The one
thing we didn’t anticipate causing a glitch when planning the honeymoon was our
departure date. Sure, why don’t we just leave the next day after the wedding? Take
it from me, if you can avoid it then do! Wait a couple of days to let your body
come down from the wedding high. Jabier and I went to sleep around two in the
morning the night of the wedding, slept for a couple of hours, and then took a
five to six hour flight straight to Maui. Despite being jet lagged, as we
stepped off the plane we felt that gush of warm air hit us and it felt
incredible! We were instantly refreshed! We were swiftly shuttled to the car
rental place and we picked up our Jeep because you can’t do Maui without the
Jeep! 
After, we
checked-in at the Marriott Ocean Club in Kaanapali; the resort was huge, with
an onsite fitness center, shops, swimming pools, Starbucks and we were right on
the beach. To be honest, the moment we got to our suite, which was beautifully
decorated by the staff, we showered and fell asleep – for 14 hours!! We
literally did not wake up till the next morning.
The next
day, when the sun broke we were awake and enjoying the beautiful ocean view and
listening to the sounds of the waves splashing onto the beach. It was one of the
best feelings in the world, sitting alongside my husband and partner for life
on that morning.
Knowing we
had essentially missed a day traveling and sleeping, we wasted no time visiting
the activities booth. We worked with Mimi Ramos who hooked us up for the whole
week! She gave us the inside scoop on all the fun things to do and we booked
our itinerary for the week. Within the next couple of hours we were on our way
back to the airport, to take our first ever helicopter ride around the island.
The sky was crystal clear and the island was so lush and amazing. I’m so happy
we were able to take this ride and get a bird’s eye view of the island. A
glimpse on something only natives have time to explore.
The rest of
the week remained eventful. We took relaxed on the beach and had some
fun in the ocean on some jet skis! We went ziplining through the mountain above Ka'anapali which offered amazing coastal views. We went snorkeling were we swam with turtles and bright colored fishes. We made the 50 mile winding road journey to Hana
town, enjoying rainbow eucalyptus trees, waterfalls, a black sand beach, and
sweeping views of the ocean. The road to Hana offered us two great treats of
cheesecake pie from a roadside stand and fresh homemade coconut ice cream from
Coconut Glens! Yum! Road to Hana is not a trip to take lightly. Its best to leave early in the day, pack some snacks, water, anything you may need for a day trip, because you really are gone for the whole day!
Apart from
the activities, we loved the food! We went to Sansei’s Japanese restaurant
twice! We could not get enough of their delicious food! Crab ramun, shrimp
dynamite, smoked salmon sushi "butterfry roll," and for dessert, their fried tempura vanilla
bean ice cream! AMAZING! We visited Leodas Kitchen and Pie Shop more than once too;
we enjoyed their out of this world eggs benedict with an island flair of apricot-tomato
jam and basil pesto! Lunch was great and you can’t leave there without trying
more than one of their pie flavors. We were able to enjoy a Luau from Feast at Lele. The luau was a perfectly orchestrated dance and dinner show exhibiting four different island styles each coupled with their own meal courses. I personally
returned home with five extra pounds on me, but it was worth it!
We were sad
to leave but excited with the thought of one day possibly returning to this
beautiful island and exploring it further.
I would definitely recommend honeymooners choose Maui as their
destination, there is just so much to do and explore, the possibilities are
endless.
