On a quiet morning, gray skies cloud Maui’s usually sunny West Side. But those familiar with the area know that clouds never linger long here: The sun always breaks through. By late afternoon, I’m already relishing the sun’s rays at The Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows. Perched on a serene shoreline in Kā‘anapali, the resort […]
Raised on Maui, Alana Kysar is a down-to-earth recipe developer known for her debut cookbook, “Aloha Kitchen.” Sitting at her dining room table in Upcountry Maui, she recalls her favorite dish growing up was her mom’s mochiko chicken. “That’s what childhood tastes like to me.” As a kid, Kysar sharpened her cooking skills in her family home. “I grew up in the
Mist settles among the eucalyptus trees as I wind up Pi‘iholo Road into the heart of Olinda, bound for Ho‘omana Spa to heal body and soul. Pulling into the driveway of this traditional lomilomi (Hawaiian massage) spa on Maui feels less like arriving at a business and more like visiting a loved one, which is entirely
Maui Hands was born from a desire among local artists to work with good people, surrounded by beauty. The business began as a tiny shop in Makawao and has since expanded to include bustling galleries in Pāʻia and Wailea. This year, Maui Hands was voted best art gallery on Maui in HAWAIʻI Magazine’s 2026 Readers
The theater lights dim, a drumbeat ripples through your headphones and the IMAX-style screen bursts to life with stunning footage that takes you from the slopes of Haleakalā to the depths of the Pacific Ocean. Live musicians and dancers blur the line between stage and screen in a fusion of Hawaiian tradition and modern technology.
No trip to Hawaiʻi—especially for first-time visitors—is complete without attending an authentic lūʻau. These immersive gatherings share Hawaiian and often Polynesian history, culture, cuisine and dance to offer a glimpse into local traditions and storytelling. From beachfront settings and mesmerizing performances to flavorful dishes like kālua pork and lau lau, bottomless mai tais, and warm
What started as a normal day on Aug. 8, 2023, ended with me helplessly watching as the island where I was born and raised was consumed by a fiery hellscape. The next morning, all of Maui awoke to discover the horrifying reality that our beloved, historic Lahaina Town was gone. The days that followed were
Step back in time and into the heart of Hawaiian hospitality at the Old Lahaina Lūʻau, which reopened its doors on March 12 following a seven-month hiatus. The return of Old Lahaina Lūʻau marks a historic milestone and a beacon of hope after the Aug. 8 wildfire that destroyed Lahaina Town, including homes inhabited by
UPDATE: Sep. 19, 2023 In a video posted by the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, greenery blooms in a sea of dead leaves. It is none other than the Lahaina Banyan Tree, which has acted as a ray of hope for Lahaina locals and residents who lost everything in the deadly Maui wildfires
On a Thursday afternoon in the heart of old Makawao town, volunteers sew with great care and beneficence. The day’s project is stitching bags for kūpuna (elders) to attach to their wheelchairs. In the spring of 2020, a group of Maui residents began sewing together to address the severe shortage of face masks on the
Nestled on Mauna Kahālāwai on Maui is a hidden oasis. Native Hawaiian plants like the a‘ali‘i, a shrub with small green leaves and burgundy flowers, grow in a forest among naio, a false sandalwood, and alehe‘e, a tree with delicate and fragrant white flowers. Nearby, kalo (taro) sprout from a lo‘i (an irrigated terrace, especially
Wailuku is already one of the best towns to visit in Maui. Its eccentric streets, collection of locally owned small businesses and jovial community are uniquely Hawaiʻi, and encapsulate what it means to have aloha spirit. Doubling down on its artistic personality, Wailuku is also seeing a number of grand mural pieces and large-scale art installations
