carabro

We're headed to Hawaii next week - yay!!!!!

As part of our time in Maui (5 nights in Wailea) - I'm interested in possibly doing the Road to Hana. The sights sound fantastic - but spending 10-11 hours in a car on winding roads is substantially less appealing. I'm wondering if anyone recommends just doing part of the drive - not going all the way. Is there plenty to see if you just drive for say - 2-3 hours and then turn around? And where is Mama's Fish House - is that all the way up or closer to Wailea?

THANKS!!

snowrooster

Mama's Fish House is close the start of the Road to Hana (assuming you will start by going through Pa'ia). We did most of the Road to Hana then turned around and came back (our rental car company would not allow us to do the loop w/o four wheel drive). We stopped and hiked a couple of times and it didn't take nearly 10-11 hours (probably more like 6). We bought a picnic lunch in Pa'ia that we took w/us so along w/the hikes that broke up the driving (it didn't seem like we were spending hours on end in the car). Anyway, if you just want to do part of the drive I think you'd get plenty of good scenery - it's all beautiful and I don't think you'd miss much by not doing it all. We did, however, not make it to the seven pools, which I regret and would like to do if & when we return. Anyone been to the seven pools? Did we really miss out?

JohnD

Yup there's plenty to see in 2-3 hours until you've had your fill of and waterfalls and hikes.

Also suggest picking up an audio CD tour, widely available on Maui, to help point things out otherwise you may drive right on by some sights.

I have found the 7 pools to be variable (muddy water on our last visit) and recall from somewhere that there may be 20+ pools, and others highly recommend a waterfall hike here- but won't be enough for carabro.

hmmm

The drive itself, straight through, takes fewer than 3 hours. The stops add time and enjoyment. Some are truely magical, as is Hana if you invest the time in it and its environs.
There are more than seven pools at Oheo. The park can be extremely crowded unless you arrive early a.m. Continue the drive around clockwise to the upcountry. Priceless views of nature and of a time gone by. That route will "dump" you out near Mama's.

JohnD

A website with info. about Road to Hana:
http://www.maui-vacation.net/hana.html

For snow~gt;:
Some 7 pools (suggest don't look yet carabro)
www.alohafriends.com/photos_maui.html
http://adventuremaui.com/waterfalls.htm

vivi

I have been to just Keanae Peninsula a few times, great spot for a picnic. Then you can turn around and go back to Mama's.

gigib

Can you believe I know somebody who thinks the Hana road "isn't worth the bother"...

offlady

I agree with vivi--stop at Keanae Peninsula and turn around. The views remain relatively similar for the rest of the way to Hana, and you won't be so worn out from a long drive.

USVI2000

My DH and I just did the Road to Hana a couple of weeks ago. The best scenery was near the end of the drive-seven sacred pools, black sand beach, etc.. If you are only in Maui 5 nights, do not waste a day doing this. Save it for your next trip. Have you thought of an eco-tour or helicopter tour that will make the most of your time? Have fun!

amelie

We drove the road to hana in July, left Wailea at 6:45 am. We were at the Ohea Pools by 12pm (it got really crowded at 1). Then we turned around, made one more stop and drove the rest home. We were at our condo by 4:30. Definitely not 11 hours! It all depends on how long you stop for too. Some stops were only 5 min, some were an hour+ (like the pools, and Hana Bay for lunch).

Have fun!

Rusty

Yes gigib, I can believe that you know somebody who thinks the Hana road "isn't worth the bother"...

The road to Hana is very nice but there are some people who actually live near scenic drives that are equal to or better than the road to Hana. For them the road to Hana is truly not worth the bother.

For me the road to Hana is worth doing once but I feel that it is is definitely over rated and not worth being in a car for the better part of a day.

What amazes me is people who think that because they liked a particular place or activity that everyone else will also like it ("We loved it; therefore everyone will love it).

dhoffman

We just came back from Maui and did the Hana Road trip. We didn't go all the way as we spent alot of time hiking back into the bamboo forests to get to waterfalls. We did one hike over boulders only to find with the lack of rain the waterfall was dry. Anyway, obtain the Maui Revealed book it will give you some hints on where to stop and gawk or hike. My wife regrets that we didn't have the time to finish to road to Hana as we missed the black sand beach and the '7 pools'. Make this a day trip and enjoy the ride. If I was to do this again, I would make arrangements for a place to stay near Hana and make this a two day journey. We had to make the trip short since I had made reservations at Mama's Fish House for 6:00pm the same day we decided to make the Road to Hana trip. Not smart planing on my part.

Jayne11159

When we were there in July we wanted to see some of the road to Hana but didn't want to spend 10 hours in the car with three kids, especially the one who gets car sick!

We planned our day accordingly. We stopped in Pa'ia for a couple of hours and it turned out to be our favorite town in Maui! We ordered a picnic lunch at THe Market in town AND reserved a dog. You pick up your food about five miles up the road out of Pa'ia on the way to Hana at their other market which is also a refuge for abandoned dogs looking for good homes. The social interaction is great for the dogs and fun for the humans; we ended up taking two with us!

I can't remember which mile marker we made it to before our DS got car sick, but we were able to stop at one of the swimming holes and watch some cliff divers (and we jumped off a much shorter cliff for the faint of heart) as well as doing a couple of short, scenic hikes. If someone hasn't mentioned getting the tape, we found it very helpful.

We spent about four hours total on the road to Hana. We ended the day back in Pa'ia and had dinner at the fish market--our best meal in Maui. Mama's looked like it had a beautiful setting, but we were more interested in eating at the smaller, less touristy restaurants and not paying big $$$$ for the view.

here_today_gone2Maui

What day were you planning on driving to Hana? It is Aloha Festival time and there are many events going on in Hana the next two weeks.

http://alohafestivals.com/alohafesti...home&page=home

So much fun! We spend at least the closing weekend in Hana every year, complete with a rodeo, a jamboree and a real, homest-to-goodness lu`au--no fire dancers or hula lessons, just good food, good music, good people, and good fun

here_today_gone2Maui

BTW, 2-3 hours drive will get you to Hana Town. Add in some time to stop and take in some sights, then give yourselves 2-3 hours to drive back the way you came, or at least 3-3.5 hours to come back through Kaupo and up through Ulapalkua.

I personally would not do Mama's after driving the Hana Hwy. If I am going to spend that kind of money on a meal or drive to Hana, I want to enjoy the entire experience(s) and not spend my day hurrying to get back for a sunset reservation or be exhausted and dirty from driving/hiking/swimming all day. I would much rather have an evening at Mama's where I can relax, sip my cocktails and savor the meal. But, this is just me. YMMV.

The drive from Wailea to Kuau (where Mama's is) is not that far--30 minutes if you take Hansen Road instead of going up to the airport and around. I drive it at least once a week.