Maui: Ka'anapali Sunset Dinner Sail with Drinks & Local Food

4.65

(194 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We stepped right onto the sand at Ka’anapali Beach, shoes off—there’s something about stowing your sandals that makes you feel like you’re really here. The crew was already laughing with some folks from Oahu, and our guide (I think her name was Malia?) handed me a mai tai before I’d even found a spot to sit. The sails went up as we drifted out, and suddenly there was nothing but the slap of water under the hull and the smell of salt in my hair. I kept looking back at the West Maui mountains—they looked almost purple as the light started to change.

I didn’t expect dinner to be so good on a boat, honestly. Huli-huli chicken with pineapple salsa, kalbi short ribs, these purple potatoes from Molokai that were kind of sweet—plus cheese and cookies for dessert. My partner tried to pronounce “POG juice” (pineapple-orange-guava), which made one of the crew snort-laugh. There was plenty of Maui beer too; someone nearby spilled a little on their shirt and just shrugged it off because, well, who cares when you’re watching Lanai fade into gold?

The sun dropped fast behind Molokai—one minute we were squinting into orange light, then suddenly it was soft blue everywhere. People got quieter for a bit. I leaned over the railing just listening to the wind in the sails. It’s funny how two hours can feel both long and short at once out here. I still think about that last bit of sunlight catching on everyone’s faces as we headed back toward Ka’anapali Beach.