Finding paradise on Maui

I had always dreamed of going to Hawaii, but never thought I would even get to visit two of the Hawaiian islands on my trip to North America. Yet, after six beautiful days on the island of Oahu, Saturday morning, I took the probably shortest flight of my life to the neighboring island Maui, where I eventually got to know the beauty of Maui in the following five days. In Maui, I stayed at Aloha Surf Hostel, 15 minutes from the airport and the best hostel you’ll find on the island. Located in the historic town of Paia, it’s close to two famous surf spots, Ho’okipa, and Kanaha Beach. But you can discover the whole island on a budget on their free daily tours as well (don’t forget to tip though!). 

So, once I got there and checked in, I switched my travel clothes for my bikini, stopped for lunch at a close-by café, and went to the beach at Paia Bay, where I spent the rest of the day tanning and reading my book. The following morning, some other people from the hostel and I went to the closeby beach, where we even discovered a sea turtle hanging out there too. What an experience! Around noon, we walked back to the hostel for the group tour to some beaches on the other side of the island. First, we stopped at Makena Beach, took a drip in the sea, and played some volleyball before heading to Wailea-Makena, where we spent the rest of the afternoon. After watching the sunset, taking another dip in the ocean in the dark, and dancing to the drums and the fire show at the beach, we drove back to Paia again.

I kicked off the new week with another tour, this time to West Maui. Together with Luli, Brigid, Paige, Sarah, and a bunch of other people, we first went to D.T. Flemings Beach, continued along the coast of West Maui to see some more of the main attractions there, and ended the tour at one of Maui’s hotspots, Lahaina. Since it was the last evening for some of the people I met on Maui, we later had a little (pizza) party at the hostel’s patio and then went stargazing on the beach. After going on two tours already, I decided to spend the day at the beach again, tanning and watching the surfers there for hours and having a chill last evening at the hostel’s patio again with some other people, having drinks and playing games.

My flight to San Francisco on my last day wouldn’t leave until midnight, giving me enough time to enjoy a full day in paradise. The morning began with pancakes for breakfast, which Luli had to make for me because she lost our bet. Later, I joined another tour to Iao Valley State Park. There, we picked guavas straight from the tree on our hike into the valley, enjoyed the stunning views at one of the lookouts, and cooled off in the valley’s stream. Back to Paia, I still had time to spend my last hours on this magical island at Paia Beach before getting to the airport and continuing my trip to my next stop on the West Coast.