Questions about Maui and the Road to Hana

[SeattleJeremy]

We are planning a trip to Maui next summer and if you've ever been there I need your help.
The plan is to stay the first 4 nights Lahaina, and the last 3 nights in Hana.

I've been told I need to drive Hana hwy due to it's extreme awesomeness.
I've also been told I should never drive the Hana hwy due to extreme car sickness.
Map Hana Hwy

I've also been told only the locals are allowed to take Piilani hwy south of Hana.
Map of Piilani hwy

Any insight on this would be greatly appreciated.

[Dzanga]

Lahaina is awesome you'll enjoy it. The road to Hana is known for getting motion sickness and due to the fact it is a very long drive to what seems to be a short distance. Make sure you rent a jeep or something that will be comfortable for very rough roads. I was there feb of this year and the weather was awesome. Plan to take a whole day for the road to Hana.

[FX3S]

the hana trail is fun. there are alot of places to stop and take pictures and explore. the 1st half is mostly sightseeing and is a must do. the different beaches and waterfalls are amazing. the 2nd half is more of an off road excursion back to your hotel. get the cd that is like a tour guide and bring alot of storage for photos and most of all, have fun.

[drkhead]

Jealousy is at an all time high right now.

[gunz4me]

I was last in Maui in December 2001/January 2002 and did the Highway to Hana in a Jeep.

Even back then, the rental company DID NOT want you taking their vehicle around the back side of the island. The main reason is if you break down, they have almost no way to recover the vehicle. 11 years ago, those roads weren't so great and there were some parts on the mountain where there was barely enough road for ONE vehicle to pass.

[mgmoehn]

Just went to Maui for my Honeymoon this past September... GORGEOUS!!

We rented a little econ car (mazda 2) for the week (you will need it) and we stayed just north of Lahaina on the kanapali coast line. The road to Hana is awesome.. just make sure you LEAVE Early for it to beat most of the tourists... like 6-7am early.
Plan the entire day to do the road to hana. We found that the small car came in handy as there are a lot of stops along the side of the road that a little car does great on... remember this road is about as wide as your couch...

We made the mistake of doing the laua the same day as hana... we barely made it back in time for the laua and we left at 8am.

I highly recommend getting the book "Maui Revealed"... it is BY FAR the best book on Maui and tells you exactly where to go on Hana to whatever you are interested in (seeing waterfalls or hiking) or just enjoying the drive... here are some pics

"Practice Aloha!"




There are few teaser pics

[mgmoehn]

o - and you will get really muddy if you hike hana...

I would also recommend going zip lining at Flyin Hawaiian


We actually had a bunch of stuff planned... but instead we did like 3 things and just got some sun and relaxed... Maui is the best for relaxing and great food

[Calvinball]

Just went to Maui for my Honeymoon this past September... GORGEOUS!!

We rented a little econ car (mazda 2) for the week (you will need it) and we stayed just north of Lahaina on the kanapali coast line. The road to Hana is awesome.. just make sure you LEAVE Early for it to beat most of the tourists... like 6-7am early.
Plan the entire day to do the road to hana. We found that the small car came in handy as there are a lot of stops along the side of the road that a little car does great on... remember this road is about as wide as your couch...

We made the mistake of doing the laua the same day as hana... we barely made it back in time for the laua and we left at 8am.

I highly recommend getting the book "Maui Revealed"... it is BY FAR the best book on Maui and tells you exactly where to go on Hana to whatever you are interested in (seeing waterfalls or hiking) or just enjoying the drive... here are some pics

"Practice Aloha!"

Nice! I'll be there next November for my honeymoon, I think we're staying right around where you were.

[mgmoehn]

Nice you will love it... And will easily be recognized as honeymooners... Not a lot of young peoe thT are not naiv there!

[zax]

We didn't do the road to Hana, but if you're planning on doing 340 on the north-west side of the island, make sure you take 100+cc scooter and not a car...

Some of the views are absolutely incredible: