Tranquil Twin Falls with video, and flat bread in Paia

Baldwin Beach scene of lifeguard and palmtrees in Paia, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net
After being here two weeks now, we are finally finding a rhythm. As I brought my laptop out to my outdoor yard along with my first coffee to edit these photos while my boy slept, I noticed the outdoor temp didn’t startle me for the first time today. It’s overcast, and the winds are cooler. It felt like home!

That’s due to two hurricanes brewing nearby. The surf is really high, making the beach dangerously beautiful. Pool time it is!

But we have been doing a little adventuring in between all our resting. We decided to hunt down Twin Falls. It’s mini waterfall and jungle experience is on the way to Hana, so consider it a small taste of what you may see on the way to Hana itself.

Having never been, I admit I was nervous. The roads here are always questionable. Hana road stories involve near cliff misses, one car wide, having to honk your horn around blind corners before proceeding. I secretly prayed that didn’t come into effect for our little jaunt out! 

I’m happy to say, this is an extremely safe drive! No honking around one way corners in sight.

But the real beauty of the drive comes right after Paia. The now curvy road appeared narrower, as the growth along the sides overcame you in height and volume. It was like driving through a jungle.

Which further encouraged me to consider the entire Hana drive with a possible stay up there for a night or two…

Still debating. The nearby brush fires now transpiring are warning tourists and locals to stay put, so stay put we will for the time being.

Have you done Hana? Any suggestions if we go for it?

Farm Stand at Twin Falls, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net
Back to Twin Falls… when you approach the Twin Falls trail, you will see the Twin Falls Farm Stand first. This sits in front of the beginning of the trail to the falls.

Signs are pretty vague if at all around here. You need to ask lots of questions.

Farm Stand Hawaiian styled pylons at Twin Falls, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net
The Twin Falls Farm Stand, a Hawaiian decorated food truck at Twin Falls, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net

Fruit stand of fresh coconut, pineapple, bananas and treats at Twin Falls, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net

The stand sells all kinds of things, such as banana bread, specialty drinks, and some unique to the area snacks.

sugar cane juice and coconut at Twin Falls, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net
This shot was taken after the trail walk, but I couldn’t resist drinking from a fresh coconut, and trying the sugarcane juice. BOTH were amazing, but that sugarcane drink was truly over the top delish!

I also downed a sugarcane stemmed popsicle, which was truly outstanding!

Hiking trails at Twin Falls, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net
Twin Falls is a dual waterfall into a pond like river. To get there, you’ll be walking a super easy to navigate trail. It’s really more of a main walkway anyone could do.

Here’s the trick though. There are many small trails along the way, leading towards the river. These all offer different glimpses of the river, which are ALL worth taking. The look and access of the river changes dramatically.

But the key point is, if you access the river down below, you’ll have a much easier time getting to it. The higher you go, the more you have to scale down the trails to get to it.

The top of Twin Falls, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net
Here’s what it looks like when you reach the very top. It’s gorgeous! There was a waterfall to the right (captured in the video below) 

But the only way into the water was along the sharp cliff edge! Way too aggressive for me, plus if you’re carting cameras and such, NO WAY. If your an athlete, go for it.

The top of Twin Falls, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net

Some scaled down the rock wall. I have no idea how. 

I walked all the trails on my way down after this scare. Some rails required you to cross unstable waters too deep, and others just made for a difficult hike down. But trust me on this…. the first trails allow a super easy access that’s nearly all flat ground. I’m glad I patiently snooped.

Gorgeous river at Twin Falls, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net
Gorgeous river at Twin Falls, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net
This was one very tranquil spot further away from the falls, but it was amazing. And you can bet I sat in that water and just appreciated!

The rocky terrain involved in hiking the trails at Twin Falls, Maui Hawaii | funkyjunkinteriors.net
Here’s a glimpse of what some of the trails entailed… lots of scaling of rocks and roots nearly straight up. This was one of of the (ahem…) easy ones.

Twin Falls swimming hole, one of many. Maui, Hawaii | funkyjunkinteriors.net

So… a few tips:
.

Tips on visiting Twin Falls

Wear shoes that can get wet, with very good grip. Flip flops are ok once in the water, but you’ll need something better for the trails.

Bring a backpack, so you can hike with two hands free. Mandatory.

Bring a change of clothes… the trails are muddy, and you WILL get dirty.

Carry water, and wear sunscreen. Have bug spray handy if you’re sensitive.

Wear your swimsuit… don’t miss out on a quick dip!

Not totally young kid safe: the current is strong, and the bottom is all rocks. Think nature, with no lifeguards.

Don’t be in a rush… there is a picnic area so you can either indulge from the Farm Stand or bring your own food to enjoy the beautiful, natural surroundings. It’s about a 25 minute (GORGEOUS) drive from Paia, so you may as well enjoy it!

Carved bamboo in a bamboo forest at Twin Falls in Paia, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net
Bamboo forest at Twin Falls in Paia, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net
A little unexpected bonus was walking through a mini bamboo forest. Oh, it was heavenly! The sound of bamboo in the breeze sounds like creaking old doors in a 200 year old home. It’s beautiful!

Video of Twin Falls in Maui above

 

Watch a short clip of the wonderful sights and sounds of Twin Falls in Maui!

The industrial rustic, charming interior of The Flat Bread Company, in Paia Maui Hawaii | funkyjunkinteriors.net
The industrial rustic chairs of The Flat Bread Company, in Paia Maui Hawaii | funkyjunkinteriors.net
On the way home, we stopped in at Paia, which I’ve written about HERE and HERE.

But the must get thing there is the flat bread from The Flat Bread Company!

Flat bread from The Flatbread Company in Paia, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net

It’s very much like New York Pizza, which I miss desperately, so I attempted to order the same ingredients. It was close! And delish in its own right.

My son ordered the chicken caesar salad with their own specialty homemade dressing… to die for! Their other thing is lemonade if you like sweet drinks. I stuck to water and coffee.

Baldwin Beach scene of lifeguard and palmtrees in Paia, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net
As you exit Paia, you’ll come to Baldwin Beach. We’ve never spent time here, just drove in to take a few pictures. It’s gorgeous. The sand is much grittier than our own beaches in Kihei, but here I could find puka shells galore. There are no/very few shells on the beaches of Kihei.

Parking lot and mountain view at Baldwin Beach in Paia, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net
Sunset at Baldwin Beach in Paia, Maui | funkyjunkinteriors.net
And as dusk set in, we head home. It was a fun, adventurous day!

Have you gone to Twin Falls? What did you think? 

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11 thoughts on “Tranquil Twin Falls with video, and flat bread in Paia

  1. Amazing and thanks for sharing. You’ve intrigued my interested- I believe a trip to some place tropical is now on my list of things to do. Those birds sounds are wonderful. Enjoyed this and boy to I love the water.. Glad you’re having fun!

  2. Hi Donna, Wow, this is beautiful…..I would love to travel to Hawaii with you, you seem to know the ins and outs of the places to see and do. I love the Hawaiian Islands. Just imagine what those islands were like before we commercialized them all, well most. The sounds of the river and the birds were amazing. That’s what it was like then all the time. Quiet and serene. Enjoy!

  3. I’ve been down Hanna Road a couple of times and every time I’ve gone I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it, felt rushed in my adventure and wished we had planned to stay over night or two at Hana. There is just a wealth of sights, adventures and new things to experience just on Hanna Road. There are the black lava beaches, waterfalls……well….you get the picture. It would have been so much nicer to see sights on the way into Hana, stay overnight, explore around Hana and then see sights upon leaving Hana. Seeing sights going in and coming out makes the road seem not so very long. Smile. One of the things I’ve always wanted to do was make it to the southern end of Hana, go to the end of Uakea Road so that I could then hike over to the red sand beach. It would make for a very long day to try and accomplish that in a day without much more exploring along the way to Hana.

    One of my best memories of Hana was a Bamboo forest hike, in an effort to go see some awesome waterfalls. My sister had a guidebook and my mom had a guidebook and both were slightly different. Giggle. And both my mom and sister tend to like to be leaders. Hiking in the Bamboo Forest was FUN! But it also got a bit…..hmmm….where did the trail go to. My sister confidently would say, “The BOOK says…..stay to the left.” So, we soon found ourselves going through the bamboo forest, with a disappearing trail or no trail to follow looking for a wonderful waterfall sighting by “Staying to the LEFT”. Needless to say, when we finally made it to the edge of the bamboo forest and saw our water view…..it was not a beautiful waterfall but rather a very large pipe, coming out of the side of a hill, with tons of water flowing out of it….plus still no trail but lots of hilly cow pastures. I’m glad to say that the fields led us back to the road….after climbing over a cow gate which upon turning around and looking back at the gate we found we had been on private property and it had a sign clearly stating….NO Trespassing. Hmmm, is it trespassing if you come from the opposite side of the sign that states that? I’ve always wanted to return to that Bamboo hike and find those elusive waterfalls. It has been several years since that adventure so perhaps the trails are more clearly marked now. Giggle.

    Wish I could share pictures with you….

    I hope you make down Hana and would be excited to read about your adventure there especially if you decide to stay overnight. Would be great to learn about you personal insight on a part of Hawaii that I’m familiar with from past trips.

    Loving all your post

    Oh, and one more thing…..when I read your statement, “Signs are pretty vague if at all around here. You need to ask lots of questions.” It made me reflect…signage for sure has its place huh? I know I’m more comfortable when I have signs that will help me get there and confirm I’m going in the right direction (would have helped in that bamboo forest trek)…I am also more of a visual person than an audible person about following directions, etc but….I couldn’t help but to think how the lack of signs opens up communication. It creates more of a neighboring/community feeling. It allows you to become more immersed into the area/culture because your talking with the locals and others. That is neat….especially in this digital, social media world of ours.

    Have a great one. Sorry if I was rather long in my share.

  4. Meant to share these links with you….although I’m sure you have plenty of literature to help you out on that Hana Adventure if you go.

    Travel Tips for Hana
    http://www.mauiinformationguide.com/road-to-hana.php

    The following link talks about the red beach on the south end of Hana. It also talks about a green beach totally someplace else. Another bucket list item.

    http://www.govisithawaii.com/2009/05/12/hawaii-in-contrasts-red-and-green-sand-beaches/

  5. Check out that “Funk” seat at the restaurant. They were expecting you! Love the sites and sounds of the falls. The bamboo forest is something I would have loved to see in person. I will probably never go to Hawai’i, so I enjoy your video tours! Have a nice, restful time!

  6. Hi Donna
    I’m a longtime fan of yours from California…was in Maui same time as you 2 yrs ago, hoping we’d bump into each other!
    I recommend Hana Creation Adventures…a local family-run business. Marc is tops, and will take you from your condo to Hana…and beyond…all the way around the island! He has insight into nature unlike commercial tours. We met him through our local Maui friends.
    Blessed,
    Helen

  7. Awesome…I love, love, love it. Thank you for taking us to Hawaii!!!
    So perfect that the fruit truck accepts Visa–lol 🙂

  8. Hi Donna. Just recently discovered your blog. I’m also from BC – on the Sunshine Coast. Your Maui posts remind me of a trip I made to Maui many years ago – 2000 or 2001 – can’t quite remember! – with my Mom, 3 of my 5 sisters, my sister-in-law and her mother. It was a fabulous 2 weeks. We did book a van tour of the Hana Road. I took many photos – which are packed away right now. But, what I remember most of all the spectaular sights are the black beach and one stop where the van driver cut a stem of Bird of Paradise and presented it to my Mom. It was beautiful – but, oh my goodness – it had such an overpowering perfumy smell that gave us all headaches.
    Another memory is of a patch of highway – I think near the end of the tour – where the van driver stopped and pointed out how the road had many, many, many little curves to it, when it should have been a fairly straight stretch. I had run out of film by then (no digital in those days!) and don’t have any photos.
    On a more sombre note, I also remember there had been a fatal accident involving a couple of people falling into a river and being swept out to the ocean. It might have been at the Twin Falls, as at one point on the road there were numerous police vehicles and ambulances. Then, near the end of our journey, along the coast, we saw search planes and boats.
    We also went on a boat tour out to a place to snorkel – can’t remember the name right now, but it was a horseshoe shaped formation. I love snorkeling – but the water was pretty rough that day and there were a lot of boats in the area, therefore a lot of people, making it really crowded. But the trip out and back was great and we saw sea turtles!
    All in all, it was wonderful! Enjoy the rest of your trip!

  9. Donna, I love how you *take us along* with you on your adventures!!! They’re great! I can almost feel like I’m with, you enjoying the days too!! Thank you! 🙂

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