Road to Hana

Going into this trip one of the first things I put on my to do/see list was the Road to Hana. No matter who you talk to, what guide book you read or how many websites you visit everyone will tell you that this is a must see.

Like anyone else who is first exploring a new destination I didn’t know what to expect. The internet promised an intense winding road that is not for the faint of heart, not ideal for those who suffer from motion sickness in the car and waterfalls. And so, that is what I went in expecting.

We were on the road by 7:30am to “beat the rush” and because I was under the impression that this was a full day event. We drove from Kihei where we stayed the night before to Paia to get gas because every guide book and web page also makes sure you are very aware that there are no gas stations between Paia and Hana. We stopped at a nearby beach while looking for the gas station as well and collected lovely handfuls of sea glass before continuing on. 

I found the road to be quite enjoyable to drive on. At no point did I feel scared, intimidated or unsure about the road ahead of me. Even going around the blind corners wasn’t an issue. In fact, many of the corners have signs suggesting that you “blow horn” before continuing and I found this quite amusing. Most people drive around the same direction, especially early in the day, so we didn’t have to come face-to-face with too many other cars. As a bonus, I never felt even a hint of motion sickness along the way either.

I was really excited to go for a waterfall hike or 2 along the way, but the only waterfalls we got to see were the ones directly at the side of the road, most of which were just fleeting views through the window as we continued on past. I was not prepared for road side parking to only accommodate 2-4 cars at a time and for almost every space to be full when we got there, even though we left quite early in the morning. Because of this we made relatively few stops along the way, didn’t do any hiking or walking and as such made very good time. We were “finished” the excursion in just under 5 hours with just over half of that being actual driving time.

We managed to find parking at a handful of places and they were all really lovely. We first stopped to see the Rainbow Eucalyptus trees which I was really excited about. They look almost as though someone had come to paint them. We stopped here because the tour bus ahead of us was stopping and it’s always a good idea to follow tours. After that were a few waterfalls and lookout points before arriving at what I would say is the highlight of the drive.

Our only major stop of the day, and my favorite, was the black sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park. Even though we didn’t spend much time on the actual beach and never went in the water it was an incredibly beautiful place. The black sand and rocks contrast incredibly against the deep blue water and vibrant green vegetation.
A side note if you plan to visit: black sand is incredibly hot, wear shoes.

We camped at the “end” of the Road to Hana and therefore didn’t have to make the drive back. For several reasons I would say this is the best choice. Camping is free 40 minutes past the black sand beach in Haleakala National Park and allows you to be the first one on the Pipiwai hiking trail in the morning. 

In general I would have to say that this was a very pretty road trip, but one that I don’t think is worth quite as much hype as it gets. The road isn’t intimidating to drive on, there was no motion sickness (something we both suffer from usually,) the “all day event” took less than 5 hours including all our stops and having come from the other side of the island. Also, we got gas right before starting and our dial didn’t move at all for the whole drive so I wouldn’t be overly worried about that either if I was you. I would definitely say it’s worth the drive, but nothing to cry about if you miss it.