We have decied to make the trip toward Hana from our condo in Kaanapali. In reading other posts, it sounds as if it is a pretty full day if you stop and enjoy the sites. My question is how far does one 'really' need to go before backtracking to make the trip enjoyable? Should we go all the way to the closure point or just to the Botanical Garden - or somewhere in between? We want to see as much as we can, but does it all start to look the same?

I would recommend driving all the way to Hana. It is a full day's experience but beautiful and one you will never forget. If you're talking about the Garden of Eden botanical garden, we stopped but afterward decided it wasn't worth the time or cost.

The portion of the road past Hana towards Kipahulu is really quite spectacular. We were just there recently. I can't compare it to the road before Hana, because we flew in.

Bill

Aloha,
I say it's worth the drive to go all the way to Hana.
Mahalo,
Jeanne

Go to Hanan & beyond to Seven Pools.

Seven Pools is the most scenic are on Maui.

By the way- there aren't Seven Pools, and they were never Sacred. It just sounds good.

Blow past all the tourists at the side of the road every 5 miles looking at waterfalls, or basicly pulling over cuz they think the tourist in front of them is in the know. Go long to the end of the road and then leisurely making your way back. Red sands beach in Hana makes me go gaga.

All I can remember about the Road to Hana itself is that it was my worst nightmare. I was never so scared in my life and heaven forbid if a vehicle larger than a VW was coming the opposite direction. I could handle the inside loops but more often than not I was on the outside with no room for error, straight drops with only inches to spare, no guardrail, it was the most frightening experience of my life. They were even selling T-shirts saying "I survived the road to Hana". No thank you. Of course I may just be a chicken at heart, but for those who are a bit leery of going over a cliff, be forewarned.

My 85 yr old mother-in-law and I have driven it 3 times, ALL the way around (from Kahului to Hana, to the gulch, around the back side of the volcano, past Tedeschi winery, to Kahului). It's one of the most spectacular drives you could take, and we never even felt a faint hint of unease! WE start at the crack of dawn, and make a huge day of it. Actually, I've never gone back the same way except once...but wonder if the road is opened yet, after all the trouble last year?

We went last year and went as far as the 7 pools, should have went further. From Kaanapali, it will take most of your day, but you will not regret it. Just make sure the driver keeps his/her eyes on the road at all times!

We sat back & relaxed while we enjoyed the tour around the island on Valley Isle Excursions. It picked us up at our Kanapaali hotel. It was so enjoyable(especially for my husband who would have been dealing with the traffic & many curves on the road to Hana). I would highly recommend them for your trip. Very enjoyable , lots of Hawaiian History ,with stops at lots of sites that appeal to all five senses. I think you would love it.

The Garden of Eden is very special, though I'm partial because I know the owners, LOL.

If you are interested, Charles Lindbergh is buried in native Hawaiian style on the grounds of a pretty little church past Hana.

Hi:

Many waterfalls were spectactular, but my favorite part was the Blue Pool. I would skip some of the earlier waterfalls (there are plenty along the way) to have more time at some of the further out sites. We stopped a lot and ran out of time. (We started past the ariport about 8 :00 AM.) We hit the Pools about 4:00 PM so didn't have much time and had to skip the Black Sand Beach. If I could do it, I'd spend one night in Hana and meander backwards. Driving back after 5:00 Pm was challenging becuase all the locals familiar with the road were flying around curves on their way home and we had more than 1 close call. It was sell worth it and some of the stops on the Road to Hana are great memories from Maui!
Kristen

There are 7 pools, and they are scenic:
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/maui/sites_.../OheoGulch.htm
I also like Twin Falls, which has less tourists:
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/maui/html/s...win_falls.html