KAANAPALI, Hawaii -- It was more than I was expecting.
Five months since the Maui fires and three months after West Maui reopened to visitors, I wanted to see how traveling to the island had changed.
In some places, it was shocking. In others, it felt as it had before: packed restaurants and shops, beautiful scenery and lots of traffic.
My experience was as varied as the response I got from locals about the return of tourism to West Maui, where Lahaina is located. There are those who still feel it's too soon for people to vacation, with fire survivors still struggling to find housing; others are grateful for their return.
I travel often to Hawaii, both for family and for work. The last time I visited Maui was a few months before the fires.
Hearing the news broke my heart. I've since written about my initial concerns about the return of tourists -- as well as the need for tourism dollars on the island -- so I was nervous about coming back. But as I heard of more visitors returning to Maui, I planned a three-day trip with a friend, half in Kaanapali and half in Wailea.
The island is open to visitors everywhere except the fire-affected areas of Lahaina. In December, Maui arrivals were down 25% compared with December 2022, but at nearly 200,000 visitors, it was the highest total in five months. Gov. Josh Green said that the data showed "reason for optimism" about travel's recovery.
When I arrived in January, the airport was crowded and buzzing with more travelers than places to sit. I picked up a rental car, grabbed coffee at Maui Coffee Roasters in Kahului, shopped in downtown Wailuku and ate saimin at Sam Sato's. My intention was to shop and dine at local businesses as much as possible.
It's what tourism officials say to do.
"The Hawaii Tourism Authority continues to encourage mindful travelers to visit Maui to help support the community's recovery," said public affairs officer Ilihia Gionson.
He reiterated the authority's request that visitors come with "respect and compassion, support local businesses, engage in cultural experiences and care for the community and environment by participating in volunteer work with nonprofit organizations seeking visitor assistance."
Leoda's Kitchen and Pie Shop in Olowalu. Photo Credit: Christine Hitt
It wasn't until after we picked up pies at Leoda's Kitchen and Pie Shop in Olowalu and went farther into West Maui that the mood shifted. We drove past a makeshift memorial of 100 white crosses on a hillside with large photos of the fire victims and a burned area that walls of black tarp could not hide from view.
I knew the Lahaina Bypass Road would take me around Lahaina town, and much of the burned areas would be obscured due to the distance. But what I wasn't expecting was that we would drive into and past a burned area to get from Kahului Airport to Kaanapali. Immediately, a hush fell over the car as it came into view.
The scale of destruction reminded me of Japan after the 2011 tsunami, where I was a volunteer. In some areas, the foundations of houses were all that remained. It felt like we were passing hallowed ground.
There were 5,404 displaced residents living in hotel rooms on Maui according to a Jan. 18 update by the governor. Many are living in Kaanapali, around 4 miles from Lahaina.
"Every property is helping out the community in some way through accommodations or meetings space," said Shelley Kekuna, executive director at the Kaanapali Beach Resort Association, which represents 11 Kaanapali hotels and condos, including the Outrigger Kaanapali Beach Hotel and the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa. The assistance extends to employees and displaced people.
On Kaanapali Beach, Hawaiian flags were planted in the sand the length of the beach. Displaced residents live in tents directly across from resorts, condos and the Whaler's Village shopping center. One woman had household supplies, clothing, a cooler and shoes scattered around her tent. Visitors lounged and laughed on the sand nearby, kids played in the ocean and adults took photos of the scenery.
I felt uncomfortable and wondered if it was insensitive for visitors to be enjoying this place next to people in distress. That impression was amplified when a hotel worker from Lahaina, who had lost family in the fire, said to me that he didn't like that visitors had returned when his family members, who are without a home and living in hotel rooms, are struggling mentally and emotionally.
But opinions about visitors varied from person to person.
"When we first got here, it was very, very, very hard to see the people frolicking," said Jordan Ruidas, organizer for Lahaina Strong, which advocated against reopening West Maui to tourism and whose members are occupying parts of the beach in protest and fighting for long-term housing for displaced residents. She said that when hundreds of displaced people were moved out of hotels, seeing tourists and tour boats on the beach "bothers you."
But the group also found a silver lining from tourism. Visitors have been approaching and asking questions about what's going on and how they can help.
"We love it," said Ruidas. "A lot of people, we realize, are coming and they don't know the situation we're still in."
Kekuna said that visitors can ultimately help. "Supporting local businesses and initiatives that contribute to the community's recovery can make a positive impact," she said.
Before leaving West Maui, we stopped in Kapalua, 9 miles from Lahaina. I saw people walking the coastal trails and golfers on the courses. It felt far more removed from the tragedy.
We then went to the only part of Lahaina currently open to eat breakfast at Kihei Caffe, which reopened Dec. 1 at the Lahaina Gateway open-air mall. Other businesses in this area are also open, including the oceanfront Mala Ocean Tavern, while the Old Lahaina Luau is scheduled to open in March.
Ashley Davis, co-owner of Mala Ocean, is happy to see the tourists come back.
"Everyone is welcome at Mala," she said. "We also want to welcome the guests that have repeatedly visited us over the years. The guests that helped our staff who lost their homes, the people who really feel like Maui is a part of them."
Later in the day, we boarded a sold-out Pacific Whale Foundation vessel. The whales were as active as ever, breaching and slapping their tails.
The rest of our time was spent relaxing in Wailea, meeting other visitors who were quick to bring up the fires and how sad they were about it. One visitor refused to add West Maui to her itinerary. It's clear the Lahaina tragedy will be top of most travelers' minds for a long time.
Although I was initially apprehensive, this trip made me realize that visiting the island is OK as long as it's done with respect and understanding.