The Grandest of Entrances

There is not one part of Southern Maui that doesn’t feel magical. In Southern Maui you’ll find lava fields frozen in time, miles of beaches and cliffs with views of Molokini crater and a volcanic dome overlooking Makena like a sentinel.

The gateway to Southern Maui is the small stretch known as Wailea, there you’ll find the internationally renowned Wailea beach, fronted by the Grand Wailea Resort.

I spent a morning capturing small slices of this resort which I plan to feature in a short series of posts, but to start, we must start with the entrance to the Grand!

Orchids of the Grand Wailea

Each a living testament to the exceptional perfection you’ll find in the gardens beyond.

Just beyond this orchid lined entrance lies 23 acres of landscaped grounds curated with a grand master plan.

A Garden with Vision

Here flora and fauna become more art than labor, more love than work.

Closer to the resort is where you’ll find the most exotic of flowers and palms, as the gardens and trails approach the ocean the shift is gradual but perceptible.

The gardens become less reliant on perfect conditions and constant attention and become more hearty and resilient. More and more indigenous plants find their way into the mix.

With such a vision in mind upon entering we should be met with the crown jewels of beauty.

In this, the Grand does not disappoint, a symphony of Orchids, displaying all the colors of the rainbow welcomes each visitor.

Look Closer

The Orchids reward closer inspection, with that in mind each shot was made with a focus on the details, an uber-close-up of each orchid is included below.