On today's podcast, Bruce and yaling offer 4 less crowded Maui destinations to visit on your Hawaii Vacation for this Sunday, February 20, 2022. Our hosts start off by announcing three new Delta flights to Hawaii from Atlanta, New York City (JFK), and Detroit in 2022 before moving on to important Hawaii travel and vacation news and offering some out-of-the-way, less-crowded Maui destinations.

Our hosts are confident that the Hawaii indoor mask mandate may soon be lifted but remains in place. “This is the way it is here,” Bruce says. “We’re just very cautious here,” Bruce mentions the prevalence of the Aloha Spirit in Hawaii and recalls a recent news story about a local artist who found a lost phone while snorkeling in Waikiki. He dried out the phone in rice (it works!) and managed to locate the owner and return it (along with an expensive pair of sunglasses) to her. This was back in 2020, and the woman recently returned to Hawaii to thank the artist in person.

Bruce recalls all kinds of personal belongings he’s found on his daily hikes, noting that he (and most Hawaii people) makes a point of trying to return such items to their owners. “People lose things here in Hawaii all the time!”

The Restaurant of the Week is Mariposa at Neimann Marcus at Ala Moana Center, where Bruce and Yaling enjoyed indoor seating and the “afternoon experience”. Noting their favorite selections, our hosts also mention vegetarian and plant-based options. Yaling raves about an intermezzo chicken soup that was fantastic. Bruce says that the live music played by a local musician was wonderful.

Moving on to special less-crowded Maui destinations, Bruce discusses Waihou Spring Trail in Upcountry Makawao, a moderate forest hike. Our hosts recommend visiting the Surfing Goat Dairy in nearby Kula, a lavender farm, and the local Ocean Spirits Distillery. Bruce also mentions a guided 2-mile hike at Kopili’ula Falls along the Road to Hana at Marker 21. Bruce and Yaling talk about how long the Road to Hana takes to drive, and not an option to fly into Hana, less crowded Maui destinations may be harder and harder to find with all the info on the web but you can still find some hidden gems.

Our hosts note the high demand for Hawaii travel and discuss a couple of recent bookings at the Waikiki Beach Marriott. “We’re seeing some really great prices for Marriott,” says Bruce, mentioning a HAT resort fee discount. Another booking noted is a 2-week stay for two at the legendary Royal Hawaiian Hotel with an ocean view that came in at about $8400.

Bruce says that the Royal Hawaiian is a 5-star property and even at that cost, the daily room rate is a very good price at the famous “Pink Palace” hotel. “It’s actually a darn good deal!” If you headed to the Garden Isle then less crowded Maui destinations can be found!

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