Back in 2018, I lived on the island of Oahu for about three months while finishing college through an internship. At the time, I was college-broke, had no car, and relied on buses and my feet to explore. I made the most of Oahu, but never made it to any of the other Hawaiian islands. So when I found a cheap flight from Japan to Hawaii, we jumped on the chance—not only to revisit my old temporary home but to finally explore Maui. If you’ve been curious about how Maui compares to Oahu, or you’re planning your first trip and wondering what to expect—this breakdown might help. In part one of our Explore Maui 4-Day Itinerary we will cover what to expect arriving, a snorkel tour to see sea turtles, getting professional beach photos at sunset and more.
I went in thinking Maui might be similar to Oahu, but it was surprisingly different. We visited during the dry season, and I was struck by how brown the landscape was. It wasn’t the lush green I remembered from Oahu. Maui also felt much less developed. Sure, there are some luxury resorts, shopping centers, and even a Costco—but it doesn’t come close to the scale of Honolulu. In general, Maui felt more rural, more wild, and also—more expensive. Everyone knows Hawaii is pricey, but in Oahu, I could usually find a few cheaper places to eat or shop once I got out of the tourist-heavy areas. In Maui, I couldn’t find any spot that felt remotely affordable. If you know of any, please let me know for next time.
Arrival Day (Day 1)
We arrived to Maui after first flying into Oahu, since the airport in Maui is smaller and doesn’t have as many direct flights. A few hours after landing on Oahu, we caught our second flight to Kahului. One thing we didn’t realize—there’s no currency exchange in the Maui airport. So if you’re coming from abroad and don’t already have US dollars, make sure to exchange money in advance, either in Oahu or before leaving your home country. The only ATM we could find on Maui had a strict $200 withdrawal limit per transaction, and we had issues using our Japanese bank card. A few days later, we actually had to drive back to that same ATM because none of the banks on the island would process a foreign withdrawal. It wasn’t ideal.
That first day, my first impression was that Maui felt noticeably less foreigner-friendly than Oahu. It’s a bit more remote, less commercialized, and less accommodating in small but impactful ways—like access to cash or larger stores. For example, there was only one Target on the entire island. Before we left for the trip, friends had recommended stopping at Costco or shopping for groceries near the airport because prices go up significantly in other areas of the island. We quickly found that to be true. So after we got some cash, we stopped at Target for a few groceries.
We also made a quick stop at Petco, because I’d been wanting to buy our medium-sized 35-pound Shikoku Ken puppy a new collar and leash. In Japan, most pet stores carry accessories for tiny dogs like Chihuahuas or toy poodles so for dogs any bigger than that the selection is limited.
By that point, the red-eye flight from Japan and the time zone change had fully caught up with us. We were exhausted. After settling into our Airbnb, we heated up a frozen pizza and went straight to bed. It was only 6 p.m. Hawaii time, but we were completely wiped.
Day 2: Snorkeling and Sunset Photos
The next morning, we woke up early—partly due to jet lag, but also because we had a snorkeling tour booked. I’ve noticed that most ocean excursions tend to happen in the early morning. I’ve been told that’s when the water is usually the calmest, and based on our experiences so far, that seems to be true.
We had booked the Molokini and Turtle Town Snorkel Tour with Boss Frog’s, which included both breakfast and lunch. The food was clearly from Costco, which was fine because I love Costco. Breakfast was a spread of muffins, danishes, fresh fruit, and coffee. For lunch, they offered sandwiches, potato salad, and crudités. Sodas were included, but alcoholic drinks were an extra charge.
Our first stop was Molokini Crater, a partially submerged volcanic caldera known for its clear waters and marine life. I was a little surprised by some of the people in our tour group—they didn’t seem like strong swimmers or the type to go on adventurous tours. But the crew was incredibly professional. They were very safety-conscious but always kind and respectful. Before entering the water, they even warned us about the current and how it could push swimmers into the boat ladder if they weren’t careful getting back on.
They kept everyone within a large but controlled swim area, and after every dive, they did a full headcount before moving on. That level of professionalism stood out—especially compared to a dive we once did in the Komodo Islands, where we had to climb over two docked boats just to reach ours, and when in the water they barely kept an eye on you.
There was also an onboard photographer with an underwater camera, who took photos and videos during both snorkel stops. She was careful to photograph everyone, but if you showed interest in buying the photos, she made an extra effort to get good shots of you. The downside was you couldn’t buy individual photos—only the full bundle, which wasn’t cheap.
At Molokini, we swam among schools of large, colorful fish that came quite close. I had read that some people spot reef sharks in the area, and according to ChatGPT, there’s roughly a 10% chance of seeing one. Thankfully, we didn’t.
Next, we boarded the boat again and headed to Turtle Town, the second stop of the day. We only saw two sea turtles, but for my husband, that alone made the tour worth it. He’s always wanted to swim with sea turtles, and this was his idea from the start—he’s become a huge fan of snorkeling over the past few years.
After lunch, the boat returned to the marina around noon. We headed straight to Walmart, since my husband had forgotten to pack any warm clothing and we were planning an early morning hike the next day. Once we got what we needed, we went for a super early dinner at Maui Brewing Co.
We ordered the nacho platter, which was huge—plenty for two people, and we couldn’t even finish it. I got a beer flight and my husband ordered the double IPA. Our waiter pointed out which beers were available in stores and which were smaller, specialty batches only served at the brewery. I chose the specialty brews and ended up loving every one of them. For context, I don’t usually enjoy hoppy or dark beers—I prefer lagers with some flavor. Belgian beers like Leffe are my favorite.
After dinner, we returned to our Airbnb to shower and get ready for a sunset photo shoot I had booked with Maui Professional Photography. I had originally contacted several photographers through Instagram, but many were either unavailable for a short one-hour shoot or had prices that were way out of our range. One photographer quoted us $950 for a one hour session.
Maui Professional Photography was great. They were super responsive, when we emailed back and forth several times. When we had trouble submitting the payment, they were patient and offered alternative ways to pay. I appreciated how easy they were to work with.
On the way back after the shoot, we stopped to grocery shop and picked up some musubi for the next day’s breakfast. Spam musubi is a popular local snack that looks like sushi but has a slice of grilled spam instead of fish. I’ve never been a fan of the canned meat, but I was happy to discover that they now sell chicken musubi, topped with what’s basically a little chicken nugget. That was much more my speed.
Once again, we went to bed early. We were tired from a long day in the sun and getting ready for an even earlier morning hike the next day…
To Be Continued.
For more of our adventures, check out these other posts:
Maui Highlights: Haleakalā at Sunrise, Beach Time, and the Best Mai Tai
Things I miss about life in Italy and some things I don’t
Budget Hacks for Exploring Tokyo