Road to Hana, Maui

I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate my birthday than spending the day on the Road to Hana. This is no ordinary road trip.  It's a challenging drive but the stops and scenes along the way are worth it. One of the main things you need to do before you get started is find a guide.  This year we used the Gypsy Guide.

It gives you turn by turn directions, tells you the best places to stop, and gives you a history lesson on the way back. We loved this guide! This trip made our fourth to Hana and this guide pointed out new places and sights we never knew about.

The Road to Hana starts in Paia. This is a good place to stop and get a picnic lunch, drinks, and snacks. Start early and make sure the car is fully gassed.  There are very few places to stop and get fuel for humans or cars until you get to Hana.

The first stop is my favorite place to watch some surfing, Ho’okipa Beach Park and Lookout.

I go to this park every time I'm in Maui whether or not I'm going to Hana.

There was a lot of haze from the volcano on the Big Island so visibility was pretty bad most of the trip.

Fellow surf watcher -

There are several stops for rain forests and gardens. One of our favorites is Maui Garden of Eden . It is privately owned and requires a fee to enter, but it's worth it. You will burn though you camera's memory card pretty quickly.

This valley was in the opening sequence of Jurassic Park.

Agave

100 year-old mango tree

Rainbow Eucalyptus

There are many hidden beaches and forests and without a good guide you'd never find them.

Local wildlife

There is really nothing to do once you get to Hana except turn around and come back.  The whole point of the trip is the journey, not the destination.

If you start early enough you will get back to Paia in time for dinner.  Here's a link to my previous post about Paia to give you some ideas.

Top tips for taking the Road to Hana.

• Speaking of guides, download The Gypsy Guide here. This may be the most important prep you can do before you go. I can't wait to do some of the other guided road trips on the app! They have not paid me to say that, but if you are reading this, Gypsy Guide, I wouldn't turn you down:)