Aloha from Hawaii!
We are vacationing in Maui, away from freezing cold Detroit!
I chose the Fairmont Kea Lani in Walilea for our lodging because they have a high eco rating. Their signature restaurant Kō, voted Maui’s Restaurant of the Year in 2013, has scrumptious vegan selections.
In the past, we stayed at the Fairmont Monte Carlo in Monaco and loved it, so we decided to stay at their Maui location.
Their website describes the Fairmont Kea Lani as “Hawaii’s only all suite and villa luxury oceanfront resort, situated on 22 acres of tropical landscape in sunny Wailea, Maui.” We love that the Fairmont shows it’s dedication to the environment in many ways including an avid recycling program and using disposable containers and utensils all made from cornstarch, recycled paperboard and sugarcane, compostable cups made from 100% corn, and utensils made from potatoes that are biodegradable!
The Fairmont Kea Lani location couldn’t be more perfect and convenient. It’s right on Polo Beach and close to several vegan friendly dining establishments. In close proximity, there is really awesome shopping at the Shops at Walilea which has everything from cool swim and surf shops to high end stores like Tiffany & Co. I picked up a cool pair of Oliver Peoples sunglasses at Ilori. My husband Kris loved the vintage inspired Hawaiian apparel like The Endless Summer shirt from Malibu Shirts.
The only improvements in my opinion was that the room could be warmer (no heating system, but after all this is Maui and nobody gets cold but me!) and in the future, I would request a room with no down furnishings.
The hotel features complimentary yoga and workout classes which I unfortunately did not have time for, but I did make time for eating a lot at Kō!
Take note of the vegan section on their menu!
They even have a raw vegan section, gluten-free etc… They accommodate a variety of dietary concerns.
My favorite item on the menu was the spicy thai coconut curry although it was not spicy at all. I substituted the rice for rice noodles.
For breakfast, I loved their vegan banana french toast!
The vegan chocolate cake was moist, delicious, dense and garnished with fresh raspberries and mint.
The raw chocolate truffle cake was very good but a little too rich and sweet for my taste but if you like decadent, you would love this! I can’t even believe it’s raw! Their presentation is always lovely.
The Fairmont Kea Lani has an Italian cafe and deli called Caffe Ciao where they make excellent pasta pomodoro. They also carry soy milk for all you coffee and tea drinkers.
I ♥ the toiletries at the Fairmont Kea Lani. They carried the heavenly smelling Le Labo Rose 31, a gender neutral luxury line created by 2 vegans guy perfumers. I want to re-purchase several products but I’m waiting to hear back from Le Labo regarding my inquiry as to why the shampoo contains silk (not vegan).
Make sure to visit their 9,000 square-foot Willow Stream Spa. Their nail technician Jackie gave me a lovely manicure.
Now that we got accommodations covered, let’s move on to one of my favorite activities Ziplining! Skyline Eco Adventures was recommended to me (thanks Brad!) and was the highlight of my trip! I went first in my group thanks to my husband who volunteered me. We went on 8 ziplines in 1 day! Although I booked it on the sunniest day according to weather.com, we experienced a torrential downpour. Toward the end I couldn’t even see where I was ziplining due to the heavy mist and fog coupled with the rain pummeling my face. I was a muddy, wet vision to behold by the end of the trip, but it was so exhilirating that I didn’t care. If you’re contemplating ziplining in Maui, Skyline Eco Adventures has the most hilarious guides and 8 ziplines! Those guys are honestly the nicest! Make sure you get a helmet with a camera attached so you can document yourself soaring through the sky! I wish I could upload some videos but the files are too big!
Stay tuned for more of my experiences being vegan in Maui. I have more eateries to review and exciting adventures to tell you about!
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