Maui 2012: Day 6 ~ The Road to Hana

A visit to Maui is not complete without traveling the Road to Hana, or the Hana Highway, which offers some of the most gorgeous scenic views of the Hawaiian Islands. Even though this legendary road is only 52 miles (84 km) long from Kahului to Hana, it takes the average driver around three hours and can be quite a challenge to navigate, because of how narrow and winding it is. There are about 620 sharp curves and 59 bridges, 46 of which are one-lane bridges. I’d read that the road can take such a toll on one’s nerves, that it’s also known as the “Divorce Highway,” because the stress from driving on the road has caused quite a few arguments among couples (although thankfully, that was not the case for us). It’s also not a course you should undertake if you are prone to carsickness because of how windy it is. Sounds awful, doesn’t it? Well, we were told that it was well worth all the inconveniences, because there are so many stunning scenic views along the way; everyone who had been to Maui encouraged us to go on the Road to Hana, so we knew it was not to be missed during our time there. We at first questioned our own sanity for taking a toddler on such a long, treacherous trip, but we hoped for the best and planned to dedicate Day 6 of our trip to the Road to Hana. Because most people make frequent stops to hike and check out the breathtaking sights along the way, it is advised to dedicate a whole day to the excursion (the three hours mentioned above is driving time only). We’re so glad that we did make the effort to go, though, because we were treated to some of the most incredible views, and we were able to see for ourselves why they call it Heavenly Hana!

We left Kihei in the morning, so it took us over an hour to get to the start of the Road to Hana in Kahului. Towards the beginning, I was getting so carsick from all the winding roads that I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to handle the whole trip. Thankfully, the motion sickness subsided for me after the first half hour.

 

 

 

We made a stop at the Hana Lava Tube, which is also known as the Ka’eleku Caverns. It’s one of the world’s largest lava tubes, and you can explore 1/3 mile of unusual underground formations that were created by an ancient subterranean river of lava! Liquid rock flowing through the passages one thousand years ago has cooled into myriads of beautiful stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After eating some sandwiches we’d packed for lunch, we continued on the Hana Highway until we reached Wai’anapanapa State Park, known for their black sand beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The drive was long, and some of our passengers fell asleep…

 

We continued along the Road to Hana, and stopped to check out the majestic Wailua Falls.

 

 

 

We drove for a while longer until we finally reached the end of the Road to Hana, where you could hike to see the O’heo Gulch and the Pipiwai Trail.

 

 

 

We had considered hiking the Pipiwai Trail and see the Waimoku Falls, but considering that it was 4 miles long and would take 2.5 – 5 hours to hike and the fact that we had Mio with us, we decided against it. We wish we could have seen them because we hear they’re beautiful, but maybe years later, when Mio is much much older, we can come back to Maui and hike it! 🙂

 

What was frustrating was that when we had picked up our rental car at the beginning of the trip, the rental company specifically told us that we were not allowed to drive the back road to Hana because it was too dangerous, and that they would not be able to help us nor would insurance cover us, were something to happen to the car along the drive. So, being the responsible adults we were, we turned around and drove back home all the way we’d come from. Later when we were talking to the guy we rented our cottage from, he told us that the back roads had been fixed and that it was now safe to drive along (although there are still unpaved areas and it is pretty desolate) — Dan was very regretful and wished we’d taken the back road coming back from Hana.

 

 

In total, the time it took us to depart Kihei, travel the Road to Hana (and make all of our stops and hikes along the way), and return back to Kihei was approximately twelve hours! Lucky for us, Mio actually slept a lot during the drive, and was pretty well-behaved and quiet during the time she was awake. We’re really glad we took the chance and went on the Road to Hana because it was well worth it! Some people on online forums had said that you had to be crazy to take a toddler on the Road to Hana, and that it was impossible — well, we did the impossible! It seriously is not that bad as long as you go prepared, so if you have a young child and are on the fence about Hana, we encourage you to still go and just plan well in advance. You only live once! 😉

For dinner, we stopped at Da Kitchen Café in Kahului to get some authentic Hawaiian cuisine.

 

 

 

My brothers also got saimin noodles, but I forgot to take pictures of it. Everything was pretty good! 🙂 We had worked up quite an appetite, so we happily gobbled it all  up!