As we made our way along the southern coast of Maui, we found the scenery to be beautiful and varied. Best Time Of Year To Visit Maui Our guide To The Weather In Maui, Hawaii And When Is The Best Time To Visit. The Road to Hana runs approximately 52 miles from the beach town of Paia, over 59 bridges, and through 620 curves.Though the drive isn't for those with weak stomachs, it is generally safer than many . And, they also did do another one-lane road drive on Maui and for that drive, they DID think that the West Mauis back road was scary! If the (only) road from Kaanapali to central (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Okay, once you pass this portion (the first 3-5 miles past Kipahulu), the road clears up nicely into a wide open terrain. The Majority of the road is one-lane each way, although the road regularly drops down to one way for BOTH directions. The Road to Hana is only 52 miles but the average speed 25 mph. ), read my reviews of staying at the Four Seasons and the Fairmont Kea Lani. The back road to Hana starts in Kula town about 15 minutes past Makawao, one of Mauis most charming towns. Super dangerous. While the road is coastal, large parts of the highway scarcely even offer a sea view and the perilous section that most people fear is only around 10 miles between Mile Marker 9 and Mile Marker 19.5. If you take the road past Oheo Gulch (Seven Pools) and past Lindbergh's grave and continue around the south side of Maui to go all the way around, you will have to drive on about 5 miles of unpaved dirt and gravel road. There is little cell reception, you driving around an active(ish) volcano into the wilds of an already pretty remote island chain. The road leads you through flourishing rainforests, flowing waterfalls, plunging pools and dramatic seascapes. It is not hard to see why either, this stunning highway runs through pristine rainforest, past numerous world-class waterfalls, and has more jaw-dropping vistas per mile than any other piece of tarmac in the world. It is still manageable, and 99.99% (warning Made up Stat!) There are plenty of tasty restuarants in Paia to choose from. The trailhead is located after the bridge on your left. Driving a car is dangerous. Is it dangerous? The water that cascades down creates a small pool at the bottom of the falls that you can swim in. I will say, the paved road is still pretty narrow and even though theres no drop off on either side, if you see a local (anyone really) coming to meet you, pull over as far as you can and stop where theres a good place because they will come BLAZING through. BRYCE CANYON UT Standing up and talking in front of others caused untold anxiety and could only be faced with a LARGE amount of dutch courage. So just drive the route thats going to give you the best overall experience and dont be worried about trying to be too strategic. And most of all, for the most part, speeds, are LOW! Also, youre going to want to decide between staying on the south side or the west side so this post about Wailea vs Kaanapali is golden. Most people will drive the Road to Hana as an out-and-back, starting the day by driving past the town of Paia, and then drive to the town of Hana or the Kipahulu district of Haleakala National Park. The Road to Hana is more than just a great drive through a beautiful area of Maui. Since you are voiding your contract the rental agency will not come to help. . SNORKELING SHIRTS HAWAII VOLCANOES HI Pretty much everybody and their dog knows about driving the Road to Hana on Maui. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases that gives me a small commission at no extra cost to you if you decided to make a purchase. The last gas station until you get to Hana is right next to Grandmas Coffee House which is one of the best breakfast spots on Maui. UTAH We highy recommend doing a tour with large windows, an experienced local guide, and only going to safe, legal, epic spots! There are a variety of ways you can drive the Road to Hana: out and back in one day (classic route) stay in Hana as your basecamp explore the Road to Hana over multiple days If you need road assistance it's cash costing $800-1200 if and when a tow truck comes. Exploring and discovering are all part of the journey and a van tour is often a long and pretty boring way to see the road, even if you get a great guide and they show you all the best locations. There are some spots that are popular with locals for camping and fishing, but I think those are best left unexplored by visitors unless youre taken there as a guest. Mostly this stems from rumors (I like to call it an urban legend, hmm maybe Ill call it a jungle legend lol) about it being illegal to take rental cars back this way. If we arrive at the airport at 10am, you would suggest to simply start driving out east to Nahiku and not see the west at all? If you're leaving from Kaanapali and planning on a one-hour stop en route, yes, 5 hours to Hana. You can drive the road to Hana yourself, or take a tour in a van . Narrowed it down to a certain location? FLORIDA, U.S. NATIONAL PARK SITES More posts about where to stay on Maui: Trying to figure out where to stay on Maui? Does this add a lot to the drive, having the top down? There are literally signs posted telling you to honk as you go around the blind corners. My friend and I visited Maui in 2019 and neither of us was brave enough for the drive. * *The final 5 stops are on the natural route along the Hana Hwy, but come prior to Mile Marker 0 *. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-114353082', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Maui to start the RTH? Its worth a stop if you have time. An out and back drive if you will. In the end, was it all worth it for YOU? There are no straight sections to this drivethe curves are constant. Know that theres a possibility that youll have to reverse if a car is coming in the opposite direction. How long does it take to drive to Hana backside? I grew up riding ATVs and driving on trails in Colorado (I also drive a Jeep and a 4Runner) so I consider this drive FUN and not at all scary, but I can definitely see how if youre not a confident driver or youve only ever driven in the city it could be stressful. And should you consider avoiding it for legitimate safety concerns? Guoliang Tunnel ( China) Overall i am a confident driver so it was fine, but I can definitely see many drivers not making this drive all the way to Hana town. These are the main reasons people find the road uncomfortable. Once you leave the National Park, theres not really a ton of places I recommend to stop. Instanbul is chaotic, cultured and full of life. Another beautiful coastal church on the back way to Hana drive is Huialoha Church. We are aware for some the road is a terrifying prospect and we are not trying to diminish that. If driving the reverse loop all the way around back to Kahului make a reservation in advance for Waianapanapa State Park. Maui Tourism Guide Our Guide to Travel and Tourism on Maui Hawaii, Maui, Hawaii Attractions All the Best Things to do in Maui, Hawaii, Best Place to Stay on Maui, Hawaii Our Guide on Where to Stay in Maui, Hawaii. Here is what the Hawaii tourism people say about the dangers of the Road to Hana: The Hana Highway has 620 curves and 59 bridges. I personally dont like to be on the road after dark at all, but once I make it to Kula (really even Ulupalakau), its fine driving back in the dark. in most places, the road is wide enough for two tour buses to pass. Peru is a destination for nature lovers, hist, Hiking in and out of Haleakala Crater on Maui is o, Sunset state of mind . This part of Maui is known as Upcountry. What to Eat in Chicago, Illinois? We did the Road many years ago when it was more of a cow path. It wouldnt be fun to do that on the front side with all the traffic and narrow winding roads! The scenic Road to Hana on Maui is the undisputed top attraction on the island. One of the leading causes of accidental deaths anywhere in the world is Road Traffic Accidents. The tours use GPS to offer turn-by-turn directions and audio narration with stories and music. that people are always looking for a headstart or a leg up. The Road to Hana, also known as the Hana highway, is a 64.4 mile-long stretch of Hawaii routes 36 and 360 with connects Kahului with the town of Hana in east Maui. I just drove this twice in May when traffic wasn't heavy as it is now. Google has no clue what the drive times are on Maui and Hawaii in general. My girlfriend. The #1 best thing you can do to avoid crowds along the Road to Hana BY FAR is just getting an early start. So if you're interested in the Road to Hana, then you may also be interested in these top things around Maui: Waianapanapa State Park Nakalele Blowhole Lahaina Banyan Court Hookipa Beach Maui Ocean Center (Aquarium of Hawaii) Iao Valley State Monument Haleakala National Park The next morning we intend to head out early, around 7am to Pipwai trail at Haleakala, which is about a 1 hour drive, we think, from our lodgings near Nahiku. Kipahulu is home to some of the Road to Hana's most famous stops from the Pools at O'heo (Seven Sacred Pools), Pipiwai Trail, and Waimoku Falls. It sounds like its changed a lot since you drove it, sounds more fun like that! It is also known for having a lot of one-lane bridges that only allow cars to drive through in one direction at a time. Then wed arrive in Nahiku about 3pm. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Next up is Ulupalakua. Four wheel drive is 100% NOT necessary for driving the backside of Hana. At last youve made it to Hana town. By far the majority of people turn around once they reach Hana and drive the same road back to Paia. I guess depending on what youre most interested in seeing/doing you could try this, but here are my thoughts: I strongly recommend driving the Road to Hana the right way or clockwise from Paia for a couple of reasons: 1) youll be on the inside lane the whole way around (no hugging the tight shoulder where theres a 200 foot drop off mere feet away from your tire) which is a bigger deal when youre driving on the road past Hana. Driving in a caravan (even when you dont know the other people) takes away a LOT of the stress of creeping around blind corners plus the lead car has to sort out all of the passing issues with other cars ; ). Finally, the highlight of the back road to Hana is the Kipahulu entrance to Haleakala National Park. Top Pick! Glad you braved it! We read that sunset is around 7pm so we're thinking this is safe. A thirty something adventure seeking, gin loving, sun chasing, temple searching, bikini wearing, outdoor enthusiast who is based on Maui and writes about Hawaii and her adventures abroad. Both before and during. However, the Road to Hana is not dangerous in and of itself, and for seasoned drivers, the trip should be a breeze. NEW YORK We have written extensively and lyrically about the road in our other articles and we imagine if you are seriously questioning the journey you are pretty aware of what the road is so we will not go in too deep here. You are driving the Hana Highway to the town of Hana! The first is one we dont advise. Is the Road to Hana Worth it? Besides that, I just dont think youre going to make that much of a difference on the crowd levels at each stop by doing it in reverse. And we have some questions that we're hoping you lovely folk can help answer: We're planning to drive from Kanapali Beach to Hana about 3pm on Aug 7th, to arrive around 6pm at our lodgings in Hana. It is a paved road so you do not need a 4WD. Be sure to take your lunch and dont e xpect a bathroom break! Parkings a bit tough, but arguably the best waterfalls on the Road to Hana. If you pay for your monthly expenses on the card and are responsible about paying it off every month, the points add up really fast. We will land in the morning, rent a car, check out the western part of the island, and head to Hana in the afternoon. Break ins do occur. So the final option is mitigating the fear. Yum! GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS TN NC Ive written a ton of posts that will help. The rainforest trail starts near the National park visitors center and takes you past 2 waterfall outlooks, an ancient banyan tree, through a magical bamboo forest and eventually to the awe inspiring 400 foot Waimoku Falls. Road to Hana. Along Maui's rugged eastern coastline is the peaceful town of Hna, considered one of the last unspoiled Hawaiian frontiers. Does the inside lane/outside lane play more into the safety of it than the road conditions themselves? Ive written a whole slew of posts about the Road to Hana, but theres one question I get asked more than othersshould I drive the backside of the road to Hana? 5. Even though the road covers a relatively short distance, the turns and low speed limits . Bring cash: most places on this part of the island dont except credit cards. Important Note* The first one and a half hour stretch of the back road to Hana is usually forbidden by rental car companies and is stated in the rental car agreements. We are sure you will love it, if your husband is a confident driver he will have no issues at all. There are beaches in the Hana area. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-114352867', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');cars on the tight turns and one-lane sections); you're extremely unlikely to drive off the edge so long as you pay attention and don't speed; you don't want to take the southern (backside) road (it's at least as hazardous and a longer route to the airport). Strange, our hosts at our lodgings told us the southern road was faster back to the airport from Haleakala you say its longer for sure? HALEAKALA HI It includes 59 bridges during . Want to read more? The Road to Hana travels along the edge of many sheer cliffs. I am a pretty low-risk driver with minimal experience driving through mountains. But having an accident and being stuck out in the jungle is a real Vacation Wrecker! All proceeds go to keep Jess traveling and coffee . The problem is we all confront fears in a different way. We know for most people the Hana Highway is fine. The other feature of the highway is the endless bridges. Want flexible cancellation terms? Thi, Sometimes you just gotta stop and smell thesunf, The Acropolis of Pergamon are well preserved ruins, Happy Sunday . The road is such a stunning journey through the most amazing landscape we just want everyone to experience it. You really should be more fearful driving to the airport or shipping in Walmart, are you going to buy an I Survived Wallmart Kahului?. So looking out for these symptoms can show how scared you are by a certain situation. Ive written a lot here about this and I dont want it to sound scary, but I also want you to know EXACTLY what youre signing up for. ZION UT Ahhh, the backwards Road to Hana. It connects the town of Hana with the city of Kahului. The Oheo Poolsare a tier of waterfalls that flow into pools and eventually into the ocean. 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