The Road To Hana

Hana, Hawaii, United States

A view of the ocean from the Hana Highway

Hana (pronounced "Haw-nah", not "Hannah") is a city on the eastern edge of Maui. As a tourist, one of the things to do on Maui is to drive to Hana. The purpose of the trip is the drive, not the destination. There's almost nothing to see in Hana (with the exception of the Hana Lava Tube, which our whole group enjoyed).

When we were on our way to Hana, someone said to us that it's the kind of thing that you either love or hate. After doing this drive, we know what kind of people we are. Our entire day was spent driving. We spent approximately twelve hours on the road, and the road to Hana (the Hana Highway - Highway 360) is not a pleasant road. It twists, turns, and has many one-lane bridges. Several of our group members got carsick on this long drive.

While it's true that the scenery along the Hana Highway is nice, in my opinion, it is absolutely not worth the inconvenience of having to drive all day to see it. If you're the kind of person that loves driving and loves nature even more, than you might fall into the group of people that like this sort of thing. Good luck to you.

Things To See On The Way

A banyan tree at the base of Haleakala National Park (just past Hana)

There are many audio CDs, guide books, and magazine inserts that help you decide what to see on your way to Hana. If this is the sort of thing that interests you, you might want to purchase a book or audio guide.

Here are some of the things we did and saw along our drive:

• We purchased a picnic lunch to take with us at the Hana Bay Juice Co.. The food quality was just adequate, but their free cooler rental was nice.
• Twin Falls - A disappointing waterfall near Mile Marker 2.
• Waikamoi Nature Trail - A neat little walking trail through a rainforest area
• A big waterfall on the Road to Hana - This waterfall is really located just steps from the Hana Highway
• Hana Lava Tube - A cave that was formed from lava flowing under the ground. It's located just before Hana, and is really quite neat to see. $11.95/person.
• Haleakala National Park - There are some small pools, and a larger 400-foot waterfall located at the base of the mountain. This is just a short 15-minute drive past Hana. The large waterfall is a 2-mile hike from the parking lot.

Estimated Visiting Time

Although Hana isn't all that far away, the road is very twisty and windy. You will need to take it slow. Additionally, you will want to allow extra time to see the sites along the way. Our entire trip, from Lahaina to the pools at the base of Haleakala National Park and back took approximately 12 hours.