ALOHA LIVES

Hawaii was one of the most magical places on earth to us! So some of you might be wondering why we chose to release these travel guides in August, when we traveled to Maui all the way back in March! We loved Hawaii so much we really wanted to devote our time to these vlogs and not rush something just to put it out. We put a lot of heart in to what we do, and since we had a lot of back to back travel and other content that had to be released first, we waited until we could give it all of the love and attention. Maui deserves the best! We fell in love with the breathtaking views, sweet people, loving culture and the respect and preservation the people of Hawaii have for the land and earth. It was the most inspiring place!

One of the first stops we made after our flight was to get Acai Bowls at Pharmacy Health Bar in Wailuku. Neal and I were waiting for our order and saw on the board they had a “pay it forward” bulletin, where someone in need of a meal could go and take a pre-paid receipt to get fed. I thought wow, that’s amazing! Shortly after a man came in and took a receipt off the wall and wanted to place an order for a soup (but they didn’t serve it until after noon). With no hesitation before we could even offer, a local got right out of her chair and paid for his meal. I was so blessed by seeing how people in this community really take care of each other, and we noticed this all over Maui! That’s what I mean by “sweet people” and “loving culture.” I tend to take on the environment I am in when I travel, and I was so moved in this case by what we experienced here, and that is just one example. I love that they live their “Aloha.” Aloha is a way of life, which is something we learned on Maui, it’s not just a greeting for hello and goodbye…

“Aloha is being a part of all, and all being a part of me. When there is pain – it is my pain. When there is joy – it is also mine. I respect all that is as part of the Creator and part of me. I will not willfully harm anyone or anything. When food is needed I will take only my need and explain why it is being taken. The earth, the sky, the sea are mine to care for, to cherish and to protect. This is Hawaiian – this is Aloha!” Credit: HERE

This Vlog is all about our stay at the gorgeous Fairmont Kea Lani, and some behind the scenes of our shoots, where we ate etc. Part Two will be focused on all of the adventures and excursions we took while on Maui! For more on our stay at the Fairmont and what we thought, scroll down more…

PART TWO COMING NEXT WEEK!

VIEW OUTFIT POST: HERE

FAIRMONT KEA LANI | WAILEA, MAUI, HAWAII

We checked in to the Fairmont Kea Lani and were greeted by the kindest staff and of course got beautiful leis! We felt so relaxed the entire time at this hotel, from our reserved cabana by the pool to the sunsets on Wailea beach — all of the things you want after a long flight! If you’ve read my blog for a while now, you’ll know that Fairmont Hotels are my favourite in the world! We’ve stayed at some incredible properties all over Canada, so it was really comforting to get that same level of hospitality, amazing food, a gorgeous property and incredible staff.

We kicked off our first day with the most amazing breakfast (Fairmont does the best breakfast in my opinion, and I’ve stayed at plenty of hotels) and then we changed into our swimsuits and lounged at our pre-reserved poolside cabana. We got service right to our area with cold fresh drinks in a cooler, snacks were circulated (like fresh pineapple and strawberry mochi), then ordered a delicious lunch (scroll down below for a shot) and swam. The food at Kea Lani did not disappoint from breakfast, to lunch and dinner at Kō (I had tempura lobster, *so good*).

Breakfast buffet indulging with fresh pressed juice every morning!

Views from our balcony…

Poolside lunch: Korean style chicken wings + Mango bbq chicken burger

Miso Soup to start and Tempura Lobster for the main (oh my yum) + our dinner view with an incredible sunset!

A lot of our time was spent on the beach, taking in the amazing sunsets but there were so many things to do on the property. Neal took advantage of a little private training session with the Energy Ambassador, Ty Roberts who has also created healthy options on the menus for breakfast and dinner at Kō, which spoke to the wellness initiative that’s so important to them. I loved that the food was delicious, but still very healthy! Exactly what I look for on vacation, in addition to some indulging. While Neal worked out, I had a facial at the Willow Steam Spa which I desperately needed after a drying, long winter and a long flight. I felt glowing the rest of the week and it made me want to protect my skin even more from the sun!

This heated bench was so relaxing and I loved the little touch with Palolo Mud you could help yourself to in the women’s change room to put all over your body before stepping into the sauna. The mud is filled with nutrients that absorb best sitting in a heated area. One was Eucalyptus-infused Volcanic Ash Clay with Organic Hawaiian ‘Awa (detoxifying body mask to relieve muscle pain) and the other was a White Lavender Clay with Hawaiian Kalo (Taro) to stimulate circulation. An extra little treatment, I loved these little touches around the hotel.

VIEW OUTFIT POST: HERE

We loved our morning walks along the path across the different properties in Wailea (that leads off the Fairmont property). It was so nice waking up early (thank you jet lag) and getting to experience how peaceful mornings are on Maui.

We left the hotel to go shopping at The Shops at Wailea (shoutout to 4% sales tax, ours is 13% where we live in Canada!), picked up yummy lemonades at Wow Wow (they’re honestly the best, you must go!) and had delicious fish tacos at Coconuts Fish Cafe (thanks to our friend Jeff for the recommendation). All were within a pretty close radius, and the great thing is Fairmont has shuttles to take you close by (like the shops in Wailea) and we also rented our own car for the time we were on Maui to get around easily for further distances and excursions! We love renting our own car on vacas so we can go at our own pace and since we travel with a lot of camera equipment and drones!

VIEW OUTFIT POST: HERE

I hope you enjoyed Part 1 of our Maui vlog, as well as this review of the Fairmont Kea Lani. Truly one of my favourite places on earth! Stay tuned for all of the adventure that awaits in Part Two next week!