The Road to Hana is dubbed as one of the “must-do” activities while visiting Maui. But, as the locals will tell you, don’t even try to drive it. In fact, if you are in a rental car, driving part of the road will void the rental protection agreement on your rental.
The “dangerous” warnings about this road instantly made me skeptical. I mean, I survived the Amalfi Coast … and would do that trip again in a heartbeat!
After a lot of consideration and research, we ended up deciding against renting a car. Instead we booked a Road to Hana small group tour with Valley Isle Excursions. At $160 per person, it was pricey, but it also included lunch.
Our decision to take a tour instead of rent a car was actually more about what we had planned the following day. We wanted to make sure we were able to get the road to Hana knocked out and get back to our room for a nap before our next excursion.
When the ship docked in Maui and we headed into port. The company we ended up booking through had many different minibuses. We met the point person with Valley Isle Excursions and she told us which bus to board. We ended up being a group of 10 other people.
Get to know your guide and fellow tourists. You’re together for the next 10 HOURS on this tour.
Our first stop on the tour was a quick stop at a beautiful beach to see sea turtles sunning themselves on the rocks. I didn’t personally see any, but did snap some fantastic shots of the beach and ocean.
As we continued to travel higher in elevation, the windy road is allegedly two-lane, which is generous in many spots. There are also dozens of single-lane bridges you will cross on the massively long drive to Hana. It’s actually illegal to stop on any of these bridges, but you will see many tourists doing so to get the perfect picture. Our guide said that part of the reason is because many of the bridges are old. Leaders are concerned that so many idling cards will shake the bridges and damage them. The other reason is that the road is already so busy, people constantly stopping just cause more traffic jams.
We started the tour at sea level where it was bright, sunny and hot. As we drove, we found ourselves in a rainforest. Everything was green and amazing. It was so wet and humid, we even found some painted eucalyptus trees! If you’re concerned about rain, you’ll want to pack an umbrella or poncho for the day. It sprinkled on us several times … and downright poured at another stop.
The minibus stopped several times to let us out to take pictures at different waterfalls. You can even jump in and swim at one of them.
We stopped for a snack at a stand called Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread and Fruit Stand. Get in line and buy a loaf for a snack. The banana bread was still warm when they handed it over to us. It tasted amazing! I believe Aunty Sandy when she says it’s the best banana bread around!
Our next stop turned out to be at a black lava beach. It’s a walk with a bunch of steps to actually reach the beach, but so worth it! The vivid blue water crashing on to the shore looked identical to the beaches in Iceland!
There were many more waterfalls, bridges and stories as we made our way higher to Hana. But once you actually reach the community, don’t blink! You’ll miss the tiny community if you aren’t paying attention.
After reaching Hana we stopped at a tropical flower farm. The owners also sell jewelry and nicknacks out of their home. You have to get off the bus at this stop and brouse the items for sale on the porch.
After a sales pitch from the owner, we walked to a table next to the house to have lunch. We gobbled up a modest meal of chicken and salads. Then we had some time to explore the beautiful flowers and plants grown on the property. The garden turned out to be worth the stop.
Following lunch, we settled back into our seats and drove us back to port. The return trip was nearly silent! This tour may not sound overly active, but everyone in our group returned to the dock absolutely exhausted!
There was a lot to see on this tour, but if you get car sick or don’t like the idea of spending 10 hours in a car, you’ll be miserable.
I’m glad we took this tour once, but it’s not one I’m interested in taking again. That being said, we did have a good experience and snapped some amazing pictures!
Overall, I wish the drive was a little shorter and it didn’t cost quite as much. But, I’m also glad I wasn’t one of the hundreds of tourists we passed trying to drive it on their own. We spoke to some of those DIYers when we arrived back at the ship. Some said they loved it, while others told us it was the worst experience of the cruise.
Did you drive the Hana Highway? What did you think?