Coming to Kihei must be the intention of many people on their trip with family or friends. Coming here, people not only can relax in the cool space of the sea and islands, but also discover unique dishes. If you plan to come to Kihei for your upcoming trip, don’t miss things to do in Kihei Maui. The information given in the article below will help you have the most meaningful trip.
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Things to do in Kihei
Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge
Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge is located along the coast in the south-central area of Maui. It is home to a lot of wildlife with a bird sanctuary containing more than 30 species of birds. Including waterfowl, migratory ducks, night herons and many native birds are endangered. Here you can mingle with the soothing birdsong.
In 1953, the island was designated as a sanctuary for many species of wildlife. The area of Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge covers a large part of land up to 704 acres. Therefore, it is also assessed that this site is one of the few rare natural wetlands in Hawaii.
Each time when traveling here, people will have different experiences. These include: bird watching, photography, education, participation in habitat restoration and planting projects organized by local authorities. Each species of bird will live here according to the season, so each time you come to this place, you will be able to see a different type of bird.
- Location: Maui, Hawaii
- Opening hours: 6 am – 7 pm
- Ticket price: from $145.00
Humpback Whale Sanctuary
The North Pacific humpback whale population has chosen Hawaii as its main breeding ground during the winter. These whales will visit the islands in winter for recreation, and spring is the season for them to breed and take care of their young. When you come to Hawaii, you will witness firsthand the Humpback Whale Sanctuary spawning from November to April, especially from January to March which is the peak season.
The Humpback Whale Sanctuary was established in Maui with the main purpose of protecting whales at a crucial spawning time of the year.
When coming to this place, everyone will experience activities such as whale watching, or you can also participate in boating or increase your knowledge by taking extra lessons at the visitor center.
- Location: 726 South Kihei Road, Kihei, Maui
- Opening hours: 7:30 am – 7:30 pm
- Ticket price: from $99.00
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Maui Mermaid Swimming Adventures
Becoming a mermaid is the dream of many people but this never comes true. However, during a visit to Maui, everyone will have the opportunity to transform into a mermaid. At that time, everyone will start learning how to become a mermaid then proceed to take swimming lessons with the experts.
You can trust Adventures with confidence because they are all professional lifeguards with many years of experience and certified CPR. In the lesson given, everyone will first learn more about the ancient legend of mermaids. These lessons are ageless and usually take place early in the morning.
To help you capture the experience, the instructors will conduct free photography of each moment. Beginners or anyone can participate in this fun experience.
- Location: 61 Halekuai St Unit 5, Kihei, HI 96753, USA
- Opening hours: 7:30 am – 7:00 pm
- Ticket price: from $124.00
Maui Brewing Company Tasting Room & Brewery Tours
Maui Brewing Company is widely known as one of the largest craft breweries in Hawaii. The brewery is headquartered in Hawaii, and has expanded to include a brewery in Kihei, and several small pubs in Kahana and Waikiki.
This company not only sells beer, but also offers visitors ideal excursions. Coming here, people can completely choose to visit Maui Brewing Company’s lunch or dinner or join two other local companies, Kohola Brewing and Waikiki Brewing.
The tour will split specific times according to lunch from 10:45 am – 4:00 pm and dinner from 4:45 pm – 10 pm. Activities on this trip include food tasting, lunch, dinner and snacks.
Another great experience you can try is to enjoy some delicious food paired with a few bottles of beer along the coast of Maui. This will bring a chill feeling under a romantic space that everyone should try once.
- Location: 605 Lipoa Pkwy, Kihei, Maui, HI 96753-6947
- Opening hours: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM
- Ticket price: from $199.00
Kamaole Beaches
Kamaole Beach has a relatively large area located in Maui with up to 1.5 miles of sandy beach. This beach is very famous and known by many people, not only tourists but also locals love this place. The view of the sea is extremely beautiful and can be enjoyed with beautiful views of the Molokini Islands, Kaho’olawe and Lana’i.
Activities here that you can participate in are swimming, snorkeling, windsurfing. There are also plenty of other activities the whole family can safely participate in.
These beaches are popular so they get crowded on weekends, especially holidays. This is also a gathering place for drinking, an ideal dating place for couples, and a peaceful place for families to have a holiday together.
- Location: 2800 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, Maui, HI 96753-9613
- Opening hours: 7:30 AM – 10:00 PM
- Ticket price: from $157.00
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Kihei Kalama Village
One of the big things to do in Kihei Maui to make memorable memories is to stop by Kihei Kalama Village to participate in shopping and dining activities. Here you can buy beautiful clothes or meaningful gifts. Especially can buy more dishes to enjoy. This village is full of restaurants and bars that you can go to: Dog and Duck Irish Pub, Fat Daddy’s SmokeHouse, and Lava Rock Bar and Grill.
A note for you when coming here is to consult and check the menu as well as the opening and closing times of each restaurant. This will save you time searching. Come here, feel free to shop for all your favorite items because the prices are very reasonable. After each meal, you can take a walk on the beach to explore nature as well as enjoy the fresh atmosphere of this place. This will be a wonderfully memorable experience.
- Location: 1941S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753, USA
- Opening hours: 10:30 AM – 10:00 PM
- Ticket price: from $101.49
Kihei Fourth Friday Town Party
The most favorite time to go to Kihei is on the fourth Friday of every month. At this time you will enjoy life as a party in Kihei with many exciting experiences. Coming to Azeka shopping center on the fourth Friday from 6-9 pm you will enjoy a romantic party right in this beautiful town. In which you can participate in fun activities at the party such as Maui Spider Jump and Mechanical Cow.
Not only that, the party also offers concerts and fun events for kids like face painting and hot air ballooning animals. You can enjoy the unique dishes from the food trucks.
- Location: 1279 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, Maui, HI 96753-5228
- Opening hours: 5:30 AM – 10:00 PM
- Ticket price: from $139.50
Keawakapu Beach
This beach is located on the border of Kihei and Wailea with a long sandy beach. Here you can enjoy a session under the sun with many exciting activities such as swimming, windsurfing and snorkeling.
Besides, you will see the luxury of splendid houses, luxury hotels, apartments or restaurants with a variety of unique dishes. To enjoy all the interesting experiences here, you can rent a hotel or an apartment to stay for a few days.
The beach here is peaceful, there are no commercialized services, so everyone can comfortably travel.
There are also many interesting activities you can participate in such as snorkeling, boating, cycling,… Don’t skip any activities to have the most memorable trip.
- Location: End of South Kihei Rd, (From Hwy 31 aka Piilani Hwy, turn off between mi 9.6 & 10.4)
- Opening hours: 7:30 AM – 10:00 PM
- Ticket price: from $134.50
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Maui Whale Watching
Whale watching is one of the things to do in kihei that is loved by most tourists when coming to this place. The right time is between December and April you will be able to witness the whales swimming firsthand.
When coming to this tour, people will have the opportunity to see large humpback whales. During the winter these whales will live in their natural habitat then come to the coast of Hawaii to breed and can easily care for their young. Please refer to many different tours for the opportunity to experience the most interesting and new things.
Snorkeling at Molokini Crater
One of the big things to do in Kihei Maui that everyone should try once is snorkeling. This is a popular activity that many tourists choose to experience when coming to this place.
Molokini Crater is known to be one of the most popular places for snorkeling. Because the weather and sea conditions here are very suitable for this activity. When you come here on a clear day you will see lots of people diving inside Molokini 150 feet ahead.
A feature of the crater is that it has an area of up to 23 acres. People can see a variety of fish species because this is home to 250 species of fish and the appearance of 38 species of coral. Normally, people will choose the time to snorkel in the morning because there is only light wind, so it is easy to enter the crater.
Here also gives you many choices of tours, if you bring children, you can choose tours for both children and adults. When coming here, do not forget to bring sunscreen as well as a towel to protect your body as well as your skin.
- Location: Harbor Slip #16, 675 Wharf St, Lahaina, HI 96761, USA
- Opening hours: 7:30 AM – 19:00 PM
- Ticket price: from $105.50
Makena State Park
Makena State Park is home to a beautiful beach, especially suitable for watching the sunset. Pick a suitable vehicle and drive south of Kihei to Makena State Park. Here people will also be immersed under a beautiful beach called Big Beach. Because it is located in a park, the sea creates a wild feeling with long stretches of sand.
Everyone can absolutely choose to camp because there are no resorts here. Experiencing a day from sunrise to sunset will bring you many extremely interesting feelings. If you choose to go on a road north of Big Beach, then past a ledge is the appearance of a Little beach. The scenery here is so beautiful that everyone should try it once.
- Location: 4670 Makena Alanui, Kihei, HI 96753, USA
- Opening hours: 7:30 AM – 19:45 PM
- Ticket price: from $10
Start a Molokini Excursion at Kihei Boat Landing
Molokini crater in Maui is the ideal place if everyone is planning to participate in snorkeling activities when coming to Maui tourism. The site has beautiful, clear blue waters with views up to 150 feet away. Here you can help you admire more than 250 types of fish with different types and colors.
A number of boat tours are also offered that depart from Kihei Marina to take people around the beach. They will also provide snorkeling equipment for you to go snorkeling along with breakfast and lunch. Forget all the busy routines and spend time appearing at Kihei. And all you need to do is get ready to spend a beautiful day starting to explore the snorkeling site that is rated as one of the most famous places in the world.
- Location: Maui, HI, United States
- Opening hours: 7:30 AM – 19:45 PM
- Ticket price: from $89.95
Where to eat?
Eskimo Candy for Lunch
One of the big things to do in Kihei Maui is to enjoy Eskimo Candy for Lunch. Maui’s delicious dishes are featured at Eskimo Candy. Before preparing to come to this tourist destination, everyone needs to plan in advance. Because there are places that will have limited opening hours, if you go late, you will not have the opportunity to enjoy.
The most popular dish that you must try is mantis shrimp and coconut. Besides, there will be some more types of soft fish for you to enjoy on the island and served with the softest sushi rice. Shrimp rimmed with coconut adds a little crunch, making it a delicious dish without being overpowering.
- Address: 2665 Wai Wai Pl, Kihei, HI 96753
- Phone: +1 808-891-8898
- Open Monday-Friday 10:30am – 4:00pm
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The Cinnamon Roll Place
The Cinnamon Roll Place is also well known for offering the most selective selection of pies and breads, especially the Cinnamon Roll with its delicious flavors.
This dish is started fresh every morning, then if you want you can also watch the dough being pressed and rolled by hand by a team of experts. This place will be very crowded and on weekends so if you want to eat you have to queue and wait.
- Address: 2463 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753
- Phone: +1 808-879-5177
- Open Tuesday – Sunday: 6am – 2pm
Ululani’s Shave Ice
Defeating Ululani’s Hawaiian Shaving Band is an interesting experience that visitors here will not be able to miss. Many people wonder what shaved ice is. Shaved ice can be known for having a smooth layer of delicious fruit syrup and at the same time can be combined with another dish to create amazing dishes. This dish is sure to taste better than snow cones so give it a try.
- Address: 61 South Kihei Rd. Kihei, HI 96753
- Phone: +1 808-877-3700
- Open Monday – Sunday: 10:30am-6:00pm
Cuatro Restaurant
Cuatro Restaurant is a culinary paradise of Mexican fusion with Asian cuisine. The dishes displayed here will make your taste buds more interesting. Popular dishes include spicy Tuna Nachos, the award-winning dish, pan-fried crab cakes with Asian-style Pupu steaks. Besides, there are some other dishes such as Mediterranean grilled fish, Togarashi-style grilled Ahi fish, Asian-style stir-fried seafood dishes, … and many other interesting dishes.
A small note is not to forget to bring beer because Cuatro Restaurant only offers food. This can save everyone an additional amount of money. This restaurant is also a great choice for everyone.
- Address: 1881 S Kihei Rd #111, Kihei, HI 96753
- Phone: +1 808-879-1110
- Open WED – SUN from 4pm to 8pm; Closed MON – TUES
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Kihei Caffe
Waking up to a new day with a good cup of coffee and a hearty breakfast is something everyone should try once. Kihei Caffe will help you prepare everything under a peaceful, romantic space. Here don’t let the lines of waiting intimidate you, people will quickly move when they can buy food and coffee. French toast is made from Portuguese sweet bread, so it has created great flavors for everyone to enjoy.
Branch 1: KIHEI CAFFE
- Address: 1945 South Kihei Road, Kihei, HI 96753
- Phone: +1 (808) 879-2230
- Open Monday – Sunday: 6:00 am – 2:00 pm
Branch 2: KIHEI CAFFE-LAHAINA
- Address: 305 Keawe St, Lahaina, HI 96761
- Phone: +1 (808) 868-2230
- Open Monday – Sunday: 5:00 am – 5:00 pm
Coconuts Fish Café
Coconuts Fish Café has become one of the best fish tacos in Kihei enjoyed by the majority of visitors. This restaurant is known for its guppy fish tacos. This dish is topped with mahi-mahi, ono, coleslaw, tomatoes, mango salsa and cheese.
People often fear the crowd when enjoying the food because Coconut’s is located in a strip mall. However, with a surf-inspired interior, the restaurant’s sidewalk patio will open up a lot of seating for people to freely enjoy their banh tet. Besides, don’t forget to stop by the Wow Wow lemonade stand located nearby to enjoy delicious drinks.
Open Monday – Sunday: 10 am-9 pm
Maui – Azeka Plaza
- Address: 1279 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753
- Phone: +1 808-875-9979
Maui – Kamaole Plaza
- Address: 2463 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753
- Phone: +1 808-875-4949
2 more branches in Cupertino and Kauai
Cafe O’Lei
If you want to find a place to enjoy fresh seafood, shellfish under a relaxed sky, don’t miss Cafe O’Lei. You can rest assured that this restaurant is conveniently located at Rainbow Mall in Nam Kihei with easy access. The atmosphere here has a friendly idyllic beauty, especially for those traveling with family. Here will bring a lot of best services to customers and delicious cuisine, mainly with local ingredients.
You can also enjoy some local favorites like onion soup and black mahi-mahi. Pineapple upside down cake is a dessert with a special flavor that you should also enjoy.
- Address: 2439 South Kihei Road Kihei, HI, 96753
- Phone: +1 808-891-1368
- Open Tuesday – Sunday: 11am – 8pm
808 Deli
808 Deli is rated as one of the best places to eat in Kihei for those looking for a quick lunch. Here you can also purchase a takeaway meal or a takeaway breakfast to prepare you for your beach adventure. Many families also love this place because they can enjoy delicious specialty sandwiches, hotdogs or unique sandwiches.
The food here is delicious thanks in part to the fresh ingredients they bring. This restaurant also offers gourmet sandwiches, delicious foods, and every service is delivered through friendly staff. The World Famous Pudding is offered in many different flavors so you need to consider your choice. Because this place has a relatively limited family seating area, you can also choose to buy along the way.
- Address: 2511 S Kihei Rd #102, Kihei, HI 96753
- Phone: +1 (808) 879-1111
- Open Monday – Sunday: 9am – 5pm
Conclusion
There are many things to do in Kihei Maui to have the most impressive and enjoyable vacation. Take the time to research and prepare for a vacation because there is not always an opportunity to travel. Besides, when coming to this place, please enjoy the food here to get a certain aftertaste. Hopefully with the things shared above, everyone will have more knowledge.