Hidden Hana Stopping Spots

Okay,

I thought I would never be interested in doing the Road to Hana but seeing some people%26#39;s pictures may have changed my mind.

I know that most people say to buy the book Maui revealed for inside info. that only a local would know. However, I%26#39;m wondering anyone could tell me about their fave. stops (routine and secluded) along the way and post pictures if they have any. I would really appreciate it to help me decide if I go where I would want to stop! I love secluded beaches and romantic stuff as well.

I also know that there aren%26#39;t many gas stops along the way but are there places to buy food at all or should we take our own picnic?

Thanks!

Hidden Hana Stopping Spots

The road to Hana is worth it if you put in your mind that it%26#39;s a long drive, you have to come back :( and there will be lots of other people with the Maui Revealed book, too going to the same places you%26#39;re reading about. ;-) It%26#39;s a great book, but it%26#39;s also funny that on my trip to Kauai and then last time on Maui nearly anybody in a rental car I saw had it sitting on the dashboard, seat, etc...very funny. So, all the tourists know and sometimes I mention the things in that book to locals and they%26#39;ve never heard of what i%26#39;m talking about.

You HAVE to bring your own food.

On the road that ventures down to Ke%26#39;anae is a cute little walk-up shack and they do have great banana bread, not sure about ';real food'; but better believe the ';real'; prices.

If you are in a condo and they have beach chairs bring those, too! We took a picnic on Waianapanapa Beach (black sand beach) and it was great! But there are few shacks along the way where you can buy food, you%26#39;ll pass a hippie bbq thing on the side of the road. I think there are places that will make a picnic lunch for you in Paia town or in Kahului before you head to Hana...

See if you can keep your schedule a little open. It can be very rainy on the road to Hana, it is green for a reason -- but the last time I checked the weather and went when there wasn%26#39;t a chance of hardly any rain (15% i think for that side of the island). It was great.

And Hamoa Beach can%26#39;t be missed!

If you choose to drive past Hana then don%26#39;t waste yourselves out by stopping for all the waterfalls you see on the way TO Hana. The drive past Hana, to me, is the best part, the road gets nuttier and there%26#39;s waterfalls closer to the road -- at least to the Ranger station at Kipahulu -- we%26#39;ve not gone the full way around ever, too chicken. But by the time you get to Kipahulu, most people are pooped out and the hike along the Pipiwai trail is great! The reward is the prettiest waterfall...this is described in Maui Revealed; and we bumped into a few groups of people when we went but it wasn%26#39;t crowded at all.

Hidden Hana Stopping Spots

The road to Hana was WELL worth it. We used the Maui Revealed Book and it was the best 15 bucks we could have spent. There was one waterfall location in particular, that was especially beautiful after a 20 minute hike over boulders. It may have been the most beautiful waterfall I saw on the road to Hana. Like I said, it takes a little work to get to it, but it is well worth it. The name of the falls were Punalau Falls. It is fairly early in the drive.

If you have the time, you might want to consider this a two-day trip (or day and a half, depending on how much fun you want to have on your way back). It%26#39;s best to take your time and enjoy everything on the road to Hana. Instead of trying to rush the experience, you could consider spending a night in Hana. Then, the next morning you could drive past Hana and experience the many wonders beyond....and maybe even come back the southern route. I%26#39;ve heard many say this is the ';ideal'; way to experience that part of Maui.

I%26#39;m homesick for Maui (and I%26#39;ve never lived there). All this talk about the road to Hana...My hubby and I went last October and now I wish that I would have had more time for the experience. We did the entire road (all the way around) in one day. I would strongly suggest taking your time. There is soo much to see. We missed the waterfalls that you hiked to, and now I could kick myself. Next time we will spend the night in Hana and break the journey up into two days. You really owe it to yourself to spend as much time as possible. So much to see and do.

We ate at the HIPPIE BBQ by the side of the road and had wonderful kahlua pork sandwiches. We swam out and kissed under a waterfall at the first state park. We spent time walking around black sand beach and checked out the lava tube. We played horseshoes at Koki beach (sp). We had a wonderful time, and you will love it. I think we ended up taking like 8 rolls of film that day. Will see if I can post some of the photos.

Have fun. Enjoy yourself. Take it slow. Go the whole way around. I';M JEALOUS!

Save room for some great island food at Tutu%26#39;s on the black sand beach in Hana proper.

I, too, would recommend at least an overnight in or near Hana. I%26#39;ve done the drive a few times, but the best was staying at Waianapanapa for 3 days and having time to explore despite the pouring rain.

You won%26#39;t find much food other than the occasional roadside stand selling fruit and homemade banana bread.

As far as pictures, I%26#39;d suggest going to www.webshots.com and doing a search for ';road to hana';. You%26#39;ll find several albums that are posted. Just checked it out myself, there%26#39;s some really nice photos there.

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for the replies! If anyone has more spots to know about and check out I would really appreciate it. I will check out Web Shots and see what pictures are up. To get to any of the spots you mentioned is there specific directions that you may have? I am assuming that there aren%26#39;t any road markers saying, ';Beautiful black sand beach ahead!'; Sometimes I see pictures and want to know how to get to those places but don%26#39;t know what they would be called!

How busy are the off the road places normally?

Hope you all are having a good day!

For directions, that%26#39;s where the Maui Revealed book excels. Very detailed information so that even a first-timer can follow them. Things like ';100 feet past the bridge is a turnout. Park here, walk back to the bridge and look down. You%26#39;ll see a waterfall that everyone else will just drive by without knowing it%26#39;s there.';

(I couldn%26#39;t quote them exactly, my book is loaned out, but that%26#39;s how specific the directions are)

Hi,

One more question:

Where exactly does the road begin? Are people saying it takes a certain amount of time from the beginning of the road or a certain spot in a highway?

I haven%26#39;t looked for the book yet but am not sure if they will have it where I live, that%26#39;s why I was asking if anyone knew specific directions. But, I%26#39;ll be looking for it.

Thanks,

Nikki

ps-obviously it would probably be best not to do this road in less than perfect weather correct?