The Road To Hana

[margord]

Does anyone have a recommendation on a tour to Hana? Or should we do it ourselves in a rental car?

 

Marilee

[Retired not Expired]

There's pro and cons on both. Four years ago my wife and I did the tour with Roberts and was able to see and learn things we would not have be able to had we drove ourselves. However, tours in Hawaii has gone up a bunch since then so it would probably be cheaper to drive yourselves. However, check with the car rental agent if you plan to do the loop. Some have restrictions that do not allow you to go past Hana and you must turn around and come back the same way due to the road condition past there. The rest of the loop is something to see but not for the timid driver. On past Hana a ways is a little Church on the left where Charles Lindbergh is buried. There is supposedly 600 curves getting to Hana and many curves on a very narrow road with shear dropoffs past it. We loved every inch of that drive.

[JohnQ]

I think renting a car would be best way, but it can be slow. You need an early start if you want to beat some of the traffic and give yourself time to try a few side roads, or in Hanna, black sand beach, or seven pools. There are audio tapes/cds, that you can rent or buy with mile by mile descriptions. We have driven it three times and it was nice to have that part. Most rental cars cannot, go beyond the seven pools or church.

[margord]

Dear John and Retired,

 

Thanks so much for your advice. We have one other option and that is to take the tour from the ship. We will be on the Norwegian Wind in April. We have one full long day in Maui. I won't feel like I am missing anything because we plan on staying there a few days after the cruise.

 

I will talk to my DH as it sounds like you both think driving ourselves would be the best way to go.

 

Thanks again.

 

Marilee

[daWoods]

I'd have to go with the rental car thing. Our experience is that it gives you the opportunity to stop where you want, not where someone says you should. We haven't done the tape/cd thing yet, but want to this year. Did the complete loop in 2003 (in rental car :eek: ), but you can see most of the great views by going up the other side of the island rather than do the narrow road part past Hana.

[Colorado Babe]

Hubby, daughter and I are on the Wind as well (3/19/05). We've decided to just pay NCL and do the excursion through them. I know a few people who have tried to do it themselves and they all said it was a bit hairy and it would have been better if they would have just done the excursion through the cruiseline..

[bpampel]

my wife and i did the loop on our honeymoon 2 years ago in a rental car

they said not to go past the pools but the guys at our hotel said do it anyway we had a mustang convertable so if that can handle the road any car can!

best part of maui by far! the road is not really that bad a few tight spots and really tight turns and mostly dirt road.

saw a few rainbows over the ocean, stray cows and the best part not many people so you can pull over stop and not bother others behind you.

 

we passed a winery out there too but is was closed the day we went by

 

we also had a cd tour, and it brought us to a few places where not many people are and great little villages and unbelievable views alot of places sell these we got ours from our hotel

never follow rules!

good luck

[jkrislc]

I was glad that we opted for the ship's tour. When I mentioned this to a friend who had driven it, he said he thought he would have enjoyed it more had he not driven. I thought NCL's tour was very good. Also, if you're doing it on your port day, it's a long tour and I wouldn't want to do such a long tour without the safety of being on a ship's tour.

[Jim and Robin Lincoln]

Hi Everyone,

We are opting to do the ships tour. I thinks it's too hard to look at the beautiful scenery and drive at the same time so we are going to leave the driving to someone else. Besides I'd probably nag my DH to death with him driving & looking at everything. :) :)

 

Robin

[margord]

Thanks Everyone. I really appreciate your suggestion. If we do decide to do it with the rental car it will not be our one day on the cruise. We will save this for the 6 day post-cruise stay.l Does anyone know where to get the tape that some people talk about that you can but and take with you? It is suppose to tell you what you are looking at.

 

Marilee

[spleen93]

You can get it in Kahului (main town on Maui) at the beginning of the Road to Hana. There was a stand on Diary Road that was advertising recordings for the Road, IIRC.

 

Spleen

[JohnQ]

If you know anyone going to Hawaii before your trip, ask them to pick up some of the freebie books or papers. They have lots of useful info, coupons and tell you where to pick up the tour tapes etc.

[margord]

Again, I really appreciate all the information.l Thank you all.

 

Marilee

[beachchick]

As far as doing the loop in a rental car, yes it is done on a regular basis. BUT keep in mind that if for any reason you have a problem/accident or get stuck on that stretch you are SOL and your rental contract is void.

 

Don't mean to be a fuddy-duddy. It's certainly a personal decision. It's just best to keep in mind that you will probably already be somewhat tired from the drive to Hana. Just food for thought.

[margord]

Is there any reason that we can't drive to Hana and then turn around and drive back on the paved road. Would that be okay with the rental companies? Also, what will I be missing doing it that way?

 

Marilee

[JohnQ]

Marilee,

Drive up to Hana on Hana Hwy and return the same way. This has been the normal trip for most tourists in the past since most are in rental cars and they won't void their insurance to take a restricted road back. The church and pools are past Hana a few miles and then most people turn back. That was one of the reasons I said to head up early, or else you will have the cars coming back to deal with in addition to the curvy road. It is a good well maintained road and thousands drive it every week.

[margord]

Thanks JohnQ, sounds like a plan.

[beachchick]

There is no reason not to go back the same way; that is what most people do. Many people want to do the loop around because it has spectacular views, you see part of the island you wouldn't see, it's convenient to Tedeschi winery if you want to stop there, and because it's certainly a shorter way back if you are tendered in Lahaina. Everyone simply needs to weigh the risks/rewards issue regarding the rental car contract. And I have heard that the road is worse if there has been rain.

 

beachchick

[margord]

Again, thanks everyone. I really appreciate all your suggestions.

 

Marilee

[cynbar]

We drove all the way around, and it was well worth the effort. Although the road was rocky and narrow in places, we saw a number of tour buses, and we figured that if they can do it, so could we. The view is spectacular and very different from the front section of the road --- cliffs rising right up out of the ocean, more of a wild and windswept atmosphere. We stopped at the small church where Lindbergh is buried and it was a highlight of our trip, small and peaceful and right on the ocean --- what a place to rest for all eternity!! There's also less traffic on the back side, which means less aggravation and more time just to enjoy the ride.

[Quincella]

How long does it take to get from Hana to Lahaina if you do the full circle? We have been planning to make the drive to Hana and then take the same road back in order to get to Lahaina in time for the Old Lahaina Luau at 5:15. Now I'm thinking it might make more sense to just keep on going straight through to Lahaina.

 

What do you think?

[spleen93]

It may be a little quicker to continue around the dry side of the Road instead of backtracking on the same road - if nothing else, there's less traffic. How long is a difficult question to answer since it depends on quickly you drive and how much stopping you do and the traffic. Assuming no traffic and not stopping anywhere, you could probably get back from Hana to Lahaina in about 3 hours or so on the dry side? (that's pretty much a WAG ... wild *ss guess)

 

Spleen

[bug_dan]

We left Hana about 1 pm and drove around the dry side, got back to Lahaina around 4:30 pm, so Spleen is pretty close with his WAG. I think there's at least 15 miles of unpaved road, very bumpy and dusty that your speed is greatly reduced.

[Quincella]

Thanks, Spleen and Bug....so now we've established that it's possible, but would you recommend it? Is the scenery around the rest of the island enough to justify the unpaved road?

 

Also, is it a safe drive if there has been rain? I'm assuming so, since this is the "dry" side.

 

And one more thing...On the map I have (the one in Maui Revealed) it looks like Hwy. 31 turns into Hwy. 37 around Ulupalakua (mile marker 15) and cuts up through the center of the island. Looks like we would have to take 37 to 36 to 32 to 340 to 30 to get to Lahaina! Surely there has to be an easier way, right...?:confused:

 

Thanks, as usual...

 

Quincy

[spleen93]

I would recommend it - it's very different scenery and beautiful in its own way ...

 

Spleen