Our planned day was to grab some road snacks from a 7-Eleven and then drive the long Road to Hana. We had done the required reading and felt prepared. We were not. You can continue reading our journey in order, or use the TOC to skip ahead. But you’ll miss an opportunity if you take the short cut. Like in the rest of life, it is the journey and not necessarily the destination. That was especially true for the Road to Hana.
Know Before You Go
Every website and reviewer has their ‘must see’ stops along the Road. This was our Saturday, and as we found the Maui Swap Meet and needed to visit that local event, we didn’t get going until around 1 pm. So we didn’t stop at every vista pullout, waterfall, beach access, or random viewing area. But because of one great tool we did have an amazing experience.
Also, you’re probably going to want to top up the fuel tank- the vehicle and your own. We love getting the local flavors and this usually means a local market or convenience store. In this case, to get both tanks filled, we highly recommend a Hawaiian 7-Eleven. f you’ve never been to a 7-Eleven outside of your home state you’re missing out on the local ambiance. It is like going to the grocery stores in Europe, or the gas stations in Ireland or Iceland … they’re just different. Well, the 7-Eleven in Hawaii is like that, they just hit different. They are a ‘must try’ for local favorite flavors in ready made sandwiches and meals. If you’re a Slurpee connoisseur the Hawaiian 7-Eleven is an essential stop due to their especially exotic local flavors. The flavor selection isn’t quite on par with the daiquiri bars in Vegas, but arguably the 7-Eleven flavors and … more flavorful? They’re certainly more locally delicious. Do yourself a favor and stop at a 7-Eleven when in Hawaii.
How to Have an Authentic Road to Hana Experience
Let’s be real, trips are expensive. From flights to food, everything adds up and the total can be a bit daunting. Now imagine you’re on that trip. What are you going to do at that dream destination? Visit a museum; take a hike; have a nice meal? What about hiring a private guided tour of that museum or historic Road to Hana. You’ve spent all that money to make it there are you really going to skip the guided experience and diminish your trip’s overall quality. I know I’m going to pay for that guided experience because I don’t mind paying for quality.
But, what if you could buy that guided experience but at a lower cost? For some types of touring, say along a road, there are options, one of which is an app. I don’t know about you, but apps are not typically what I think of when I think of quality. I guess I haven’t had a lot of good luck with paying for quality apps. And, since there isn’t a return policy, it has a feel of gambling for me. I don’t gamble.
Anyway, I’m excited to say we found an audio guide app that I do consider to be top quality. I’m honesty not even sure how we found this app. It doesn’t matter; we love it. It is like having a tour guide in your car. In addition to the obviously desired ‘where do we stop and what are we going to see’ tour guide feature, the app also provides history lessons, interesting back stories, local knowledge, and many other add-ons that will enhance your touring experience. We bought it when we were visiting a few National Parks in Wyoming and South Dakota and found it enhanced our visits in numerous ways. We got so much value from the experiences we’ve purchased it for many more National Parks and now Hawaii. When visiting Hawaii we purchased the Big Island, Maui, Kauai, and Oahu tours. It doesn’t matter, wherever we go we check to see if this app has a tour. We’ve recommended it to friends who also have loved it. We’re not an affiliate and don’t earn money from recommending it. We just love having it with us. Check them out at https://guidealong.com/ and in your app store of choice.
What is Your Transportation
Perhaps thinking about what kind of car to rent is not normally something you spend a lot of time doing. Typically, the biggest consideration is will it fit my travel group and all of our luggage. This is fine if you’re going to stick to the main roads. When driving the Road to Hana, take a few extra minutes to consider what kind of car you might want to rent. For example, heading off into some of the more beautiful places may require leaving paved or graded roads. While this may not necessitate a 4WD vehicle, perhaps one with a little extra ground clearance would be a good selection. The Road to Hana is full of hairpin turns and tight bridges. Perhaps the full size SUV isn’t the optimum choice, and maybe the Jeep is cool with its high center of gravity and terrible gas mileage, but a midsized SUV or sedan is capable of the job. You just need a little more clearance than that Dodge Charger. There is a reason the tourists drive Wranglers and the locals drive Tacomas.
What to See Along the Road to Hana
As I said before, everyone has their ‘Road Favs’ and there is plenty of info on the internet to help you figure out what you want to spend the time to see. Hiking, swimming, picture taking, wildlife viewing are all part of the experience so tailor yours to meet your own desires. Since we decided to visit the Swap Meet before the Road, we didn’t start out until around 1 pm. Even with that late start we still had plenty of time to see what we wanted.
If you want to use Google Maps, here is a link to all of our Maui favorites- https://maps.app.goo.gl/kNkKDAfUkhzDXRxJ6
Ho’okipa Beach Park
This is a popular local surfing and picnic spot along the Hana Highway. Parking is limited so therefore it can be challenging. The upper area is two way, but once you head down to the pavilions and beach access area it becomes one way. Be forewarned. The lower area is where the action is at with the surf and sand. Oh, and turtles. So yeah, it gets popular with the tourists as well as the locals. Take your time and be courteous.
Kaumahina State Wayside Park
Clear signage with an easy off and on to the Hana Hwy makes this an easily accessible stop to stretch and use the facilities. Take the short path up the cliff side for some great bay vistas. Then pop back into your car because you still have quite a ways to go!
Ke’anae Arboretum
This was a great little stop along the Hana Highway to see some local plant life. The signage could be better as it is in the pin of a hairpin curve. Good news is parking is just past the park, in the pullouts opposite side of the arboretum. The arboretum itself is fairly small with a lot of variety but the signage is lacking indicating a little lack of attention. The overall walk to the end and back was probably about 10-15 minutes. There are some amazing rainbow eucalyptus trees that made the stop even better. Worth the little to no effort to visit.
Ke’anae Peninsula
A few short yards down the road from the Arboretum is the Ke’anae Peninsula and Park. Follow the road to the park for the best views of waves crashing into the volcanic rock shoreline. Its pretty impressive and beautiful. At the park you have a bathroom. This is a small community so drive carefully and stop off at the little food stand for some excellent banana bread from Aunty Sandy.
Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread
Located on the Ke’anae Peninsula, this is a nice little local stand to grab a bite of food (limited menu) or a loaf of their often still warm banana bread. If you’ve made it this far, stop and try the offerings.
Koki Beach and Alau Island
Another short detour off the main highway, this quiet beach has some nice spots for a quick dip as well as excellent viewing of Alau Island (the island looks like it has a cowlick standing up due to the lone palm tree). The beach also has a pretty decent Huli Huli Chicken stand.
Hamoa Beach
If you took the turn for Koki Beach you’re on your way to Hamoa Beach. It is another popular beach due to being sheltered, having shade areas set back from the beach itself, and a restroom. The parking is along the main road overlooking the bay. It is limited and the locals don’t like being blocked in. There is a sign asking you not to disturb the rock piles as they mark indigenous graves. We didn’t see any, but there was a friendly orange cat guarding the stairway.
Wailua Falls
One of the iconic falls along the road, this one comes into full view as you make the hairpin turn across the narrow bridge. There is parking just past the bridge for a dozen or so cars, so it fills quickly. Picture takes will often stand on the bridge, or wander obliviously to traffic in the roadway trying to get their Influencer-perfect picture. Be patient while making the turn and navigating into the parking area. If you want, you can take the short path to the falls for a dip in the cold rainwater runoff.
‘Ohe’O Gulch
Also known as ‘The 7 Sacred Pools,’ chances are this is your last PLANNED stop on the Road to Hana. I say planned because I have another recommended stop, if you’re a history type of person. If not, this is a beautiful place to go for the short walk and view the falls and pools. There is plenty to see while sitting still along the route. And as this area has steep drops, there are also some entertaining signs to keep you safe. Here you will also find drinking water, bathrooms, and a small visitor center. Keep in mind this is part of the National Park System and will require an entrance fee.
Charles Lindbergh’s Grave
If you’ve make it this far then keep going for a few more miles to this iconic aviator’s grave. Buried here because he refused to travel to New York, City for medical treatment, this is a beautiful little spot. His grave is tucked away in the still active graveyard. The church is beautiful, too.
You Did It!
Congratulations on successfully driving 1/2 of the Road to Hana. So, you kind of did it as you did half of it and now you have to complete the second half. Our second half went by much faster. Perhaps because we didn’t stop, perhaps because I was becoming an expert F1 driver.
What to Expect on the Way Back
If you started this drive earlier in the day, and you’re headed back around 2 or 3 pm, you should have plenty of stops along the way for food and drink. All those food trucks you passed on the way out should still be open on the return to town. If you’re headed back around 5 pm or later, you probably won’t have as much luck. Hope you packed some road snacks!
If you skipped some places along the way out, and you have time, perhaps you can stop and see them on the way back. For us, we scheduled our visit to Wai’anapanapa State Park for the return portion. We decided we didn’t want to try and jam it into the drive out. We don’t like to be rushed. As it was, because of the late start and not wanting to drive back in the total dark, we were still a bit rushed. Be mindful, the park does charge a timed entry fee and closes promptly at 6 pm. Enjoy the drive back!
Wai’anapanapa Black Sand Beach
This beautiful black sand beach is a fee and timed entry State Park. If you want to visit you’ll need to coordinate your trip accordingly. We got the 3-6 pm spot (6 pm closing) and it cost $20 plus fees (online via the website). So, we did the whole road and then stopped here on the way back. We spent a little tome exploring but had to cut it short as we were bumping up against sunset and driving a portion of the road home in the dark. We would have liked to spend a little more time here to explore but, alas, that was not to be. And we won’t be back so I guess that is part of the Road to Hana experience.
Wanderlog Guides
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