eczook

My husband and I are going on a 2 week vacation to BI, Maui and Kauai next month. Due to wanting to spend more time on BI and Kauai, we opted to have a short weekend visit to Maui (this will be our first trip there)- we're staying at Kannapali beach hotel.

My question is this: is the Road to Hana really worth it if we are only there for 3 nights, 4 days?

starrsville

I usually would say "no" and since you are doing Kauai I'd definitely say no.

Princess

Oh, I thought the Road to Hana was simply beautiful! Lots of twists and turns, though, but many wonderful spots to stop at and enjoy.

We did the extended road trip and agreed that we would never to beyond the safer paved road part of the journey which is beyond Hana. Although, just a little passed Hana there is a cemetary to visit that is beautiful.

The trip can be as short, or as long as you want it to be. I woud want to do it all over again, -- that's how much I enjoyed it.

volcanogirl

We really liked the road to Hana, but we were in Maui for a week. Are you planning to do the sunrise at Haleakala, snorkel Molokini, go to the Old Lahaina Luau, etc. I'd take a look at all the activities and see what your own priorities are. I definitely think it's worth doing, but you will probably end up sacrificing some other activities.

It did take us all day, but we got great pictures and got to see so much of the island. My friend gave us a cassette that narrated the tour and made it really easy. You might be able to find it online or in the local gift shops. Have a wonderful trip! We loved BI and Kauai also.

karameli

Are you more interested in seeing natural wonders or in relaxing on the beach? I love waterfalls, scenic drives, etc, so when I go to Maui, the Road to Hana is on my must-see list. But if you hate driving, it would be the opposite fo a good time. But don't go just because you feel like you HAVE to!

GrammaKel

I would say yes...We took the road to Hana, and I thought it was definitely worth it. Then again, we were also there for a full week.
But whenever I think of Maui, the places that stand out in my mind are the Road to Hana and the Iao Needle. Beautiful scenery!
When we took the Road to Hana, we spent a little too much time enjoying the scenery, and so it got dark on us on the way back down. Don't tell anyone, but I found it lots easier to drive down in the dark, as I could see headlights of anyone approaching...it was almost a trade-off for missing the views on part of the way back!

poolboy

I'd say yes too. Too bad you don't have more time, you could spend the night. While it is a very popular and some think, an over-hyped adventure, it is a unique area. While Kaua'i is lush and beautiful, particularly the north shore, Kaua'i doesn't have a drive through the jungle that compares. Having said all that, it is a long day and can turn into a bit of a "forced march" through paradise if you try to rush here and there so you don't miss a thing.
Have a great trip.

mark99

I'd say yes and no. It was not as nice as I thought it would be, my wife was a little car sick from all the twist and turns.

Overall I am glad we did it to say we did, but I would not do it a second time.

The real scenery is off the road in the trails to the falls and pools.

It is a LONG trip to Hana because of the twists and turns, the road is very narrow and busy, and there are few if any "facilities" should the need arrise, so keep that in mind.

eczook

Thanks everyone for the response. again, it seems like a mixed bag of responses.... i think with all of the other activities that i have planned out for us on BI and Kauai, my main goal at Maui was just to chill out on the beach/hotel and not do too much. the best thing is probably wait until we're there to see if we want to do it or not.

thanks again

paula1470

Just got back from Maui and I would say the Road to Hana is worth it. We were only in Maui for 4 days before moving on to Oahu. We did the drive to Hana on Sunday and it was the highlight of our trip. My DD was with me, she gets carsick but she took a Dramamine and had no problem. We also stayed in Kannapali and left our condo around 8:00am. I hadn't wanted to get a little earlier start but we had no problem with traffic on the way to Hanna. Be sure to have something to guide you as we made some stops that many didn't seem to know about. We used the Maui Revealed book. Those stops were nice because if we were following other cars, we lost them during the stops. One thing we did notice was that the waterfalls did not have much water running in them. But the scenery was amazing and we enjoyed ourselves. We had lunch in Hanna but there isn't much there. Make sure to take drinks and snacks or a picnic lunch.

paula1470

Meant to say that I had wanted to get an earlier stop.

Another thing-we rented a convertible there-definitely the way to go especially on the Road to Hana. Sounds like you want to rest in Maui but if you are in Hawaii for 2 weeks, won't you have the opportunity to do that on the other islands also? I know that is was the best thing we did there although we didn't get the chance to visit Haleakala which will have to be done on the next trip!!

paula1470

wow-I really can't type- meant an earlier start.

xkenx

Depends where you are coming from (literally and figuratively). If you've driven Big Sur Highway, the Maine coast, and some of the more spectacular drives in the Caribbean, then the road to Hana is only good. If not, it is a lovely tropical drive, with waterfalls, twists and turns, ocean views.

dusty56438

Yes. It is the best thing you can do on Maui.

It is one of the most scenic drives in the world.

Linleedo1

Yes! We did a tour with Valley Isle Excursions. It was a great experience on air conditioned vans that hold a smaller group than some tours with large buses. We didn't need to drive(could sit back & enjoy the view/even the husband). It was such a fabulous time that appealled to all of the 5 senses. There were stops at local roadside stands for fruit, fresh baked banana bread, a winery, general store, flowers & plants at a nursery, waterfalls, a black sand beach, lava tubes, and many more beautiful awewsome views for photo opportunities. It included a breakfast & a hot lunch at a park. We loved it. It was a great way to see alot of the Island. They pick you up at your hotel & return you. We would highly recommend it.

Odin

"I usually would say "no" and since you are doing Kauai I'd definitely say no."

I'd say the opposite. Yes do it and since you are doing Kauai, I'd definitely say yes because Kauai unfortunately does not have this type of scenery by road, nor beaches (red and black sand beaches)or atmosphere.

dmcnama

Relax on the beach in Maui after your visit to the BI. I found the road to Hana to be much more trouble than what it was worth. Yes, it is lush and if you are lucky, you might see a waterfall actually flowing (we saw trickles in Sept.) Save your energy for Kauai. The most SPECTACULAR views that far, far surpass the Hana drive are: Waimea Canyon (Grand Canyon of the Pacific), Kalalau Lookout (what you see in most ads for Hawaii), Ke'e Beach (Bali Hai) and a boat (not helicopter) tour of the Na'apali Coast. Incredible!! Maui is beautiful but just does not compare to the dramatic beauty of the BI or Kauai, IMHO.

LWest

I say definitely take the time to do the Raod to Hana--it was the highlight of our trip. We rented the GPS audio tour from Geo Trek, and that really saved us time and confusion by telling us where to stop and what to see. We were only on the island for 5 days, but I'm SO glad we spent one of those days driving to Hana.

Kerry392

How long does the entire drive take? Is there a good point to turn around?

MariaOrdish

If you are only there for a few days, then skip it. It's a full day and can be exhausting, with very little time to properly enjoy it. Be sure to eat at Mama's Fish House though...and there's great snorkeling where you are staying.
But next time spend more time on Maui...it's truly paradise.