A Perfect Day in Kapalua

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Story by Lehia Apana | Illustration by C.M. Butzer

romantic day trip Maui

Sea House Restaurant

7 a.m. Our readers got it right when they voted this eatery “Best Oceanfront Dining” at the 2019 ʻAipono Restaurant Awards. Set along the intimate crescent shore of Nāpili Bay, it’s the perfect place to ease into the day. The menu—including the Molokaʻi sweet potato frittata and eggs Benedict done four ways—is equally enticing. NapiliKai.com/dining

Kapalua Ziplines

8:30 a.m. The thrills begin well before your first leap, as reaching the course requires a rugged ATV ride and walking across Hawaiʻi’s tallest and longest suspension bridge. Sightseeing then reaches new heights as you zoom effortlessly above Kapalua’s forested uplands. The seven-line tour offers the most airtime of any zipline on Maui, and tandem lines throughout the course makes this is the perfect adventure for two. Panoramic multi-island views throughout are a bonus. KapaluaZiplines.com

Taverna

1:30 p.m. Acclaimed chef Roger Stettler leans on his Italian heritage to create this menu that earned 2019 ʻAipono Restaurant Awards for Best Italian Cuisine and Best Cocktails. The upscale eatery takes a more relaxed approach at lunchtime, dishing hearty soups, salads and sandwiches piled high with fresh local ingredients. Belly up to the lively bar or request an outdoor table to enjoy sweeping ocean and mountain views. TavernaMaui.com

Spa Montage

3:30 p.m. This nature-inspired spa features an outdoor infinity pool, open-air waterfall showers, and private indoor-outdoor treatment rooms. The Maui Romance treatment (See story on Page 50) is a chance to connect in comfort, beginning with an outdoor coconut milk bath that is perfectly private. A fruit platter and tropical flower arrangments set the mood, and as for the side-by-side massages—what’s not to love? MontageHotels.com/SpaMontage/KapaluaBay

Banyan Tree

7 p.m. This farm-to-fork restaurant features surprising ingredients, including pohā (cape gooseberry), chayote (squash), and calamansi (citrus fruit). Chef Bella Toland transforms these culinary wonders into dishes that reflect the island’s local flavors and her own her multiethnic background—she was born in France and raised in the Philippines. Opt for a traditional dinner setting, or get cozy next to one of the surrounding firepits. Time it right, and enjoy the nightly fire-knife dance at 7:30 p.m. near the restaurant entrance. RitzCarlton.com/en/hotels/kapalua-maui/dining

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