A Week on Maui’s South Shore

Jessica stayed with her family in a top-floor condo at Kihei Holiday, on the north end of Kīhei, and the moment she singled out came first thing in the morning. “Waking up in the morning and watching the whales from the Lanai was most definitely a highlight for me, and the provided binoculars were so lovely,” she wrote in March. The binoculars come with the condo. Its owners keep them on a shelf for the humpback whales that spend the winter in Hawaiian waters, and a week here is made of mornings like hers: coffee on the lanai, an eye on the sea, and a short walk across the road to the beach.

The condo, which its owners call the Family Favorite, is one of four on Maui’s south shore run by Megan and Bryan, who have hosted guests in Kīhei since 2012 under the name Maui Beachside Bungalows. Three are two-bedroom condos at Kihei Holiday; the fourth is a studio at Kihei Bay Surf, on the same road. The couple describe the pair as two small condominium resorts on the calm north end of Kīhei, five to ten minutes from the town’s restaurants, groceries and shops, and they live five minutes away themselves. Bryan is a sport fisherman, and their children were born and raised on the island. The condo listed in our Collection as Sea Sun Maui, which is also their name on Instagram, is the one they call Best Ocean Views.

The north end of Kīhei

Both complexes face the sea across South Kīhei Road. From Kihei Holiday the owners’ directions are short: cross the road and you are on the sand in about two minutes. Howard, who stayed in the Family Favorite, put it at “just a very short walk (75-100 yards at most) to get to a very wonderful beach right across the street.” The owners call it their home beach, Sugar Beach, and it runs north from the old Kīhei wharf towards Māʻalaea. It is a beach for walking and swimming, with a sand bottom that leaves little to see through a mask, and there is no lifeguard on it.

Kihei Bay Surf, at 715 South Kīhei Road, is a low-rise, garden-style complex built around a tennis court and a pool. Andrew, who stayed in its studio, described the spot as “right across from the beach and whale marine sanctuary where you can see the sea turtles bathing”. The sanctuary is the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, whose visitor centre stands at 726 South Kīhei Road. It opens on weekdays from 9.30 in the morning to 2.30 in the afternoon, with exhibits and weekly programmes, and the sanctuary calls it “an ideal spot to learn about the marine environment and even see humpback whales breaching.” In front of it is the Kōʻieʻie fishpond, a three-acre pond that the sanctuary counts among the last intact traditional fishponds on the south Maui coast; its wall is being rebuilt by hand, stone by stone. Allana, who spent two weeks in the studio, wrote: “Sea turtles shelter along an ancient rock wall there every night.”

North of both, on the road to Māʻalaea, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service runs a boardwalk into Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, open every day, where the endangered aeʻo, the Hawaiian stilt, and ʻalae keʻokeʻo, the Hawaiian coot, nest and feed. Shorebirds arrive in August, and the waterfowl build up through September and October. For almost everything else you will want a car. Nick, who stayed at Best Ocean Views with two young children, put it plainly: “it’s not a walkable neighbourhood (unless you want to go everywhere via walking along the beautiful beach!), so you will need to drive to do anything (e.g. shopping, coffee, activities).”

Three condos at Kihei Holiday

The three condos at Kihei Holiday share the complex’s pool, hot tub and barbecue grills, and each has its own kitchen, lanai and air conditioning. They differ in the view, the stairs and the beds, and those decide who should take which.

Best Ocean Views is the one in our Collection. The owners renovated it from the studs out, and the main room has a vaulted ceiling ten feet high and a wall of glass, so the sea is in view from the sofa, the dining table and the lanai, with the West Maui Mountains across the water. The kitchen has quartz counters, a gas double-oven range, a full-size French-door refrigerator and brass fittings against white subway tile; the bathroom has a glass walk-in rain shower over a pebble-stone floor. There are two bedrooms, each with a queen bed, and one bathroom, and it sleeps four. Laura, who wrote in July 2025, listed the things she valued, including the “front condo with the ocean on the other side of a small street, not noisy, you can hear the waves at night”. It suits two couples, or parents with two children, who want the sea in view from every main room.

The Family Favorite is the condo the owners point families to. It is on the top floor, with vaulted ceilings and a palm-leaf accent wall in the living room, and it sleeps five, in a king bed, a queen and a sofa bed. There is air conditioning in every room and a washer and dryer in the condo, the kitchen has granite counters and a pass-through to the dining area, and the closet holds beach chairs, towels and toys; a travel cot is available. Chelsea, who stayed with her three young boys, wrote in July 2025 that “we used the boogie boards, beach chairs, umbrella, cooler, and towels every day” and that her children “loved the pool almost as much as the beach”.

The one thing to weigh is the climb. The condo is up two flights of stairs and there is no lift, and guests have mentioned it for years. “You'll have to be prepared to walk your luggage to the 3rd floor (no problem for we hikers), but it's so worth it to be in the tops of the trees and hearing the birds so close by,” wrote Marcy, who shared it with three other adults. A family with heavy cases, or a grandparent who finds stairs hard, should ask the owners which floor the other condos are on, or take the ground-floor studio at Kihei Bay Surf.

The Modern Ocean View is the newest renovation of the four. It has two bedrooms with three queen beds between them and sleeps four, with smart televisions, a washer and dryer, and a kitchen with granite counters, stainless appliances and a breakfast bar. Sliding glass doors open from the living room onto a lanai that looks across to the calm north end of Sugar Beach, with the West Maui Mountains on the horizon. The owners suggest it for two couples or a small family. Nicole, who came with friends, wrote in June 2025: “It was perfect for our girls trip!” and “The complex is really quiet, and the ocean view was very peaceful.” Cristina, there with her family, noted “A/C units and fans in each room.” Parents of toddlers should expect a little childproofing. Darren, who stayed with two of them, wrote: “Had to do light child proofing (lots of decor), but that’s more reflective of our toddlers than the host.”

The studio at Kihei Bay Surf

The Couples Getaway is the simplest of the four: a ground-floor studio at Kihei Bay Surf, one bright room with a queen bed and a sofa that sleeps a third guest, a full kitchen with a quartz peninsula and full-size appliances, and a private lanai that looks over the gardens and the tennis court. The Wi-Fi runs at 310 Mbps, enough for anyone working from the island. Snorkel gear, beach chairs and tennis racquets are in the closet, the complex has its own pool and hot tub, and Monsoon, a restaurant the owners call a longtime local favourite, is across the road. Hui, who wrote in September 2024, liked that “The apartment is located on the first floor, away from the street, quiet and convenient access after getting out of car.” It suits a couple, someone travelling alone, or anyone who would rather not carry cases upstairs.

How a day goes

Days on this coast follow the wind. The owners’ advice for the beach across the road is to swim and paddle before about ten in the morning, because the trade winds pick up after lunch and turn the bay choppy. Maryna, who stayed in the Family Favorite, found the complex pool “nice to have in the afternoons when the wind picks up and the ocean gets too rough.”

So the morning starts on the lanai, with coffee and, from November, an eye on the water for spouts, then a walk on the beach; the owners say to walk it at sunrise at least once. The evening has its own walk. Robert, who stayed at Best Ocean Views, found “a dune just outside to catch sunsets over the West Maui Mountains.” Not every stretch is soft underfoot: Valerie, in the Family Favorite, warned that “the beach across the street has lots of hidden rocks we got scraped up on”, so water shoes are worth packing.

Mid-morning belongs to the reefs and the boats, or to the five-to-ten-minute drive south to the Kamaʻole beach parks, which have lifeguards. In the middle of the day the sanctuary’s visitor centre is open until 2.30 on weekdays, and the Keālia boardwalk stays open into the evening. The owners say many guests buy fresh fish at the market and grill it at the condo; both complexes have barbecue grills, and Kīhei’s restaurants and shops are five to ten minutes away by car. Evenings end back on the lanai. Cristina, at the Modern Ocean View, wrote of “Great sunset views from the balcony.”

Starr-230301-6168-Cocos nucifera-along coast-Kamaole Beach Pa… · Forest and Kim Starr · CC BY 2.0 · cropped

Whale season

Humpback whales come to Hawaiian waters each winter to mate, give birth and raise their young. The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary says the season generally runs from November through May, and NOAA puts the peak of sightings between January and March, with numbers falling away until the season ends in early May. From November through April, the sanctuary says, whales can be seen from shore as well as at sea, and all three lanais at Kihei Holiday face the sea. Roy, a guest at Best Ocean Views, “did see whales on multiple occasions right out the window.”

We saw countless whales from the lanai in the mornings.Lexi, a guest in March 2025

For a closer look, whale-watching boats leave from Māʻalaea Harbor, a short drive north, and the owners steer guests to the morning trips, when the sea is usually calmer. Federal law prohibits approaching within 100 yards of a humpback whale in Hawaiʻi, and the owners’ guide reminds guests that the rule covers kayaks and paddleboards as well as boats.

Humpback Whale, Breaching off Maui Coast · Jkrauska · CC BY-SA 3.0 · cropped

Reefs, turtles and Molokini

The snorkelling is a short drive from the condos. The owners’ guide starts with the Kamaʻole beach parks, where the reef is on the rocky points at each end of the beaches, then sends guests to Ulua Beach in Wailea and on to Maluaka Beach in Mākena, about 25 minutes away, a stretch the guide calls Turtle Town because green sea turtles come in to feed on the algae that grow on the reef. NOAA asks swimmers to stay at least 10 feet, or 3 metres, from sea turtles, in the water and on land, and never to touch, chase or feed them. The owners keep spare snorkel sets for guests who ask.

The boat trip is Molokini, a crescent-shaped islet about three miles off Maui’s south-western coast, which is the southern rim of an extinct volcanic crater. The state has protected it as a Marine Life Conservation District since 1977: no fishing, no feeding the fish, and no landing, because the islet is a seabird sanctuary. Hawaiʻi’s Division of Aquatic Resources calls the diversity of fish and other marine life there “among the most impressive in the state” and warns that currents can be a problem outside the cove. Boats leave from Māʻalaea Harbor, most of them in the morning, and in whale season the owners advise booking weeks ahead.

Snorkelling needs care. Hawaiʻi’s Department of Health says more visitors drown while snorkelling than during any other activity, and its advice is short: be an experienced ocean swimmer, always go with a buddy, make sure the mask fits and does not leak, and stay out when the surf is high, the wind strong, the shorebreak heavy or the current strong.

Molokini Aerial · Forest & Kim Starr · CC BY 3.0 · cropped

Sunrise on Haleakalā

The other early start is the summit of Haleakalā. The national park requires a reservation to drive in for sunrise, for the window between 3 and 7 in the morning, made on recreation.gov. Reservations open 60 days ahead at 7 am Hawaiʻi time, a share is held back and released two days before, and each visitor can buy only one sunrise reservation in any three-day period. You also need a park pass, or a way to buy one, and the park does not refund reservations for bad weather.

The summit is 10,023 feet up and about 17°C (30°F) colder than the coast, and the park warns that the weather just before dawn is regularly wet, windy and below freezing. There is no food, clothing or fuel for sale in the park; the last fuel on the way up is in Pukalani. The road has no streetlights or guard rails, and the park allows two and a half hours’ driving from Kahului and three from Wailea; Kīhei lies between the two. Pack every warm layer you brought.

Haleakala Crater Summit and Cinder Cones - panoramio · Eric Tessmer · CC BY 3.0 · cropped

Lifeguards and ocean safety

There is no lifeguard on the beach across the road. On this coast, Maui County’s lifeguard towers stand at the three Kamaʻole beach parks, one at each, and at Mākena, which has two; as Maui Now reported in June 2025, Wailea Beach is among the popular beaches with none. Kamaʻole Beach Park III, which the county describes as a favourite with families, also has a playground, outdoor showers and picnic pavilions. The state Health Department’s first message is to go to a lifeguarded beach, and at an unguarded one to check the conditions and warning signs and to swim with a buddy. The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority adds the rest: look for rip currents, rocks and shorebreak before going in; if a rip current catches you, stay calm and go with it rather than fight it; do not turn your back to the ocean; and “If in doubt, don't go out.”

Getting there and booking

Kahului Airport is Maui’s main airport, with flights from overseas and from the other islands, and the owners allow about forty minutes’ drive from there to the condos. Hire a car at the airport; the owners recommend one, and there is no public transport to Haleakalā. Check-in is at 3 pm and check-out at 11 am. The doors open with a keypad or smart lock, so a late flight is no problem, and parking is free.

All four condos are booked through Airbnb. Each condo’s page on the owners’ site, mauibeachvacationrentals.com, has a Book on Airbnb button with the live calendar behind it, and the owners point out that the calendar, the messages and the welcome are theirs. Questions before booking go to Megan and Bryan by Instagram message. They print their Hawaiʻi short-term rental licence numbers at the foot of every page and say each condo is registered and operates in a hotel-zoned resort. As for what happens when something goes wrong: Theresa, who stayed in the studio, wrote in April 2026 that they messaged Megan about a problem on a Saturday evening, and she “replied immediately and came over 10 min later to check it out.”

When to go

For whales, come between January and March, when sightings peak; the season runs from November into May. For a quieter week, the owners count September and October among the quietest months of the year, and the birds return to Keālia from late summer, shorebirds from August and waterfowl from September. Whenever you come, put the swimming and snorkelling in the morning, before the wind, and book Haleakalā the day the 60-day window opens. Our guide to Maui covers the rest of the island.

Maui Beachside Bungalows has four condos on the north end of Kīhei, three at Kihei Holiday and a studio at Kihei Bay Surf, sleeping three to five, and all of them are booked through Airbnb from the owners’ site.