Maui is a land of beautiful beaches, gorgeous resorts, some delightful little hippy towns, the most beautiful drive in the world and one of the most stunning sunset/sunrises you’ll ever see from atop its Mt Haleakala. In addition to all of this it has incredible scuba and snorkeling opportunities.
The Road to Hana
The best part of Maui is the scenery. And the best scenery can be taken in with one whirlwind day drive called The Road to Hana. This stunning drive that features 219 hairpin turns along gorgeous cliffs, the ocean to the lefts and waterfalls and jungle to the right, takes you from the center of the island along the road that runs across the north and northeast coasts of the island, and terminates in the tiny town of Hana.
In one day you can do both the Road to Hana (considered the most beautiful drive in the entire world) and Mt Haleakala (which is the giant mountain volcano at the center of the island).
Here’s how to do it. First rent a convertible. Splurge for the convertible top, it’s the only way to make it truly worth while, it’s by far worth the extra $50. Next get an early start, you can’t do all of it in one day unless you get on the road by 7-8am. Second, fill up on gas while you are still in the center of the island by the airport. Once you start the road to Hana there will be zero gas stations for the rest of the way. Make sure you are completely filled up with gasoline.
There’s only about 4 roads in all of Maui so you should be able to find the road to Hana fairly easy (Rt 360 on the map above). It runs along the north east side of the island. Any map will lead you right there. At the beginning of the journey you will see some shacks by the side of the road selling crepes, there is a great scenic area with a secluded picnic table to eat the crepes. I suggest eating this as breakfast, they’re really delicious.
Continue down the road, you’ll pass the painted trees. As the bark peels they change a rainbow of colors especially when you get them wet. As you drive, make as many stops as you want, really take in the scenery. There’s plenty of waterfalls within walking distance from the road. Any park that has signs for a special waterfall is usually pretty lame and sucky and a waste of time. Be aware though that The Road to Hana gets prettier and prettier the further you go. So, don’t waste too much time at the beginning, you’ll want that time to explore the more distant and prettier parts of the drive.
Towards the end of the road to Hana you will see a sign for Pua’a Ka’a State Wayside Park and a small parking lot located at 0.6 miles past mile marker 22. There is a touristy shitty waterfall right up front. Everyone stops at this waterfall and swims in the water. It’s super lame. However, if you climb up the side of the waterfall through some mud, ect and walk back into the clearing, over a small bridge that traverses a small man made creek/aquaduct, then go over the long metal bridge to the left, and over a pipe bridge to the right, then walk up a small incline, you will find the most spectacular secluded waterfall on the entire island. No one is ever there, you’ll have it all to yourself and it kicks ass. Make sure you keep following the path up because sometimes it feels like there’s nothing that far up when you don’t come across it right away. When you walk up the incline there’s a lookout that looks over the waterfall. If you go back down and walk to the RIGHT of the lookout over the waterfall you get to the bottom of it and can swim in this gorgeous giant pool caused by a waterfall that comes right through the rocks.
It sounds like a lot, but it really isn’t so bad, just go exploring. My mother is over 50 years old and she did it no problem. You’ll get a little muddy on your feet but that’s what the waterfall is for. Just look at the photos above. You’ll want to make the hike.
After this you will continue down the road to Hana and eventually you will drive past someones house that has a barbeque pit in the front yard. They sell awesome huli huli chicken. This is a great local place for lunch. There’s plenty of waterfalls, jungle excursions and beaches to stop at and explore along the way. Get out of the car and go explore.
You’ll see signs for a black sand beach and you’ll pass a huge waterfall on the right. Both are great places to stop for photos.
Keep going down the road and you will eventually hit the 7 sacred pools. This is certainly a must see, it’s a series of waterfalls that drop sequentially down the side of the mountain into 7 different pools. Explore the park, climb around, just be careful, the rocks can be slippery, people fall and get hurt every year. There’s also more pools up outside of the park above the 7 sacred pools if you feel like exploring on your own and getting away from the tourists.
After the seven sacred pools the road to Hana turns to a dirt and gravel road and you enter haleakala national park. Every map will designate this road as a dotted line. The rental car companies will tell you not to drive there and that its a dangerous road. It’s not. It’s just dirt and gravel, but it’s not dangerous at all and it’s the most beautiful part of the journey.
Follow the road through the canyons and around to the southern part of the island. Follow your map to the road that takes you up Mt Haleakala. The Hana Hwy, which runs along the north east side of the island becomes Piilani Hwy (this is the dirt road in Haleakala Volcano Park. Piilani becomes Kula Hwy (Rt 37) as you turn north and is a paved rd. Bare right at fork in road to Rt 377, then take Rt 378 (Crater Rd) to the top of Haleakala.
Mt Haleakala
Drive all the way up to the summit of the mountain. You ideally want to make it to the summit prior to sunset. Check what time sunset is and make sure you get to the top at least 30min before. It is hands down the most stunning sunset you’ll ever see. You are at 10,000 ft above the clouds you can see the entire island and the sun sets into the clouds below you lighting them up orange and red and purple. You might not be in heaven but you definitely can see it from where you’ll watch the sunset. Beware: it’s super cold up there, like 30 degrees, so bring a sweatshirt or hoodie for this part of the trip.
If you miss the sunset or it happens to be cloudy the day you try to get up there, GO AGAIN! This is literally the one absolute can’t miss part of going to Maui.
They also have sunrise tours and bike trips starting at the top of haleakala, they bus you to the top, you watch sunrise and bike down to brunch. This is great too.
If you go back down the way you came and continue north on Rt 37 it becomes Haleakala HWY which takes you back to Kahului which is the center of the island where the airport is. The entire trip takes about 9 hours.
Scuba & Snorkeling
Maui has some of the best scuba diving of all the islands (kauai is probably the best). You can’t go wrong doing scuba in Hawaii if that’s something you’re in to. I don’t personally scuba, but I’ve had plenty of friends use Extended Horizon Scuba and really liked their tour.
If you’re not into scuba, but want to take a really awesome boat trip with the best snorkeling of all time, check out Blue Water Rafting. You’ll swim with wild sea turtles, be taken to all the best snorkeling spots in Maui, and see stunning volcanic rock formations. They are the only boat tour that takes you around the back volcanic part of the island which is spectacular, they’re also the only tour that snorkels off the back of Molikini which is awesome. Off the backside of Molikini you will jump into a 200 foot deep hole in the ocean floor off the backside cliff of the tiny Molikini island off the coast of Maui. The water is a deep dark blue, but crystal clear and filled to the brim with exotic tropical fish. The pontoon boat the us is really fast and fun too which adds some extra excitement.
Some of these unique rock formations even look like Walter Mathau and a gorilla. See if you can spot them.
Whale Watching
Between November and May, and especially during the high season of January to March, the waters off Maui serve as the breeding grounds for humpback whales. Here you will see tons of humpback whale mothers and their newborn calves enjoying the calm secluded waters around Maui.
A few excellent companies are:
– Ultimate Whale Watch Experience which offers whale watching and snorkeling
– Makai Adventures which offers whale watching, snorkeling, dolphin experiences and fishing excursions
Places to Stay in Maui
My favorite town in Maui is Lahaina. This little hippy enclave and beach community is the perfect place for a family vacation. Filled with nice local restaurants, shops and cafes, this little town has none of that resort feel, and all of the small beach town charm that you want in a vacation spot.
If you like the all-inclusive, resort vibe to your vacation check out Ka’anapali Beach
Places to Eat in Maui
Lahaina Grill – Simply the best meal on Maui. Fresh seafood prepared with Michelon Star quality.
Mama’s House Fish – A staple of the Maui food scene since the 1950s
Koiso Sushi Bar – Best sushi on Maui
Nuka – Both the most authentic and unique Japanese restaurant in Maui
Lineage – Family style dining derived from authentic Hawaiian staples.
Spago – Wolfgang Puck’s Spago needs no introduction. Located in Maui’s Four Seasons Resort this meal will put you back a bit, but it’s world renown quality.
