Whatever you have to say just drop us a comment below. Alelele Falls is a short hike that takes 15-20 minutes to reach. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-114352891', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Maui -- you are going to eat up most of your time driving. Plus if you are staying in a popular area like Kaanapali on West Maui it is another 45 60 minuets getting to the starting point and back to your hotel. But heres the thingits still not really unpleasant unless you know what it used to be like before there was the surge in tourists. The Road to Hana is high up on many peoples Must-Do Maui itineraries. Left: Driving the Road to Hana from Paia to Kipahulu is relatively safe. Yes, it would not be fun to break down on the backside of the road to Hana or have a flat tire, but guess what? We personally have no issues at all but the fear is very real in many people and cant be dismissed. Overall i am a confident driver so it was fine, but I can definitely see many drivers not making this drive all the way to Hana town. The back road to Hana is not like this the whole way, or even most of the way, but it is there! It includes 59 bridges during . Skip it. Read more about the backside of Hana Here! If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. GULF ISLANDS FL This means you are taking all the risk when driving the reverse road to Hana. There are plenty of shoulders to pull over, take in Mauis beauty and also take a few pictures. Here the road is exposed to some fairly large drops, however, these are all behind Armco rails and there are no large unprotected drops. Yes, if you drive straight from Paia to Hana, you might see less people at the spots near Hana, but by the time you start working your way back to Paia those spots are still going to crowded. So many people dont really plan their trip to Hana and end up starting out late in the day and just stopping wherever they see cars so those stops along the north shore are still going to have visitors all day long. If you go, (just like anything you do), you do so at your own risk. This is the "safe" route. * *The final 5 stops are on the natural route along the Hana Hwy, but come prior to Mile Marker 0 *. There are 620 bends, many of them extremely sharp or hairpin turns, over the course of that 64 miles. At last youve made it to Hana town. NATIONAL LAKESHORES We will land in the morning, rent a car, check out the western part of the island, and head to Hana in the afternoon. Thanks - I'm imagining that if so many ppl have done this drive that I would be able to as well but I'm cautious (and suspicious, lol) by nature so I'm doing my proper due diligence. This is a tough and fairly common problem. have no issue at all, but it is narrower, more exposed, and in places has no asphalt topcoat (Dirt Track). Yes, it is remote, but there are hundreds of people driving the road, day and night, you are not going to be alone and stranded, even if you have to stop in a cell black spot. The photo slideshow below shows each of these stops. . Its worth a stop if you have time. And we have some questions that we're hoping you lovely folk can help answer: We're planning to drive from Kanapali Beach to Hana about 3pm on Aug 7th, to arrive around 6pm at our lodgings in Hana. Its 11 miles past Hana town and takes a little over half an hour to reach with no stops. When driving the Highway, We tend to be calm as Hindu cows. For most of the drive, a very narrow road winds through lush, green forests. Next up is Ulupalakua. PICTURED ROCKS MI Assume about 45 minutes of direct driving time from Lahaina to Kahului, then another 2.5 hours (53 miles at 25mph), plus stops on the Road to Hana itself. For full transparency,I have sprinkled some affiliate links in this post. The next and last stop until you get to Ulupalakua (Maui Wine and the Ranch Store) is the Kaupo Store. In this guide about driving the back road to Hana, well go over what to expect, how long it will take, where it starts, all the best stops and any necessary tips youll want to know before embarking on this Maui road trip. The Road to Hana is generally known for it's 52 miles of winding turns, liable to cause nausea and dizziness among even the most experienced road trip enthusiast, as well as it's 59 Lara Croft-esque stone bridges nestled in the thick Hawaiian jungle. So if the Road is not particularly dangerous, or even that scary why does it have such a fearsome reputation, and why are so many terrified of the road? If I could sign up twice, I would ; ). This snake-like road is 52 miles (84 km) long and runs from Kahului to Hana. 10 Best Museums In Chicago Which Museums Should You Visit In The Windy City? We know simply by writing this some people will be up in arms at us stating the road is just a road and is nothing to fear. EVERGLADES FL If you have a solid plan for where you want to stop and you just keep moving along, youll stay in front of the crowds all day and youll have a great time. Really just understanding that the Road is actually perfectly serviceable and 99% of the fear is in your mind can help overcome that fear. If you aren't planning on stopping at any of the waterfalls, trails, scenic viewpoints, etc., the drive straight from Lahaina to Hana will take a good 2.75-4 hours, depending on time of day. Hi Im Jess. So if you're interested in the Road to Hana, then you may also be interested in these top things around Maui: Waianapanapa State Park Nakalele Blowhole Lahaina Banyan Court Hookipa Beach Maui Ocean Center (Aquarium of Hawaii) Iao Valley State Monument Haleakala National Park The most iconic part of Bayburt-of Road is called Dereba Turns. The main part of the Road to Hana which is not particularly dangerous means the drive that most people do. Also known as State Highway 340, it also happens to be one of the most dangerous roads in Maui. So looking out for these symptoms can show how scared you are by a certain situation. So on to the practicalities of the road itself. Road to Hana Tips, Tricks and Advice How to Survive the Hana Highway! ZION UT Drive Defensively, there may be idiots on the road but pre-empting them and driving n a defensive manner ensures you are less likely to get into trouble. It will make you feel like your on a wild foreign adventure tho. Also, is anyone planning a drive but is fearful of the road? Google says its 47 mins but Im getting the idea google doesnt know how long these roads really take? We've been researching the attractions on the Hana Highway since 2002 when the highway first made a major and incredibly positive impression on us. JEWEL CAVE SD, HAWAII TRAVEL PLANNING for the most part, it is wide enough for two small buses to pass each other with no issue. Hopefully, we can help allay some of these fears? But still, people fear the road and take the I survived the Road To Hana T-Shirts Seriously. The most dangerous part of the Road to Hana is the back road to Hana because this is where you will find one-lane roads with no shoulders and a cliff that drops off right alongside the road. We did have some locals honking at other cars, we made it a habit to just pull over and let others by which made it a better experience. My post captions are full of travel tips and I have a ton of story highlights and videos with great info. While the road is coastal, large parts of the highway scarcely even offer a sea view and the perilous section that most people fear is only around 10 miles between Mile Marker 9 and Mile Marker 19.5. As we made our way along the southern coast of Maui, we found the scenery to be beautiful and varied. There's no doubt that Kahekili Highway is the most dangerous road in the US. Im there answering questions every day and there are 7500+ other friends who have a ton of Hawaii information to share! The offer free wine tastings and are known for their pineapple wine. After the viewpoint the road gets narrow to a point that only one car fits. So just drive the route thats going to give you the best overall experience and dont be worried about trying to be too strategic. We would love to hear from those who braved the road though. Also to note, the Hawaii tourism people do encourage you to do a Road to Hana tour because of the potential dangers of the Road to Hana. It gets pretty windy! It's windy contains 65 hairpin switchbacks, 600 sharp turns, and 59 one-lane bridges. Check out our favorite Tours here. I guess the Internet has opened up so much more information and opinions (hello blog!) Quite a few people continue on past Hana to the Kipahulu District of Haleakala National Park where youll find the Oheo Gulch (aka Seven Sacred Pools) and the Pipiwai Trailhead. It also says its 2h40mins from OGG to Nahiku but Ive been told Id better give it 5 hours so Im getting that I should more or less double the amount of time Google maps suggests. But, there are plenty of people who think the back Road to Hana isnt really a big deal. : @kapenamorgan, What to expect driving the backside road to Hana. The backside road is VERY different from the front road and definitely worth experiencing. We all have different phobias and they can not be dismissed just because we do not suffer from them. As always, I would never recommend a product or service that I didn't truely believe in. Check out this view of a beautiful overlook of a gulch. But really, we want people to experience the road for themselves. paia town. 22 Best Road to Hana stops Twin & Caveman Falls Huelo Lookout Road to Hana Rainbow eucalyptus trees Waikamoi Ridge Trail Ka Haku smoke shack Garden of Eden arboretum Haipua'ena Falls Honoman Bay lookout Ke'anae Arboretum Aunty Sandy's Wailua Valley State Wayside Park Upper Waikani Falls Upper Hanawi Falls Pi'ilanihale Heiau Road to Hana lava tubes Risks include tow trucks that take a long time and costs lots of money. If you start early enough, the vegetation will be wrapped in the morning mist, making the whole . The southern part of the highway connects Miami with the Florida Keys by miles of bridges. Despite what the name suggests, the town of Hana is not the destination; it's the drive itself. And so, it just depends on the kind of driver you are! Hwy 1 is typically straight, and because of this, drivers feel justified in driving at breakneck speeds. Strange, our hosts at our lodgings told us the southern road was faster back to the airport from Haleakala you say its longer for sure? RtH has too much traffic and has been widened and or paved in most scary sections. Getting Around Maui without a Car Guide to Mauis Public transportation, What Food to Eat in Hawaii? Most of the photos courtesy of Natalie Brown Photography. (I think the back road may be closed to traffic anyway) That part of the road (going on from Hana towards Kula) is the part that is prone to washouts, etc. The back road to Hana conditions are as followed. My go-to airline is Southwest (seriously, I ONLY fly Southwest) so I use this Southwest Rapid Rewards card to rack up points every time I fly. If you are in charge of the directions and finding the stops, that is one less thing to distract the driver and gives you something to do. If youve just started your Hana research, heres how it works: the Road to Hana is considered to start in Paia on the north shore of Maui. The biggest hazards on the Hana Highway are mosquitoes and traffic. Yes. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-114353117', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');flight, especially if you're returning a car--the agriculture, baggage check, & TSA lines can easily take 2+ hours alone. Now lets get to the exciting part the best stops along the backside road to Hana! The Single file traffic is easily regulated with simple give way systems and you just wait your turn at the give says one each side of the bridge until it is your turn to cross. Also you can't enter the Park to hike the Pipiwai Trail until 9 am. The backside of Hana has some one lane graded dirt roads and rusty guardrails so the drive requires extra caution. And most of all, for the most part, speeds, are LOW! Driving the backside voids your rental car contract. There's no stress involved when a knowledgeable driver points out and stops at the most beautiful spots. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-114352867', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');cars on the tight turns and one-lane sections); you're extremely unlikely to drive off the edge so long as you pay attention and don't speed; you don't want to take the southern (backside) road (it's at least as hazardous and a longer route to the airport). The backside of Hana has some one lane graded dirt roads and rusty guardrails so the drive requires extra caution. A few of my favorite moments from the past year! Maui's Road to Hana is one of the most famous (or infamous) drives in the world and in my opinion is the #1 don't miss thing to do on Maui. Speeding on the road to Hana is super dangerous and you might also have to deal with slow vehicles: spend one night in Hana in stead than rushing your visit! I personally dont like to be on the road after dark at all, but once I make it to Kula (really even Ulupalakau), its fine driving back in the dark. If we arrive at the airport at 10am, you would suggest to simply start driving out east to Nahiku and not see the west at all? Hana, the quaint little backwater town has just the one road leading in or our and this is the drive of a lifetime! NEW YORK Google has no clue what the drive times are on Maui and Hawaii in general. Expect scenic views, volcanic structures and the sweet taste of freedom. Kaumana Trail, Saddle Rd, Hilo, HI 96720, USA 13. 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