Hotel at a Glance: Garden Gate Bed & Breakfast

Steps away from the Maui coastline in the popular beach town of Lahaina, Garden Gate Bed & Breakfast is an unassuming inn with elegant accommodations. Fodor’s describes it as “a quiet place that welcomes you with light and clean rooms featuring pleasant tropical furnishings,” and Frommer’s concurs, calling it “an oasis of a B&B, located on a quiet residential street.” From here, you’re only two blocks from Wahikuli Wayside Beach Park, a scenic spot for a picnic or to go swimming.

• Recent recognition: Received TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence in 2015
• Where you’ll stay: All guest rooms feature free WIFi and beach-inspired decor, and some have a private lanai where you can bask in sunshine and sea breezes.
• Room with a view: Oceanview rooms have gorgeous views of the sunset.
• Breakfast is served amid fragrant hibiscus and plumeria blooms in tropical gardens filled with colorful birds.
• Nearby adventures: Guests can cruise beneath the water aboard the Atlantis submarine, which is just a couple miles from the hotel. You can also go whale watching, snorkeling, scuba diving, or take a dinner cruise.

Maui, Hawaii: Gorgeous Beaches, Haleakala Volcano, and Seasonal Whale Watching

Voted the best island in the United States by readers of Condé Nast Traveler, Maui is considered one of the Pacific’s most beautiful spots and a favorite among Hollywood’s elite. The town of Lahaina, along Maui’s western coast, served as Hawaii’s royal capital before 1845. Throughout the mid-19th century, it was known as a whaling town—Herman Melville sailed from Lahaina during this time and gathered inspiration for Moby-Dick. The humpback whales that were once hunted are now protected by the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, and their population has flourished. The seas around Lahaina boast some of the world’s best whale watching from December to May, when female humpbacks give birth in the warm Pacific waters.

Arguably, Maui’s biggest attraction is Haleakala, the world’s largest dormant volcano, which technically encompasses 75% of the island. A paved road leads up to Haleakala’s summit, where you can stretch your legs and walk around the rim of the lunar-like volcanic crater. The towering peak is a playground for bicyclists, who coast down the slopes all the way to the beach town of Paia.

Elsewhere on the island, it’s a rite of passage to drive the Road to Hana, a 68-mile route that zigzags along the scenic northeastern coast with more than 600 hairpin curves. There are several points of interest along the way, including botanical gardens, tiny villages, and waterfall pools you can swim in.

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