Margo

I am planning a trip to Maui in November. Everything I've read states that a must see is "heavenly Hana." Yet a few people were adamently trying to talk me out of going - stating that it was a horrible experience and disappointing.
Please help...what do you think? To be or not to be missed??

Virginia

I enjoyed the ride on my first trip which took place one June. We had a tape from Snorkle bobs or someother snorkle rental place that told us where to stop for short 5 minute hikes.

I returned a few other times I was living on Oahu and did not have such a great time. The road is winding and if you don't see the amazing tropical flowers blooming well it was not that thrilling and I got car sick from all the winding. Maybe we needed that tape or and attitude adjustment I don't know but it just was not all that great 2-4 times after. I think we were so exhausted by the time we reached the seven sacred pools we did not care, did not swim, gander nothing.

Totally loved driving down the back side of Haleaukela! Coming from the east we just don't see rugged landscape like that. I DON'T MARGO IF YOU DON"T SEE YOURSELF GOING BACK SOON I AM NOT SURE HOW YOU CAN MISS IT. Dread the long car ride book accommodations in Hana and make it a 2 day trip.

John

We made the trip the whole way around, mainly to see the Charles Lindberg gravesite. You need to make sure there is no flooding before you go. The road is a "exciting" but I loved it. Some of the curves and narrow sections may be a bother to you. We enjoyed all of Hana and the drive and will repeat it when we visit Hawaii (number 5) again!

sandi

Hi Margo, The basic point of the road to Hana IS the journey, not the destination. If you want to see waterfalls, natural pools, rainforest valleys and peaks, its Nature's "Disneyland". Pack food and drinks, have a full tank of gas, and enjoy! It's a metaphor for Life!

Debbie

My husband and I made a full day out of this trip and had a fantastic time. We stopped many times to take pictures, walk around, swim in a clear pool at the base of the waterfall, etc...Definitely the Audio (we had a CD) enhanced the experience. My sister went another time and ended up in a lot of traffic and was irritated. The difference for us? Leave early!! Like not later than 7am. You will enjoy everything a lot more if you are not rushed or stuck behind lots of other cars.
We did not have a tinge of car sickness, but took it slow and easy to get the most out of the scenary. If you are prone to that I would pre-medicate for it.

Debbie

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, it is worth it to seek out the Red Sand Beach in Hana. Beautiful!

And don't go without packing your picnic lunch. The food in Hana is not so good. I'm done.

Paul Rabe

If you get car sick on winding roads, the drive to Hana will be the worst experience of your life. Every guide book I've read basically warns you about this. Don't drive this road if you have a problem with narrow, winding roads.

If you take your time, you'll enjoy a full day of beautiful scenery and hikes to nice waterfalls. Enjoy it!

Mike

Yes, the road to Hana sucks. The first curve you go around, look to the right and see a little waterfall is great. But then you just repeat the exact same curve and waterfall over and over and over and over and over. After about fifty of these we turned around and headed back to our hotel.

xxx

The drive to Hana was my favorite memory of my various trips to Hawaii. We picked up one of the tapes, put the top down on the Mustang and headed out. We stopped and swam at the various waterfalls and enjoyed a picnic along the way. We were there in January and were fortunate to have beautiful weather and little traffic. Knowing that the road was long and windy, we booked a few days of romance and relaxation there in Hana. The entire adventure is one I'll never forget.

Toni

It's been along time since I've driven to Hana...18 years ago. What I remember was an interesting drive to get there, but being very dissapointed with the "sacred pools". There was litter everywhere and not the pristine experience I had hoped for. Maybe they've cleaned it up?!

Michelle

We were just in Maui for the 1st time in July. We drove all the way to Hana and the rest of the way around. We loved it & have gorgeous pics, esp the black sand beach. I can see where if one gets carsick it would not be pleasant but I really enjoyed it & so did my husband.

doug

Margo.
Definitely worth the drive. It is long (figure 12hrs), winding, and in some places scary. But the scenery is unbelievable. We went in May and drove past Hana and around the backside.
Get a book titled "maui revealed" as I have seen on other posts. Do not do Hana trip without this book. It gives specific and detailed instructions on where to stop and what to look for. Many things you simply would not see if you didn't have the book. Much better than the tapes. HANA is not special, it is the journey that is not to be missed. It is definitely worth doing, at least once.

Ladybug

Just returned from a weekend in Hana. Most of us in our little hiking group had already done the beautiful-but-hairy Hana drive and all agreed that "once was enough." We therefore took Pacific Wings' 8-seater Cessna directly from Honolulu to Hana Airport. Nice 45-min trip (we had good weather), very friendly pilots and co-pilots both going and returning home. $92 roundtrip fare is cheaper than Honolulu-Kahului, because it's one of those govt-subsidized routes. Saw Jim Nabors (Gomer Pyle) at Hana Airport on the day we came home. He had visited his Hana macadamia/coffee farm and was going home to Honolulu on another small plane. He was a friendly and gracious celebrity.

Agree with Doug that you should read "Maui Revealed" for the very best info on must-see sights like Blue Pool, the Garden with the largest heeiau, etc. And they are SO right about Hana Ranch Restaurant's pathetic buffet and that lunch service comes with a snarl. That was our exact experience! BUT, you don't have much of a choice for anything in Hana.

Like the authors of Maui Revealed, we had sticker shock in Hasegawa General Store and the eating places. Ended up canceling our Hotel Hana Maui Dining Room reservations and instead ordered a bunch of appetizers in their Paniolo Bar ($8-12 each). That was quite nice, but their food service ends at 9pm, would you believe.

The rental car rate at Hana Airport was $60 for a Chevy seating 5 - about double what you'd pay in Kahului.

In spite of the shortcomings, Hana is beautiful and worth visiting at least once. But probably not for more than a weekend.

Jackie

Thought it was BORING. It's very repetitive so do it for 30 min. then turn around and go back.

Dianne

Margo - I think it's definitely worth the drive! Buy the book "Maui Revealed" & check out as much of it as you can on the way to Hana. Leave early morning - it will be an all day trip. We left Lahaina at 7am & returned 8pm. Take snacks, beverages & lunch with you.

Jamie

Wasn't worth it to us.
We went about an hour into the drive, turned around and headed home.
I haven't been car sick since I was maybe 6 years old. We were starting to remember what that was like about the time we decided to turn around.

stacey

We traveled the road to Hana in June of 2000. There were 7 of us and we did it once and would not go again. We are all from Oregon and the lush greenery is all around us here. We had also gotten lost a few days prior to that on a very windy road just North of Lahaina ... and well that trip was much more adverturous!! The water was also low according the the folks around and the waterfalls were very small.

I would go see for myself and then you can say you've done it. Let us all know what you think if you do take the "road to Hana".

Enjoy your trip!! Stacey

Lani

Hi,

As previously stated, the trip is long so make sure to start early so you can take breaks. Also check the weather channel the night before. I went in late October last year and it started to rain about a couple of hours into the drive and never cleared. It was one of the scariest drives of my life...visibility was low, hairpins turns, unfamiliarity with the roads....
It would have been a nice drive if the weather was better.

lisa

We drove all the way around and enjoyed it very much, although it was a long day. It is lovely, but as someone else pointed out, it is the journey that is enjoyable rather than the destination. If you are going for the sake of "seeing" Hana then forget it. Hana itself is nothing spectacular in my opinion. It is the road to it that is picturesque and scenic. Plan to make several stops along the way so that you get a break every so often and don't get too road-weary. We stopped briefly at a couple of the waterfalls, the black sand beach, O'heo Gulch (the seven sacred pools), a couple of roadside fresh fruit stands, the General Store in Hana, and Lindbergh's grave. Once you are past Lindbergh's grave and on the other side of the island, there is really not so much to see, and the landscape changes dramatically -- it gets much more arid and in places looks almost like a moonscape with virtually nothing growing, which is an amazing contrast from the lush greenery on the northern side around Hana. If I recall correctly I think the whole trip took around 9-10 hours from where we were staying in Wailea.

If you are not sure if you will like it, try the road for an hour or so and see what you think. If you don't care for it or get tired of it, you can always turn around.

We brought lunch and snacks and water with us so that we could eat whenever and wherever we wanted, and that worked out well (had lunch sitting by one of the waterfalls).

Also, bring umbrellas even if it is hot and sunny when you get in the car in the morning -- it rains a lot near Hana (that's why it's so green and pretty). We were caught in a sudden storm at the black sand beach and got drenched, but it was quite something to experience!

I probably wouldn't do the whole drive again, but I'm glad I did it once.

JB

Margo,

I drove the road to Hana and absolutely loved it! I did get slightly car sick so that was kind of bad but other than than I was very impressed. I noticed the replies to your question run the gamut. One thing I will say - I was about 26 when we drove to Hana and as I said I loved it. Now that I am 39 I am not so sure I would enjoy it as much. So maybe it all depends on your age, your temperament, your expectations, etc. Only you know what you can and cannot take. Hope this helps!

JB