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  • Road to Hana

    Two friends and I are going to Maui for a few days. One wants us to take the rental to Hana. The other, a transplant, has probably never been. I haven't been to Hana since my fifth-grade year, when I went there on a class trip.

    It was always my impression that one is better off signing up with a tour and letting someone else drive, but I admit that my friend's idea of driving ourselves is tempting. We're both good drivers, and if we take turns behind the wheel, perhaps it won't be so much stress on one person.

    What would you advise? I'd really love to hear from people who've actually driven there.
    But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
    GrouchyTeacher.com

  • #2
    Re: Road to Hana

    I've always done it in my own car rather than a tour. With your own wheels you can do it at your own pace, stop where you feel like stopping and stay at a stop as long as you want, etc. Just more control that way.
    [/two cents]
    .
    .

    That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

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    • #3
      Re: Road to Hana

      For locals rent a car and start out early, depending on where your coming from Lahaina, Kihei or Central Maui remember there`s others heading out to Hana including alot of tour companies. Best bet is to be on the Hana Hiway by 7a.m. to avoid the tour companies coming behind by 8a.m. Also remember the rules of the road to Hana. You will encounter alot of local traffic coimg out of Hana heading to Central Maui, Work/ Doctor`s Appt./ Shopping for the day. So let them go by b-4 continuing on. Drive with caution if its raining especially when you get to Kailua all the way to Keana`e. And no forget da camera. For the tourist I`d recommend they take a tour company, it`s less stressful and more imformative with a tour guide. Have a good one in Hana Maui......OGGBOY
      bin dea-dunn dat.

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      • #4
        Re: Road to Hana

        Thanks for the advice...that's really helpful! When I went in fifth grade, we went around counter-clockwise. I guess that's good for the passengers, but wouldn't it be better for the driver to go clockwise?

        We'll be staying in Wailuku, by the way.
        But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
        GrouchyTeacher.com

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        • #5
          Re: Road to Hana

          all good advice. imho, the drive isn't that stressful. i'm sure many drivers (like me) have done it without switching drivers but if you have more than one driver, it definitely would make it that much easier. plus it'd give everyone a chance to just enjoy the sights.

          yup, go early to avoid the long line of cars and be sure to take your digital camera and/or your video recorder...

          ps: if you're on a budget, be sure to take some snacks with you. the price of stuff in hana will make you think you're in an airport!

          pss: go with a full tank of gas...
          525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?

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          • #6
            Re: Road to Hana

            I wholeheartedly recommend the road to Hana as a DIY adventure. I've been lucky enough to roll to Hana four times and can't imagine doing it without feeling the breeze in your hair and taking in the crisp ocean air.

            There are a few caveats, however. Do not take anything larger than a midsize, or you will be hating life. Many sections of the road narrow to a single lane and even the wide sections are svelte by Oahu standards. Your ideal vessel would be a small convertible or sedan. It's also a good idea to wave ahead the local residents to avoid becoming the lead car in a parade procession. And counter-clockwise travel can be made with much less anxiety by having your front-seat passenger scan the road ahead for you. *knuckle-bumps Cyn*

            Something you may want to check out is http://www.hangglidingmaui.com/index.html. My better half and I first discovered this last year and we'd do it again in a heartbeat. The unobstructed views of the Hana coastline, forest and Haleakala are priceless. The kicker was the unpowered portion of the flight when all you hear are the wind rushing past and the waves crashing hundreds of feet below. Oh, and in over a decade of operation they have a 100% safety record.
            "If it's brown, it's cooked. If it's black, it's f***ed" - G. Ramsey

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            • #7
              Re: Road to Hana

              my wife and i did the trip in our rental seabring vert with the Audio CD guide. I couldn't imagine having to take the trip in a tour bus with other people. The inability to stop and stare at the wonders along the way would just kill me. It was one of the most memorable experiences my wife and I had on our honeymoon. I mean postcard paradise dream vacation type lol. Complete with secluded black sand beach and waterfall lagoon!

              http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y25...a/DSC01494.jpg
              http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y25...ppedfor5x7.jpg
              http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y25...a/DSC01509.jpg
              -kp!

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              • #8
                Re: Road to Hana

                More info for you, you can no longer drive pass Kipahulu, or the Pool`s of O`heo. Do to the dangers of falling rocks as you go pass Hanawi and on to Kaupo. So its recommended one drive in and another driver coing out. The local residents in Kipahulu and Kaupo are really upset because they are cut of from the Hana areas. Also advise that you check up on weather b-4 heading out. Let me know how your drive to Hana went. OGGBOY
                bin dea-dunn dat.

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                • #9
                  Re: Road to Hana

                  I've heard so much about the road to Hana. Pardon my ignorance, but why exactly is it such a tiring drive. isn't Maui a small island ? Is it treacherous ?

                  What exactly is it about this road/trip that makes it such a popular attraction ?

                  Again, sorry for the ignorance. I've not yet been to Maui, and as much as I really wanna go there, the idea of it being so traffic-y and crowded, makes me want to avoid it, and go to Kauai next time, or stick with the BI.
                  http://tikiyakiorchestra.com
                  Need a place to stay in Hilo ?
                  Cue Factory - Music for your Vision

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                  • #10
                    Re: Road to Hana

                    Originally posted by tikiyaki View Post
                    I've heard so much about the road to Hana. Pardon my ignorance, but why exactly is it such a tiring drive. isn't Maui a small island ? Is it treacherous ?

                    What exactly is it about this road/trip that makes it such a popular attraction ?

                    Again, sorry for the ignorance. I've not yet been to Maui, and as much as I really wanna go there, the idea of it being so traffic-y and crowded, makes me want to avoid it, and go to Kauai next time, or stick with the BI.
                    don't let the size of the island fool you into thinking it can't be a long ride. it definitely is long--a guidebook we had suggested you set aside four hours for one way because even if it's "only" about 50 or 60 miles, you will often slow down to five mph. that eric and i did lahaina to hana in two and a half hours and then hana to kapalua in two and a quarter on a weekday is note-worthy for a non-mauian, i understand. it's hella bendy, and it demands a level of attentiveness that one usually does not require. the ride is beautiful--lush rainforest, lotsa pretty waterfalls framed by moss-speckled bridges. you will want to stop a lot. eric and i didn't stop even once bcs we were on a tight schedule, and, having driven it four times, he's a as much of a hana highway expert an oahu country boy can be. but, as eric said, lots of sections slim down to one lane and you constantly have to be mindful of the oncoming traffic as well as the pedestrians ogling the sights from the side of the road. also, if you're used to straight roads, hana, with its ukumillion five hundred billion twists, can make you sick if you're a passenger, and exceedingly stressedl if you're a driver.

                    a lot of our hana highway conversation was peppered with this:

                    HIM: clear?
                    ME: *craning my neck to look at the road ahead, which bends into a U* clear.

                    or:

                    ME: slow down, babe. car coming.

                    two more suggestions:

                    when you pick a car, consider one with a sunroof. it's glorious to be able to look at the vegetation and sky as you go along. however, a true convertible might be humbug unless you're wearing a cap bcs we were often blessed with liquid sunshine made cold by the fact we were up in the mountains.

                    secondly, and i cannot stress this enough: be mindful of the drivers behind you. if you notice someone behind you who seems to want to go faster than you are, PULL THE HECK OVER AND LET THEM PASS. many of them are locals who are just trying to get to kahului or hana for practical reasons, and it'll burn them to no end if you obliviously meander and hog the road.
                    superbia (pride), avaritia (greed), luxuria (lust), invidia (envy), gula (gluttony), ira (wrath) & acedia (sloth)--the seven deadly sins.

                    "when you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people i deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly..."--meditations, marcus aurelius (make sure you read the rest of the passage, ya lazy wankers!)

                    nothing humiliates like the truth.--me, in conversation w/mixedplatebroker re 3rd party, 2009-11-11, 1213

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                    • #11
                      Re: Road to Hana

                      Got it. Thanx.

                      I guess I have to put Maui on my list.
                      http://tikiyakiorchestra.com
                      Need a place to stay in Hilo ?
                      Cue Factory - Music for your Vision

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                      • #12
                        Re: Road to Hana

                        i forgot to add this: everyone knows about the seven sacred pools but if you've got the time, park your car and head up the falls. there are, of course, more than seven pools and what you'll encounter is pretty awesome. use common sense, of course, and don't be careless near any cliff...
                        525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?

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                        • #13
                          Re: Road to Hana

                          The Pool`s of O`heo, not 7 Scared Pool`s/ Kipahulu, Maui
                          bin dea-dunn dat.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Road to Hana

                            Originally posted by oggboy View Post
                            The Pool`s of O`heo, not 7 Scared Pool`s/ Kipahulu, Maui
                            The Pool's what? And why is it Scared? (Well, if we're in the mood to be making corrections... )

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                            • #15
                              Re: Road to Hana

                              Nothing Scared about it, check with the Haleakala Nat`l Park website or do some checking on your own.........
                              bin dea-dunn dat.

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