Travaasa Resort in Hana, Maui Hawaii

Where is your happy place? For me, it’s Maui. We love going to Hawaii as a family because it’s family friendly, not too far (5 hours away from CA) and a clean and safe destination for families with young kids.

So far we’ve gone to two islands in Hawaii- Oahu and Maui- but we love Maui because of its hidden gem, a magical place named Hana. Unlike Oahu that’s more lively and touristy, Maui is more secluded, quiet and untouched by civilization.

To me, Hana emanates the true spirit of Hawaii and it’s really difficult to capture its beauty and magnificence in words– you just have to experience it yourself. It’s my hope that through this post, you get a glimpse of the beauty and lush greenery that Hana has to offer and learn more about this special hidden paradise in Hawaii.

This was our 4th time visiting Maui as a family and 3rd time visiting Hana and it was on our bucket list to stay in Hana for a few days because day trips were never long enough. Hana is a small town located at the eastern end of the island of Maui and one of the most isolated communities in the state. It is reached by Hana Highway, a long, winding, 52-mile-long highway along Maui’s northern shore.

Hana is a small town located at the eastern end of the island of Maui and one of the most isolated communities in the state. It is reached by Hana Highway, a long, winding, 52-mile-long highway along Maui’s northern shore.

Little stops along the Road To Hana

The infamous Road To Hana is incredibly beautiful with its lush greenery and picturesque landscape but day trips are not easy especially with little ones. Also due to the drive being long and winding through the mountains, it’s difficult to truly enjoy all its scenic gifts in a single day because you want to make it back down by nightfall. I mean, how do you truly relax at a place when you know you have to pack up and begin driving down in the late afternoon?

Travaasa Hana, Maui

Due to Hana being so isolated and remote, there aren’t many choices when it comes to lodging in Hana. We booked a weekend at Travaasa, an award-winning boutique resort located inside the town of Hana. They call it an experiential resort for a reason- there’s no fancy lobby, luxurious restaurants or even air conditioning. In fact, when we arrived here on the first day after our 3 day stay at the Fairmont Kea Lani, I was a little shocked at how simple this place is.

Once we arrived in our one bedroom bungalow however, I was charmed by its rustic simplicity and amazed at the beauty that surrounds our home for the weekend.

We fell asleep to the sound of the ocean waves and pouring tropical rain. The tropical vibes and healing energy of Mother nature can be felt to the core; it was unlike anything I’ve experienced in my life. We didn’t watch TV or connect to the internet and there wasn’t much to do except to be still and take in the beauty of our surrounding. It was incredibly boring yet healing- and by the end of the first day I felt at one with this paradise.

We didn’t watch TV or connect to the internet and there wasn’t much to do except to be still and take in the beauty of our surrounding. It was incredibly boring yet healing- and by the end of the first day I felt at one with this paradise.

The next morning we woke up early for a little outdoor playtime with the little one. He turned 2 years old on this day.

Hamoa Beach

After breakfast, we took a short 5 minute drive to Hamoa beach, a small and secluded beach in Hana. There aren’t many place to park here so you need to get there early but once you make it down the long stairway, you’re greeted with soft sand, clear turquoise waters and beautiful tropical landscape. Hamoa beach is rated one of the best hidden beaches in the country and you’ll see why when you’re there.

We spent all day here just relaxing, swimming and sunbathing. It was the ultimate beach getaway and I dream about returning again.

Be sure to pack drinks, water and food because this beach is very remote and you won’t find any restaurant nearby.

I don’t have many photos from our beach day because I unplugged from the world and just enjoyed the sound of the ocean and the sight of my children playing at the beach. It was one of my favorite beach days ever.

After the beach day we bought dinner at a local food truck, found a banana bread to serve as Baby D’s birthday cake, grabbed some candles at a small convenience store and sang him a birthday song. He was so happy!

Happy 2nd Birthday Baby D!

The next day we woke up to the sound of on and off rain. It was so refreshing and peaceful as I took a walk around the grounds with my camera. There’s something incredibly healing and grounding about Hana’s energy that I would highly recommend you to travel this way if you’re in need of relaxation, rejuvenation and holistic healing.

And you know those pretty Hawaiian hair clips found all over the tourist shops?  I found them scattered all over the grounds.

Just like that, our two days in Paradise ended and we made our way down to Ka’anapali. If I was to do the trip again, I would’ve spent one more day in Hana and one less day at Ka’anapali.

Once we returned to civilization I experienced a major shift in energy, almost like coming down from a spiritual/energy high. Hana is THAT special and I can understand why the locals want to preserve it as much as they can.

Here are some tips for Hana:

1. Pack food, snacks and water as convenient shops are small and scarce. We stopped by Costco before and stocked up on things we can cook at our bungalow.
2. Don’t forget insect spray! There are lots of mosquitos around.
3. Day trips to Hana might be difficult with young kids because roads are narrow and winding. If you’d like to travel this way try to arrange an overnight stay or leave early in the morning.
4. Don’t expect hotel luxury, but healing vibes of Mother Nature.
5. Be prepared to make frequent stops along the road.
6. Bring comfortable walking shoes.
7. Bring everything you need for beach stops- towels, sunblock, hat, umbrellas, chairs, cooler etc.
8. Unplug and be present.

What do you think about my travelogue to Hana? If you have any questions, leave them below. I hope you enjoyed this post and I’ll be back shortly with Part 2 of our Maui Vacation story!

You can find more Family Maui travel tips here.