We didn’t have any strict plans for the rest of our time in Maui after my brother left, so on our eighth day, we decided to explore more of the Wailea-Makena area (the southern part of the island) to do more snorkeling and visit the beaches there.
Mio, Miwa, and I by our cottage in the morning.
Our first stop was the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Reserve, as we’d heard that Ahihi Bay is a good place to snorkel.
Arriving at the Ahihi-Kinau Natural Preserve
Snorkeling time!
It seemed a little murkier than some of the previous areas we’d snorkeled in Maui, but we still got to see a lot of coral and fish.
Back from snorkeling, on the shore with Mio.
Rock those shades!
Mio and Mama under the hot Maui sun
After spending a couple hours snorkeling, we headed over to La Perouse Bay, which had the most beautifully clear blue waters! According to the people there, though, it wasn’t a great place to snorkel, so we just walked around and admired the views.
Miwa by the gorgeous blue waters!
Family picture at La Perouse Bay
Yokoyama picture! Kosei looks so stoic… lol
Our next stop was Makena Bay. Mio had fallen asleep in the car ride there, so my brother Kosei stayed back to watch her while Dan, Miwa, and I had some fun on the beach.
Miwa and I at gorgeous Makena Bay
Wave coming in!
Dipping our feet in…
Dan and I in paradise
Dan’s romantic message in the sand… heehee*
Aloha!
Sisters with our shaka signs
Silly poses!
Running away from the wave!
Miwa pushed me in while we were frolicking around…
We couldn’t stop laughing! We felt like kids again.
Letting the waves crash against us.
We could see the Molokini Crater in the distance.
Sad that our time in Hawaii is coming to an end…
By the trees at Makena Bay
After getting our beach time, we stopped at Bubba’s Gourmet Dog Shack for a quick snack…
Garlic fries from Bubba’s Gourmet Dog Shack! Dan also got some shave ice.
We also saw a craft market by the road, so we stopped there to get some souvenirs.
Everyone’s in here! Even Mio… sort of.
We went back to Kihei to go to the Whale Watching Center / Sanctuary Education Center.
It was nice and cool inside, and there was even a little play area for kids.
Entertaining Mio with the fish!
Uncle Kosei playing with Mio
Mio clinging to her newfound friend, the stuffed turtle.
Death by turtles.
We then headed over to Eskimo Candy Seafood Market & Deli for a late lunch — they’re known to have awesome poke! 🙂
Shrimp taco plate for me!
Shoyu and furikake ahi poke… yum!
We then went back to Makena Bay (because we loved it so much there), laid out on the beach for a couple hours, and then went back to Kihei for some shave ice before going home.
Miwa with her shave ice from Surf Monkey Shave Ice.
Dan and I sharing a shave ice together.
Oh, and of course Mio too!
The following day would be our last full day in Maui! I’m sure everyone is starting to get sick of these posts, so you can breathe a sigh of relief that the next one will be the last of our posts about our trip! 😉 It’s been a lot of work to upload all the pictures and document everything for me, too, so I’m relieved as well! haha* 😛
Picking up where we left off on Day Two, we explored more of West Maui on our third day. This was our last day staying in the Lahaina area, so we wanted to make the best of it! 🙂
Mio bathed in the Maui morning sunlight.
We spent much of the early half of the day at Napili Kai Beach and Kapalua Beach, which are right next to each other. It was a great area to snorkel in, as well as to just sit back and enjoy the beach.
Stepping into the ocean.
Dan and my siblings getting ready to snorkel at Napili Kai Beach Resort.
Ready for some snorkeling!
Mio stayed behind on the beach, and we took turns watching her.
We got some great underwater pictures thanks to the underwater housing that we brought along for my point-and-shoot camera.
A sea urchin embedded in the rocks.
Coral at Napili Kai
We discovered some sea turtles while snorkeling! We’d seen them last time we were at Tunnels Beach in Kauai two years ago, but it’s always such an exciting experience to see them.
Sea turtles in Kapalua Bay
One got on top of the other. We suspect they were mating…
Closeup of the sea turtle: such majestic creatures!
Here are a couple underwater videos we took of the sea turtles!
Some more underwater pictures that we took…
Colorful fish and a sea snake.
Returning to the shore, we had a great time playing in the sand together.
Mio having fun with the noodle. (I swear I’m not naked in this picture – bad cropping.)
Kosei burying Ted in the sand.
Kosei also dug a hole for Mio to stand in. She looks unfazed.
Mio made a friend on the beach, and we found out upon talking to his mom that they were from San Ramon! We actually ran into a lot of fellow vacationers from the Bay Area.
It was a gorgeous day.
For lunch, we went to Star Noodle in Lahaina, as a bunch of us were craving some ramen.
Mio usually loves being outside, but she’d had enough of the heat and was happy to cool down indoors.
Everyone at lunch.
For the appetizer, we had some awesome pork buns. They were so good!!!
My hapa ramen from Star Noodle, with black miso. Ehrmahgerd… it was some of the best ramen I’d ever had.
Dan got the saimin, which was also great!
Miwa and I, full and satisfied after our delicious lunch!
Next stop was D.T. Fleming Beach! It was so hot and we were experiencing some major food coma, so we just wanted to lay out in the shade and nap.
Resting in the shade.
Mio had so much fun with Uncle Ted!
Later in the afternoon, we drove up North to see the Nakalele Blowhole. Mio was napping in the car, so Ted (who injured his foot) stayed behind with her while Dan, Kosei, Miwa, and I made the trek down to see the blowhole.
Scary warning sign.
The hike down was pretty rocky, but we finally reached the blowhole area.
Dan was fascinated by these rock formations.
The Nakalele Blowhole
The blowhole in action. Definitely dangerous if you get too close!
Miwa and I by the heart-shaped hole near the blowhole.
It was a perfect heart! Very cute.
We had a wonderful time in West Maui, and thoroughly enjoyed all the beauty it had to offer! The next day, we’d move to our cottage in Kihei, and explore the central and Eastern part of the island during the rest of our stay.
We kicked off our second full day in Kauai’ with a trip to Eggbert’s in Kapaa, which was right in front of our hotel. They are known for their awesome macadamia nut pancakes!
Eggbert's in Kapaa
Macadamia nut pancakes!
After breakfast, we drove over to Lihue to Kaua’i Backcountry Adventures, where we had reserved tickets to go on a tubing tour! It’s a mountain tubing adventure where you can float down the historic irrigation system of the former Lihue Plantation — it’s a ditchy and tunnel system that was once used to irrigate sugar crops, but is no longer used since 2000. It’s now exclusively used for tubing tours.
All geared up and ready to go!
We rode in these vehicles that were formerly used by the Swiss army to transport personnel and arms. It made for a bumpy but fun ride!
They stopped as we made our way up the mountain so we could admire the view.
Below is a video that Dan took of “sleepy grass,” a type of plant that closes its leaves temporarily when touched. I’d never seen anything like it before!
Once we reached the tubing site, they filed everyone into a single line and put us on tubes, and we just floated on our donuts in the river.
Everyone on their inner tubes, ready to go!
Dan floating in the water.
We floated through a series of dark tunnels.
Entering another tunnel...
We were to turn our helmet lights on when we went into the tunnels.
Floating lazily along...
Look at how red those leaves are!
At the end of the tubing tour, we got out of the water and enjoyed a sandwich lunch in the mountains. They then took us back down the mountain in the army vehicle again. Our tour guides were very funny and friendly, and the tubing tour was pretty fun without requiring too much physical effort. My kind of activity! 😉
For the rest of the afternoon, we drove up to the Northern part of Kaua’i, to get some beach time. Our first stop was Tunnels Beach.
Arriving at gorgeous Tunnels Beach.
The current was pretty strong on the Western side of the beach. Apparently a guy broke his arm earlier that day trying to swim there. Snorkeling is not advised on this part of the beach.
We headed over to the Eastern side of Tunnels Beach, which was much calmer and more snorkeling-friendly. Here is Dan, so ready to go snorkeling!
Me snorkeling in the water.
We spotted a triggerfish.
A school of fish at Tunnels.
Dan snorkeling.
Me in the water.
Another triggerfish... look at its piglike snout!
Lone coral.
A deliciously large sea urchin.
Dan discovered sea turtles!
This was my favorite snorkeling picture!
The sea turtles were nibbling on the coral.
Such amazing creatures!
Dan was taking a video of the sea turtles at one point (below), when a current pushed him forward towards the turtle’s butt. The turtle got spooked and quickly swam away….
A sea cucumber.
Closeup of coral.
Coral at Tunnels Beach.
A closeup. Huge thanks to Estella for lending us her underwater case to use with our camera. It was thanks to her that we were able to get some of these great underwater photos!
After spending a couple hours snorkeling at Tunnels Beach, we drove further north to see what we could find. We came across this super creepy-looking wet cave. I looked it up later and found out it was called Waikanaloa Cave. Sea caves are formed by thousands of years of ocean waves pounding against the lava and eventually etching out a cavern. At one time, the ocean was up to this point.
Waikanaloa Cave
This wet cave is right by the road, you can't miss it!
Hubby in front of the Waikanaloa Cave. I was getting more and more freaked out every minute we were there.
Can't get over how creepy-looking it was!
What lurks in that darkness? Apparently nothing (no sea life) except for leptospirosis, a nasty and dangerous bacteria. Swimming is strictly prohibited. (Who would want to swim here?!)
Me at the Waikanaloa Cave. Don't let my peace sign fool you; I couldn't wait to get out of here. Continue!
Desperate to get away from the scary cave, we continued on our way up the island and arrived at Ke’e Beach, where a much more pleasant sight greeted us.
Arriving at Ke'e Beach.
Me at beautiful Ke'e Beach.
Dan told me to look more enthusiastic...
Dan on Ke'e Beach.
Sparkling waters.
Dan under the giant roots of a tree on Ke'e Beach.
Me perched on the roots.
After Ke’e Beach, we started making our way back down the Eastern part of the island. There was a slight drizzle, after which we found this rainbow over the Kaua’i landscape!
Rainbow over Kaua'i.
Too bad it wasn't a double rainbow... haha*
We stopped by this souvenir vendor area on our way back, but most of the shops had closed up by then. We vowed to return the next day!
Kaua'i Products Fair, about to close.
For dinner, we decided to check out Kalapaki Joe’s in Lihue, a sports bar that one of the tubing tour guides had recommended as having great nachos and happy hour specials. The food was good, but the service was mediocre….
Kalapaki Joe's in Lihue.
A monster nacho plate, with kalua pork. It had to be the largest nacho plate I'd ever seen, but I have to admit it was pretty delicious.
Seafood pasta from Kalapaki Joe's. The lighting was horrible, so the photo doesn't look too appetizing, but it was also pretty good!
We returned to our hotel, stuffed and ready to pass out. The next day was our last day in Kaua’i, and in 24 hours, we’d be boarding a plane back home to San Francisco. Check back for Day 9, our last day in Hawaii! (Finally, right?)
On Day 7, our first full day in Kaua’i, we woke up at dark o’clock to drive over to Eleele, where we boarded a catamaran for a seven-hour tour that would take us up the Na Pali Coast and to see Niihau Island. Neither of us is a morning person, but we fought our sleepiness and embarked on the boat, banking on the promise that we would see some of the most stunning views of the island of Kaua’i.
Here comes the sun!
Leaving the dock.
We came across a small raft, that happened to be dolphin watching!
Spinner dolphin flipping about.
Dolphins swimming right in front of our boat!
They were super cute! I don't think I've ever seen dolphins so up close!
We sped up and soon approached the Na Pali Coast...
We were greeted by an amazing view.
The beautiful Na Pali Coast
This is what paradise looks like....
Towering mountains over a lush valley.
Steep mountains... this area of the Na Pali Coast is only accessible by boat or helicopter.
The Honopu Arch, where they filmed the movie Six Days Seven Nights
More majestic views of the Na Pali Coast
Na Pali Coast against a clear blue sky.
Dan and I at the Na Pali Coast
An amazing rock formation called The Keyhole.
Closeup of the natural bridge...
The hubby and I by the Keyhole!
Niihau Island in the distance
Approaching Niihau Island, a privately owned island known as the "Forbidden Isle" because it is off-limits to the general public.
The catamaran parked itself near Niihau Island, where passengers got the opportunity to go snorkeling for an hour before lunch. Here are some nice underwater shots that Dan took while snorkeling!
Fish in blue waters.
Uni! A sea urchin.
So many fish!
Closeup of a fish.
Underwater coral.
Trenches by Niihau Island.
Underwater life.
Here’s some video footage that Dan took with my camera while snorkeling…
The crew was super nice. Thank you Holo Holo Charters!
After snorkeling and lunch, it was time to head back to Kaua’i. The crew purposely gave us a very bumpy and exhilarating ride back! You can see more photos from the Na Pali Coast and Niihau Island in this photo album. If you are ever in Kaua’i and are considering a catamaran trip to see the Na Pali Coast, we really recommend Holo Holo Charters! They had top notch service and were really knowledgeable and skilled, and very personable, too! 🙂
When we got back to land, it was still the early afternoon, so we had plenty more things to do and places to see…
Dan before leaving Port Allen.
Jo Jo’s Shave Ice was strongly recommended as the best shaved ice in Kaua’i, so we stopped by while we were in Waimea.
Jo Jo's Shave Ice in Waimea
strawberry + guava + melon
Jo Jo's storefront
Dan enjoying his macnut shave ice!
Jo Jo’s Shave Ice was really good and was very refreshing, especially on a hot day! I personally still liked Waiola from Oahu better, but Jo Jo’s was definitely the best shaved ice we had in Kaua’i. (And we got shaved ice pretty much every day while we were on Kaua’i… haha* It was so hot there!)
A river running through the Kaua'i landscape.
An epic photo of Dan.
After making our way through winding dirt roads for over half an hour, we finally reached our destination in Waimea: The Waimea Canyon!
Arriving at Waimea Canyon Lookout
Stunning Waimea Canyon.
On top of the world.
The canyon stretching before our eyes.
A gorgeous view.
People at the Waimea Canyon lookout
Dan and I at Waimea Canyon
The pictures just don't do it justice!
Clouds over the canyon.
Hubby with the canyon in the background.
Dan was fascinated by the red dirt that could be found all over the island.
We picked up some fresh fruits at this roadside vendor right before they closed up shop.
For dinner, we stopped at the Shrimp Station in Waimea. If you know how much I love shrimp, you can imagine how psyched I was to go here….
Kaua'i's Shrimp Station!
I got shrimp tacos!
Dan got the Thai shrimp. Super good!
We wanted to try more, so we even got some coconut shrimp to go...
We then drove back to our hotel in Kapaa to kick back and relax for the rest of the evening.
Dan cut open this mystery fruit that he picked up at the roadside vendor. To this day, we’re still uncertain of what it’s called, but we were curious so we decided to try it out. To be honest, it was not very good…
Looks unappetizing... and did not taste very good, either.
Me enjoying some of our leftovers on our hotel balcony.
The hubby eating... the coconut shrimp was delicious1
The view of the beach from our balcony.
After waking up super early in the morning, we were totally pooped by the end of the day! We got to see so many amazing sights though, both along the Na Pali Coast and at Waimea Canyon — these are definite must-sees if you are ever in Kaua’i. 🙂
Continuing from where we left off, we woke up early on Sunday morning of Day Three to drive down to Honolulu to have breakfast at the famous Leonard’s Bakery.
Starting the day off with Leonard's!
When we were asking around for recommendations on places to eat in Oahu, everyone and their mother recommended this place. They are famous for their malasadas, a Portuguese confection… it was basically an unfilled donut covered in sugar. Crispy on the outside, but very light on the inside. Simple but delicious!
My first time trying a malasada.
We also tried the li hing flavor and cinnamon flavor malasadas, but the original was the best!
We then headed over to our appointment at Masako Formals. Dan and I had never taken Japanese-style wedding photos, but our parents and relatives in Japan had been encouraging us to get some taken for a while. We always wanted to get some taken, but there’s no studio that can do them in the San Francisco Bay Area (at least, non that we know of). So when my friend Yumi told me that the place she bought her wedding dress specialized in Japanese wedding photos, we decided to take the opportunity to get them done there.
Arriving at Masako Formals in Honolulu.
Me waiting to change...
This was actually my first time wearing any sort of kimono. The wedding kimono takes especially long to put on.
Dan getting dressed.
The finishing touches. Looking good, hubby!
Masako Formals took very good care of us and the photos came out pretty good, but we’ll save those for another time. I want to get some photo books made for our parents and grandparents so that they can see them first before we post them online. Stay tuned! 🙂 (Huge thanks to Yumi for telling us about Masako Formals!)
Me very relieved to be out of the heavy kimono and wig.
The photoshoot and all the preparations beforehand took over four hours, so by the time we got out, we were hungry again! We headed over to Shokudo, a Japanese restaurant that our friend Megumi recommended! When she told me to try the mochi cheese gratin, I was skeptical, but decided to give it a shot… and it was actually really good!!!
Mochi cheese gratin!
Who knew mochi and cheese went so well together?
Dan got the yakisoba.
...which was also very yummy.
Apparently the Honey Toast there is also a must-eat, and we saw that every table was ordering it, so we ordered it for dessert. It was pretty amazing….
Shokudo's Honey Toast
Can you tell I am excited? There's always room for dessert!
Thank you Gumi for the recommendation!!!
After lunch, we drove up to Hanauma Bay. Dan had been really excited (and I mean really excited) about going snorkeling in Hawaii, so he finally got his chance!
Arriving at Hanauma Bay.
Palm trees in Hanauma Bay... very pretty!
I passed out on the beach while Dan went snorkeling.
Here are a couple photos Dan captured while snorkeling. To see more, check out the photoset.
A rainbow-colored fish.
Lots of fishies.
Dan with a statue of the state fish: humuhumukununukuapua'a
After spending the afternoon in Hanauma Bay, we drove over to Diamond Head Crater Park, in hopes to hike it in time to see the sunrise at the top. Much to our dismay, when we arrived at the hiking location at 6 o’clock, the park had just closed! 🙁 How are people supposed to see the sunset if it closes so early? We were hella disappointed.
Arriving at Diamond Head, only to find it closed.
The hubby is sad, too.
There wasn’t much we could do about the situation, so we just took a photos of the view from where we were. Alas, we couldn’t fit the Diamond Head hike anywhere into the rest of the trip, so it’ll have to be something we try the next time we’re in Oahu…. :'(
Dan and I at Diamond Head.
Since our hiking plans were foiled, we drove over to Sandy Beach instead to relax and take a nap on the beach while waiting for the sunset….
Our matching beach towels.
Look at those clouds!
We weren't exactly in the prime location to watch a sunset since Sandy Beach is Windward, on the eastern side of the island, but we still got some pretty views of the sky.
For dindin, we drove back down to Honolulu for some more Japanese food at Akasaka, which my coworker and friend Estella recommended! (Estella supplied me with a lot of the fabulous foodie recommendations this trip, so I am very indebted to her.)
Arriving at Akasaka. It happens to be in a location surrounded by porn shops and strip clubs, but don't be turned off by the sketchy area.
Scallop Butteryaki! Delish.
Estella was right, these were some of the best spicy tuna rolls I've ever had!
More sushi from Akasaka. Fish was very fresh!
Dan enjoying a drink with his sushi.
A satisfying dinner to end an eventful day!
That’s it for Day Three of our Hawaii trip! Stay tuned for Day Four, in which we climb treacherous trails to see waterfalls and brave the waters of Waikiki Beach….
