When life gets stressful, I dream of our family’s beautifully peaceful home-away-from-home, tucked away on a quiet beach, a short walk away from the shops in Kihei, on the Hawaiian Island of Maui – Leilani Kai Resort. My Hawaiian escape and home!
My first memories are actually from Leilani Kai Resort, at age three, playing crocodile in the pool with my older sister of 4, and two other girls staying at this 10-unit resort on a quiet beach in Kihei. A beach on which we spent our days building sandcastles and wading through the shallows with our pails to chat with the fishermen and checkout their catch. In those days, our family had two of the units, thanks to my grandfather’s love of Maui, and we’d sit with my grandparents, watching and cheering the neighbourhood boys on, as they’d climb the coconut trees to bring my sister and I down some fresh coconuts to enjoy!
Leilani Kai Resort
Amazingly, little has changed about this relaxing little resort over the past few decades. It still remains in a quiet, tucked away spot, bordered by private homes. While the resort’s unit owners have changed to new buyers, or as in our case, the grandchildren of the original owners, the warm, friendly, home away from home ambiance has remained. While local kids no longer climb the palm trees for coconuts, thanks to marine education and restoration efforts, now the resort has new locals that visit, in the form of sea turtles who crawl up on the beach each night to go to sleep.
Its a magical place, where after enjoying a beautiful sunset, you can bid your turtle neighbours a good night!
Unit 201 at Leilani Kai Resort
Our family shares the two-bedroom unit (in the top left corner, when viewed from the beach) from April 4th – May 2nd every year. Split with my cousins, we each have 9-10 nights. Should those dates be available in any given year, we will share the availability here.
What the Unit includes is two bedrooms – a smaller room with a queen sized bed (my favourite bedroom) and a larger room with two twin beds that can be put together to create a king sized bed. The Unit has one bathroom with a bath with a shower in the bath. The main room on the ocean side of the Unit includes a full kitchen )with a full sized oven, refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave), dining area, and living room, all looking out on the ocean. The couch pulls out into an additional queen sized bed, should you need it. Off of this space, is a balcony over-looking the ocean.
The Unit includes:
- Private lanai with beautiful ocean views.
- Full kitchen with microwave, dishwasher and garbage disposal. Complete with cookware, dishes and utensils. All you need to bring are the groceries.
- Ceiling fans, split air conditioning (user pay) and a safe.
- Free Cable TV, internet and phone (for free calling anywhere in North America).
- All linens, including beach towels to use while you enjoy thr saltwater filtration pool. Hours 9:00 AM until dark daily.
- Spacious oceanfront landscaped property, including 19 coconut palms.
- Shared barbecues, picnic tables, lounge chairs, and a saltwater pool.
- One parking spot for the Unit. There is also free parking on the street.
- On-site manager to assist during your visit.
The property also has shared coin operated laundry machines.
In April, we have never needed to use the user pay air conditioning, as the ceiling fans and putting the shades down when we are out, suffice in keeping the Unit at a comfortable temperature.
As Leilani Kai Resort operates, like a home away from home, there is no daily housekeeping and guests are expected to leave their Unit according to the manager’s guidelines at the end of their stay, before housekeeping comes in. Should the Unit not be left to the manager’s guidelines, then an additional cleaning fee is charged.
My Days at Leilani Kei Resort
Maui Mornings
My days at Leilani Kei Resort often start with a peaceful morning walk on the quiet beaches, exploring the tide pools, watching the fishermen, and enjoying the sand between my toes. Sometimes I will even happen upon a turtle who has yet to return to the sea from hauling out from the night before.
Returning to Leilani Kai Resort, I enjoy a cup of locally grown and roasted coffee and a bowl of fresh fruit (mango, papaya, guava, pineapple …) from one of the many local farm markets or fruit stands on the island, on the lanai.
Usually I then head off on a morning adventure, while the water is calmer and the temperatures are cooler. This might mean snorkelling (favourite spots of mine include the lava fields at Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve or for a longer trip to Honolua Bay), joining the Kihei Canoe Club for a morning paddle on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, paddle boarding (a pastime that people enjoy right out front of Leilani Kei Resort, where many turtle frequent the reef), or going for a hike (again, a favourite spot is Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve, although I have many other hikes on the island that I enjoy too, including the Waihe‘e Coastal Dunes & Wetlands Refuge).
We highly recommend Kihei Rent a Car for a set of affordable wheels during your stay. They are a wonderful family owned business, who jokingly call themselves ‘Canada’s best kept secret’ in Kihei, and even know to ask British Columbians if we need renter’s insurance or if we have ICBC’s roadside plus to cover our rental. They will also pick you up from the airport and drop you off at the end of your stay.
Maui Afternoons
Returning to Leilani Kai Resort, I will then usually enjoy a light lunch of local goodies on the lanai. For me that usually means fresh poke and wakame (seaweed salad) from the market, along with a giant avocado from a local farm stand and fresh fruit, all washed down with guava or passion fruit juice.
Burning easily, while others like to enjoy the pool in the afternoons at Leilani Kai Resort, I tend to prefer a quiet and shadier afternoon – enjoying a nap indoors, getting a bit of work done from the lanai, doing the shopping, exploring the local second hand stores, wandering down the beach to visit the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Visitors Center to take in a marine science talk, enjoying a brew and / or a tour at Maui Brewery, arranging for a lomi lomi massage in the shade of a tree by the beach from Beach Day Spa or on the days that I feel like a more active afternoon adventure, heading out for a shadier hike, like to Twin Falls to swim in the pools beneath the falls.
Food shopping wise, Times Supermarket is a short (5-minute or less) walk away and has shockingly good poke and wakame (and this is coming from a fresh fish snob), Azeka Center offers scrumptious goodies like Maui Pie, Tamura’s Fine Wines & Liquors offers additional libations to those found in the supermarket and more poke, and there are local farm stands of fruit and vegetables in the Kihei Craft Fair at the corner of Nohokai St and South Kihei Road and kitty-corner to it. You can also find Huli Huli Chicken and Ribs (which I dream about) from the Kihei Craft Fair from 9 am – 4:30 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays.
We also love to shop in the plaza across from the Kihei Canoe Club. Farmers Market Maui is a favourite place of ours for fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as locally made tortilla chips, salsa, and guacamole (which usually you need to arrive early for). They also have really good dried fruit and ginger (which I always wish I’d bought more of to bring home, both for myself and to share with others). My sister and cousin also love the smoothies and acai bowls. The pies at Sugar Beach Bake Shop are dream worthy. My favourite is the Lilikoi Key Lime Pie. My friends Monica and Andrew also love their malasadas. Additionally, they have delicious local coffees and teas to brew at home. Oh, and Monica and Andrew enjoy Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice next door.
Maui Evenings at Leilani Kai Resort
For me, my Maui evenings are about the sunsets and turtles. Often I will sit with our Leilani Kai family of neighbours enjoying a brew and sometimes a pupu (finger food) party, enjoying the sunset. Then I will stroll down the beach to say a silent goodnight (at a respectful distance) to the turtles that have hauled up on the beach for the night.
Usually, I then enjoy cooking a meal of local delights, sometimes barbecuing the local catch of the day.
If friends wish to enjoy a meal out, there are plenty of delicious options within walking distance. A few favourites include Coconut’s Fish Cafe (which my friend Carrie would eat at daily), ekolu kitchen1279, the Kihei Food Truck Park (behind Azeka Center on Piikea Ave) and of course Huli Huli Chicken and Rib Wednesdays and Fridays (to take home, and possibly enjoy with sunset). Andrew and Monica also really enjoy Da Kitchen.
How Do You Like to Spend Your Time on Maui?
How about you? How do you like spend your time on Maui? What are your Kihei favourites or favourites elsewhere on the Island of Maui?
Map of Other Accommodations in Kihei, Maui
Planning a visit to Kihei when Leilani Kai is all booked up? Check out this interactive map to different accommodations available in Kihei on Maui.
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We never spent much time in Kihei, spending most of our Maui time in Lahaina, Makawao and Kipahulu.
Leilani Kei sounds like a lovely spot. We were supposed to go back this year but opted out.
Will check back next year to see if you have availability.
It is a lovely spot. Thanks Nat.
Will update this post when I know what next year’s availability is like or you can shoot me an email directly.
We also are fractional owners at Lelaini Kai. I learned a few new things from your article. Thank you
We usually stay at Maui Sunset and will again in April. We would like to know your location for future visits. Thanks.
Dr Gloria Malone
My pleasure. You are most welcome. I am sure I could learn a few new things from your Maui favourites too.
Happened to do some searching on the resort and came across your site. We purchased two intervals in April last summer and are preparing to leave Thursday to be there for the month.
I hope you make it this year.
Sadly I gave up our time to our cousins’ families, so that they could divide it up evenly between them. You’ll love it though. April is rather a most excellent month to go, as it isn’t too busy there then. Sandy and Eric should be there during your time though, so you will have to say “hello” to them for me. You should find them on the edge of the dunes for sunset most nights.
April doesn’t seem to be the month for sunset watchers! In November it felt like half the resort was there each night. Pretty quiet, but also, this time of year the sun is setting behind the island rather than the open ocean. Not as dramatic!!
Once Sandy and Eric are there, you will see some sunset watchers. I’d also wander to the right up the beach around that time and keep your eyes open for moving ‘boulders’.
The turtles were consistently on duty the first couple of nights, and then took a break! Just a few nights ago we had one actually emerge in front of us while we sat!
That has to be one of my favourite memories of Leilani Kai. Been enjoying Kelly sharing pictures of those beautiful turtles this past week on Facebook.