Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
you're traveling on a budget, you can get a similar experience at the Ke'anae Arboretum
six miles down the road.
10 TIPS FOR DRIVING THE ROAD TO HANA
Perhaps one of the most beautiful-if not controversial-activities on Maui is driving
the Road to Hana. Weaving its way for 52 miles around 600 curves and over 56
one-lane bridges, it's the most loved and loathed stretch of road on the entire island.
Here's how to plan a visit to Hana that will leave you poring over a photo album
instead of searching for a divorce lawyer.
1. Hana is not a destination, but a journey.
Visitors race all the way to the
sleepy village of Hana and are left saying only one thing: “This is it?” With a popu-
lation of around 1,800, Hana is not big. Hana is not a destination; it's a place to get
away from it all.
2. The Road to Hana doesn't actually end at Hana.
Technically the famous
Road to Hana is only 52 miles long and stretches between Kahului Airport and the
town of Hana itself. But the actual road doesn't end in Hana. Many of Hana's natur-
al treasures lie in the 10 miles beyond Hana town. Hamoa Beach, consistently voted
as one of the top beaches in the country, is a couple of miles past Hana. So is Waioka
Pond, a hidden pool on the rocky coastline. Thirty minutes beyond Hana town are
the pools of 'Ohe'o (also known as the Seven Sacred Pools), with a series of cas-
cading waterfalls and pools falling directly into the blue Pacific.
3. Don't drive back the same way you came in.
Your rental car contract tells
you the road around the back of the island is for four-wheel-drive vehicles only, but
that's just not true. Parts are bumpy, and a few miles are dirt road, but unless there's
torrential rain, the road is passable with a regular vehicle. Following the back road
all the way around the island, you are graced with new views as your surroundings
change from lush, tropical rainforest to windswept, arid lava flows.
4. Don't make dinner reservations.
Too many people try to squeeze Hana into
half a day or end up feeling rushed. Hana is a place to escape from the rush, not
add to it. If you're planning a day trip to Hana, block off the entire day, leave early
(7am), and see where the day takes you.
5. Stop early, stop often.
Take a break for a morning stroll or for breakfast at a
tucked-away café. Pick up some snacks and then watch the waves. Stop and swim
in waterfalls, hike through bamboo forests, pull off at roadside stands for banana
