The Road to Hana.

Old Mar 18th, 2003, 09:56 AM
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The Road to Hana.

I'd like to clarify the 'Road to Hana on Maui' experience for those who have never done it and are thinking of doing it. My reason for doing this is because I think some people get the wrong idea of what it actually is and what you actually see. I'd hate to see people get all the way to Maui and miss out on this experience. In my opinion, if you don't do the Road to Hana, then you really haven't seen all of Maui. I think there is a misunderstanding of what the Road to Hana is all about. It's not just taking a road to the town of Hana and visiting Hana once you get there. It's all about seeing and exploring the backside of Maui, which in my opinion, is some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen in my life. The road is curvy and narrow. The drive is slow. But, be thankful that it is. There is nothing like going around a curve or going over a hill and having this beautiful scenery just appear out of no where. Listen to the CD guide and pull over when it tells you to. Take a short or long hike back into the rain forest and visit a waterfall or two or three. Swim in some natural pools. Enjoy the beauty of the island, explore it. I'm not saying go on an hour long hike if you don't want to, but SEE the island and enjoy each view around each curve. Every view is different and beautiful. When you come to the town of Hana, visit it. Swim in the Sacred Pools. Go past Hana if you'd like to and drive all the way around the island. Yes, you are told not to, but we did anyway and so did a lot of other people. I am so glad that we drove all the way around. The scenery that we would have missed was absolutely incredible. There is nothing and I mean nothing passed Hana until you get around the back side of Maui. But that's the beauty of it. It's all just beautiful ocean views and old lava valleys from the back side of Healakala. I would do it again, no doubt. Of course, this is all just my opinion and I know others will have different views. Thanks.
 
Old Mar 18th, 2003, 10:11 AM
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What CD are you referring to? Thanks.
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Old Mar 18th, 2003, 10:26 AM
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The rent-a-car company will give you a CD on the Road to Hana. It tells you where to start playing the CD and pretty much guides you for the entire trip to Hana telling you when and where to stop and what to see.
 
Old Mar 18th, 2003, 10:40 AM
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I agree with everything that Loungin said in that the Road to Hana is a must do. But in addition to or even better than (IMHO) the CD, is the guidebook Maui Revealed. It details in great length every little stop to make, every little hike to do, etc. My wife and I found our own private waterfall after reading this book. Definitely a must buy if you go to Maui.
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Old Mar 18th, 2003, 11:16 AM
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I second everything Loungin and Doug said. When we took our trip to Maui a few weeks ago, we drove to Hana and continued past all the way around the island in a Mustang covertible and it was one of our favorite parts of the trip. We loved swimming in the pools beneath the waterfalls, visiting the black, volcanic sand beach, etc. As far as the tour guid CD or cassette tapes go (you can buy them in just about any store), the one we bought was pretty boring. We relied much more on Maui Revealed. As has been said here before, there is not much to see in Hana itself, but it is the journey and stops along the way that are memorable!
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Old Mar 19th, 2003, 06:16 AM
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My husband and I recently did the Road to Hana (about 3 weeks ago) and I think we started off wrong. We were staying in Lahaina and took the highway north all the way around the curviest roads I've ever driven on. When we got to Paia, we realized that we should have gone another way. Needless to say, we lost about an hour and a half taking the long way, but it sure was an adventure! I agree with Loungin that arriving in Hana is nothing compared to the road that leads there. Take it slow.
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Old Mar 19th, 2003, 06:34 AM
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Hey Olivia,

You're right in that you should have gone south instead of north to get to the beginning of the Hana Highway, but the trip you did do, thru Kaanapali and Kapalua and beyond, is another nice trip (as you found out) and has some great stops along the way as well.
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Old Mar 19th, 2003, 06:48 AM
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This thread makes me so excited about going to Maui in May! We plan to do exactly what Loungin and Doug have suggested.

The only decision left to make is what type of vehicle???? car? convertible? suv? jeep???

any suggestions??
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Old Mar 19th, 2003, 07:01 AM
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Hey bogart,

When my wife and I were there in Feb., we rented a convertible and loved it. Allows you to see the beautiful scenery that much better. There were a couple of spots that having a 4WD might have made the trip a little easier (e.g. the road beyond the Seven Sacred Pools along the Road to Hana), but it was never a necessity to have one.

Have a great time!
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Old Mar 19th, 2003, 07:52 AM
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We also did a convertible, and it was worth the splurge. Wear that sunscreen! You'll need it!
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Old Mar 19th, 2003, 09:58 AM
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As far as renting a convertible, the above points are valid concerning viewing the scenery, but be aware that some parts of the road to Hana get a lot of rain. Most of my drive was sunny, but around Ke'Anae where you get the banana bread( a must) we got a lot of showers that lasted about 30 minutes, and then it got sunny again the rest of the way. You could just put up the top when it starts to rain, but my wife and I thouroughly enjoyed the drive in a Camry with the windows down and the shade over our heads protecting from the rain and the sun too. But I'm sure a convertible would be a lot of fun. And I second the Maui Revealed book advice. One last point. Pick a couple of must see spots in the book and do them. To do it all you will run out of time unless you plan to stay overnight in Hana. That drive is incredible.
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Old Mar 19th, 2003, 10:18 AM
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I agree with 1blue_eye in that you'll probably run out of time if you try to do everything mentioned in Maui Revealed in one day. We left around 7 A.M. from Wailea and got through with the Seven Sacred Pools around 6:30 P.M (i.e. sundown). We had intended to drive the rest of the way around, but since it was dark and we knew that parts of the remaining road weren't in the best of condition, we turned around and drove back the way we came.
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Old Mar 19th, 2003, 10:43 AM
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Olivia--that "detour" you took around the West Maui Mountains is hair raising! I'll bet it made the Hana Highway seem tame, LOL. I can't believe you did all that driving on the same day!
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Old Mar 19th, 2003, 11:00 AM
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It certainly was! My husband had been driving for 3 days, so it was my turn. When we began turning on the one-lane roads with oncoming traffic, no lines in the road and no guard rails, I wanted to just pull over and WALK! Once we started getting close to Kahului, the road straightened out, which was nice. Then when we got on the actual "Road to Hana" and I couldn't believe what a BREEZE it was. I would have thought differently had we not done our little Fear Factor adventure!
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Old Mar 19th, 2003, 12:12 PM
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I just rented a convertible for my stay in Maui this summer because everyone said that it was "a must" on Maui. But Hertz states in the rental agreement that the car is not permitted in the 7 scared pools area. So does that mean I cannot take it on the road to Hana?
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Old Mar 19th, 2003, 12:28 PM
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Hey dolciani,

Read the "Road to Hana" post I topped for you. Answers a lot of your questions.
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Old Mar 21st, 2003, 12:44 PM
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My husband and I will be in Maui for 4 days and aren't sure we want to the entire road to Hana. I have read the Maui Revealed book and it has a lot of good info. Can anyone recommend a good point (mile marker) to go to in order to see some of the scenery without it taking all day?
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Old Mar 21st, 2003, 02:00 PM
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Julie,

If you leave early enough in the morning and do only some but not all of the side excursions mentioned in Maui Revealed, you should be able to make to Hana and be back by early to mid-afternoon. Just prioritize and pick out those stops that sound the most interesting to you.

But if you want my opinion, I think you are shortchanging yourselves by not doing the whole trip. The scenery is gorgeous all the way around and some of the nicer stops (e.g. Seven Sacred Pools) are found after Hana itself.
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Old Mar 21st, 2003, 02:16 PM
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Julie, I agree with Doug, obviously. That's why I started this post. Most people don't realize what 'The Road to Hana' is all about. Pick out some points ahead of time that you would like to stop at and allow yourself time to go passed Hana and drive all the way around. I promise you won't regret it. Also, another thing I'd like to mention that my wife and I thought was a very good move on our part. Stop at a grocery store the night before you leave and buy a cooler so you can pack a good lunch with water, gatorade, etc. We stopped at the black sand beach, which was pretty close to Hana if I remember correctly, and ate lunch at a picnic table overlooking a gorgeous site. To give you an idea of how long it is after Hana, I think it took us about 1 1/2 hours to get back to Wailea after we left Hana. We left our hotel at about 7:30 AM, swam in natural pools, walked in the rain forests, swam at the black sand beach, ate lunch, swam in the Sacred Pools, drove passed Hana around the backside of Maui and stopped several times because we were in awe of the scenery, and made it back to the Kea Lani in Wailea at around 5:30 or 6:00 PM. It's an incredible experience. Have a safe trip and don't be afraid to ask anymore questions you might have.
 
Old Mar 26th, 2003, 10:08 AM
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Doug & Loungin-

Thanks for the info. It sounds like we should go all the way to Hana to get the full experience. I do have the Maui Revealed book and have been highlighting the spots that sound the most scenic.

Couple more questions not relating to the road to Hana. Have either of you gone to the Old Lahaina Luau or the Warren & Annabelle show? I am wondering if the luau is really worth the $90 price tag. I would like to do the show, but not the dinner. Since they don't offer just the show, I would like to know if it is really that good. The Maui Revealed book says the Warren & Annabelle show is awesome and I think we are going to do that for sure.

I would also appreciate dinner suggestions. We will be there for 5 nights and we like to eat really good food. I have been reading so many suggestions on this website and in the book, and now I need to narrow down the choices.

Thanks for the help, Julie
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