In March I went to Maui for one week for my 21st birthday. I stayed in Banana Bungalow Hostel, situated in Wailuku. One of the best and most fun hostels I have stayed in.
As a solo traveler who can’t drive and does not want to spent hundreds of dollars on tours, Banana Bungalow was the perfect place to stay. They offer free tours daily to the most popular destinations as well as taking you off the beaten path. Featuring a hot tub, ping pong, a workout area, a hammock, and plenty of seating, the outdoor common areas were the perfect spot for eating breakfast and preparing for the day, or relaxing with a beer in the evening after a long day of exploring.
Wednesday - First Day - West Maui
I arrived on a Wednesday at 10am with one hour sleep from the plane and the lady at front desk said that they could store my luggage until it’s time to check in. She asked if I wanted to join the tour for that day. So I said ‘’why not’’ and that’s how one of the best weeks of my life begun.
We drove along the western coast of Maui, stopped at the grocery store where I bought pineapple (of course!) and some other snacks, rented snorkeling gear from Snorkel Bob’s (10$), and headed to Kaanapali Beach. Some of us jumped off the black rock and then swam for a few hours. I was lucky to see my first turtle that day.
We then went to Lahaina old town where we strolled around the shops, art galleries and restaurants. I went to Down The Hatch, ordered the crispy coconut shrimp tacos, and enjoyed the live music.
For the sunset, we sat on the grass and took in the view of the sun going behind Molokai.
Thursday- Snorkeling - Kihei
We started off at Makena beach where we spent a few hours sunbathing and swimming, and then moved on to a beach by the Maui Prince Hotel where we saw so many turtles and different kinds of sea life.
We stopped at the town of Kihei, and had 1 Litre Mai Tais for $8 at this fun bar called “Life’s a beach’’ and waited for the sunset.
Friday - Whale watching
On Friday morning we went on a 2-hour whale watching tour with Pacific Whale foundation. We saw humpback whales and dolphins, the crew was very knowledgable, and we had a great time.
I then went to the Maui Tropical Plantation for a 45-minute tour of their pineapple farm and other fruit and plants such as coconuts, avocados, bananas, etc. as well as a coconut husking and opening demonstration. I also got to try some of the fruit.
The MillHouse is in the Tropical Plantation and has an incredible view of the mountains. The fog made everything even more magical. I sat at the bar and had a cocktail and the root vegetable fritters with Indian spiced jam. I wasn’t that hungry so I just had an appetizer but the lady sitting next to me ordered the pizza and it looked amazing! I recommend making reservations so you can fully enjoy the view from a table on the patio.
When I got back to the hostel I sat in the patio with some other travelers and we enjoyed the hot tub. The hostel offers free beer every Friday night so we all hung out, talked, listened to music, and played drinking games.
Saturday - Hiking Haleakala National Park
One of the best days of my life.
As aways we stopped at the grocery store to get some snacks and water for the hike and then drove to Haleakala. The drive was beautiful and I was lucky to sit in front, on the passenger’s seat.
We did the 12-mile hike where we saw a variety of exotic plants and landscape, walked through the clouds, and ended the hike with most stunning sunset!
At over 10.000ft we sat on the top of the van and watched the sun set above the clouds. It was magical. Moments like this remind me how lucky I am to be alive and how beautiful this world is.
I was quite happy with the footage, so I rushed to shower, and went to the patio to join the others who were drinking and talking about our day, and started editing on my laptop. At midnight some of the people who were still awake, sang ‘’happy birthday’’ to me which was really nice of them.
Sunday - Helicopter tour, my 21st Birthday, Little Beach
I ate breakfast at the hostel and headed to the airport where I went on a helicopter tour with AirMaui. The staff were extremely polite and made me feel welcome. They went over the safety instructions and off we went. This was my first time in a helicopter and I got to see 2000 ft waterfalls streaming down the sea cliffs, the interior of the West Maui mountains as well as Molokai. It lasted 60 minutes and we did the whole island tour.
I then got a ride with one of the passengers that was with me on the helicopter, and he was kind enough to drive to Little Beach where I met the others from the hostel. Little Beach is located north of Big Beach and is a nudist beach. Every Sunday a large group of people, from locals to visitors from all over the world, gather around a drum circle and dance and cheer for the sunset. We enjoyed some drinks, swam, laughed, and watched the bright pink sunset.
Monday - Waterfall hike
On Monday I didn’t go on the hostel tour. Instead I went on a hike with Billy, one the tour guides from the hostel, and a few more people. Billy was nice enough to show us this breathtaking place on his day off and also helped me shoot some footage for my video with his drone.
Within 10 minutes of our hike we decided to take off our shoes as it was super wet and muddy. We climbed down a couple of ropes, walked through a river, climbed some rocks, and we arrived at the first waterfall where we swam and cleaned ourselves off.
We then went a little further and there it was. The second waterfall.
Wow.
This huge waterfall streaming right into the ocean underneath us. We just sat at the edge taking it all in. It was stunning.
Watch my Road to Hana video to see more of this waterfall HERE
Tuesday - Road to Hana
We stopped to get banana bread from Auntie Sandy’s. It was still warm from the oven and it was very tasty. I bought two loaves so I enjoyed one on the beach and kept the other one for the airport. We hung out at the black sand beach for an hour and did some cliff jumping. The black sand beach was beautiful but it was packed with people. I recommend going at sunrise to enjoy a less crowded beach.
We stopped for lunch at a food truck park which had a great variety of local food. I really enjoyed it as there were a lot of locals there and not that many tourists.
We then drove to Haleakala National Park and did the Pipiwai trail. We went through the Bamboo forest ended up at the 400 ft tall Wailuku Falls. An easy 2-hour hike with beautiful scenery.
As they say, the road is the destination. The views from start to finish were breathtaking.
Wednesday - Last day - lao Valley
My last day. I met Carlos who also stayed at Banana Bungalow and said that he was going to the airport anyway to drop off his rent-a-car. So we stopped at lao Valley State Park as we both wanted to take photos and then headed to the airport. Iao Valley was beautiful but I have to be honest. I couldn’t stop thinking about how I didn’t want to leave Maui or the hostel or the amazing people I met.
This was truly a great experience and I will definitely come back and stay again at Banana Bungalow.
If you’re interested in staying in Maui for a few months or more, you can be a volunteer at the hostel, meet people from all over the world and have the best time of your life!
