Hawaii family vacation is a dream vacation for sure. As a family of 5, finding a deal can be hard. A regular hotel room and our three kids will not fit my husband and me.
Traveling together and seeing places is very important to us. Not sure how excited the kids are about anything besides the beach and the pool, but we are trying as parents. How did we make this family vacation to Maui as a family of five? Read below.
Free Hotel (Rewards)
This is our second time in Maui, and we did the same thing we did last year when booking our Spring Break vacation with the kids. We have a Marriott Bonvoy credit card; we collect points by staying at Marriott Chain Hotels when we travel for work and everyday spending.
After you have some points, you can shop around to different destinations and use your points to see how many free nights you can get. This is a bit harder to explain, but you understand.
We stayed at Residence Inn Maui Wailea. The only thing we paid for was parking ($30 per night plus tax). The hotel had breakfast included, which is always a plus, and a pool, a must for kids. I love the kitchen that our room had because it makes preparing or storing food in the refrigerator much easier. This also is a huge tip for saving money.
We don’t really eat out too often because we are at the beach or the pool most of the time. If we drive to places, we eat there, but overall this is a super casual vacation, no dressing up, makeup, and so on.
Sometimes we can pay a bit for an extra night if we desire.
Free Reward Flight Tickets
This is another credit card we have, and it is Southwest…… Also, a companion ticket is free. The idea is the same as the Marriott credit card. Use this card if you need it for your daily purchases and collect points, then get free reward tickets based on your points.
Sometimes we may pay something to cover one ticket or else. Our credit card is Southwest Rapid Rewards; you can see details here.
Credit Card Deals
Always check what credit cards have the best deals. Many give you a lot of points just for opening the card. Please do not go overboard by opening too many. You don’t want to forget a payment or not use the card. Just have as many as you m and be able to use and concert the points for free hotel stays or flight tickets.
Transportation
We always rent a car, and last year we paid a lot for one week, but this year my husband was able to find a great deal very early on, and it was great. Always check for rental car deals to save you a few hundred dollars. The site we used was www.AutoSlash.com. It compares rates for you, and you get the best deal.
Maui Shopping
Our first stop after landing is Costco. We shop for everything we need for the week (water, snacks, drinks, and fruits). We can pack those every day for the beach.
There is a good shopping center in Waileah called Wailea Village. Great place for shopping and getting a coffee or ice cream. It is outdoorsy and well-maintained.
We also visited Whalers Village, Some of the stores are the same as in Waileah Village. The kids usually get some shirts or hats when we visit Maui.
The food stores are not as many depending on what you want to eat. Many times we buy cooked food from Island Gourmet Marketis in Waileah. The food selection is great and not expensive at all. Since I have celiac, I could still find something for myself.
Maui Favorite Beaches
Our absolute favorite beach is Ulua Beach, not only because it is so close to the hotel but also because it is kid-friendly and has plenty of shade. We have been enjoying this beach for its snorkeling opportunity as well. The kids love seeing the fish as well. Many residents and visitors also love to come early in the morning and snorkel at this spot.
We have loved the Wailea Beach Path with its stunning scenery, and looking at the sunset is breathtaking.
There are so many beaches, and we haven’t visited that many because once we liked our favorite spot.
Activities
Last year we drove on many road trips, and my husband and I loved the scenery, but as for our kids, not so much. They were car sick a lot, complained about boredom, and so on. We saw some waterfalls and almost went on the Road to Hannah, but we didn’t because it was a long drive. On one of the road trips, we were driving through many narrow roads that two cars couldn’t pass one another; it was very dangerous with steep ways.
Next time we may do a helicopter ride; I would love to swim with the turtles and have my kids participate as well.
Must-Have When Away From Home
- Sunscreen – I absolutely love this one by Naturium. It is lightweight, and you have worn it under or over makeup. For the rest of my family, I got them La Roche Posay for the face. For the body, we used Alba Botanica Sunscreen.
- Body lotion – Cetaphil Advance Relief Lotion
- Cuts and Scrapes – Active Skin Repair (the kids always get some cuts). Also, a Band-Aid is always a good idea.
- Travel Essentials – travel bottles, makeup bag, makeup brush holder, external battery, Apple multiple device charger, hard travel electronic organizer. We carry more things, but those are a must for us.
Thank you all for reading today’s blog post. I hope you found it helpful and that you are ready to make your Hawaii Vacation on a Budget happen. If you have any questions feel free to comment below, and I will respond as soon as possible. Also, you can follow me on Instagram and YouTube.
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