Hawaii Eats

Siri please play, over the rainbow……..

Hawaii was such a magical place, it was seriously a google image but in real life! The beaches, people, and the FOOD was all so great and refreshing. This vacation was something we really needed and glad we were able to make the trip out there (even though the travel time is no joke)

So to make things easier we traveled to San Diego 2 days before we took off to Maui and Honolulu. This made things much easier and joyful, lets not forget the time difference in Hawaii is something that took us days to get use to so please be mindful if you are traveling with kids.

We stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Maui and LOVED it, have nothing but great things to say about that place. Everyone was so sweet, helpful and honestly felt like family at the end of the day. They had the best Acia bowls I’ve ever had on my whole trip.

I’ve had couple people who have stayed at the Andaz and Four seasons also tell me there stay was a great experience and food was amazing.

I’ve complied a list below of all the restaurants and activities that you all submitted a while back when I asked a Q + A on my Instagram stories.

Hawaii Recommendations (Excel Sheet)

Maui Activity’s

The main attractions in Maui is Road to Hana which I highly recommend doing but make sure to make those reservations for the state parks (black sand beach) before heading out. It’s best if you do a tour guide from your hotel or even outside your hotel. We rented a car and took the route early morning but if you are not comfortable driving up those curvy roads than its best if you go with a guided tour.

I highly suggest wearing some comfortable shoes and carrying a light jacket with a hood or umbrella, it tends to rain randomly. Also bring sunscreen and lots of bug spray! The 2-3 stop in road to Hana is Garden of Eden, it cost $20 per person and it was our favorite stop. This is where we found the Rudraksha tree, oldest mango tree and so much more! Theres so much beauty all around and trust me its the one stop you’ll have to make!

Along the stops, you will see many small restaurants or places to eat, so bring some cash because certain places only accepted cash. We also stopped at Walmart + Target the moment we landed in Maui (right next to the airport) and took advantage of buying some snacks and water bottles for our trip. Trust me this is something you’ll want to do regardless if you’re going on the road to Hana or not.

We also did a Helicopter ride with Sunshine Tours and absolutely LOVED it! We were taken around the whole island and was also taken to the other island around the corner. If the weather is bad they usually switch the route and still make sure you’re able to get a good tour in of the other islands. Try to make the reservations in advance because they book up very fast. I did get a little motion sickness when we were on top of the mountain but it only latest a few minutes.

Maui Food

Just some of our favorite places we ate it, in no particular order.

  • Ritz Carlton Alaloa Lounge – Best truffle fries, crispy rice sushi and wagyu burger, great options for lunch as well.
  • Ritz Carlton Burger Shack – Vegetarian options for burgers and best shakes!
  • Ritz Carlton Kai Cafe – Best açaí bowl and Iced coffee.
  • Mamas Fish House – Hard to get reservations but food + view is great!
  • Leoda’s Kitchen & Pie Shop – The best Pies ever, so worth the hype. Get there earlier and beat the lines. Banana cream and Apple crumb was our favorite. In the same area they also have a fruit stand where we purchased so much fresh fruit and local granola and other fun snacks.
  • Flatbread Pizza & Co – This place is perfect right after coming back from Road to Hana.

Honolulu

We stayed at the Sheraton Waikiki, we loved the location of this hotel because aside from the restaurants and bars inside the hotel, there was everything from Cheesecake Factory to Chanel walking distance from the hotel. I highly recommend staying here if you want to be close to everything and still have that private beach + infinity pool vibe!

The hotel was so helpful when we wanted to do some last minute excursions and tours. Simply head down to concierge and they will help you book everything and anything you want to do in Honolulu. We did the Kualoa Ranch tour (Jurassic Adventure tour) and it was 10/10. They also have ATV raptor tour, horse back riding in the mountains, zip lining and so much more! We did the movie ranch tour, the bus took us on a 1 hour tour all around the 4000 sq ft ranch. We were able to get off the bus, take pictures and even stop by some of the areas where movies were being filmed.

We also did a submarine tour, because the water is very clear you are able to see so much under water! Fun for all ages and the boat that takes you to the submarine is also a fun ride because you get to see all of Honolulu.

Honolulu Food

Just some of our favorite places we ate it, in no particular order.

  • Morimoto – Very similar to the one in Disney Springs FL, but menu has vegetarian options.
  • Sprout Sandwich Shop – Some of the best sandwiches we had.
  • Leonard’s Bakery – If you love donuts, make sure you stop by and pick some up. I dream about these donuts till this day! Chocolate, coconut cream filled are 10/10 but the original is melt in your mouth good!
  • Sergios Mexican Kitchen – Some of the best local, authentic Mexican food we had, I wish we found this place earlier because I would have ate here every single day. Vegetarian options and so much hot sauces to try as well.
  • Sky Waikiki – Great rooftop with views and drinks!

Packing for a trip or a weekend getaway, don’t forget some of my favorite travel essentials I can’t live without.

Just an East/West coast girl living the southern life. I love sharing all my tested and perfected recipes here, along with some travel guides and a little bit of my lifestyle

Latest Recipes

December 22, 2020

August 22, 2022

January 25, 2024