gold rings by Maui Mari Ocean Jewelry at LeTarte, along with beautiful tasseled tunics and a white bathing suit. LeTarte, 24 Baldwin Ave., Paia, Maui, 808-579-6022, letarteswimwear.com