The Hawaiian island of Maui has a special place in every traveller’s heart for its clear waters, beautiful beaches and varied landscape. Voted as the best island of the world for more than 20 consecutive years till 2013, Maui has been attracting both solo and family travellers alike. Thousands of tourists from all over the world visit this island every year to spend some memorable days with their family. The luxurious Maui house rentals located steps away from the sea, the majestic Pacific Ocean, the beautiful locations make Maui an excellent family vacation spot. However, all of these do not necessarily make a place perfect for a vacation with your family. Although beautiful and luxurious, Maui does have some issues which can raise some concerns for family travellers. Here are a list of six tips which you should follow for a safe and enjoyable family trip.

1. Bring Mosquito Repellents

Maui has a lot of beautiful hiking trails. You might be excited about going on these hiking trails with your family. However, the number of mosquitoes is really high in Maui, due to the humid climate of the island. So remember to bring a good mosquito repellent like this citronella oil spray or something similar, if you are planning to go for a hike. Mosquito bites can be quite dangerous for children and adults alike. You’ll be thanking your stars for bringing the repellent when you see the amount of mosquito bites other people suffer from on these hiking trails.

2. Be Safe in the Water

The ocean deserves respect from people, and most of the times we seem to forget that. But in Maui, the ocean will demand respect from you. The waters of Maui can be extremely challenging. Especially in Pe’ahi AKA Jaws Turf, the waves can reach a height of fifty to sixty feet! If you want to go in the water, it’s best to stick with a reliable boat tour operator like Kai Kanani. Local companies have extensive knowledge on where is safe and where isn’t, and they’ll be able to direct you so that you have a safe and enjoyable time.

3. Beware of Sharks

Just like humans, sharks like the beautiful blue waters of these Hawaiian Islands. Especially in the months of October to December, the number of sharks in these waters are quite large. Almost every year, there has been reports of shark attacks in the sea of Maui, several of which also proved to be fatal. So beware of these mighty predators of the ocean when you get down in the waters, and be safe.

4. Microclimates

The island of Maui may be small, but the climate in this island varies a lot from region to region. At the west side, it’s almost always remains sunny and beautiful. But certain other parts of the island gets over 300 inches of rain. Again at the Haleakala summit, the temperature can be freezing if you’re planning to visit for the sunrise of the sunset. So remember to take a look and plan about where you’re going to visit on the particular day in Maui, and dress accordingly.

5. Beware of Petty Crimes

Unfortunately, petty crime rates are quite in Maui, car break-ins in particular. So make sure you don’t bring of leave any valuables in your car if you go on a road trip while you are in Maui.

6. Don’t Cram Too Many Places in One Day

Although Maui is not a big island, travelling to one place from another in Maui can take quite some time due to the roads. Many of the roads in Maui are single lane roads, or unimproved dirt roads. The 64 miles long road to Hana takes about 3 hours to travel, and the road to the top of Haleakala Crater can take over 2 hours. So do yourself a favour, remember you are on a family vacation in Hawaii and don’t try to visit too many places in one day. Just take it easy, relax a bit and take one step at a time. You can be sure that your family trip in Maui will be perfect.