Road to hana tour?

[annecolorgreen]

We had the Revealed book but really appreciated the CD commentary as well from the Hana Road Guide (as well as the map with the flower guide on the back). That was enough for us and my husband, too, was tired but glad we did it on our own.

 

The tour groups that we saw had lots of elderly people and it seemed there was always a line at restroom breaks when they were there. We obviously took those breaks too, but it's easier to wait on four people than quite a few more. And, no offense to the elderly, but our choices for activities were probably a bit different too. We enjoyed hiking/swimming and I don't know if the tour groups took time for those things. That would be a good question to ask a tour company depending on your interests.

 

No matter how you go, it is a unique, wonderful experience.

[riofriotex]

The tour groups that we saw had lots of elderly people and it seemed there was always a line at restroom breaks when they were there. We obviously took those breaks too, but it's easier to wait on four people than quite a few more. And, no offense to the elderly, but our choices for activities were probably a bit different too. We enjoyed hiking/swimming and I don't know if the tour groups took time for those things. That would be a good question to ask a tour company depending on your interests.

 

I was traveling with 81-year-old parents and 79-year-old aunt, and a husband with various health issues, and my concern about a tour, even one with only 10-12 people, was what to do if any of them became tired or ill on a long tour. On the other hand, I did not want to drive Road to Hana either, especially while still suffering from jet lag (and, as it turned out, I would have especially hated it in the rain). Our solution was a private tour with Carey Limousines (www.hawaiilimo.com). It was expensive but well worth it (we saved by renting cars everywhere else). We benefited from our tour guide's experience with the road and knowledge - even though my mother had read the Revealed book and had a list of places she wanted to stop! We were able to turn around when we wanted and needed to. Just another option to throw out there - again, different strokes for different folks!

[fleckle]

...... We enjoyed hiking/swimming and I don't know if the tour groups took time for those things. .

Yes, they did. That is why we were so exhausted by late afternoon. :D

 

At each stop, the tour guide would describe the various options available and tell us what time to be back at the van. So how much or how little you wanted to do was up to you. There were places where you could take a long hike or go swimming or just sit at a picnic table and enjoy the view. The tour we took would have been suitable for a variety of ages and ability levels.

 

A big advantage that you had by driving yourself was that you could decide how long you wanted at each stop and leave whenever you were ready, or spend additional time there, without being restricted by someone else's time schedule.

 

On the other hand, an advantage to the tour was that close parking was not always available at all of the stops we made so the driver would sometimes drop us off right at the attraction and go park further out. We realized that if we had driven ourselves, we would have needed to park further out and walk back.

 

Also, in some scenic areas the driver would drop us off, let us walk across the bridge or ravine or down the road to see the attraction, and pick us up over on the other side. If we had driven ourselves, we would have needed to find a place to park the car, walk across to see the sights, and then double back.

 

As usual, there are pros and cons whichever way you do it.

[Ms belp]

I would not want to go on a tour because they will not make the many stops you would make on your own. Traveling the Road to Hana is not about the drive, it is about the pit stops. Different strokes, I guess. I would hate to be crowded in a van with a bunch of strangers, but that is just me. I dislike ship excursions for that very reason, I hate being part of the "cattle drive".

 

You gave me some good info back in June about "heights". I'll give you one about excursions. They really aren't bad. You meet people, share stories, laugh, and generally make friends for the rest of the cruise if not longer. We still keep in touch with people we met on our Alaskan cruise in 2008.

[flowerchild]

You gave me some good info back in June about "heights". I'll give you one about excursions. They really aren't bad. You meet people, share stories, laugh, and generally make friends for the rest of the cruise if not longer. We still keep in touch with people we met on our Alaskan cruise in 2008.

 

Absolutely, Ms. Belp, I have been on some fantastic ones..the catamaran to the glacier in Alaska was one, horseback riding in the surf in Jamaica was another.

 

But we've also been on some that were not so much...too many people, too much waiting for others, too structured...we're kinda on the independant side.

[sue402001]

For anyone who has booked this tour independently, how far in advance are you reserving this? Thanks!