In the heart of Lahaina, diners could count on savoring bowls of pasta made with quality flour from Italy and seasonal ingredients grown on Maui. For years, Sale Pepe Pizzeria e Cucina was the neighborhood’s go-to spot for celebrating birthdays and anniversaries or just enjoying Italian cuisine. Since the beloved restaurant fell to the Maui […]
Two years after the fire that destroyed Lahaina, recovery is uneven and deeply layered. In some places, residential areas are construction zones; in others, families are back in their homes and returning to normalcy. Local businesses that were once in Lahaina are reopening across the island. Maui County has rolled out housing programs to aid
The devastating Aug. 8, 2023 wildfire forever changed Lahaina, leaving many of its beloved locales closed indefinitely or lost completely. Eighteen months later, West Maui is showing signs of renewal with enticing new dining options. Here, we’ve curated a list of nine must-try Lahaina restaurants, featuring both fresh concepts and cherished favorites. Many of these
Our morning began on a verdant mountaintop overlooking central and west Maui with hot coffee in hand. As we tasted estate-grown Kaʻū, a honey-processed estate blend and a Mokka grown in Kāʻanapali, Molly Leoso, one of the farmers and our tour guide from Oʻo Farm, walked us through the process of coffeemaking. “I often liken
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
As the sun dips below the horizon, the Maui sky is illuminated with a rich symphony of colors. I’m aboard the Trilogy catamaran, on a voyage through time and nature. This journey is part of a legacy that dates back to the 1920s, when brothers Eldon and Afton Coon built a fishing boat in Washington
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
Starting on Nov. 1, all of West Maui—except for historic Lahaina—will reopen to tourism, according to Maui Mayor Richard Bissen. This speeds up the city’s initial plan of reopening the area in phases, which began on Oct. 6, two months after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than century ravaged Lahaina and killed at least
Starting on Sunday, Oct. 6, visitors will be allowed to parts of West Maui, almost two months after deadly wildfires destroyed much of the coastal town of Lahaina and killed at least 97 people. It’s the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in over a century. Maui County’s first phase of reopening on Sunday will be
Roy and Kathy Sakuma, the founders of the ʻUkulele Festival Hawaiʻi nonprofit organization, are back at it again. Knowing full-well how healing music can be, the Sakumas are donating over 800 ʻukulele to various Maui organizations and institutions who will help get the instruments into the hands of those who have been directly affected by the
Traveling to Maui right now is a complicated subject. After the disastrous Maui wildfires that affected large parts of West Maui and some sections of Kula, the Valley Isle was sent into a state of recovery as thousands of residents were left without jobs, homes and even loved ones. But what we’re seeing from businesses,
Planning a trip to Maui—but not sure if you should go? Many visitors are opting to postpone or cancel vacations to Maui right now, three weeks after deadly wildfires destroyed Lahaina and killed at least 115 people. But the state is urging people to keep their travel plans to the Valley Isle—just don’t visit West
