It’s no secret that Maui is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The term “Lucky We Live Hawaii” is a very real thing. Even if you’ve lived here for decades there’s always the opportunity to discover/rediscover the beauty that is Maui. Join us as we start a series of blogs that will help you discover, or rediscover, why Maui is No Ka Oi.
Our first stop… HANA, MAUI
The Road to Hana is one of the most photogenic roads in all of the world! As such, we’re going to start off with some current updates. We advise those visiting within the next few months to seriously consider taking a guided tour or waiting on your visit to Hana.
Since the reopening of the island to visitors this past summer, the large number of visitors has overwhelmed the small communities along the Road to Hana. Think of it this way, 1 tour van/bus makes traffic a lot easier than 24+ cars in front of you. I wish this was an exaggeration, but it has literally happened in the beginning of summer.
Also, please adhere to all of the newly posted street signs, and private property signs. Cars can be ticketed, or towed away, and you can be arrested for trespassing on private property. There are many hikes available on state and county properties, but please be mindful of property and warning signs.
Now we got that out of the way, Here are some tips we can give you for a guided tour:
- Choosing a tour company: Luxury tours with no more than 14 people is the best way to go! With large panoramic windows, elevated and comfortable seats, air-conditioning, and the best part is that you don’t have to worry about driving! We have multiple choices on our website www.mauiactivities.com that you can choose from at great discounted prices.
- Dress to be comfortable: You will be gone most of the day, and so we suggest packing as such. Pack some swim clothes, beach towels, and maybe a change of dry/warm clothes. You will also want to wear comfortable footwear. Slippers (flip-flops) or some athletic shoes you don’t mind getting wet if you go in for a swim.
- Fully Charged Phone & Battery Packs: You will take a lot of photos. Trust me, I live on the island and travel to hana a lot, and I still take a lot of photos. Since it’s a long day, and with so many opportunities to take photos and videos you will need that battery pack(s). The best cost efficient ones are at Walmart and Target in Kahului. It’s actually a great idea to get one or two in general while traveling.
Now some tips for driving yourself:
- Day trip or overnight?: Plan if you’re going to stay overnight or pack it all into one adventure filled day. If you’re staying overnight, book a hotel or camping spot now. There are many options, from the Hana-Maui Resort, to various legal AirB&B, and camping at Wai’anapanapa (https://camping.ehawaii.gov/camping/all,details,1684.html).
- Rent a vehicle: There is no public transportation to Hana at the moment, so you will need to rent a vehicle. Convertibles are nice, but remember that you’ll be driving through a rainforest, so just be prepared for that. Also, rent according to your party size, if you have 6 people, it may not be wise to travel there in a mustang. Be sure to top off your gas at the safeway gas station before heading into pa’ia or at the minit stop gas station in pa’ia. There will be no gas stations from pa’ia until you get into Hana town. Also rent a vehicle with enough storage space. You’ll see in the next tip why.
- Packing: If you’re staying overnight, or making a day trip, packing is important to either save money, or save your sanity.
- Daytrip:
- Water – Bring plenty. You will be able to buy some on the way as well.
- Cash – Internet is spotty 98% of the way there. So don’t trust tap and pay etc..
- Towels – You know you’ll stop at a waterfall or two.
- Hiking Shoes – Some of the best views are accessible through hikes.
- Bug Spray – The favorite food of the mosquito is… unprepared tourists.
- Car chargers – Your phone will die quickly with all the awesome views.
- Full Tank of Gas – You may not use all of it, but better safe than sorry.
- Music – There is very weak, or no, mobile data out there. Download your music beforehand.
- Respect – Yes, you are on vacation, but you are going into very rural and small communities. That old saying “give respect, to get respect” goes a long way when going into someone’s community.
- Don’t Bring – anything really valuable that you can’t carry. It’s sad, but even in Maui there are some thefts that happen. Prevention is a lot cheaper than recovery.
- Overnight:
- Everything above – Pretty much the same things above.
- Email – print out reservations and what not before starting the trip. Having a backup will be helpful if anything goes wrong with reservations.
- Daytrip:
- Leave Early: No matter if you’re staying overnight or having a day trip, leaving early leaves you a lot of time to explore, skip some traffic, and experience locations with serenity and peace. I, the author of this piece, would suggest leaving Pa’ia at 6:30am. You’ll be able to get some coffee, breakfast, and last minute supplies in the Ku’au Store in Pa’ia.
That’s information just to get ready for the trip… check out our next post for the fun part!