Booges

I just read in Maui revealed that the south road from Hana is fine to drive. I was just wondering if any one has done it. We were thinking of driving to Hana on the north road, spending the night in Hana and then taking the south road back the next day. We thought we could do a sunset at Haleakala's peak that on our way home if we did the southern route.

Any thoughts or suggestions??

julesj66

I drove this road 5 yrs ago (i'm going back in Oct). (I assume you mean staying on the road past the "7 Pools"). We had a rented Blazer SUV and had absolutely no problems. I know it depends on the weather & if it's rained alot recently, but when we went, it was fine and a regular car would have been fine too. It is LONG or maybe just seems so long because it is desserted; only you & the scenery - it's like driving on the moon (if you can imagine what that MIGHT be like!)

turn_it_on

We did just that in July...I HIGHLY recommend driving around the south end of the island, it was absolutely clear when we did it and the views were stunning--we could see two peaks on the Big Island and as you start to round north, you can see the Wailea/Kihei area in its entirety and the neighboring islands! And the back of Haleakala is just incredible to see, a dramatic contrast with the big blue ocean on your left. I'd recommend doing this Hana trip at the end of yr vacation as we did because Hana is such a wonderfully peaceful way to end yr trip. Although, unless yr flight leaves REALLY late at night, which some do, I don't know how you'd squeeze in the sunset at the end (unless you do Hana in the middle of yr trip, of course)...it's on the way to the airport from Hana, but it's a long curvy road off the highway up to the summit. Actually, if you really want to see Haleakala, why not just take a day trip from wherever yr staying in South/West Maui, spend some of the day there and stay for the sunset. Then spend a night or two in Hana, just because it's awesome.

Also, we drove the road in question and although there were like ten miles that were VERY gravelly and bumpy, our rented Subaru Outback did fine. But the road was dry then, I'd imagine in the rain it would be pretty lousy. It took us about three hours, I think, to get from the town of Hana to the airport, but the highway through central Maui is smooth sailing.

I hope some of that made sense.

love
roxy

dolciani

We did it just a few weeks ago. We had an SUV and the road was gravelly in certain areas (and narrow), but I agree that you SHOULD do it - it's a completely different type of scenery on the other side of the road and well worth the trip. I think you could definitely do it in a regular car, but we didn't know that going in so we felt fairly safe trying it. Have fun

SSN

We were interested in taking the north road to Hana but the winding narrow roads & so close to the cliffs put us off. I get carsick & have a fear of heights. Is the south road winding & narrow too? Was there a lot of traffic? Also heard the rental car insurance won't cover it there, is that true? Thanks!

turn_it_on

SSN,

They're both pretty curvy and narrow, the east portion of the highway seemed to be more cliff-hugging to me, but I was never afraid for our safety...the road is well maintained and clearly marked. Yes, you may get carsick, but please ignore those ridiculous bright yellow shirts they sell that say "I survived the road to hana" with people cringing in fear.

About the rental contract thing...first of all, ignore what they say about "don't go past Hana"--half the good stuff's down there, and the road is just as good as it was above Hana. Once you get to that southern portion, there's maybe 10 miles that are graded gravel, it's a bumpy ride, but not treacherous by any means, and the views are stunning. We drove it at like 9am, there was hardly anyone on it. We didn't have a jeep or anything, just a Subaru Outback, which was fine. I wouldn't let yr fear of heights put you off of the Hana Hwy area, there's so many wonderful things to see and do.

Also, in case you were considering it, the only problem with a convertible on the hwy would be that there's a lot of sporadic rain, so you may find yrself putting the top up and down a lot.

love
roxy

didi

We had a rental car and drove that road with no problem. You'll have to go a little slower at certain points but when your on the road to Hana your too busy looking at the beautiful sites that you want to take your time.

We stayed at a B&B in upcountry and woke up early one morning to see the sunrise in Haleakala. It was gorgeous!

dolciani

I often get motion sickness from cars, boats, and anything else that moves. I tried the prescribed patch that you wear behind your ear and I was fine on the road to Hana; I could even read the guide book while we were moving in the car (that's quite a feat for motion sickness people)

Rusty

There is nothing in the car rental agreements that specifically prohibits travel with a rental car on the road beyond Hana or any other part of Maui for that matter.

bashfulLV

Sorry, Rusty, but you are mistaken. Most of the "name-brand" car rentals operating in Maui - and many on the other islands, too - prohibit driving in certain parts of the island for obvious reasons. They don't want their cars trashed by off-road or rough terrain driving, and also they would be summoned to rescue stranded drivers if their vehicles broke down out in those remote areas and they don't want that responsibility.

Rusty

I have read many car rental agreements on Maui and I have yet to see an agreement that mentions a specific area on Maui that is restricted by the terms of the agreement. If I am wrong I would appreciate it if you quote the section of the car rental agreement that prohibits travel in a specific area of Maui.

pspercy

Dolciani . I can't read in cars either but had no problems on Hana road, it's just a road with lots to look at.
I agree with Rusty re driving restrictions. Having seen comments in guide books about the "south" road and also the west Maui to Wailuku north-about I actually read the fine print in the Alamo agreement. Not a mention about either or anything vaguely similar. Might've said something about private roads but that wouldn't apply here.

JohnD

I do not recall reading anything restricting driving on unmaintained roads in Maui in the rental contract per se on our last visit a couple of years ago, however on a separate page we received a map with areas indicating that operation of a rental car was not permitted and voided the rental car contract.

tjd

I rented a convertible from Alamo in Maui at the end of the July and the rental agreement specifically stated that we couldn't travel on the unpaved road south of Hana. Also on the map supplied by Alamo, that road was highlighted and a large warning was printed on the map to the effect that driving on the road violated the rental car agreement. (We did it anyway and it was fine).

Rusty

tjd, right now I have in front of me an Alamo rental agreement from May 2003. It does not mention the Road to Hana or any other specific geographic part of Maui. I would really appreciate it if you would quote the wording from your rental agreement that mentions the raod to Hana. Until someone shows me otherwise, I maintain that it is a total myth that car rental agreements contain any such prohibition.

tjd

Rusty: To be perfectly honest, I don't remember the details and I don't have the agreement any more. It may have been that the rental agreement itself was the standard Alamo contract (probably used nationwide) and then were was some kind of addendum or rider specific to Maui that addressed that specific road. I do remember seeing a reference to the road though, because I remember being surprised by it as the Maui Revealed book stated, as you do, that the specific road was not prohibited.

Rusty

Is it possible that your memo is faulty? Many people in this forum and elsewhere swear that their car rental agreement states that travel on the Road beyond Hana or around West Maui is prohibited. However, to date nobody has been able to produce such a rental agreement and I have not been able to find one. The challenge to produce such a rental agreement still stands. Anybody ??

tjd

It's certainly possible (although I could have sworn I saw it), but one thing I remember for sure is that the map provided by Alamo clearly stated (in bold letters, no less!) that that road was off limits and driving on it violated the rental contract. (I recognize that stating the restriction on a map is not the same thing as stating it formally in the rental contract itself and may not be enforceable). Unfortunately, I no longer have a copy of that map, but maybe someone else does (to the extent that anyone other than Rusty and I is still paying attention to this thread)

bashfulLV

I also no longer have the paperwork form renting a car on Maui, but it was very specific. Perhaps you should call the agency directly (the Maui office, not the 800#) and they'll probably be able to tell you for sure.

Rusty

Tjd, I just happen to have the map provided by Alamo. It is in a guide book that is the exact same book given out by all the car rental companies. Each company puts its own cover on it.

The exact wording on the map is ?Do not drive beyond this point. Driving on unauthorized roads violates car rental contract.? However it does not state that the road in question is ?unauthorized?. It implies it. Alamo's rental agreement states that the car may not be used ?off of paved roads?. Most of the areas on the map that are marked ?Do not drive beyond this point? are in fact paved and therefore are not prohibited. It appears that the rental companies are trying to discourage people from not driving in certain areas but there is no prohibition from doing so.

BashfulV, EVERYONE who says that the rental agreement prohibits travel in certain areas says that they ?no longer have the paperwork?. I DO have the paperwork. In dozens and dozens of rental agreements from various companies no areas of Maui are prohibited by name. This is a myth that got started and has gone on for years. Until someone comes up with a rental agreement that refers to the Road to Hana or the Road around West Maui (or something similar) it is nothing but that ? a myth !!