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We drove the road to Hana, otw known as Hana Highway, yesterday. WOW, what a ride!! I know many people do it in a day, leaving West Maui in the early morning and returning in the evening. We spent the night in a cottage in Hana so we could go Power Hang Gliding in the morning on Tuesday.
There is so much to do around Hana, we could have stayed three days. If we ever return, we will stay at least that long.
We did several of the stops along the way recommended in Maui Revealed. Ching's Pond was great fun. It was Cold but refreshing, and several local guys were jumping in from the bridge above. The best stop we made was at Venus Pools, a little ways past Hana. It was beautiful and uncrowded (perhaps due to the No Trespassing sign and the barbed wire fence, neatly opened to allow people to duck through in one spot). We were told by several locals that the owner put the sign up for liability reasons, and that the only guests they object to are people who litter and (gasp) get naked. The boys loved this spot, there were several high spots from which to safely jump into a very deep natural pool.
Hana itself was incredible. Like a beautiful place frozen in time (somewhere b/t 1950 and 1970 depending on where you are).
We went power hang gliding out of the Hana Airport with Armin from Hang Gliding Maui (also mentioned in Maui Revealed). It was truly spectacular, we all loved it. I couldn't believe how breathtaking the water/coastline was from up there, and how many waterfalls there are in the area (it is really something to see them all lined up down the mountain in so many places). We even touched the clouds! Armin was great, the boys (all three) each got a bit of a 'thrill' ride, and I got a nice, easy, sightseeing ride.
My most important tip: GAS UP YOUR CAR BEFORE YOU GET OUT OF KAHULUI!!! There is no gas on the road to Hana, and THE ONLY GAS STATION IN HANA WAS OUT OF ALL TYPES OF GAS ON MONDAY EVENING. Our Sebring convertible used a half-tank going one way. Ok w/us, we had enough to get back and were spending the night anyway, but the unfortunate couple we ran into at the general store was most upset. Seems the station often runs out of regular, but this time they were out of everything. DH went back this morning to fill up 'just in case,' and paid $4.29 per Gallon for regular (would that win the 'how much does gas cost where you live' contest? I bet it might).
Another tip: Go to the bar at the Hotel Hana Maui on a Monday evening to catch LeoKane Pryor. Bring something halfway decent to wear, this is not your typical Hawaiian ‘beachwear is ok’ place. Check with the hotel to see when he’s playing before planning your trip to Hana, he plays there regularly and will be there Mondays in the short term, but may be doing other nights as well, perhaps with different bandmates. This was a super treat of classic Hawaiian traditional music, performed by three incredible singers/players. LeoKane is a classically trained opera singer, with a great stage presence and fantastic voice (he plays the ukelele, too!). We saw him perform with two other musicians, a guitarist and an upright bass player. All three had incredible voices and they did great harmonies. We also were treated to some great Hula by a few different dancers. Try to pack a cooler and eat in your cottage or be prepared for a hefty food bill at the bar (food was good, though). Also beware that the General Store closes at 7 on weekdays and 6 on Sunday, and the Hotel Hana may be the only place open for dinner depending on the night.
And another: If you decide to spend the night in Hana (I urge you to do so), consider saving the Sacred Pools for the following morning (if you’re not hang gliding with Armin
. We didn’t get there until around 3 and the parking lot was so full we didn’t bother. Most people make that their last stop after driving since early morning, so it’s really crowded in the afternoon.
We never made it to Red Sand Beach, Hamoa Beach, and a few other spots. We could easily have spent a few more days (or years).
There is so much to do around Hana, we could have stayed three days. If we ever return, we will stay at least that long.
We did several of the stops along the way recommended in Maui Revealed. Ching's Pond was great fun. It was Cold but refreshing, and several local guys were jumping in from the bridge above. The best stop we made was at Venus Pools, a little ways past Hana. It was beautiful and uncrowded (perhaps due to the No Trespassing sign and the barbed wire fence, neatly opened to allow people to duck through in one spot). We were told by several locals that the owner put the sign up for liability reasons, and that the only guests they object to are people who litter and (gasp) get naked. The boys loved this spot, there were several high spots from which to safely jump into a very deep natural pool.
Hana itself was incredible. Like a beautiful place frozen in time (somewhere b/t 1950 and 1970 depending on where you are).
We went power hang gliding out of the Hana Airport with Armin from Hang Gliding Maui (also mentioned in Maui Revealed). It was truly spectacular, we all loved it. I couldn't believe how breathtaking the water/coastline was from up there, and how many waterfalls there are in the area (it is really something to see them all lined up down the mountain in so many places). We even touched the clouds! Armin was great, the boys (all three) each got a bit of a 'thrill' ride, and I got a nice, easy, sightseeing ride.
My most important tip: GAS UP YOUR CAR BEFORE YOU GET OUT OF KAHULUI!!! There is no gas on the road to Hana, and THE ONLY GAS STATION IN HANA WAS OUT OF ALL TYPES OF GAS ON MONDAY EVENING. Our Sebring convertible used a half-tank going one way. Ok w/us, we had enough to get back and were spending the night anyway, but the unfortunate couple we ran into at the general store was most upset. Seems the station often runs out of regular, but this time they were out of everything. DH went back this morning to fill up 'just in case,' and paid $4.29 per Gallon for regular (would that win the 'how much does gas cost where you live' contest? I bet it might).
Another tip: Go to the bar at the Hotel Hana Maui on a Monday evening to catch LeoKane Pryor. Bring something halfway decent to wear, this is not your typical Hawaiian ‘beachwear is ok’ place. Check with the hotel to see when he’s playing before planning your trip to Hana, he plays there regularly and will be there Mondays in the short term, but may be doing other nights as well, perhaps with different bandmates. This was a super treat of classic Hawaiian traditional music, performed by three incredible singers/players. LeoKane is a classically trained opera singer, with a great stage presence and fantastic voice (he plays the ukelele, too!). We saw him perform with two other musicians, a guitarist and an upright bass player. All three had incredible voices and they did great harmonies. We also were treated to some great Hula by a few different dancers. Try to pack a cooler and eat in your cottage or be prepared for a hefty food bill at the bar (food was good, though). Also beware that the General Store closes at 7 on weekdays and 6 on Sunday, and the Hotel Hana may be the only place open for dinner depending on the night.
And another: If you decide to spend the night in Hana (I urge you to do so), consider saving the Sacred Pools for the following morning (if you’re not hang gliding with Armin
. We didn’t get there until around 3 and the parking lot was so full we didn’t bother. Most people make that their last stop after driving since early morning, so it’s really crowded in the afternoon. We never made it to Red Sand Beach, Hamoa Beach, and a few other spots. We could easily have spent a few more days (or years).
(I looked for a hula dancer smiley but dancing banana will have to do!)
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