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Your guide to the local’s favourite places on Maui

Kassia Byrnes Kassia Byrnes
Maui’s farm-to-table restaurants, colourful plantation towns and eco-friendly ocean adventures reveal an island that thrives on resilience and community. Spend a day exploring like local – and education director of Maui Ocean Center – Tiara Fernandez.

Maui’s rhythm flows with the ocean. From the gentle swells of Wailea to the legendary surf breaks of Honolua Bay, the waters invite both seasoned surfers and curious beginners. Sunset here is a daily spectacle, with fiery reds and molten golds melting into the horizon best savoured from Lahaina’s waterfront or the quieter shores of Makena.

Beyond the beaches, upcountry towns like Makawao and Kula evoke old plantation days, with art galleries, boutique farms and fragrant orchards tucked between rolling hills offering a striking contrast to the thriving surf culture along the coast.

Maui is a sensory feast, and on her downtime from working with Hawaiʻi’s marine life, Tiara loves to take it all in.

Maui restaurants and bites

1. SixtyTwo MarKet

Signature Eggs Benedict at SixtyTwo MarKet maui guide hawaii
Try the Signature Eggs Benedict at SixtyTwo MarKet.

This Wailuka eatery is a real treat for anyone who loves fresh, local eats. As its name suggests, the menu rotates every 62 days according to what’s in harvest. Chef Marc McDowell, who honed his skills at New York’s prestigious Culinary Institute of America, crafts thoughtful dishes presented in a light and airy space adorned with natural timber accents and greenery.

2. Flatbread Company

Founded by avid surfer Jay Gould, this pizzeria in the charming surf town of Pā‘ia serves thin and crispy woodfired pizzas crafted with ingredients, free from unwanted chemicals and pesticides. Guests can watch the magic unfold in an open kitchen, where each pizza emerges perfectly blistered from the flames. As well as supporting local organic farmers, Flatbread gives back with benefit nights for local non-profits.

3. Kalei’s Lunchbox

Maui guide Kalei's Lunchbox Garlic Shrimp
Try tasty Hawaiin plate lunches, like garlic shrimp.

From its humble beginnings as a food truck in 2016, Kalei’s Lunchbox has blossomed into a bricks-and-mortar spot in the heart of Lahaina, serving fresh, affordable meals with a side of aloha. The family-owned restaurant is the perfect place to dive into classic local comfort food such as loco moco (a hearty hamburger patty smothered in brown gravy atop steaming white rice, crowned with a sunny-side-up egg), garlic shrimp, saimin (noodle soup), seared ahi burgers and generous smoked meat plates.

Maui guide

Morning

Molokini Crater, maui guide
Take a tour out to Molokini Crater. (Credit: Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority)

Fuel up with a take-away coffee from Luxe Latte in Wailuku before boarding one of Pacwhale Eco-Adventures’ low impact catamarans for a snorkelling tour to the crescent-shaped Molokini Crater and Turtle Arches, along South Maui’s coast. Here the snorkelling reveals dramatic underwater lava formations, colourful coral, an array of fish and docile green sea turtles. If luck’s on your side, you might also catch a glimpse of majestic manta rays or sleek white-tip reef sharks.

Afternoon

couple in tunnel at Maui Ocean Center
Get a behind-the-scenes tour of Maui Ocean Center.

After disembarking head to Maui Ocean Center for a behind-the-scenes tour to see the aquarium’s conservation work in action and gain fresh insights into the marine life you may have just snorkelled with. Exhibits like Hawaiians and the Sea explore the strong cultural ties between islanders and the ocean, from traditional fishing practices and ancient navigation techniques to the legends that have shaped Maui’s seafaring heritage.

Evening

couple looking at sunset from Haleakalā maui guide
Watch the sunset from Haleakalā. (Credit: Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority)

Catch one of Maui’s legendary sunsets, either from a sandy beach or by winding your way up to the dormant shield volcano Haleakalā, which means ‘House of the Sun’ in ‘ōlelo Hawaiʻi, in Upcountry Maui. On your descent, stop by Kula Bistro, perched on the slopes of the volcano, where the menu ranges from coconut shrimp and homemade crab cakes to hearty prime rib sandwiches.

If your timing aligns, don’t miss the First Friday celebration, a lively showcase of music, art, food and community spirit, lighting up Maui’s towns on a different Friday night each month.

Maui accommodation

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

1. Maui Eco Retreat

Maui Eco Retreat
Relax at Maui Eco Retreat.

Maui Eco Retreat is a sustainably-focused hideaway set on land blessed by a kahuna (Hawaiian priest) in Haiku, a verdant pocket of Maui’s North Shore, around 30 minutes’ drive from Pā‘ia. Accommodation includes a bamboo cottage complete with an open-air shower and hand-crafted furniture.

2. Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows

Closer to the ocean, Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows is set on the powdery white sands of North Kāʻanapali Beach, with pools, restaurants and the island’s longest-running lū‘au.

Shopping on Maui

woman shopping at Kula Country Farms Kula Maui guide
Peruse local homewares and jewellery. (Credit: Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority)

Maui’s plantation towns brim with independently owned boutiques that celebrate the island’s creative spirit. Seek out distinctive homewares and jewellery at Maui Ocean Arts. House of Mana Up champions Maui’s makers and emerging entrepreneurs, stocking island-crafted treats from lip balm to hot sauce.

More ways to explore

humpback whale breaching in hawaii
Keep an eye out for whales. (Credit: Getty/ Kon Art)

Stroll the paved walkways to scenic lookouts and discover the Polynesian plants brought by early Hawaiians in the lush botanical garden of ʻĪau Valley State Monument. Experience traditional Hawaiian music and dance paired with Hawaiian dishes such as taro, roast pork and fresh poke at the Old Lāhainā Lūʻau.

Take to the water with locally-owned and operated Ultimate Whale Watch & Snorkel, whose small-group tours also support marine researchers through the donation of their vessels and time.

Start planning your Maui adventure at gohawaii.com.

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Kassia Byrnes
Kassia Byrnes is the Native Content Editor for International Traveller. She's come a long way since writing in her diary about family trips to Grandma's. After graduating a BA of Communication from University of Technology Sydney, she has been writing about her travels (and more) professionally for over 10 years for titles like AWOL, News.com.au, Pedestrian.TV, Body + Soul and Punkee. She's addicted to travel but has a terrible sense of direction, so you can usually find her getting lost somewhere new around the world. Luckily, she loves to explore and have new adventures – whether that’s exploring the backstreets, bungee jumping off a bridge or hiking for days.
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12 grand journeys throughout North America

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    Discover North America’s epic adventures — from Route 66 and Alaska cruises to Hawai‘i road trips, NYC culture, Mexico trails and more.

    1. Route 66, the Main Street of America

    Travelling with: Ricky French

    Sunset on Route 66 in the California Mojave Desert.
    Hit the open road and trace America’s legendary highway. (Image: Getty/Der_Thomasa)

    Dubbed the Main Street of America, Route 66 radiates serious main character energy, cemented into popular culture through everything from John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath to the Disney Pixar film Cars. Spanning nearly 4000 kilometres from Chicago to Los Angeles, the historic highway celebrates its centenary next year, a timely invitation to take the mother of all road trips along the Mother Road. Allow two to three weeks to tackle the full length, or bite off a smaller chunk at either end, cruising the dramatic deserts of California or the more pastoral landscapes of Illinois, lined with neon-lit diners, retro gas stations and quirky roadside attractions.

    2. Mexico’s Día de los Muertos

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    emblematic catrina of mexico with flowers and necklace with sempasuchil flowers
    Celebrate life and honour loved ones in vibrant style. (Image: Getty/Fabian Pacheco)

    You might know Oaxaca as the birthplace of mole and mezcal. But the state in southern Mexico is also where the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) began. Time your visit to coincide with the colourful holiday, on 1–2 November, which honours and celebrates loved ones who have passed away. Oaxaca is also Mexico’s Michelin-starred culinary capital, with 18 restaurants and a humble taco stand listed in the 2025 guide.

    3. Museum-hop in New York City

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    The Guggenheim Museum’s iconic spiralling exterior, a highlight of North America Epic Adventures.
    Step inside and marvel at bold, world-class art. (Image: Damiano Fiore)

    Your map app will look like it’s been scattered with confetti after you’ve dropped pins on all the museums you want to visit in New York City. Must-sees are the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art aka the Met, and the Museum of Modern Art. The American Museum of Natural History is also a draw. It’s also worth venturing into the boroughs to browse institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum, which has a huge permanent collection categorised by culture.

    4. The USA’s music scene

    Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

    The Seattle skyline at night, aglow with city lights on North America Epic Adventures.
    Soak up skyline views and dive into the city’s coffee culture. (Image: Abigail Boone)

    If you’re a muso, chances are you’ve wanted to make a pilgrimage to the United States, the epicentre of so many beloved genres. Whether you’re head-banging your way around the Grunge Circuit in Seattle, chasing the twang of the pedal steel through Tennessee or bouncing between blues bars in the Mississippi Delta, the USA’s rich music culture has something that’ll strike a chord.

    5. Road-tripping Hawai‘i

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    A woman surfing in Hawaii, gliding across turquoise waves on North America Epic Adventures.
    Catch the waves and ride Hawaii’s iconic swells. (Image: Ben Ono)

    Hawai‘i is one of the most diverse US states to road trip around. Of the six major islands to visit, the Island of Hawai‘i packs in everything from the snowy summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa to black-sand beaches and lava fields frozen in the act of flowing forward. Change down a few gears on the island of O‘ahu, too, where you can find your own patch of sand on Waimanalo Beach. Visit poi and pineapple plantations. And hang ten on beginner-friendly waves on the North Shore.

    6. Cruising Alaska

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Explora Journeys ship cruising in Alaska.
    Sail past glaciers and spot whales in pristine waters.

    Seeing Alaska from the sea allows you to cover a lot of distance quickly. This immersive frontier now beckons more than ever before with Explora Journeys adding the American state to its global destination portfolio. Best of all are the pre-and post-journey immersions that connect the luxury of a cruise onboard Explora III with the rugged grandeur of the Alaskan interior. UnCruise Adventures also weaves in access to remote national parks, legendary wildlife corridors and authentic cultural experiences on its Alaskan itineraries.

    7. The Wixárika Route in Mexico

    Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

    People journeying through the Wixarika Route.
    Journey deep into sacred Huichol traditions and art.

    For generations, the Indigenous Wixárika People of Mexico have walked a sacred path known as Tatehuarí Huajuyé, or ‘The Path of Our Grandfather Fire’. The annual pilgrimage route spans 500 kilometres, taking in significant sites in Wixárika spirituality and cosmology. The route passes through the deserts, mountains and forests of northern Mexico before reaching Wirikuta, believed to be the place the sun first emerged. The route is a living cultural landscape of Indigenous culture pre-Columbian influence and, in July this year, was formally inscribed into UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

    8. Drive the Iceberg Coast in Canada

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Iceberg off the east coast of Canada
    Chase icebergs along Expedition 51 on Canada’s east coast. (Image: Canadian Tourism Commission/ Chris Hendrickson)

    Download the icebergfinder.com map to better plan your road trip along Canada’s Iceberg Coast. The new highway, which has been nearly 25 years and CAD$1.1 billion in the making, threads through the country’s pleated coastlines around Quebec, Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick before looping in the French islands of St Pierre and Miquelon. As well as chasing icebergs along Expedition 51, travellers will have the opportunity to engage with cultures that have thrived in the pristine provinces for thousands of years.

    9. A foodie tour of Nova Scotia

    Travelling with: Katie Carlin

    Lunenberg Nova Scotia
    Try lobster rolls in Lunenburg on the east coast of Canada in Nova Scotia. (Image: Natalia Kvitovska/ Unsplash)

    World-famous for its lobster, Nova Scotia is a Canadian province best savoured through its culinary clout shaped by sea and terroir. Bite into lobster rolls at historic Lunenburg’s Salt Shaker Deli & Inn and sip maple rum at Ironworks Distillery. Winery-hop around Wolfville’s rising vineyards (don’t miss Lightfoot & Wolfville). Take a maple syrup tour at Sugar Moon Farm near Earltown. And pull up a seat at waterfront Bar Sofia in Halifax, where Nova Scotia oysters aguachile arrive bright with cucumber, lime and pickled onion.

    10. Soak up the sun in the Caribbean

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Overwater bungalows off a beach in the Caribbean
    Experience the white-sand beaches and cerulean seas of the Caribbean on board a cruise.

    The Caribbean is on the radar for seasoned cruisers. And it’s easy to see why, with white-sand beaches, cerulean seas and swaying palms so picture-perfect they look AI-generated. Cruise with Windstar, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity on its inaugural Xcel season to the Caribbean to enjoy action-packed excursions such as snorkelling coral reefs and shopping for local trinkets. And those sea days? Spectacular.

    11. Red Chair Hikes of Canada

    Travelling with: Kassia Byrnes

    Red Adirondack chairs overlooking Lake Minnewanka in Canada
    Take a seat at Lake Minnewanka, one of more than 400 red Adirondack chairs scattered across Canada’s hiking routes. (Image: Getty Images/ Autumn Sky Photography)

    No one appreciates the great outdoors more than Canadians, emerging from snow-covered winters to tread glacial rivers and snowshoe through forests, or to hike mighty mountains and wildflower-strewn valleys come spring. Along popular hikes around the country, more than 400 red Adirondack chairs have been placed in peaceful, breathtaking locations. What started as a social media contest now sees hikers soaking in classic Canadian lake and mountain vistas, overlooking historic sites or gazing down on the mountainous path they just travelled.

    12. Ride the Rocky Mountaineer from Denver to Moab, USA

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Sweeping views from the Rocky Mountaineer.
    The Rocky Mountaineer will continue as the Canyon Spirit in 2026, seen here carving through Ruby Canyon.

    Sighting wild animals is one of many incredible thrills along the two-day luxury Rockies to the Red Rocks route onboard the Rocky Mountaineer across America’s Southwest between mid-April and mid-October. In addition to the lone bear, we spot bighorn sheep, elk, beavers, pronghorn antelope, bald eagles and ospreys. Riding the rails onboard the luxury train, which was founded in Canada in 1990 and has been awarded the prestigious World’s Leading Travel Experience by Train several times, has never been about just getting from A to B. Ride the train from Denver to Moab and you will see the scenery change from snow-capped peaks to meadows, red-rock canyons and soaring cliffs that resemble ornate Gaudí-esque cathedrals. But it’s not until you get off the train that you can produce the ultimate Venn diagram, with nature and adventure in the intersecting spheres.