Spring Break to Maui: Activities Around the Hyatt Regency Maui

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Emily:  The great thing about Hawaii is that there is so much to do!  The selection of activities is much better than in Bora Bora, and they are much cheaper as well.  This post will highlight the activities we did in and around the Hyatt Regency hotel, including:
Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
  • The Hyatt Regency Pool
  • The Hyatt Regency Spa Moana
  • The Stargazing Tour at the Hyatt Regency
  • Snorkeling by Black Rock
  • Atlantis Submarine Tour
  • Shopping on Front Street
  • The “Drums of the Pacific” Luau at the Hyatt
Trip Report Index:

The Hyatt Regency Pool

After breakfast one day, I wanted to lay by the pool, and Daraius wanted to work and rest in the hotel room.  I went out to look for sea turtles around the rocks by our hotel, but I did not see any sea turtles.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Ocean Rocks But no Sea Turtles

I did have a nice time relaxing in the sun by the pool.  I swam the entire length, and was surprised by the “deep” waters.  The water averaged about 5’6”, which is exactly my height.  I had to keep swimming to stay above water, which made for a good exercise!

I also went down their huge water slide.  The slide would be perfect for adventurous pre-teens who can swim well, but due to the high speeds and deep water you plunge into (and have to swim out of), I would not recommend it for young children.  There is a separate play area for younger kids with animals and shallower waters.

The Hyatt Regency Spa Moana

One day, I got a manicure, which is a special treat for me since I usually do my own nails to save money.  I enjoyed relaxing and using the sauna, dry heat room, and Jacuzzi before my manicure, which is free if you book a salon or spa appointment.

The manicurist did a great job and I tried the shellac on my nails.  The great thing about shellac is that you don’t have to worry about chipping your polish.  It’s very tough and resistant to chipping.

Stargazing tour

After dinner, we went on a stargazing tour on the rooftop of the Hyatt Regency called Tour of the Stars.  It’s an hour-long rooftop astronomy program with telescopes and extra large binoculars and cost $25 for adults and $15 for kids.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Stargazing Tour

We saw Jupiter, Sirius, constellations, galaxies and more!  Kidding aside, Darius and I really liked the session and the gentleman conducting the session was a retired astronomer from NASA!

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Globe Map of Constellations

I did my best “Leo the Lion” impersonation.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Emily as Leo the Lion

Black Rock

After breakfast, we went for a walk along the shore to Black Rock for some snorkeling.  It is about a 20 minute walk down the beach from the Hyatt (turn right and walk on the beach until you come to the black rocks!)

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Black Rock Shore

Daraius prefers staying on land, so I went in with my snorkeling equipment.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Snorkeling at Black Rock

I saw lots of fish in all different sizes.  After a while, I came back because the water was very deep and I had to keep swimming or float to stay above water.  I am not the best swimmer, and neither is Daraius.  The waters can be dangerous because they are deep.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Danger and Caution Signs at Black Rock

He kept a good watch on me the whole time because I could see him from the sea.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Back on Land!

Atlantis Submarine Tour

After lunch, we went on the Atlantis submarine tour.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Atlantis Submarine Tour “Office”

Daraius and I got tickets at Costco near the Maui airport for $90, but found tickets for $50 at a little stand on the street by the large Banyan tree in Lahaina.  We had never heard of Atlantis submarines, but picked up tickets at Costo (an impulse buy!)

There are also discounts if you buy online and a military discount.

Oh, well, we know for next time!  We boarded a shuttle boat, and then went out to sea where we waited for the submarine to arrive.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Daraius on the Shuttle Boat

We were very excited since neither of us had been on a submarine.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Emily Striking a Pose

Even though Daraius isn’t a fan of the water, he was enjoying himself.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
A Relaxing Shuttle Boat Ride

The views from the boat were gorgeous!

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Ocean Views of Maui

Soon, we docked in the water and could see something white coming up from beneath the ocean.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Submerged Submarine

Little did we know that the submarine was underwater (we thought it would be on the surface waiting for us), and it was really cool to see it come up from under the water!

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Atlantis Submarine

Soon, the submarine was docked and we got on.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
On Board the Atlantis Submarine

The submarine could fit 48 people and cost $3.5 million to build in 1985.  We all sat back to back to each other in 2 rows, and had large glass viewing circles in front of us, so there was no bad seat anywhere.  We gradually submerged to 100 feet, and we could see lots of fish, coral reef, and even the bottom of the ocean! We saw a small white tip reef shark…

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
White Tip Reef Shark
…a trumpet fish, Hawaiian sergeant fish, and more.
Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Many Fish

In addition to seeing all of the fish, the tour was humorously narrated my an expert tour guide.  He shared with us lots of facts about marine life, and played fun music to heighten the experience, including James Bond, and lots more.

One time, he said very seriously, “Look over there! I can see it!”  And, waited for us to look out the window.  And then announced that it was Leonardo Dicaprio from Titanic and played the Titanic theme song, “My Heart will Go On.”  It was funny!

Daraius thought it was cheesy, but he’s too serious sometimes. 🙂

We also saw an old sunken ship which had lots of  coral…

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Old Sunken Ship
..and fish around it.
Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Fish Swimming Around the Sunken Ship

The tour guide said that divers could come down here and explore the whole ship.  That would be fun and if only I knew how to dive!

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
More Fish

The tour lasted almost 2 hours, some of which was loading/transport time.  The submarine tour was my favorite activity thus far in Hawaii.  Daraius agreed too!

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Inside the Atlantis Submarine

Banyan Tree LAHAINA

We went to see the large banyan tree, which is the biggest is the US.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Banyan Tree Park

I have never seen a tree that big!

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Banyan Tree Lahaina

The tree took up the whole plaza.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Emily Posing by one of the Banyan Trees

It was neat to see its vertical roots.  Daraius has seen lots of Banyan trees in India, but I’ve rarely seen them.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Banyan Tree Roots

Shopping On Front Street

We then walked around Front Street and went into a few little shops.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Shopping on Front Street

I was so excited to discover a shop that sold scented bath salts!  Every time I take a bath I’m reminded of our Maui trip.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Scented Bath Salts

Hawaiian Luau

Our final activity around the Hyatt regency was a traditional Hawaiian luau.  We booked “Drums of the Pacific” which was held at the Hyatt Regency so we didn’t have to travel.

Daraius:  I’m don’t really like forced cultural shows with loud music and overpriced food, but Emily really wanted to see one.
Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Drums of the Pacific Hawaiian Luau
Emily:  As you approached the Luau, there was a table with items for sale.
Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Local Items For Sale

There was an open bar (always a waste on us because we have only 1 drink!), complete with mai tais and fruit punch, as well as a full buffet with traditional food such as kalua pork, chicken, and mahi mahi.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Mai Tais and Fruit Punch

There was tons of food, and Daraius had a feast.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Kalua Pork
Emily: Daraius was happy to see that there was Shoyu Chicken since the last time he had Kalua Pork he didn’t like it very much.
Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Shoyu Chicken

I opted to be safe, and ordered a special meal from the kitchen due to my fish allergy.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Pacific Ahi Poke

The head chef recommended a chicken stir fry for me, so I had that, and it was very good.  I loved the fresh broccoli and carrots.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Chicken Stir Fry

I was very grateful that I could eat something at the luau since I planned on not eating since it was a buffet with unknown ingredients.  The server also confirmed that the desserts were fish-free, so I tried the coconut pudding, pineapple upside down cake, bread pudding, and chocolate mousse.  The service was very good!

I loved the bread pudding, and the pineapple upside down cake was also very good.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Coconut Pudding, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Bread Pudding, and Chocolate Mousse

There was also a delicious salsa, fresh fruit, and vegetables.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Salsa, Fruit, and Vegetables

It was nice to chat with the folks sitting around us and everyone was so happy to be in Maui!

During dinner, there was traditional music and dance.  My favorite shows were the fashion show, where models came out wearing different styles of traditional Hawaiian clothes and showed us how to wrap/tie them.  I also liked the fire dancer.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Luau Peformers

It was amazing to see how quickly and confidently he handled the fire.  He even put it into his mouth!

The female performers wore beautiful costumes while dancing.

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Smiling Female Dancers

And were so graceful!

Activities around the Hyatt Regency Maui
Graceful Dancers

We wouldn’t go back to a Luau, but it was nice to try it out once!

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