Renting Cars on Maui & Big Island

[Shelladam]

We will be on POA on the week of May 22. A few Questions.

 

1. How much time is spent getting from the ship to the rental agency...is it worth it (to those of you who have done it) on Maui & Big Island? How close to the ship can you park overnight in Maui?

 

2. On the Road To Hana, are there ample places to park your car and explore along the way? Is it safe to do this?

 

3. How long of a ride from the dock to Haleakala Crater? We don't have an interest in riding bikes, but would LOVE to see the sunrise!

4. If we spend the Hilo day on the Big Island driving to Volcanoes Park, what do you suggest to do while docked in Kona.

Thank you...looking forward to the replies!

[beachchick]

It is very easy and well worth it to rent on both islands, IMO.

 

On Maui, do you dock in Kahului or tender in Lahaina? (Don't know the POA itinerary.) If Kahului, the airport is only a few miles from the pier. If Lahaina, be sure you rent from a company and location that is on that side of the island (West Maui Airport or Ka'anapali). Both are about 10 minutes from Lahaina. I don't know details on parking for either location.

 

There are plenty of places to stop and view or explore on the road to Hana. Waianapanapa is a favorite of ours. The whole trip is quite beautiful, but be aware that it really is an all day thing and the driver will spend all of his/her driving time negotiating the twists and turns, etc. It is a tiring drive, but again, it is beautiful. If you have any valuables with you, such as cameras or waistpacks or backpacks, do not leave them in the car. Otherwise, it's perfectly safe in our experience.

 

Haleakala from Kahului is about 80 miles, again this is not speed time. Plan on 1-1/2 to 2 hours to the summit. Wear warm clothes if you go for sunrise--it will be cold.

 

I can't answer about Kona without more info on your interests. You could take an excursion to Kealakekua bay--supposed to be great snorkeling and on our "must do" list. You could drive up the Kohala coast and stop at Hilton Waikoloa, which has beautiful grounds and is one of the locations of DolphinQuest. You can watch the dolphins whether you do the encounter or not. You could drive through the Kona coffee areas and do a tasting. That's pretty fun. I'm sure there's more, but those are our preferences.

 

Let me stress this: Get a car; you will have the flexibility to do what you want.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

Aloha,

beachchick

[spleen93]

BTW, ships tender into Kona, not dock, so that may cut down the amount of time that you actually have available to explore as well. I agree with the suggestions of snorkeling, coffee, and checking out the resorts on the Kohala Coast. A great beach is Hapuna Beach, up north from Kona as well ... considered one of the best beaches on the island of Hawaii.

 

Spleen

[Shelladam]

Great advice. Thanks!

[pengu1n]

How long of a drive to Haleakala from Lahaina?

[spleen93]

Give or take 2-3 hours.

 

Spleen

[sceptic]

Laundry list time of one of my favorite subjects.

 

Some comments about the road to Hana. Start early, like 7 AM (nothing later than 8 AM!!) The reason is that at that hour the road is not crowded at all and it's far more enjoyable, and relaxing, to drive it without the whole time looking at the rear of the car(s) in front of you. The pullouts, short walks to waterfalls, and other diversions will be yours almost alone.

 

If you decide instead to have a nice long breakfast after sleeping in til 9 the drive is far less enjoyable. Crowded beyond belief, often no place to park to see many of the sights. (Most points of interest have VERY Limited parking, which really doesn't matter if there are only a few cars on the road with you.)

 

And the drive back is equally enjoyable - you also get to see how crowded the road OUT to Hana is.

 

In fact - we've done Haleakala AND Hana on the same day - the one problem is that it involves getting up VERY Early, like 3:30 AM, to ensure you're at the summit long before sunrise. After the sunrise (and it is GREAT from up there - but call ahead to ensure that it's not clouded in at the summit) head back towards Kahului, but in Pukalani head towards Makawao and meet the Hana Highway via the Kaupakulua Road. Don't worry - it's all paved and very easy driving -- at least to the Hana Highway (that last is a bit of a jest. The Hana Highway IS twisty, and sometimes narrow. Just lower your windows, slow down, and enjoy.)

 

And regarding the cold at the summit... it IS. Very cold. Solution? Take the blankets from your ship cabin. Don't worry -- just about every person up there who's considered this has swiped the blanket from their Maui Condo also to battle the chill.

 

One last thing -- if you go beyond Hana to Ohe'o Gulch ("seven sacred pools" area) and then to Lindbergh's Grave it's actually faster to get back to Kahului or Lahaina by continuing around the south side of Maui rather than going back via the Hana Highway. At least a half hour faster, sometimes more.

 

Yes --- I know that some of the car rental companies frown on this. They tell horror stories of the road, of flash floods that can close it for days. My suggestion - if you go to the Oheo Gulch area, check at their little visitor center and ask about the road conditions. The park service personnel there aren't in the employ of the car rental firms and will give you an honest answer. If it's in good shape I ALWAYS go back that way.

 

Expect the road to be very narrow for a short spell, with a couple of blind curves. Just honk your horn before doing the curves. It is unpaved (but not BAD unpaved) for a few miles, then old and crummy pavement, then astonishingly good pavement. You slowly climb up to nearly 4000 feet with amazing views of the Big Island and the Wailea areas, meet up with the road you took to Haleakala, then back down to Kahului.

 

Is it pretty back there, past Oheo Gulch? Uh, well... no, at least not the Hawaii you see in posters. Very wild. Windblown. Not a trace of what people think Hawaii is really like. But take a look - this IS Hawaii, a huge swath of the second biggest island essentially uninhabited, just a few miles from the great beaches, condos, restaurants.

 

Bright side: No traffic. Faster. Incredibly different.

 

I'd be interested to hear if others disagree or concur with my assessment of the road past Oheo Gulch. Do you find it horrifying or interesting?

[beachchick]

We've not driven past Oheo, so I have no direct experience. However, if your ship is in Lahaina, don't expect to save a huge amount of time by continuing around. The reason is that in order to get back to Lahaina, you have to drive almost to Kahului and then back to Maalaea and up to Lahaina--if you have a map that shows a secondary connecting road up through Wailea, Kihei, etc. that you can take instead, it is wrong (at least from everything I've heard from people who actually live on Maui). However, you will see other parts of Maui upcountry, which is worth the drive. If you have time, a stop at the Kula Lodge for a drink is wonderful. And don't forget to stop at Tedeschi winery for a taste.

 

Also, if you plan on doing Hana early and then going to Haleakala the same day (for a late afternoon or something), continuing around past Oheo would be by far faster than going back.

 

beachchick

[sceptic]

Beachchick:

 

The time saving I'm referring to is from Oheo Gulch to the stoplight a mile or so past the Kahului airport intersection, where you can either go towards Paia/Hana or upcountry to Makaweo. Regardless of where you going on Maui (Kahului, Lahaina, Kiehi, etc.) you must go through this intersection to get to Haleakala, Hana, the southern route, etc. It's sort of the focus point for driving to these locales.

 

So the time saving I'm talking about is real. It's from Oheo Gulch to this specific point on Maui, and from there you go to either Lahaina or Kahului. To this point it's (on average) about 30-40 minutes faster via the southern route to Oheo Gulch.

 

And you're right about the Tedeschi winery. Kind of odd wines, but different and tasty.

 

And what ever happened to the old Silversword Inn?

 

Best,

 

sceptic

[spleen93]

I agree with a lot of what sceptic said.

 

And the road that beachchick mentioned connecting Ulupalakua and Kihei/Wailea actually does exist. The problem is that it's a private road and only a few people have the key to unlock it to access it. :)

 

Spleen

[beachchick]

Aha! Thanks, Spleen. That really explains the confusion about the road. I kept hearing different stories about it.

 

beachchick

[shay1]

I am trying to find out where there is a parking lot near the port of Lahaina.

 

We want to rent a car while in port for 2 days. That would mean parking the car over night near the port.

 

I am trying to get information regarding location, space and price.

 

Also any recommendations on what car agency to use to book rental.

 

I just received our Entertainment Book most of the coupons are for Weekend or Weekly rental discounts.

 

Thanks for your help.

[spleen93]

Commonly asked question on this board. A quick search turns up:

 

Old post - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=118365&highlight=lahaina+overnight+parking

 

Spleen

[shay1]

Commonly asked question on this board. A quick search turns up:

 

Old post - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=118365&highlight=lahaina+overnight+parking

 

Spleen

 

Thanks Spleen,

 

I really appreciate all the good information you provide these boards.

 

We are really looking forward to our first trip to Hawaii. We will be staying on Waikiki for 2 night pre and 1 night post at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach.

 

I understand that Duke's is a good place to eat. What other recommendations do you have? We are not renting a car in Oahu.

 

We love to snorkel do you know if there is any reef off the beaches their at or near the Outrigger?

 

Mahalo

[spleen93]

If you're staying at the Outrigger, then Tiki's in the Aston Waikiki Beach is pretty close by. Funky tiki decor and the food's pretty good. A nice upscale restaurant nearby you is Hy's Steakhouse. http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2822918-hy_s_steakhouse_honolulu-i

 

Unfortunately, Waikiki is not known for its snorkeling. You MAY see some small fish here and there in the water but primarily Waikiki is known for its beach and its wide expanses of sandy bottoms which don't lend themselves well to good snorkeling.

 

Spleen

[bug_dan]

Hanauma Bay is readily accessible by theBus. Their website is http://www.thebus.org and you can check out the schedules. I know cars are sometimes turned away, but I doubt folks arriving by bus would???? The Bay is closed on Tuesdays.

[shay1]

Thank you Spleen we will check out Tiki's. Thourgh our searches on snorkeling we had found mention of Rain Bow Reef (AKA Aina Moana Beach Park), Fort Derussy Beach, Magic Island and Duke Kahanamoku Beach Park. We were hoping that maybe one of these would work out for the day we get off the ship.

 

Thanks Dan,

 

We have already added Hanauma Bay to our schedule for our first full day (Friday) in Hawaii. We do plan on taking the bus, we were thinking the same thing that if we were on the bus early then maybe we would have a better chance of getting in.

[spleen93]

There are some scattered areas of reef near Ala Moana and Magic Island (mostly near the shorebreaks) which have some fish. But it's certainly not good snorkeling.

 

Spleen

[shay1]

Thank you Spleen.

 

We just love being under water and seeing the sea life. :)