Maui Day 2: Molokini – Land of Lloyds

Maui has water activities for everyone! We loved snorkeling in Maui every day we could—it’s super fun and cheap! We found that each snorkel spot had its own special features and types of wildlife so it was great to be able to experience a variety. Molokini boasts 150-200 foot visibility since there’s no sandy beach to muddy up the water, just a straight down extinct crater! There’s also calmer waters on most days year round because of the crescent shape protecting it from the waves. You can only get here by boat, so we made the splurge and booked a tour for an all-day experience of this special place.

Our Molokini excursion was about enjoying the boat ride, fresh lunch, history of this cool underwater crater, and the unique formation that made the conditions perfect for snorkeling—plus the actual snorkeling. We explored most of the crater and docked on the left interesting side, but there weren’t too many fish or things to see in comparison to snorkeling spots we went to on Maui.

150 foot visibility is amazing and feels like you’re that guy swimming in a giant pristine aquarium, without feeding the fish. It’s a whole world down there—that you can see! I saw a fish pooing right in front of me as clear as if we weren’t in water… that was a first! This kind of relaxing snorkeling is addicting to the point where you could float and swim for hours going further out until you reach potentially dangerous waters. If it weren’t for being starved after a couple of hours, checking out what’s in the reef would never end. Yep, Jeremy has declared me a snorkel junkie.

We woke up early and headed to the harbor and paid for a few hours of parking. I chose the tour Four Winds because it spends the entire time in one spot so you’re able to fully explore the area even after the other boats have moved on to Turtle Town or Lana’i. No worries since we planned to dedicate a different day to see turtles on the beach for free. Our tour also had some of the best food and drink options offered, grilling delicious pulled pork sandwiches and marinated chicken right there on the boat! I also liked their ginger water which helped with my motion sickness. Another important feature I looked for was a bathroom (some of the faster rafts don’t have any!), which I needed several times on the long trip. Their photography staff was also excellent, so I didn’t stress too much capturing memories. They rescued my GoPro camera when I showed up with a dead battery, and when my camera flooded after my first snorkel! I didn’t actually get many photos for this post because I took videos and haven’t figured out how to pull still photos from them yet.

Funny Story

The last time we went snorkeling in an exotic place it was our honeymoon 10 years ago, and my husband who is a former lifeguard had to save me. I had started panicking and kicking off my flippers and snorkel in the middle of the Mexican ocean. He dived for the flippers I lost, and managed to keep me from drowning… Yeah. He wouldn’t let me live that one down, that he almost lost his brand new bride swimming. So I noticed he was kind of tense wondering if I was going to be okay, especially since I didn’t exactly practice swimming to get the hang of it again before our trip… He was so sweet, offering me floaties and asking if I wanted to go to the beginners class they were holding on the boat, was I sure I wanted to skip it… And I totally nailed it by just getting right in! (It probably helped that conditions were literally perfect and not much swimming was involved anyway haha.) Not a big deal, but it was such a better experience than our honeymoon! It’s the small things. #HoneymoonRedo

Molokini Boat Tour Tips

Go as early as you can: Our boat tour delayed waiting for latecomers, but imagine if everyone got there early so we could be at the Crater earlier 🙂 If you want a more exclusive kind of experience, I’d do the Kai Kanani sunrise boat tour to snorkel at Molokini before all the other boats get there—almost twice what we paid but maybe worth it! We took advantage of the jet lag and calmer morning waters for longer snorkeling time, and it was still great!

Paid parking: If you’re kind of late to check in and there’s a long line trying to pay parking at the harbor, just do it from your mobile phone! There’s a small fee like 30 cents or something but so worth not having to stand in line.

Swim Shirt: If you get cold easily like me, insulate! It gets cold after a while, even in warm waters. We rented swim shirts that I wore on top of my swimsuit and sun shirt, and it kept me comfortable.

Eat Breakfast Beforehand: Water activities like snorkeling take lots of energy! A tropical breakfast was provided on the boat (half a Costco muffin, fruit, and water or ginger water) which is great for a small burst of energy, but I needed something more sustaining so I could maximize my time in the water. Thankfully, Jer had cooked an awesome protein-filled breakfast sandwich with bacon, eggs, and cheese on an English muffin before we left!

Fruit Stands

On the way back to the hotel we checked out some fruit stands! The shade from these trees that cover the road is fabulous, and everything smells so yummy. We didn’t end up buying anything knowing that we had a ton of pineapple back in our hotel room…

We shared dinner at Nalu’s South Shore Grill, and listened to some live entertainment there. The woman singing had a wonderful story talking about growing up on the islands and then going to a performing arts school in San Diego at the same place that Jamie Foxx went, and she invited a beautiful lady to perform a Hawaiian dance as she explained what the song meant before she sang it. The Hawaiian language is so pretty!