Paia packs about 20 restaurants into three city blocks – and while you could set up a color-coded spreadsheet to map out where to eat in this small beachside town, save that energy for shopping in the area’s boutiques and just head to Vana.

Vana Paia got its inspiration from owners Michael Baskin’s and Sarah Spark’s favorite LA restaurants, and you can see some of that trendy California aesthetic seeping into their beautiful patio dining space created at the back of Paia Inn.

When you’re trying to the perfect hotel or BnB, your own personality and travel need should ultimately be the deciding factor. So if you’re ready for action and adventure, or are just looking to get away (far away) from civilization, check out our short list below and find the accommodations that fit you best.

About 30 minutes by plane from Oahu. Maui, which is composed of about 3000m of Haleakala volcano, is dotted with unique and charming towns due to differences in altitude and historical background. This time I visited Paia, where surfers and hippies gathered and relaxed mood.

A verdant expanse of misty hills punctuated with tiny, preserved-in-amber towns, Central Maui goes largely ignored by sunbathers and surfers congregating on the island’s western towns of Wailea, Lahaina and Kapalua. Sitting as high as 3,600 feet, Upcountry, as this 200-square-mile area by Haleakala Volcano is called, has cooler temperatures and more eucalyptus trees than coconut palms.

The north shore of Maui is the true Hawaii, the Hawaii of every surfer’s dreams, of National Geographic photographs, the Hawaii of the imagination. The wind whips the palms and Norfolk pines, waves crash against the shore, rainbows are as ubiquitous and colorful as Haviana flip-flops. It’s not the Maui of formulaic Kaanapali resorts and luau buffets, not the Maui of pristine Wailea beaches fronting five-star hotels where pool boys spritz you with Evian water.

Perched on a corner in the small, bohemian enclave of Paia, the Paia Inn may not look terribly swanky from the outside. Inside is a whole other story. Arty Hawaiian and Southeast Asian touches are everywhere, from the colorful paintings by local artist Avi Kiriaty to the sculptures, lanterns and furniture. The rooms are Manhattan-sized hotel rooms, which is to say, small.

This robust Victorian mansion built by naturalist Alexander Agassiz on the rocky fingertip where Narragansett Bay meets the Atlantic has managed, while evolving into a modern and luxurious compound, to maintain a distinct sense of being a private wellspring of that gossamer life that Newport invented. In other words, a stay among the compact, tawny coves and sweeping green lawns of Castle Hill Inn confers a sense of belonging to that glorious past.

Perched on a corner in this small, bohemian enclave, the Paia Inn may not look terribly swanky from the outside. Inside is a whole other story. Arty Hawaiian and Southeast Asian touches are everywhere, from the colorful paintings by local artist Avi Kiriaty to the sculptures, lanterns and furniture. The rooms are Manhattan-sized hotel rooms, which is to say, small.

MAUI – One of the great things about this Hawaiian island is its flexibility. You can stay at a luxurious property on the dry side of the island or a more casual property on the edge of a rainforest. You can stay at a hip spot steps from fabulous restaurants and bars or you can bed down at a superb hotel on the edge of one of the world’s best beaches. Here is a look at five hotels where you can get any experience you desire.

Pa’ia Town, Maui – It’s easy to miss, this tiny outpost on Maui’s North Shore, and most travelers on the road to Hana make that very mistake. Their loss. Pa’ia calls itself Maui’s “coolest little town,” and that title fits. Combining holdover hippie sensibilities, surf culture, and New Age openness, Pa’ia is a funky little crossroads that Big Tourism has managed to pass by.

Paia is a funky, bohemian little town on Maui’s North Shore and the Paia Inn, a small, cream-colored building, is right in the middle of it all. __Where are we on the scale of chain to independent boutique __ The inn is independently owned.

Embedded in colorful Paia town, this vibrant boutique inn offers a stylish introduction to Maui’s North Shore. The inn comprises several vintage buildings that get progressively closer to the turquoise waters of Paia Bay. The owner’s impeccable style seeps into every corner of the inn, from the organic Malie bath products in the travertine-tiled showers to the antique Balinese drawers repurposed as sink cabinets.

Maui, Hawaii, with its lush rainforests, wild waves and laid-back vibe makes a romantic backdrop for honeymoons. Couples can opt to hide away in rainy and lush Hana, a remote town at the end of the meandering Road to Hana, or choose to stay in town, but still seek quiet. Paia. Kihei and Lahaina, on the island’s south side, offer more action. These locations also get less rain and offer more consistent sun.