Being in Hawai'i, I knew that one of the sights I had to see was an aquarium. I absolutely love aquariums, and I love seeing how different they are from place to place. Before flying off to Hawai'i, I made sure to put in some research to determine which aquarium we should visit; Maui's Ocean Center took the cake.
As it turns out, the Maui Ocean Center fit perfectly into our schedule as we made our way from the middle of Maui in Wailea to the west side of the island, Lahaina. We only had a few hours to explore the Maui Ocean Center but that was more than enough. While big, the Maui Ocean Center is not overwhelming. In my opinion, it's the perfect size! I recommend spending a good 2-3 hours here, especially if you opt for a snack or lunch at the delicious Seascape Restaurant with a gorgeous view looking out onto the marina.
One more tidbit before we move on: Even though there is certainly a lot of aquarium inside, the Maui Ocean Center also has an outdoor portion. So, yes, this is a good place to visit on a rainy day, but you will not be inside during your entire visit.
Address: 192 Maalaea Rd, Wailuku, HI 96793
Hours: 9am-5pm 7 days a week
Seascape Restaurant Hours: 10:30am-3pm, 5-9pm
Price: $29.95 for adults, $19.95 for kids
* At the time I went, discounted tickets could be bought on Costco's website.
One of the first things you will notice as you wall in is a screen full of Instagram images where people have tagged the Maui Ocean Center. Feel free to do the same during your visit and maybe your images will end up on there!
The line for entering the aquarium was not very long when I went in February. Obviously, it may be different during another time of year such as Christmas or during the middle of summer. Purchasing tickets ahead of time will certainly save you time, but I don't think it is a necessity.
Our plan was to eat snacks that we had in the car, but halfway through exploring the aquarium we got hungry and decided to try out Seascape.
As one of the first to enter Seascape, we made sure to sit where we could see the water.
We ordered the Chicken Coconut Picatta, pan roasted coconut panko breaded chicken placed over a caper truffle butter sauce served with steamed Jasmine rice and sautéed garden fresh vegetables.
And yes, our meal was as good as the description sounds.
For dessert, we ordered a Valentine's Day special: the Mango Pana Cotta with Mango Sauce, Whipped Cream, and Fresh Berries.
I had no idea what pana cotta was before we ordered this dessert, but I will never forget. Yum.
Food at Seascape was absolutely heavenly and, while I may regret eating at other tourist attractions, I will never forget this meal. In fact, I have had my husband recreate portions of this meal, to the best of his ability, at home! I mean it was that good!
Soon after lunch, we finished our tour of the aquarium and headed on to our hotel. Our day was far from over. We had a luau to look forward to!
Are you a fan of aquariums? Have you ever had a decent meal at a tourist attraction?
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It's day nine in the A-Z blog challenge! This month I'll be sharing all about my five year anniversary in Hawai'i – providing insight into the places I went, reviewing the hotels I stayed at, and telling my story. Today's letter was I for the impressive Maui Ocean Center in Wailuku, Hawai'i on Maui Island!
