Five Tips For A Haleakalā Sunrise
Sunrise on Haleakala is one of those things where youʻll have it ingrained in your memories till the day you die. From the whole adventure of leaving your hotel/accommodations at 2am to drive up and witness the stars 10,000 feet above the ocean. Sitting around in darkness, with many strangers, in 30 degree fahrenheit and wind gust going 20 mph. That view though, it was all worth it for the view of the sun rising.
This, is something you need to plan for, so here are our tips for you to plan a sunrise at Haleakala:
Get the Reservations
As of 2017, You NEED to have a reservation to go and see the sunrise up on Haleakalā. This method was implemented to help control the parking, safety, and wildlife of the summit due to overcrowding the prior years before. If youʻre not able to get one, donʻt try to just show up at the gate, you will be asked to pull on the side and wait till the sun rises to head up.
Needless to say, if you’re able to get the reservation, it’s a view worth all the confusion, early morning drive, and running out of hot coffee before you get to park. Youʻll also have some Native Hawaiians (Kanaka Maoli) or the park rangers doing some ʻoli (chants) that welcomes the sun, but itʻs an experience youʻll never forget.
Full Tank Of Gas
This may seem like a “duh” thing to suggest, but its a real thing people take for granted. You really donʻt want to be stuck 9,000 feet up on Haleakalā and run out of gas. Now it doesnʻt take a full take to make the trip, but you donʻt want to be stranded up 9000 because you saw it at a quarter tank and thought “yeah, I think we got this.”
Thereʻs a Safeway gas station, Costco, and a few local gas stations on your way to the park. You’ll also want to pack up some snacks and water at these locations as they also donʻt have stores, vending machines, or food/drink trucks up there too.
Bring Jackets/Blankets
You will be heading up to a high elevation, so be prepared and pack layers. Yes, it’s Hawaiʻi, but you’ll be 10,000 feet above sea level, with a high wind shear that can drop the temperature to a personal low of 31°F (0ºC). Hats, gloves, blankets, jeans, sweatpants, long sleeve shirts, jackets, all of that! Trust me, youʻll be grateful you bought all that with you.
Plan Your Drive Time
If you’re not staying in the Kula, Makawao, Pukalani, or Haiku area, youʻll need to plan out your drive time. Make sure youʻre going to give yourself plenty of time to get there to stretch out and relax, and not miss the sunrise.
Depending on the time of year and where youʻll start driving from, youʻll need to plan for a 2-2.5 hour drive time to reach the summit. To give you a better idea of what to plan for:
Kahului: 2 hours drive time
Wailea/Kihei: 2 hours drive time
Lahaina: 2:15 hours drive time
Kapalua: 2:30 hours drive time
Hana: 3/3:30 hours drive time
Remember that these are just suggested guidelines of travel time. Weather, road conditions, your driving skills, bathroom breaks, etc… are all x-factors in calculating your drive time.
To save you some time and hassle, you could always book one of the tours we have available. One of the tours we would recommend would be the Sunrise Haleakalā Experience. You will experience the sun’s energy, as it rises while you stand 10,023 feet above sea level. You’ll be picked up at your hotel or condo and experience a fully narrated tour by your knowledgeable guide, who will, among other very interesting facts, relate the story of the Demigod Maui. This is by far a “can’t miss” attraction, especially now, with this awesome special offered by MauiActivities.Com.
5 Tips To Planning Your First Trip To Maui!
Growing up I’ve been taught that if you plan something, and then have a backup plan or two, when the event comes by, youʻll just have to follow the plan and only fix what happens the day of the event. I havenʻt used that teaching all the time, but when it comes to traveling, I do.
Going to Japan, Germany, Norway, England, Mexico City, and many more places I had plans upon plans. I had time scheduled to do specific things, and time to do random things. It helped me maximize my time, my relaxation, and my money.
Here are my five tips to planning your vacation here on the beautiful island of Maui:
- Book Things In Advance:
No matter if you’re planning a year ahead or booking a last minute flight, booking things as far in advance as possible is THE BEST/GREATEST/HIGHLY PUSHED tip we can give you. As an activities company, we have our luaus booked months in advance. So to try and get seats for your family of 8 to a luau the next day is almost impossible.
Know who is going with you, and then do research on the activities. Some will allow you to book 6 months in advance. If they are able to do so, you should take advantage of that! Not just luaus, but all the activities you’re wanting to do. The best part, you donʻt need to make sure you have money for these activities when you’re in Maui, because you already paid for it!
- Learn About Maui:
Learning about where you’re going just makes it more real. For some of you, it will calm down some of that anxiety about going to a new place. For others, youʻll go down a rabbit hole of education that is not taught anywhere else but Hawaiʻi. Youʻll appreciate your visit more if you do a little research about Maui. Letʻs help you out with some quick pointers.
- Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands
- The island of Maui is 1.3 million years old.
- The island of Maui has a population of about 144,000 people.
- It is located between Oahu and the Big Island and offers a mix of quiet countryside and high-end resort areas.
- Apart from the natural wonders, you can experience fine dining and lots of shopping here.
- Maui County consists of 4 islands. Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and the uninhabitable Kahoʻolawe.
- Driving Time:
The roads in Hawaiʻi in general are misleading. The islands may look small, but it can sometimes take you hours to get to your destination. We suggest you keep an eye on whatever traffic notification app you use and plan accordingly. What looks like only 22 miles is 22 miles on a 1 way in/1 way out road, with everyone other tourists going to the same location you are.
- Plan ahead:
Planning ahead is the main theme of this blog post, and for good reason too. We’ve heard a lot of stories that people got to their luʻau late and didnʻt get to eat, or they totally missed their luau because they were still coming back from Hana. PLEASE plan ahead so that you donʻt miss out on any of the activities youʻve planned. Just to throw in a big hint here about planning, the Road To Hana is most likely an all day event. So, plan to have a relaxing dinner, but donʻt plan anything expensive.
- Go with the flow:
Things happen and we can’t change it. It does rain in Hawaiʻi, heck we even have storms and hurricanes. Once, I was in the middle of a hail storm and almost tornado! Our suggestion is to just go with the flow. If your luau rains out, you’re still in Hawaiʻi… Go play in the rain on the beach! No one knows who you are, but they will see that youʻre having the time of your life, because you are! You on Maui!! Most people donʻt leave their hometown yet cross half of the Pacific Ocean to play at the beach in the rain!