USA Today Best of Hawaiʻi Results

Results are in for USA Today’s “10Best Readers’ Choice” awards for 2019, Hawaiʻi poll. Maui County did fairly well among the six categories: favorite Hawaiʻi beaches, restaurants, hotels, family attractions, tour companies and poke.

Some of the Maui highlights are:

• – Kāʻanapali Beach won first place for “Best Beach in Hawaiʻi.” Described in the article as a “former retreat for Maui royalty, some of the island’s best resorts border this 3.5-mile, very popular beach.” No mention of the strong current that gets swimmers into a lot of trouble there though. (On that note make sure to check-out Maui Now’s updated “Do and Don’t” list for visitors.) Also, D.T. Fleming was ranked 4th place, Hulopoʻe Beach on Lānaʻi got 7th and Oneloa “Big Beach” received 10th place.
• – Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Tours won first place for “Best Tour Company in Hawaiʻi.” Although the company is statewide now, it started on Maui back 1985. Valley Isle Excursions also broke into the top 10 list at 8th place.
• – Monkeypod Kitchen won “Best Restaurant in Hawaiʻi” and like Blue Hawaiian, they started on Maui with the first location opening up in Wailea before expanding statewide. Leilani’s on the Beach took 2nd place followed by Star Noodle in 6th place. Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar, which also had its origins on Maui before opening up mulitiple locations across the state, took 10th place.
• – The Old Lahaina Lūʻau won 2nd place for “Best Family Attraction in Hawaiʻi.” The Maui Ocean Center in Māʻalaea earned 10th place.
• – The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, took 4th place for Best Hotel in Hawaiʻi with the Fairmont Kea Lani following close behind at 5th place.
• – Finally, the category you’ve been waiting for, Best Poke in Hawaiʻi, first place goes to . . . not Kaohu Store unfortunately. Wailuku’s own Kaohu Store did take 5th place though.

To see all the local results check out the 10Best poll here.