Our Aloha Maui, Hawaii adventure began in Wailea and ended in Kapalua. Traveling to Hawaii was a little different than previous trips. We had to complete Hawaii travel requirements prior to our trip (travel tip: Hawaii travel requirements goHawaii.com). Once in paradise, we discovered new places to visit and play tennis during our week long Aloha vacation.
Wailea, Hawaii
We stayed at the Fairmont Kea Lani, located on the beach of Wailea. After a lot of thought, we opted to rent a car at the airport, so we were able to drive around the island to check out the sites or find the local Starbucks. It was a great decision! We discovered that the Fairmont Kea Lani had a popular pool, swim up bar where many enjoyed the island drinks from the bar tenders. On property, the spa lounge was intimate, but not crowded. More importantly, the massage was remarkable! We found that the beach was just a short walk from the pool, with super soft white, inviting sand. Although Fairmont Kea Lani did not have tennis courts, the property was very close to the Four Seasons (which has a roof top tennis court over their parking garage!), and a quick shuttle ride or healthy walk to the Wailea Tennis Club.
We brought our tennis racquets in hopes to play tennis (often)! We were not disappointed. The Wailea Tennis Club was located close to the hotels and shopping area of Wailea. The courts were in excellent condition We simply reserved tennis courts by calling the club and we also participated in a drop in tennis clinic. It was fun! (The local taxi driver was sitting in the spectator area cheering us on! Only in Hawaii). It was a great way to start out each Aloha day with tennis, then relaxing at the spa, by the pool or on the beach. We noticed that Wailea Tennis Club also had a couple of dedicated pickleball courts.
On a quest, we ventured off property and discovered a great place to visit, Maui Wine, which was about an hour away. We were in search of a special bottle of wine for our favorite wine connoisseur. The view from the vineyard area was breathtaking, overlooking the ocean. It was definitely worth taking the drive (travel tip: make reservations ahead of time for wine tastings).
A friend of ours made arrangements for us to have dinner at Spago's Maui, Wolfgang Pucks restaurant at the Four Seasons resort. The outdoor seating gave us a spectacular sunset view. The service and food presentation was absolutely amazing. It was the highlight of our Wailea adventure!
The last couple days of our were spent on the other side of the island of Maui (about an hour away from Wailea). We stayed at the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua. We were not disappointed with our upgraded ocean view suite with club lounge access. There were two tennis courts on property, which was on the pathway to the beach. The most popular place for lunch on the property was the Burger Shack, which was located at the entrance to the beach (tip from the towel hut: morning at the beach is considerably less windy).
Each morning, we played tennis at the beautiful Kapalua Tennis Garden. The tennis courts were nestled within the Kapalua Golf Course, a Troon managed golf course. We drove to the courts, but you can take the resort shuttle, hike to the tennis courts, or ride a bike. We were able to participate in a tennis drill with tennis Pro, Cathy Nicoloff. Our Pro was very motivated to show us her new drills that she had picked up from a recent tennis symposium. It was a lot of fun, and a great tennis work out.
After tennis each day, we looked forward to our daily ocean trail hike. The Kapalua coastal trail was easily accessible from the resort, which allowed us to hike oceanside and on volcanic rock. The views were breathtaking!
The island of Maui offered the perfect Aloha vacation. Wailea had shops, restaurants, beach and tennis within walking distance. Kapalua was vintage paradise, a purely relaxing vacation (with tennis opportunities). Aloha!
Disclosure:
We are a participant in the Marriott Affiliate Program , designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Marriott.
We are in partnership with the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy , designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy
Questions/more information….Please contact Cynthia@tennistravelsite.com regarding booking your trip for the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy or Rafa Nadal Tennis Centers.