15 Maui Firsts That Still Have Me Glowing #SeeMaui.
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I knew Maui was going to be a pretty special place. Heck, I was even a little bit nervous about visiting Hawaii’s second largest island, knowing full well I may get lost in Maui Time, making it hard to return to the mainland.
What I never planned on, though, was all the firsts I would encounter during our eight day trip on the island. I have had a lot of great experiences over the last 34 years of my life, but Maui brought on a whole new set of firsts, some of which I had never even imagined. So, in no particular order, here are my Maui firsts.
1. Visited Hawaii, our lovely 50th state.
2. Saw the Southern Cross with the help of Jason of Jason’s Travels and his trusty smartphone.
3. Went swimming at 6 a.m. in the Pacific Ocean without a wetsuit.
4. Biked down a volcano with Maui Easy Riders.
5. Snorkeled in tropical water over a coral reef.
6. Swam with a shark (accidentally).
7. Attended a traditional luau at the Royal Lahaina Resort.
8. Zip-lined with Skyline Eco Adventures.
9. Ate a Macnut Chocolate Praline pie from Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop.
10. Ate Lobster Tempura at KO Restaurant, which is located at The Fairmont Kea Lani.
11. Nibbled on purslane, a succulent Ghandi loved, during our hands on tour at O’o Farm.
12. After the tour, we dined on a deliciously fresh meal prepared by the farm’s professional chef.
13. Stand Up Paddle-boarded (SUP) with Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy.
14 & 15. Enjoyed a private chef dinner at Wailea Beach Villas, while meeting some of the best travel bloggers and writers in the business: Matt of Landlopers, Carmina of La Carmina, Cameron, Nicole and Baby B of Traveling Canucks, Jason of Jason’s Travels and Alison Brick, a prolific freelance travel writer and one mean twitterati.
I’d also like to give a huge shout out to Wendy Harvey and Keli’i Brown, of the Maui Visitors Bureau, for putting together this amazing social media press trip to Maui.
We’ve got some great stories lined up for the coming weeks and months, so be sure to check back for more from our trip to Maui.
Also be sure to follow along with the hashtag #SeeMaui on Twitter & Instagram so you can read everyone’s stories!
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(15) awesome folk have had something to say...
Annette | Bucket List Journey -
July 6, 2012 at 6:19 am
I will be in Maui in ten days and hope I am lucky enough to rack up as many firsts 🙂
Randy -
July 9, 2012 at 5:07 pm
@Annette | Bucket List Journey, I didn’t even realize I had that many firsts until I started writing up the post. Maui is such a diverse place, I think it’s hard not to rack up a few (or dozen) firsts. Have a great trip!
Amber DeGrace -
July 6, 2012 at 8:18 am
Love this list! I have accidentally swam with sharks before and lived to tell about it. It sure is thrilling (and scary) the first time! Your trip sounds like it was a blast, and I’m especially envious that you got to paddleboard.
Randy -
July 9, 2012 at 5:16 pm
@Amber DeGrace, Yeah, it was quite a thrill, and, honestly, a little surreal. At first, I wasn’t sure if we should stay or get the heck out. Luckily, especially since we don’t know what type of shark it was, Beth took the lead and got us out of there.
If you haven’t had a chance to paddleboard yet, I definitely recommend it. We really enjoyed it and our going to look into picking up a couple of boards.
Stacy -
July 6, 2012 at 4:02 pm
Ah, B &B!
You wake up the spirit and make me want to travel in the worst way!
Looking forward to the post.
Cheers~
Randy -
July 9, 2012 at 5:18 pm
@Stacy, Thanks Stacy! That really means a lot. We all need to get out on the road together. 🙂
Wendy Harvey -
July 6, 2012 at 4:54 pm
Mahalo for the kind words! I look forward to reading your posts! Thanks for being so willing to try so many new things:) Maui has so much to offer, it’s hard to squeeze in only 6 days!
Randy -
July 9, 2012 at 5:34 pm
@Wendy Harvey, And thank you for giving us a chance to try so many new things. Because of its size, Maui is one of those truly great places were it doesn’t take long to figure out where you’re going, but could take you years, if not a lifetime, to find all the places in between.
Mahalo Wendy!
Cam @ Traveling Canucks -
July 7, 2012 at 9:09 am
It was great to finally meet you guys in Maui! I’m sure our paths will cross again someday soon 🙂
Randy -
July 9, 2012 at 5:47 pm
@Cam @ Traveling Canucks, Ahh, the memories. 🙂 We had a blast hanging out with you guys too!
Scott – Quirky Travel Guy -
July 7, 2012 at 9:35 am
I can’t wait to see this place. The possibilities for adventure seem endless.
Randy -
July 9, 2012 at 5:58 pm
@Scott – Quirky Travel Guy, Definitely. If you are looking for adventure (novice to advanced,) you are only limited by your own imagination (and snow if you’re into winter sports) on Maui.
Tiffany -
July 9, 2012 at 6:23 am
You swam with a shark? I’m jealous!!! 😀 You evidently had great firsts at Maui. Can’t wait for more Maui posts. 🙂
Randy -
July 9, 2012 at 5:59 pm
@Tiffany, Thanks Tiffany! The whole trip was amazing, and that moment with the shark was the icing on the cake. 🙂
Ayngelina -
July 15, 2012 at 1:15 pm
I adore Maui, can’t wait to hear all your stories.