Road to Hana or West Maui

[Christy330]

Well, I can see from other discussions that I'm as confused as others about what to "fit" into 2 days on this island. Using the Revealed books and seeing some comments on the Olivine pools, Nakalele Blowhole, Black Rock and other sights along the west side, I'm wondering if that drive at all compares to the Road to Hana? We could also get in Lahaina and the Iao Needle that way and then do Haleakala the next day. (Correct me if I'm wong). I guess I'm also getting the impression that the traffic going to Hana might be frustrating if you don't leave at the crack of dawn? It's so hard to know what to do to not exhaust ourselves, but still get in as much as we can! I appreciate everyone's thoughts. We leave on POH 5/14th!

 

Christy

[jerseyjk]

I did both. Went all the way past Hana to O'heo gulch the first day with about a half a dozen stops on the way. Traffic wasn't bad and it was a long trip. Kids were pretty well done by the time we got to O'heo.

 

Second day I drove to Lahaina and walked around town and had lunch for a couple hours. Drove the rest of the way around West Maui with a stop at Nakele, Olivine pools a little gallery somewhere along the way and a few banana bread and shave ice stands.

 

Given the choice I would choose West Maui in a second. It's more picturesque, shorter, not as crowded. You don't get all the waterfalls and natural springs you would on the way to Hana, but I found it quite a bit more enjoyable.

 

One word of caution ... the road to Hana is nothing compared to 6 or 8 miles of the road around west Maui. Just up to and past the Olivine Pools it's one tiny lane on the edge of a significant drop-off. It's not for the nervous driver.

[rjscott]

Although we've done the Road to Hana twice, and will probably do it again, for the amount of time you'll have on island, I'd choose the drive around the West Maui mountains. That drive is very scenic, but is not as big a commitment of time as the Road to Hana.

[beachchick]

I think jerseyjk is putting it mildly:

 

One word of caution ... the road to Hana is nothing compared to 6 or 8 miles of the road around west Maui. Just up to and past the Olivine Pools it's one tiny lane on the edge of a significant drop-off. It's not for the nervous driver.

 

It's not only not for the nervous driver, it's also not for a driver who is inexperienced with narrow, winding roads where you have to look as far ahead as possible to see any incoming traffic because one of you is going to have to find a little spot to pull over and let the other pass--and these spots are often little more than a slightly wider spot where you pull into the mountainside. The part of the road that is like this is probably only about 6 to 8 miles combined (split up), but must be considered and is what jerseyjk is referring to . The steep drop alone is enough to scare off some drivers.

 

If you decide to do this drive, these are my suggestions. Drive it from the west side (Lahaina) to Kahului because you will be on the inside lane during the significant stretches where it is two lane. There are many, many blind corners and (I know this seems silly) they just seemed not so blind going that direction. The views are incredible, especially as you come around to the northern tip of the island. Amazing! There are several places where you can stop, park, and take in the view. A few spots have some walking nearby and there are a couple of "townlets" (sorry, don't know how else to describe them). Plan to drive slowly, especially on the one lane sections, and be aware of the weather conditions.

 

Now, after all those warnings, I have to say that it was a wonderful drive when DH and I finally did it a couple of years ago. It's not the road to take if you're in a hurry. I'd say it took us 2-1/2 to 3 hours to get to Kahului (with stops). We've driven the road to Hana as well. They really are different, and both are very scenic.

 

beachchick

[donaldsc]

I do not see why everyone makes so much fuss about the driving on the road to Hana. The views and the scenery are really great but the road is just another neat winding road.

 

We believed the hype about the awful road and specified a jeep when we rented our car. Instead , we got a small, cheap, unroadworthy Ford something or other. The contract for the car specifically stated that we could not drive past Hana.

 

On the advice of the of the lady from whom we rented our cottage, we ignored the contract, drove the entire road, and had a great time. There was one stretch of bad road past Hana but while the Jeepies were crawling along at 5 MPH, we just drove it as a bumpy road.

 

The one mistake that we did make was allowing only 1 day for the entire trip. There are so many interesting places to stop and to hike that you should allow one day to Hana and a second day for the rest of the trip. We missed stuff because we did not have time.

 

So - ignore the people who imply that the road to Hana is seriously bad road and just enjoy it.

 

DON

[jerseyjk]

I didn't imply the road to Hana was a seriously bad road. I think many of us are making the point that it's significantly better than the road around west Maui. I was trying to say that the road to Hana was a big commitment of time and energy and given a choice between the two, I would probably drive around west Maui instead, even though that road was quite an adventure at times.

[rjscott]

Jersey, I didn't get that from your post, but there are many people who do comment that the Road to Hana is an awful, torturous drive. I have actually been the driver both times we've done the Road and I didn't find it all that hairy. I took my time, stopping as we pleased, pulling over when I could see vehicles behind me, and we've driven all the way around (coming back the "back" way) both times. But then, neither my husband nor I suffer from motion-sickness and I do feel sorry for those who are sensitive to those winding roads.

[beachchick]

I didn't imply the road to Hana was a seriously bad road. I think many of us are making the point that it's significantly better than the road around west Maui. I was trying to say that the road to Hana was a big commitment of time and energy and given a choice between the two, I would probably drive around west Maui instead, even though that road was quite an adventure at times.

 

I completely agree that we'd pick the road around north Maui over the road to Hana any day of the week. All of your reason why are right on.

 

beachchick