Hawaii Trip

We took an extended vacation to Hawaii for several weeks in October. Having been to Maui many times in the past, we were familiar with the island. As such, we wanted to experience a new destination and chose to spend some additional time on the Big Island as well.

We spent the first week of our trip in Kapalua, and enjoyed the cooler temperatures and lush landscapes. Kapalua Bay provided excellent snorkeling, as well as the Black Rock adjacent to the Sheraton. We also did a dive trip to Molokini on a Trilogy yacht, where we enjoyed a swim through cave and turtle sightings.

During the week, we dined at the The Plantation House, the Old Lahaina Luau, David Paul's, Vino, and Maui Tacos. Vino, always an underrated choice in Maui, was our favorite of the group.

We headed south for a few days to Wailea and stayed at Fairmont Kea Lani Hotel. The Fairmont has an advantage over the nearby Four Seasons as all of the rooms are suites. We had a fabulous ocean view room overlooking Polo Beach that was very spacious.

While in Wailea, we ventured up to Kihei to try Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar. While we had heard great things about Sansei, the meal we had did not impress us. We also sampled Longhi's for brunch.

We then headed off to the Big Island for a week and stayed on the Kohala Coast at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. Our first night we dinned at Roy's Waikoloa Bar & Grill, and enjoyed a wonderful meal. We had previously dined at Roy's in Chicago, and we were pleasantly surprised with our meal in Hawaii.

We then explored upcountry Waimea, as we had heard good things about the local restaurants. While we had hoped to have dinner at Merriman's, our schedule did not allow. Instead, we settled for lunch at Aioli's, and had dinner at Batik.

Heading home from the volcano, we had a quick dinner at Café Pesto in Hilo. On our final night we enjoyed diner at Pahu i’a at the Four Seasons Hualalai in Kona.

Returning back to Maui for a few additional days, we had a nice lunch at Mama’s Fish House overlooking the Ho'okipa Beach. The waves were breathtaking.

We then headed down the famous "Road to Hana" en route to our destination, the Hotel Hana Maui, where we stayed for several days. We enjoyed some nice meals at the hotel, and enjoyed the diverse wine list. The Hanna Savingnon Blanc was an excellent complement to our meal.