There is one attraction that tourists recommend to do when staying on the island of Maui. This attraction is the Road to Hana. The Road to Hana is a scenic drive along the north, east, and south coasts of Maui, with many winding curves, one-lane roads, and cliffside driving. There are many parks and other areas to stop and see all the waterfalls and the other numerous sights on this drive. Tourists recommend spending two days (with a night in the town of Hana) to see all the different attractions on the road, but you can do the drive and plan out the most important attractions you want to see in one full day. Tourists also recommend getting up early and hitting the highway by around 7am to avoid the morning rush.
I want to talk about the actual roads and the drive itself. You are driving on cliffs for most of the drive, with hundreds of turns and curves to keep any driver alert and on their toes. Driving on this highway is not for the faint of heart, and there are many parts of the drive where there are no guardrails. Most of the highway is paved road, but there is a significant section of road when you pass the town of Hana where the road turns into gravel, and you are driving on steep cliffside (therefore some people recommend turning back and going the way you came once you reach Hana). This was some of the scariest and most perilous roads and driving I have ever experienced. I did not feel like we were going to fall off the cliff or anything, but I could not help but feel a little bit queasy at some parts of the drive.
The views on the Road to Hana are some of the most awe-inspiring things you will ever see in your life. On one area, we pulled over and went over to the guardrail and witnessed scenery that you could only imagine seeing. We were hundreds of feet up a cliff to the ocean below, and you can see the waves of the ocean looking like a wavy blanket. We went to another area where there were waves battering the hardened volcanic rock that formed the rocky landscape. We passed through numerous waterfalls where people would go out and swim in the pools and take in the scenery. There is a lot to see on the Road to Hana, and even though some areas feel like they are repeating themselves, they still amaze the soul.
The highlight of this drive for me (and my near-death experience) was visiting Waiʻānapanapa State Park, which is home to a black sand beach (you need a reservation to enter the park). The surrounding area was typically beautiful, but the black sand beach was especially impressive, because I have never seen a black sand beach before. I wanted to swim in the waters of the blank sand beach, just to say I have swum in a black sand beach before. However, the waves were extremely rough and they probably measured around 4-6 feet high on average. That was not going to stop me, as I thought the waves would be calmer past the break of the waves. So, I swam out past the break of the waves, but the water did not get any calmer. The undercurrent was strong and pulled me under while the high waves were battering my head. I could not stay in the water, and I was a strong enough swimmer to swim back to shore while the breaking waves expedited the process and tried to take my swim trunks with it.
On the south side of the island, we were on paved roads again and we could see far and wide among the sloping hills. It felt like we were driving on some Irish countryside. It felt a bit boring though, and this signaled the end of our Road to Hana drive.
This is an obvious recommend to do this drive if you are staying on the island of Maui. If you are not comfortable doing the drive yourself, then look up some guided tours. If you are going to do the drive, be careful and be safe. I recommend checking out the Keanae Lookout, Waiʻānapanapa State Park, and Kīpahulu, but there are so many other places to see on the drive that are just as good. There is no drive quite like the Road to Hana, and it was one of my most memorable vacation days.
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