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aloha surf hostel

Located on maui's north shore.

We offer free daily tours to the best destinations on the island! From hidden red sand beaches to hiking trails thru rain forests our tour van will take you to the best locations on Maui! Visit our free tour page for more info and start planning your vacation now!  

PRIVATE AND DORM ROOMS

Looking for clean and affordable housing on the North Shore? You came to the right place! We offer private and dorm rooms for the budget minded traveller. We offer free daily tours, free WiFi, breakfast, and lots more! 

CLOSE TO MAUI'S BEST SURF

Known around the world for its water culture Maui is the place to be for water sports! The Hostel is located between two of our most famous surf spots, Ho'okipa and Kanaha (kite) beach! Whether you came for the waves or the wind we have you covered! 

Aloha Surf Hostel

221 Baldwin Ave, Paia, HI 96779, USA

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Aloha Surf Hostel

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• Excellent 134
• Very Good 25
• All languages ( 170 )
• English ( 147 )
• French ( 14 )
• German ( 4 )

" Book early! "

" Bring a padlock if you want to lock your items in the lockers "

" Bathrooms were busiest between 8:30-11pm, I recommend showering earlier in the day. Bring a sleep mask, ear plugs, sleep medicine. "

" The ground floor rooms have AC!!! "

" choose else where "

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ALOHA SURF HOSTEL: 2024 Reviews (Paia, Maui) - Photos of Hostel - Tripadvisor

Aloha Surf Hostel

View prices for your travel dates

• Excellent 134
• Very Good 25
• All languages ( 170 )
• English ( 147 )
• French ( 14 )
• German ( 4 )

" Book early! "

" Bring a padlock if you want to lock your items in the lockers "

" Bathrooms were busiest between 8:30-11pm, I recommend showering earlier in the day. Bring a sleep mask, ear plugs, sleep medicine. "

" The ground floor rooms have AC!!! "

" choose else where "

Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.

Aloha Surf Hostel: UPDATED 2024

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Hostel Crush: Aloha Surf Hostel

A hostel, in Hawaii?

I know, it might seem crazy at first for an island more famous for its five star resorts and luxury condos. But if my four day camping trip around the Hana Highway taught us anything, it should be that sometimes Maui’s most unusual accommodation choices are its most memorable.

I actually first fell in love with hosteling on Maui back in 2012, during my first-ever visit to the island. That trip, I had an incredible experience at the Banana Bungalow in Wailuku, in no small part due to the managers Isaac and Laina, with whom I’ve remained friends throughout the years. When Isaac and Laina announced they were opening a hostel of their own in my favorite town on Maui, I knew without question that I had to get there.

And so, after handing over the keys to our camper, Ian and I found ourselves posted up in Paia for four blissful nights at the Aloha Surf Hostel .

We were immediately smitten with this insanely stylish, island-style hostel. First off, I literally couldn’t dream a better location. Paia is an adorable North Shore town with chic yoga studios, hip cafes, colorful boutiques, natural food stores and stunning and accessible beaches — the town itself is easily walkable, and it’s a perfect location for launching adventures along the road to Hana, throughout Upcountry, and all the way up to Haleakala. And it’s just ten minutes from Kahului Airport!

Plus, this hostel has perks out the wazoo. They offer a free pancake, coffee and tea breakfast every morning though honestly though with such great restaurants and cafes nearby, we barely took advantage of it. We did cook a meal to two to use up the remaining groceries from our camping trip, enough to see that it was a very well-stocked kitchen that was always bustling and a great place to meet other guests.

Adjacent to the kitchen was a cozy living room boasting a big screen TV with Netflix, perfect if its rainy or you need a day off from adventuring, and a computer for arranging onward travel. Downstairs in the lush garden patio, there’s a pool table, a ping pong table, and my personal favorite, a hot tub — ideal for soaking off a tough Maui hike.

The hostel has a mix of female dorms, co-ed dorms, and private rooms for one to three people. The capacity is about forty people, making it a smaller and overall somewhat quieter vibe than the Banana Bungalow. The quiet hours of 10pm to 7am are enforced, which is nice if you’ve got big adventures planned the next day, and a convenient excuse to head into town for a drink if you don’t.

Our room had a calming vibe and was oh so Maui . After our intense road trip, I had a lot of internet-ing to catch up on, and we both were craving some serious chill. Our room and the rest of the Aloha Surf Hostel, and even Paia at large, were the perfect respite.

There are no private bathrooms at the Aloha Surf Hostel and if I had even the most minor complaint about our stay, it was that we had to briefly wait occasionally to shower — but it really wasn’t that big of a deal.

So how much does all this Pinterest-worthy cuteness set you back? Dorms are about $45 per night, while p rivate rooms range from around $105-150 a night. If you read that and thought, dang, that sounds like a lot , well, first of all you’re on Maui . Take a quick peek at hotel prices in Wailea and you’ll have a whole new perspective on pricey. 

But second of all, I haven’t even gotten to my favorite part of staying at Aloha Surf Hostel yet!

And that’s the totally free tours .

Yup, you read that right. Instead of the stress of renting a car or the sticker shock of forking over exorbitant cab fares, you can see the best of Maui with the Aloha Surf Hostel’s free daily tours !

Throughout the week, tours leave for driving the Road to Hana, hiking Iao Valley, exploring Lahaina Town, turtle-spotting in South Maui, hiking Waihe’e Ridge (I still need to hike this one!), whale watching (in season!), hopping around West Maui, and hitting the infamous Makena Sunday Beach party.

There aren’t enough spots for every hostel guest to go on every tour every day, but they have a pretty good system for making sure everyone gets a fair shot — sign-up sheets for each tour are posted one day in advance, after that day’s tour has left. That said, we were able to get on both tours we wanted to do with no issue.

Keep in mind that while the tours are free, the guides are working as volunteers, so tip them $10-20 per person per day — and buy them a beer!

Our first tour, which we hopped on spontaneously, was was the West Maui Mountains tour. Actually, in our nine days in Maui, this was our one and only foray onto the West side! While I’ve spent plenty of time in Lahaina on previous Maui trips, I’d never really explored any further.

Our first stop, after a long drive spent mostly hugging coastline, was at the Olivine Pools. I’d never heard of these pools before but our guide watched the waves carefully before giving us the okay to scramble down towards the shore, and warned us to keep a wide berth from the edge. Later I read countless tragic tales of tourists and locals alike who were swept out to sea here with fatal endings — honestly, I’d probably avoid it unless you’re with an experienced guide who can read the conditions like ours did.

On this calm day, the tide pools hummed with life and it was the perfect place to splash around after a long drive.

Back in the van, we made the short drive back towards Nakalele Blowhole. This natural geyser, in which seawater trapped in an underwater lava tube shoots into a column of water reaching up to a hundred feet in the air, is one of Maui’s many free shows graciously provided by Mother Nature.

It’s also a popular attraction for those looking to get off-the-beaten path and brave another natural attraction that comes with some pretty intense warning signs.

Again, this is another site where there have been tragic deaths of those who got a little too curious and close to the blowhole. We stuck to a simple rule — standing on dry rocks only — and felt perfectly awe-struck from this safe distance.

I absolutely loved the sound it made when it went whoosh!

But perhaps my favorite part of the Nakalele Blowhole was what you saw when you turned your back to it — a natural heart, carved by the whims of wind and water into a little slice of Maui.

We unanimously agreed to skip the famous rock formations called Dragon’s Teeth to give ourselves a bit more time at Honolua Bay. This rock-strewn beach was rugged and raw, and while I couldn’t seem to talk myself into getting in the water, I loved sitting on the shoreline, having a quiet beach in Maui entirely to ourselves.

Next up, we were craving some sand, so we stopped briefly at D.T. Flemings Beach Park in Kapalua , where I apparently was so blissed out I forgot I owned a camera (and, er, wrote a blog.)

And finally, we would things down with a drink at Maui Brewing Co…. or at least, everyone who had a valid form of identification with them did (honestly, living in Thailand has ruined me.) The best thing about these tours is there’s no fretting you won’t make friends at the hostel — you start the day as strangers, and you’re practically planning your next trip to Maui together by the end of the day.

The one tour I’d literally planned our trip to Maui around is famous all over the island — the Sunday Beach Party at Little Beach! I’d had so much fun going on my first trip to Maui, there was no way I was letting Ian miss out on the drum circles, fire dancers, and nude bellydancing that closes down the weekend in Makena.

After a stop at a grocery store to stock up on booze and beach snacks, our tour arrived to Makena Beach to find an unusual sight — the ocean completely empty while tourists hovered far back from the beach. We noticed a lifeguard jetski making tense circles and I asked an ashen-faced tourist what was up. She explained that a bloody sea turtle was making a break for the shore when a hungry predator — a bull shark, most likely — dragged it back into the depths, leaving a crimson stain across the sand. We’d missed it by moments.

Maui never lets you forget the power of nature.

We spent a hot sweaty day very decidedly not swimming, even once the lifeguards eventually reopened the water. Around sunset, we clambored over the natural rock wall to the hidden cove of Little Beach to a party that’s been raging for thirty years. I think I wrote the first time I came to this party, if you’re wondering where Burners retire to … this is it!

Since my last blog post about the Little Beach Party involved unintentionally posting a picture of unclothed male anatomy — oops — I left the camera in its case this time once the closed started coming off. (Of other people, anyway — mine stayed firmly in place. You never know when a creep with a camera and a travel blog is lurking.)

Dang, did I love the Aloha Surf Hostel. Four days wasn’t even close to enough — next time, I’m coming back for a week (or just like moving in forever — Isaac? Laina? Thoughts?)

Between the location, the free tours, the hot tub, and the kickass owners, this is arguably one of my favorite hostels in the world. If you’re looking for an affordable way to explore the island, if you’re a solo traveler trying to find new friends, if you’re simply a lover of rainbow-hued fences made from recycled surfboards, look no further. The Aloha Surf Hostel awaits you — but you might have to wrestle me for a room.

Would you have guessed Maui is an incredible hostel destination?

Mahalo to my friends Isaac and Laina for their incredible Hawaiian hospitality. I hope I see you both soon!

Confused on where we are? I’m catching up on the black hole of content from August of 2016 to April of 2017 — when I jumped forward to blog the summer of 2017 as it was happening. Right now, we’re in October of 2016 in Hawaii, and I can’t wait to turn my detailed notes and journals into blog posts from Jamaica, Thailand and Bali next! My apologies for any confusion with the timeline, and thanks for sticking with me.

Grounded and Going: My 2023 Travel Plans

Burning Man Budget 2015

Making a home in martha’s vineyard.

Oh man! Hawaii is my dream trip that I still haven’t been able to do! Someday!! This hostel looks perfect! I adore the surf style and the rooms are so cute!

Right?! It’s like a little Pinterest board come to life!

This is so perfect!!! You were totally right with what you replied to my comment on your last Hawaii post, you said the Road to Hana camping trip would be perfectly complimented by some time at a Maui hostel, and I totally agree! Do you think there’s any particular advantage to either the Aloha Surf Hostel or the Banana Bungalow? The Banana Bungalow is super close to a CrossFit gym, so me like that. But Paia sounds like a much better location!

So, I should start with the caveat that my stay at Banana Bungalow was amazing — but I haven’t stayed there since the new management took over. The location is the biggest difference. Paia has loads of tourist appeal and there’s so much great stuff right within walking distance, like beaches, cafes, an incredible organic grocery store, etc. Wailuku on the other hand is a very residential and somewhat rougher neighborhood where there isn’t much to do. The positive side of that is you really bond with the other guests because you’re kind of all stuck in the hostel together, ha! But the downside is, well, you’re stuck in Wailuku. In your case with the crossfit gym, you might have a special reason for staying there!

And then from talking to some guests who had recently stayed in both, Banana Bungalow was more of a younger party crowd and Aloha Surf Hostel is slightly more chilled out.

Maybe a few nights in each?

Maybe you’re right; if you’re gonna go all the way to Hawaii maybe you should stay a few nights at both, might as well! 😛

I’M SO OBSESSED WITH HAWAII AND I’VE NEVER BEEN. HELP!

Lol! Like literally, this comment just made me laugh out loud. Girl, you need to plan a trip!

Free tours?! Amazing! Super cute too!

I know! Such a cool and original concept!

Okay this is probably the cutest hostel I’ve ever seen!! I need to live there!

I mean, that’s one way of fulfilling the living-on-Maui dream 😉

You are so good with a camera. Seriously, it’s like every post I read I’m amazed all over again! I did lol at the photo mishap… whoops ????

Haha, whoops indeed! Played it safe this time 😉

Somehow your Hawaii posts are just getting better and better! Of course, the downside is that I’m no closer to being able to afford to go. I’ll just continue to live vicariously and admire all your photos!

Well when you do make it there someday Marni, it will be so worth the wait! I’ll be very excited for you when that day comes 🙂

I agree, sometimes there is a hidden beauty in those unusual accommodations. That hotel looks so RELAXING. I’m really excited to visit Hawaii soon!

I can’t wait to come back some day. I’m so in love with Hawaii <3

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Aloha Surf Hostel

View prices for your travel dates

• Excellent 134
• Very Good 25
• All languages ( 170 )
• English ( 147 )
• French ( 14 )
• German ( 4 )

" Book early! "

" Bring a padlock if you want to lock your items in the lockers "

" Bathrooms were busiest between 8:30-11pm, I recommend showering earlier in the day. Bring a sleep mask, ear plugs, sleep medicine. "

" The ground floor rooms have AC!!! "

" choose else where "

Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.

ALOHA SURF HOSTEL - Updated 2024

Aloha Surf Hostel

Review Highlights

“ I definitely recommend this place for everyone and anyone who is looking for a place to stay here in Maui . ” in 12 reviews

“ The rooms were great, bathrooms super clean , and the staff is absolutely top notch. ” in 4 reviews

“ Definitely sign up for the road to Hana tour ! ” in 2 reviews

Location & Hours

Suggest an edit

221 Baldwin Ave

Paia, HI 96779

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Overall rating

Not a bad hostel and certainly not a bad price for Maui. Our stay was during a busy season, so the bathrooms were frequently occupied and always damp. It's a pretty bare-bones hostel, even for the private room where we stayed. We noticed a hole in the ceiling where a few bugs scurried out, which was pretty gross but not uncommon for shared spaces. However, the patio space is beautiful and the free tours were a great add on. Check their website for the specific tours because they vary day to day. We only spoke to one staff member, but she was lovely and very helpful. The hostel is a short walk from downtown Paia and a cute little beach area, so the location couldn't be beat. But honestly, we wouldn't stay again because of the bugs and overused shower facilities; a little bit more attention to these areas would be helpful when many rooms are booked. However, take this review with a grain of salt. I may have been able to overlook those characteristics if I was traveling with a big group of friends.

I loved this place . It's clean , the people are so incredibly nice ( I mean , they are in Hawaii so why not?), there are free tours, there's a whale tour at a low cost, there's a hot tub, and the location is amazing ! The only improvement I would suggest is offering a shuttle to the airport . However , that's a small sacrifice for all the other amazingness !

One of the best hostels that I've stayed at. Well-equipped communal kitchen space, clean showers and great community. Super close to the town area of Paia, which is hip, laid-back and has tons of great food and shopping options. A small beach park is within walking distance, and there are options to rent surfboards close by. Icing on the cake are the free tours they offer every day. Got to see some amazing Maui sites- just make sure to sign up in advance if you want a spot! Affordable, clean, and a really fun place- literally what more could you want??

I was a little hesitant when my friends decided to stay in a hostel for I never stayed in this type of accommodation before. I was expecting something less of a hotel but more of a military camp. But I was wrong. Let me start by complementing this place from its facade. The fence is lined up with colorful surfboards so it's a little hard to miss this place. There are two sections, lower and upper level. In the lower section of this hostel, you will find tables and chairs, pool table, hot tub, gazebo, laundry machine, vending machines, private rooms, and shared rooms available for guests. Please note that both levels are secured with pin-locked doors.The upper level section has the common kitchen with two 4-gas stove oven, huge industrial refrigerator and all the kitchenware needed for making your own meals. Coffee is made every morning and tea is always available. There is a counter table where you can sit in and a living room with television available. The shared rooms have 4 bunk beds. The common bathrooms are clean! Besides having an accommodating staff, the guests are very respectful in keeping the noise down and they all seem friendly. There is a free tour available for guest to sign up. Although I did not sign up for any tour, i surely recommend the road to Hana tour. Make sure you buy the famous banana bread, and also do not forget to eat bbq. I definitely recommend this place for everyone and anyone who is looking for a place to stay here in Maui. And when in Maui, hang loose!!! Aloha!!

The lower level of Surf hostel

Hands down one of the best hostels I've been to! The staff was so friendly and helpful. I stayed here last March. They were pretty booked up so they upgraded my partner and I into a private room when there were no bunks in the same room. I would definitely stay here again. It was VERY clean, and even the other guests were friendly. The crowd is on the younger side compared to Lahaina's Last Resort(DISGUSTING) and the North Shore hostel (old but clean).

Best hostel on Maui! Close to the beach, great food and newly renovated! This place is the perfect spot for the weary traveller to hang his or her boots and slow down to island time. Free tours and staff make this hostel the place to stay!

See all photos from Isaac C. for Aloha Surf Hostel

I love this place! The rooms were great, bathrooms super clean, and the staff is absolutely top notch. nice outdoor area with a pool table and lots of beautiful plants that make it a nice secluded relaxing place. Short walk to the beach, grocery stores, and all the fun stuff in paia. I'll definitely be back.

The Aloha Surf Hostel is the perfect place to stay! I stayed there for a week as a solo traveler and loved every minute of it, I cant wait to get back there. The staff is very friendly and nice, they do daily tours to various spots on the island which are an absolute must. The hostel itself is very clean, organized and well laid out. Aloha surf made me feel at home - thanks to the staff and fellow travelers!

This hostel was honestly so great and changed our entire trip by making it way better! The owners were so open and everyone who worked their treated us like family. I couldn't speak more highly about how grateful I am to have stayed at this hostel.They do sweet tours across Maui every day which really helps you explore the island. On days you are not doing the trips if you choose not too the town Paia is really cool with a lot of yummy organic foods. There are also beaches not to far from the hostel. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Great place to stay on a budget! My friend and I spent a weekend here. We wanted to find a cheap place to stay but weren't really interested in sharing rooms with people so we booked a private room. The private room turned out to be its own little separate space with its own bathroom, fridge and private patio. It was awesome! We had just as much privacy as we would've had staying at a hotel. The have a big shared kitchen space for cooking which was nice and a hot tub which was awesome at the end of the night. They also offer free tours..we didn't do any but it seemed pretty cool. I would totally recommend staying here!

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Best Maui hostels?! I’ve stayed in 4 hostels in Maui Hawaii 🌴 Backpacking Maui travel blog

So, one of the top things to know about hostels on Maui ?!

There are Maui hostels with FREE tours!!

This is GREAT most especially if you are on Maui without a car, and it’s also great if you’re traveling to Hawaii alone and looking to do things on Maui with other people.

The “catch” is that tip is appreciated. $10-20 would be good.

As a backpacker on a budget, this might sound like a lot, but think about it in a way that it is WAY cheaper than booking a normal tour.

Although you should totally look into booking the best Maui tours for an epic Hawaii experience.

But think of the tip as paying for gas or something. 

The other “catch” you could say I guess is that you need to sign up for them in advance, and you need to be staying there the night before to sign up for them.

Sign-up sheets go up in the morning the day before the tour, and the popular tours might fill up quickly.

So even checking into the hostel in the afternoon might be too late.

On the flip side, if there’s not enough people signed up for a tour (maybe like 4 people), then the tour could be canceled.

But otherwise, if you do manage to sign up for the tours, these free tours are a GREAT option to have!

I found that there are 2 hostels on Maui that offer free tours:

• Aloha Surf Hostel in Paia
• Banana Bungalow in Wailuku

Both hostels do the Road to Hana .

Banana Bungalow also does THE Haleakala National Park volcano crater hike .

Hostels in Maui perfect for backpackers

Where are the hostels in Maui?

• Paia hostel
• Lahaina hostels (West Maui)
• Wailuku hostels

You can generally expect hostels on Maui to have general backpacker hostel type things. There are shared dorm rooms, and there are private rooms available too.

Hostels will generally have a common area to chill at, along with a kitchen so you can prepare your own food.

You can expect Maui hostels to cost around $50-70 a night for a dorm bed. The Lahaina/West Maui hostels are on the higher end.

Which are the best Maui hostels?!

It totally depends on what you’re looking for! (Lame…)

So, here is a bit about each of the hostels in Maui worth considering.

Paia Maui hostel

The hostel in Paia is Aloha Surf Hostel.

You might have seen a picture of this place without even realizing it. This is where you can go to see a bunch of surfboards lined up. 

This is one of the hostels with free tours. This hostel does the Waihee Ridge Trail that the other hostel doesn’t do. This is considered one of the best hikes on Maui , and you can’t get there by bus.

Paia is like a 15 minute drive from Maui’s main airport, OGG Kahului airport. There is also a direct bus that goes from the airport to Paia. From the Paia bus stop you’ll walk about 10-15 minutes to get to the hostel.

I took a bus from the airport to Aloha Surf Hostel. You might have to wait a little bit for the bus to show up. But otherwise it’s just fine!

You need cash and exact change for the bus. You can use google maps to help you navigate Maui by bus. You’ll select the public transit option.

See more about how to take the Maui bus .

Paia is known as a hippie town. There are some bars and restaurants around.

There is also a popular surf spot, Hookipa Beach, that is located 2.5 miles away from the hostel.

There is a health food grocery store about a 5 minute walk away from the hostel.

The prices are on the high side compared to traditional grocery stores in Hawaii (which are already high for US standards). 

I stayed at Aloha Surf Hostel for like a week.

I went to South Maui (Wailea) by bus and also did the Road to Hana tour with the hostel.

After that I rented a car and went to Haleakala National Park , the part of West Maui that you can’t get to by bus, the part of South Maui that you can’t get to by bus, and more.

Basically, the first 7 days of this Maui itinerary if you’re looking for ideas of things to do on Maui I did while staying at Aloha Surf Hostel.

Paia would be a perfect location if you’re doing the Road to Hana drive on your own .

Paia town is basically the unofficial start of the Road to Hana.

• Aloha Surf Hostel

Lahaina Maui hostels

West maui hostels.

When I was on Maui in early 2020, there were 3 hostels in Lahaina. It looks like in 2021, there are now 2 hostels in Lahaina.

The Lahaina hostels are interesting because they are literally all located on the exact same block! But it seems they really have no affiliation to each other. So in terms of one Lahaina hostel being in a better location than another, there is absolutely no difference at all. 

You can get to Lahaina by bus from the airport, but it will require a bus transfer. It’s about a 5 minute walk to the hostel from the Lahaina bus stop.

Lahaina is a walking town. It’s considered a “ historic village .” There are many bars and restaurants around.

There are beaches within easy walking distance of the Lahaina hostels. Baby Beach is frequently mentioned as the beach to go for snorkeling in Lahaina. 

The grocery store is about a 15-20 minute walk away.

Kaanapali and Kapalua are a direct bus ride away for more Maui activities. (You can find good snorkeling spots there too.)

There’s also a boat harbor in Lahaina and there are a lot of boat tours that go out from here if you want to do that kind of activity. See more about the best Maui tours .

This is also where you take the ferry to Lanai , another Hawaiian island. Many people make it a day trip to Lanai , and you can also camp at a beach park on Lanai , but this is actually more expensive than staying at a Maui hostel. Otherwise, there are no budget accommodation options on Lanai. 

I stayed at both Tiki Beach Hostel and the Hakuna Matata hostel, which seem to still be in existence in 2021.

If you speak Spanish, you might like the Tiki Beach hostel. When I was staying there, there were a bunch of Spanish-speaking volunteers, and I believe the owner is from a Spanish-speaking country.

I got the feeling that the Tiki Beach Hostel would be the “party” hostel. And then there’s Hakuna Matata that might be on the quiet side as well, compared to being a party hostel.

None of the Lahaina hostels offer free tours, at least did not when I was there.

• Hakuna Matata Hostel
• Tiki Beach Hostel
• Things to do when you’re staying in Lahaina without a car

Wailuku Maui hostels

At the time I went, there were 3 hostels in Wailuku, but there’s only 1 that I’ll mention. The other 2 seem to have bad reviews which would make me not want to stay there. Although I did meet someone who stayed at one of the hostels with bad reviews and she thought nothing of it and had a good time.

So the hostel in Wailuku to stay at is Banana Bungalow. This is a hostel with free tours.

This is the hostel in which you can do the national park volcano crater hike . This is pretty huge, because if you don’t have a car, basically your only option to get to Haleakala National Park is through a tour. I would say this is reason enough to stay here! (If you’re into visiting national parks in Hawaii and/or hiking on Maui , that is…)

You can call this a party hostel. Free drinks for age 21+ on Friday nights. True story.

Wailuku is not really a cute little town like Paia or Lahaina. There are really no bars or restaurants near the hostel. There’s a small convenience store that’s a few minutes by walk.

• Banana Bungalow Maui

And finally…

Does age matter when staying at a hostel in Maui?!

In short, no.

At least not on the upper end!

Speaking about Hawaii in general, I’ve met people who are in different age groups traveling alone in Hawaii !

While most do tend to be in their 20s, there are travelers past their 20s that are solo travelers staying at hostels.

I’ve met people who are in their 30s and 40s, probably 50s, and even someone who was likely in their 60s!

At a hostel in Japan I even met a man in his 70s staying at a hostel traveling alone! I think he was from Canada. (He seemed to love his life!)

In general there are less “older” people traveling alone, so naturally there will also be less “older” people staying in hostels.

The types of people who stay in hostels are generally a welcoming community.

Some hostels around the world do have age limits, but I did not see any for any of the hostels in Maui.

And that’s a bit about staying at a hostel on Maui!

At the time I went to Maui (January/February 2020), there were NO hostels in the following places:

• Kaanapali (West Maui)
• Kapalua (West Maui)
• Kihei (South Maui)
• Wailea (South Maui)

These are some of the more popular spots for people to stay for resorts and condos, but no hostels in the area. And there are no hostels in Hana (East Maui) either. (But again, camping is possible !)

Plan more for backpacking Hawaii!

• Best of West Maui
• Best of South Maui
• The best of Maui in 3 days (rent a car for these 3 days and spend the rest of your time without a car!)
• The big list of things to do on Maui
• Ideas for how to spend 2 weeks on Maui
• Ideas for how to spend 2 weeks on Oahu without a car
• The best of the Big Island in 7 days (rent a car for these 7 days and spend the rest of your time at a Kona hostel without a car!)

HAPPY BACKPACKING MAUI AND STAYING IN A HOSTEL!

Aloha Surf Hostel

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" Book early! "

" Bring a padlock if you want to lock your items in the lockers "

" Bathrooms were busiest between 8:30-11pm, I recommend showering earlier in the day. Bring a sleep mask, ear plugs, sleep medicine. "

" The ground floor rooms have AC!!! "

" choose else where "

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Aloha Surf Hostel

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