Thursday, November 11, 2010

Aloha Maui!! -Day 1

It was nearly a 6 hour flight to Maui Kahului airport. The flight was delayed but we arrived pretty much on time. It was raining in Maui!! It sort of disappointed us. We did see online beforehand that it would rain and we just had our fingers crossed so that it wouldn’t ruin our trip all together. Now the first thing to check out about Maui would be the weather, cause you want to have a splendid holiday. So dont go and rely on weather.com. Check out http://www.hawaiiweathertoday.com/ . Its the most reliable considering the changing weather at hawaii in different parts of the island itself! They give you a good description of how it would be in each area on the island. My advice is, if the rain is around 40% also, its ok... cause there is a 100% chance of you spotting a beautiful rainbow every few hours!!!
            As soon as we got into our rental car (a brand new mustang convertible) we headed straight to get our lunch. It was at Paia about 7mi from the airport. The Paia Fish Market. We first heard about it on Food networks The best thing I ever ate. So what we ate was, tacos. Not just any tacos they were fish tacos! And they were yumm!! Just as Bobby flay said on FN. They serve it as a side for $4.50 or a full lunch for  $9.00. They serve 2 tacos full of fish, lettuce, tomato, cheese with a side of rice or fries and coleslaw. Even the veggie lunch was good. There were fries on the side and coleslaw, it was absolutely a meal. Other favorites of the place are Ono or Mahi burgers, Seafood chowder and seafood pasta. They have a very small place with benches you share with other customers and it makes a very friendly environment. Fish  hanging from above and the walls posted with pictures of all sorts from food, people, black & white, to sharks and surfing. This place is so authentic! Everyone going to Paia must and should check this place out!

Fish Tacos

Veggie Lunch plate



                Next we checked into our Hotel, the Royal Lahaina Resort. It’s a resort at the Ka’anapali Beach just like the Sheraton and others. It has rooms in its tower that face the sea, and some condos in the garden. The difference is just $50. So I say go for the view. Its very much worth it! The condos are much older and you would miss out on spectacular views. Since it was evening and the rain had still not really cleared, we decided to check out the beach at the hotel. The ka’anapali beach. When we went, they had actually closed down the beach access, but we sneaked in just the same. The tide was high and it was drizzling. The ocean was looking lovely. Waves were slashing on the sand and the sand was amazing. So granular and soft, we sat there enjoying our first evening at Maui. Stepping into the water made us even more happy ‘cause the temperature of the water was perfect!! We loved the place. Pics for these places I will add on a sunny day.
                Dinner was planned to be at Lahaina town. Front St is the most popular and happening place here. It has lots and lots of shopping and dining all in front of the beach. And I am sure you will enjoy it. Another interesting part of Maui is art work. Paintings, pictures and sculptures are exhibited in many galleries. Many exquisite pieces I must say. Art lover will definitely have a field day here!!


                Cheeseburger in Paradise was our stop for the night to grab some dinner. A very friendly place, with seating in two levels along with the view of the sea. They also have live music every night that sets the ambience to have a nice romantic dinner if there aren’t too many people around. The place is filled with pictures and number plates of every state in USA. Both levels have bars, and the place is quite reasonable. Since it’s a place where coconuts thrive, they don’t have a single menu that has no coconut in it. One must is the Coconut shrimp. Here, its called the Polynesian coconut shrimp that they serve with this mango chutney that’s a great combo! The shrimp was just right. The taste was perfect and cooked right. On the spicier side we had Tiki tenders that were basically normal chicken tenders, with spicy sauce. It was a good experience. The ambience makes your meal along with the food. It’s a place you will want to go to again and again. And again, Mai tai is not the least!
Live music at Cheeseburger in Paradise

The Maitai Bar

                Our last stop for the day was for dessert. Now read carefully, it’s the best place in Maui, I can bet on that. The Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice. It’s the stop for shave ice. Try all the flavours, go bonkers and crazy with it, but don’t miss out on the coconut ice cream they add to it!! Its heavenly. Its basically the ‘Ice Gola’ we get in india that is on a stick. But here its served in this huge plastic bowl, with a spoon and a straw to sip all the flavor as it melts. Quantity is large for ice cream you may think, but when you eat it, it simply melts in your mouth! Its ice of course you may say, But believe me, when they add crème to it, it does end up to be quite a mouthful. They have all kind of combinations with different fruit flavours. Mango, guava, coconut, vanilla, pineapple, and many many more. Our first try was Coconut lovers and Hawaiian rainbow. Amazing flavor both of them had!! Look at the picture I have for you! This place has great reviews all over the net and it deserves more. Make sure you do visit these friendly people serving the most delicious shave ice ever!!

Hawaiian Rainbow

Making the shave ice

No comments:

Post a Comment