Top 10 Ways to Support Maui’s Recovery With Aloha

How to travel with respect, purpose, and heart while creating lifelong memories.

Maui is open — and your presence, when rooted in aloha, genuinely matters. Following the devastating Lahaina fires, our island continues its healing journey. While some places remain carefully protected, much of Maui welcomes visitors with gratitude, resilience, and hope.

As Hawaiʻi’s first family-owned sailing company, Trilogy has served this community for more than 50 years. We’ve seen firsthand how meaningful it is when guests choose to travel with intention. Every choice — where you dine, where you shop, the tours you book — becomes part of Maui’s recovery story.

Here are 10 heartfelt ways you can uplift local families, artisans, and small businesses while enjoying the very best of Maui Nui.

1. VOlunteer with local organizations who are rebuilding maui

   Your time and care create real impact. If service is part of your travel values, consider connecting with:

   • Lahaina Restoration Foundation (LRF): Supporting preservation projects and cultural restoration efforts.

   • Habitat for Humanity Maui: Helping build and repair homes for families affected by the fires.

   • Kaiāulu Initiatives: Restoring native forests, re-greening Lahaina, and protecting watersheds.

   These opportunities align beautifully with guests who value education, service, and meaningful connection — particularly Trilogy’s family travelers and corporate groups seeking purpose-driven team activities.

   2. Give back through local enviRONMENTal & cultural programs

   Supporting Maui’s natural beauty and cultural heritage ensures future generations experience the same magic that brings so many of us to the ocean.

   • Blue ‘Aina (Trilogy): Our monthly reef cleanup series brings locals, visitors, and nonprofits together for a day of mālama kai (care for the ocean).

   • Whale Trust: Advancing humpback whale research and education in Maui Nui.

   • Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund: Protecting native species through beach cleanups and conservation projects.

   For families, honeymooners, and senior travelers alike, participating in stewardship offers a deeper connection to this place — something truly unforgettable.

   3. Respect Restricted Areas in Lahaina

   Some areas of Lahaina remain closed to protect residents’ privacy, cultural sites, and ongoing recovery work.

   • Do not enter restricted zones.

   • Do not take photos of burned areas.

   • Follow all signage and guidance from local authorities.

This is an act of Pono — doing what is right with sensitivity and respect.

4. Support Hawaiian Cultural Preservation

Choose experiences that uplift Native Hawaiian educators, artisans, and cultural practitioners. You might:

• Join a lei-making workshop

• Attend a hula performance that supports local hālau

• Visit cultural centers such as Maui Ocean Center’s Humpback Whale Sanctuary exhibit

• Take part in a local storytelling or history tour

This aligns deeply with ʻIke Loa — fostering understanding through authentic, respectful learning.

5. Shop Local & Support Maui-Made Products

Skip the big-box stores and put your dollars directly into Maui families’ hands. Here are some beloved local shops, many of which reopened or adapted after the fires:

Local Boutiques & Makers

• Native Intelligence (Wailuku) — Hawaiian-made goods, cultural items, and artisan crafts.

• Hāna Coast Gallery — Fine art by local and Polynesian artists.

• Maui Swap Meet (Kahului) — Dozens of local vendors selling handmade items, produce, and crafts every Saturday morning.

• Wings Hawai’i (Pāʻia)- Handmade, artist-designed apparel and jewelry rooted in heart and creativity.

LOCAL MARKETS & FARMS

• Upcountry Farmers Market (Pukalani) — Every Saturday; produce, honey, locally made foods.

• Hāna Farmers Market — Fresh produce, prepared foods, and locally crafted goods.

• Maui Tropical Plantation Shops (Wailuku) — Local artisans, coffee, and farm products.

These experiences resonate especially with family travelers and honeymooners who crave authenticity over commercial tourism.

6. Dine at Locally Owned Restaurants & Food Trucks

Maui’s food scene is powered by generational families, local farmers, and chefs committed to mālama ʻāina. Your meal supports livelihoods.

Locally loved restaurants

• Tin Roof Maui (Kahului) — Sheldon Simeon’s famous local comfort food.

• Nalu’s South Shore Grill (Kihei) — Live music, local dishes, warm aloha.

• Café O’Lei Restaurants (multiple locations) — Family-owned Maui favorite known for local ingredients and warm, reliable hospitality.

• Haliʻimaile General Store (Upcountry) — Island-inspired cuisine with deep Maui roots.

• Mala Tavern (Lahaina – West Maui) — Fresh Island cuisine oceanside, offering a heartfelt way to support West Maui.

Food trucks to love

Maui has a wide selection of locally-owned food trucks serving delicious meals— you definitely don’t want to miss out on trying one out. A few of our favorites include:

• Kinaole Grill Food Truck (Kihei) — Famous for coconut shrimp and fresh fish.

• Da Nani Pirates (Kihei) — Island-inspired plates with generous portions and plenty of aloha, making it a local favorite for fresh, flavorful comfort food.

• Thai Mee Up (Kahului) — Award-winning Thai food using local ingredients.

• Honoapiliani Food Truck Park (Lahaina/Kaanapali) — Can’t decide? Check out this food truck park and find something for everyone out of these delicious options.

7. Book With Local Tour Operators

When you choose Maui-owned companies, you support jobs, conservation efforts, and multigenerational families who’ve shaped this island’s visitor experience for decades.

• Sail Trilogy — As Maui’s first family-owned sailing company, your experience directly supports ocean conservation, local crew families, and cultural education.

Beyond trilogy, consider:

• Maui Sunrider Bike Co. (Upcountry bike rides)

• Aloha Surf School (Family-friendly surfing lessons)

• Hike Maui (Guided hikes led by naturalists)

• Thompson Ranch (Up-country horseback riding)

This is especially meaningful for families and honeymooners who value safety, personalization, and genuine connection.

8. Uplift Local Art, Music & Community Events

Attend community-driven events that directly support Maui creators:

• Wailuku First Fridays

• Events at Queen Kaʻahumanu Center

• Maui Arts & Cultural Center (MACC) events and performances

Purchases and attendance help sustain Maui’s arts community — many of whom lost venues and income after the fires.

9. Stay in Locally Owned Accommodations

Whenever possible, choose small inns, boutique hotels, or vacation rentals owned by Maui families.

Examples:

• Aston Maui Hill (Kihei)

• Paia Inn (Pāʻia)

• Kula Lodge (Upcountry)

10. Travel With Aloha, Every Step of the Way

This may be the most powerful form of support.

• Be patient — many locals are still rebuilding their lives.

• Tip generously when service warms your heart.

• Honor cultural sites and natural spaces.

• Reduce your impact: reuse, recycle, carpool, and conserve water.

• Above all, be kind.

Aloha is not a greeting — it is a practice of compassion, mindfulness, and presence.

What Not to Do on Maui

To honor Maui’s healing, please avoid:

• Trespassing into restricted Lahaina areas

• Posting photos of burn scars or evacuated zones

• Haggling with small businesses

• Expecting normalcy — healing takes time

• Visiting if you are unwilling to travel with empathy, flexibility, and aloha

Closing Message From the Trilogy ʻOhana

Mahalo for choosing to visit Maui with heart. Every mindful decision you make helps uplift this island’s future — one filled with resilience, unity, and aloha. Whether you join us on the water, volunteer on land, or support local shops and restaurants, you become part of Maui’s healing story.