The resort is barely stirring when my husband and I wake up at 3:30 a.m. to retrieve our car from the valet. Jetlag, having arrived from the East coast, has worked in our favor, but we’ve ordered our daily dose of caffeine from the 24-hour Loulu cafe before setting off to catch sunrise above the clouds.
Once we’ve left the glow of Wailea’s bungalow, a sequined sky comes into focus. Within an hour, it slips from onyx to indigo, from cobalt to lighter hues of blue, until the horizon ignites like a flare. We race along Haleakalā’s winding roads to reach her summit in time to greet the sun.
It’s the morning of our tenth wedding anniversary, and although we’re staying at a five-star luxury resort in Hawaii, we’re opting for a slice of heaven that doesn’t include breakfast in bed.
Shifting perception of luxury
Long considered a honeymooners’ paradise and celebrity escape, Maui boasts world-class golf turf, golden beaches, sudsy surf and lavish resort experiences.
While many consider Maui’s resorts ideal for romantic getaways, its splendor transcends traditional definitions of luxury, as the island provides varied, rich experiences that families will find rewarding, too.
“Luxury in Maui has evolved from simply high-end accommodations to something far meaningful and personal,” explains Sherry Duong, island director for the Maui Visitors & Convention Bureau. “Today’s visitors are seeking connection to place, to people and to purpose. They value privacy, authenticity and experiences that feel rooted in Hawai’i culture and natural environment.”
This could look like farm-to-table dining featuring local ingredients, guided cultural experiences, or relaxing time spent in nature, Duong says.
For our milestone vacation with our kids, we experienced all three, both within the bounds of the Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria resort, and other parts of the island.
Bountiful seaside spread
On the night we arrived, we couldn’t take in the resort’s full splendor, but its grandeur was clear from the lobby: an open-air foyer leading into a sprawling atrium, polished stone floors, a water fountain, and grandiose sculptures.
It wasn’t until the next morning that we could fully behold paradise, where palm trees lazily leaned over lagoons. The waterside Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa restaurant, named after the Hawaiian state fish, offered a breakfast spread of fresh pancakes with guava preserves and coconut syrup, crispy hash browns and roasted vegetables, and an assortment of cereals, breads and crudites. Guests could order eggs their way at the omelet station or savor a buffet of fresh fruit and cheeses. My kids fueled up on pancakes before a morning spent splashing at the pool.
The resort’s network of pools was connected by chutes, some under caves and falls, others more exposed to the elements for sunbathers. The slides surged with water during peak times of the day, but my kids frolicked at all hours nonetheless.
Absorbing the Aloha spirit
Maui’s appeal extends beyond leisure.
We attended ukulele lessons because my daughter, already musically inclined, was eager to learn. The instructor explained how the four-string instrument was brought to Hawaii by the Portuguese before becoming woven into Hawaiian storytelling traditions and cultural preservation. My children practiced simple chords while the instructor filled the air with jaunty melodies.
The sounds he produced –cheerful and whimsical– were far from the sounds reverberating atop Haleakalā’s summit, where a Hawaiian troupe rendered a haunting chant to welcome the sunrise over the summit. Haleakalā, which means “House of the Sun,” is a dormant 10,023-foot volcano and is considered a sacred place for the Hawaiians.
“Beyond the natural beauty, there is a cultural significance,” Duong says of the mountain, which is believed to be the site from which demigod Maui lassoed the sun to lengthen the days.
Celebrating indigenous lands and marine life
For the breathtaking grandeur of the resort and island, there’s ample opportunity to connect with nature, too. We walked along the rocky coastline to spy sea cucumbers, sea stars and guppies in tide pools. To learn more about the island’s marine life, we visited the Maui Ocean Center, which features vibrant coral displays, a shark tank, a sea turtle lagoon, touch pool and immersive 3D movie experience that simulates the experience of swimming alongside humpback whales.
At the center’s Kaho’olawe exhibit, we gained greater appreciation for Hawaii’s indigenous history. The display covers the neighboring island of Kaho’olawe, once an uninhabited island used for celestial navigation training, agriculture and spiritual practice, but eventually overused by the U.S. military for target practice. The exhibit recounts the Native Hawaiian movement to reclaim and restore the island, according to Communications Manager Mike Morris.
“I think a lot of people are really moved by that exhibit, and they might not know about that history,” Morris says.
The center has curated its share of high-end experiences, celebrating native cuisine and Hawaiian craftsmanship through the oceanfront dining and Treasures gift shop featuring hand-selected jewelry and art by local makers.
Morris says these experiences not only educate visitors about the marine ecosystems that have shaped Maui, but preserve them as well. Through Maui Ocean Center patronage, visitors support its non-profit sister organization, the Marine Institute at Maui Ocean Center, which conducts coral restoration, monk seal response, and care for injured sea turtles.
Staying grounded in paradise
We encountered wild sea turtles at the start of our scenic drive along the Road to Hana with a stop at Ho’okipa Beach. The beach is a popular spot for surfers and also known for its concentration of sea turtles. We spotted at least fifty massive specimens on the beach, some emerging from the waves and gliding onto the sand, like driftwood washing up along the shore. Others waddled laboriously across the sand, only to move a few feet at a time.
The 64-mile Road to Hana features dramatic views of deep gulches, jagged shores and vistas, but is not for the faint of heart; the drive includes 600 hairpin turns and 54 narrow bridges that are likely to make one queasy. We concluded our drive near mile marker 34, with a lunch stop at the Hana Ranch Restaurant, which sources ingredients from local farmers, ranchers and fishermen and overlooks Kaihalulu Bay.
We spent our last day upcountry, at the historic ʻĪao Valley State Monument, known for its lush forest mountainscape and iconic 1,200-foot pinnacle, the Iao Needle. It is here that King Kamehameha I defeated Maui’s army to unite the Hawaiian islands. Nearby, we met up with friends in the town of Wailuku, which often hosts community markets and festivals. Farm tours, cultural workshops and family-run businesses create opportunities for visitors to connect more meaningfully with local communities, according to Duong. She describes this philosophy through the Hawaiian concept of mālama, or care.
For our family, that mindset lingered more than any luxury amenity. Maui’s beauty is abundant, and its deeper magic emerged through connection: to a sacred mountain, a thriving landscape, and a resilient community eager to preserve its heritage through stewarding the land and sharing its heritage amidst high tourism and development.
“It’s such a privilege to be here on Maui,” reflects Morris. “If you come here with that kind of mentality and respect, then Maui has a way of showing you its magic.”
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO – Haleakalā National Park
- Reserve your spot in advance for sunrise visits. Book through the National Park Service: https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10086745.
- Dress in warm layers: Summit temperatures can drop into the 30- 40 degrees F.
- Take it slow and stay hydrated: At more than 10,000+ feet, high elevation can feel intense.
- Bring snacks, arrive early (for sunset, too), and set expectations with little ones.
DO YOUR PART
- Use reef-safe or mineral-based sunscreen
- Don’t touch/stand on or disturb coral
- Give wildlife space
- Support local artisans
- Volunteer at a beach cleanup or tree-planting project
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