We started the day with a visit to ‘Iao Valley to see the iconic ‘Iao Needle State Monument. This area gets about 400 inches of rain a year—that’s over an inch a day! But luck was on our side, and we didn’t get rained on at all during our time there. We hiked up to see the needle, and after that, we made our way down to explore the Kinihapai stream that winds through ‘Iao Valley. It was such a beautiful, serene spot, but we had to leave sooner than we wanted because we had a lunch reservation at Mama’s Fish House.

Jordan had booked this reservation six months in advance, and even then, we could only snag a lunch spot. On the way to Mama’s, we made a quick stop for coffee at Maui Roasters. Jordan and I somehow ended up accidentally buying a $55 bag of coffee beans—yikes! In our defense, the price wasn’t clearly marked, so we did a bit of a customer no-no and exchanged it for a $20 bag. It was a bit of an ordeal, but all good in the end. We also swung by Kanaha Pond, but honestly, it didn’t quite compare to our birding experience at Kealia Pond the day before.

Once we arrived at Mama’s Fish House, we were seated at what felt like the best table in the house, right by the window overlooking their private beach. The setting was perfect, and the food? Unbelievable. I ordered the Mama’s Mahi Mahi, Ono, and Ahi Curry, and Jordan had the Hawaiian Kanpachi with Lobster and Crab in a Macadamia Nut Crust. Hands down, my curry was the best I’ve ever had. Caroline, Amy, and I couldn’t get enough of the passion fruit tea—we probably had three each!

Check out Mama’s full menu here if you want to drool over what we ate!

Unfortunately, after lunch, Jordan started feeling some ear pain from our snuba adventure, so we made a quick stop in Kihei to drop him off at urgent care. Thankfully, his eardrum wasn’t ruptured, but he did have some swelling in his ear tubes, so they prescribed him some medication to help.

Later in the evening, we met up with Jordan’s family at the Westin Resort for a traditional luau. The food was served buffet style, and there were so many delicious options. We got to try poi, a Polynesian paste made from taro root, which is a major agricultural product on Maui. I’ll admit, it wasn’t my favorite, but I love trying local dishes whenever I can. The real highlight was the show—the dancers were incredible, and the stories they told through hula were mesmerizing. The ceremony leader explained how, before the ancient Polynesians had a written language, they passed down history and stories through dance, which made the performance even more meaningful.

It was a fantastic way to end a full day of adventure and amazing food!