bodhijack

we will be on maui for 8 nights. we plan lahaina for 6 nights and hana for 2 nights (mainly to do the road to hana). we need to do hana either first or last. i am opting for first so i don't have to worry about a 3 hour trip from hana to the airport on the day we travel back home. the problem is that our flight from lax gets in at 1 pm. by the time we get the car etc it will be 2:00 pm. should we go to hana that day? anyone see any other options? are there any hotels along the road to hana (so we need not go all the way)?

iamq

The trip to Hana from the airport will take anywhere between 2 and 3 hours depending on how fast you drive and how much you stop (under 2 if you drive like sistahlou). That puts you into Hana at around 5pm or so. That sounds fine to me. I don't think there are any places to stay overnight along the road.

Some people like to finish their trips in Hana because of the wonderful final impressions and memories it leaves with you. What time does you flight for the mainland leave Maui?

pila

dusty56438

It is 2 1/2 hour drive from Kahului Airport to Hana.

That is with no stops along the way.

If you plan to make stops along the way to Hana, plan on about 5 hours to get to Hana.

There are no hotels between.

But, you can check www.vrbo.com for alternative lodging.

On this link there are several towns that have listings. Paia, Haiku, Huelo & Kuau are some. You could easily do a day trip to Hana & back. And the following morning, you are close to the base of Haleakala. Perhaps you could leave your luggage & pick it up on the way back and then go to Lahaina.

http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals...maui/upcountry

I would be concerned about leaving luggage in the car when you stop anywhere on the Hana Highway.

trippinkpj

Dusty has some good suggestions. I found it pretty easy to do a day trip to Hana when we stayed in Haiku.

DawnCt

A day trip to Hana is quite doable. We left Ka'anapali in the morning in our Ford Explorer, as we had done on a previous trip. We made the usual scenic stops with a good amount of time for Oheo Gulch and then we continued around the back side of Haleakala. We still had plenty of time to stop at the Tedeshi Winery. Unless I was looking for solitude, I wouldn't be spending any time in Hana.

Lex1

In addition to solitude (at night, anyway) Hana has one of the best beaches on the island, Hamoa, and one visited by the most interesting crowd, Red Sand. It's also a stone's throw from Wai`anapanapa black sand beach and park, which features blowholes and lava tubes. It also gives you a headstart getting to Ohe'o pools, where the crowds can be suffocating, even in low seasons.
If it were my choice, I'd stay at Hana last, to decompress after Lahaina.

optimystic

I too would go to Hana at the end of your trip. iamq is right - you'll have great final impressions of Maui.

When is your return flight? When we went to Maui our flight home was 11pm, so we had plenty of time. After leaving Hana that morning we hiked the Pipiwai trail (amazing!), then ravenous we stopped in Kipahulu for some food. We drove back to the airport clockwise around the "back" of Haleakala - in my opinion the best scenery on all of Maui (except perhaps Haleakala crater itself). Then we ended up in Pa`ia for dinner before going to the airport. It was the best day we had on Maui and left me with fantastic memories. We would have loved to have stayed longer in Hana and spent a whole day at Hamoa Beach (which we loved).

I agree that leaving your luggage in the car isn't the best thing to do but this is what we did to and from Hana. I was a little nervous about it but it was fine. Everything was hidden in the trunk and we made sure we took our valuables - cameras, cash and cards etc - with us when we left the car.

Are you coming to Maui from the mainland or another island? This is another factor to consider, as if it were me, I would not fully appreciate the road to Hana after a long flight. Another reason to save it until the end of your stay.

Enjoy your trip!