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| Maui, Hawaii |
Aloha,
A few spots leave an internal mark on your heart and soul. The Maui island is one of those special destinations for me. In April, I spent an unforgettable time exploring the beaches and beautiful sights of the island together with my daughter. We loved looking at the rainbows, burning red, pink, and blue sunsets, crystal clear blue waters, unique flowers, trees, and warm sands. We stayed at Ka’anapali and spent time exploring Lahaina and its shops, history, and liveliness while whale watching in the middle of the deep blue waters. We spent our time gazing towards the sun, dreaming, feeling inspired, full of energy, and happiness, while filling our lungs with the sweet smell of flowers. We took a fun road trip to Hana amazed by the vegetation on the way, unforgettable beautiful beaches, and water sights. We returned rejuvenated and excited, ready to live life to the fullest.
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| Ka'anapali Beach, Maui |
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| Ka'anapali Beach, Maui |
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| Lahaina, Maui |
Little did we know that months later, a tragedy would hit our beloved destination in Maui. Lahaina burnt to the ground leaving people without homes, jobs, and buildings in ashes, spreading death, fear, and pain. My heart hurt deeply for the island as I watched it burn in flames on the news. I cried remembering how many happy memories my daughter and I had there leaving a distant memory from the past embedded in my heart forever.
As the months went by after the tragedy, I was happy to see how strong the island and its people were and how they fought for their land and homes. Maui was not to be forgotten but to be to be rebuilt once again. But we all have to do our part in helping the island rise from the ashes.
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| Lahaina, Maui |
I wanted to do my part and help bring back visitors to the island. I wanted to remind people and tourists that the tragedy doesn’t define Maui - it only makes it stronger and that much more precious. There are parts of the island that remain untouched, unseen, beautiful, and ready to be explored. Maui offers visitors an opportunity to welcome them in other areas so that its economy gets stronger, and better and more island people can go back to work.
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| Black Sand Beaches, Maui |
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| Hana, Maui |
I had the opportunity to learn in a meeting with Lori Machimoto and Kathleen Costello that one of those precious spots welcoming its doors to tourists is in Wailea. Both Machimoto and Costello wanted to remind visitors that Maui is open and that one way we can all help is by boosting the island’s economy so that more jobs can become available to the island people. Wailea offers tourists a more luxurious and authentic experience with beautiful beaches and sights. The Wailea Resort contributes towards the environmental protection, sustainable practice, and community welfare of Maui while employing more people from the island.
Wailea Resort spans the emerald slopes of the Pacific offering views of the islands of Kahoolawe, Lana’i, and West Maui, along a beautiful mountain setting. It is situated 17 miles away from Maui’s airport.
According to Machimoto, Wailea is the leading luxury resort destination in the state of Hawaii that includes hotel brands such as Four Seasons, Fairmont, Waldorf Astoria, and Relais & Châteaux. It is also home to some of Maui’s top employers, so with the recent devastating wildfires, visitors are encouraged to return soon.
Some of the ways Wailea continues to prioritize sustainability in Maui is by supporting responsible tourism, reusable water bottles, recycled cooking oil converted to biofuel, landscape with drought-resistant plants, and local sourcing for meat fish, among others.
If you want to explore Maui and Wailea, you can learn more here:
https://wailearesortassociation.com
@waileamauihawaii
Mahalo!
