I love to plan island-hopping adventures, days out on Maui, and everything in-between. I spend a lot of my time on our SUP and my favorite time of year in Hawai'i is whale season! With sparkling waters, stunning sand beaches, waterfalls, volcanoes, and more, Hawaii is an amazing vacation destination. After living here for over four years and visiting dozens of times before Maui is known for its beautiful beaches and amazing snorkeling.
From farm-fresh produce to gourmet farm-to-table meals, enjoy local produce and try something Maui's Best Whale Watching Tour in our humble opinion Whale watching is best done on a power raft as they can get to the whales and experience a close encounter.
Summary: Whale encounters guaranteed! We have done all types of whale watching - Kayaking, big Hawaiian Island Cheat Sheets. Where to Stay Guides. Hello, we are Erica and Jordan. Maui is where we call home but we love all the Hawaiian Islands. With our toddler Henry and our quirky dog Hattie we explore the islands and share our favorite experiences. A vacation to Hawaii is a trip of a lifetime. We want your trip to be just that.
Gellerholz Inc is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Many of the popular guidebooks list spots that are either dangerous to visit or are invasive to the privacy of the local people. We don't like sending people through local Hana residents' backyards.
We've listed some of our favorite spots. We don't recommend a lot of the guidebooks out there hopefully they change their content soon. Along the road, you'll find plenty of Banana Bread stands, some of which offer other food. Nahiku Marketplace is conveniently on the side of the Hana Highway and has some tasty options. When in Hana, we highly suggest eating at the lounge or dining room at Travaasa Hana Hotel. Great food and excellent view. For the most flexibility in your schedule, we suggest bringing your lunch and breakfast as a picnic.
Kuau Store offers some great Hana picnic lunches and is located conveniently right before you begin your journey to Hana. Uh, yes. It rains everyday. It will rain when you go. BUT, it usually doesn't last long and it's a warm rain. You'll want to bring a towel or 2 and be prepared to put the top up on the car. There's a reason why the Road to Hana is so incredibly lush.
Flight Time. How Far. Trip Cost. Modes of Travel. Weather Conditions. Humidity And Pressure. GPS Coordinates. Health and Environmental. Break Journey. View All. Sunrise And Sunset. Calories Burnt. The mud-and-gravel road, often subject to landslides and washouts, was paved in , when tourist traffic began to increase; now more than 1, cars traverse the road each day, according to storekeeper Harry Hasegawa. That equals about , people a year, which is way too many.
Go at the wrong time, and you'll be stuck in a bumper-to-bumper rental-car parade -- peak traffic hours are midmorning and midafternoon year-round, especially on weekends. In the rush to "do" Hana in a day, most visitors spin around town in 10 minutes flat and wonder what all the fuss is about. It takes time to take in Hana, play in the waterfalls, sniff the tropical flowers, hike to bamboo forests, and marvel at the spectacular scenery; stay overnight if you can.
However, if you really must do the Hana Highway in a day, go just before sunrise and return after sunset: On a full-moon night, the sea and the waterfalls glow in soft white light, with mysterious shadows appearing in the jungle.
And you'll have the road almost to yourself on the way back. Tips: Forget your mainland road manners. Practice aloha. If the guy behind you blinks his lights, let him pass. And don't honk your horn -- in Hawaii, it's considered rude. The Journey Begins in Paia -- Before you even start out, fill up your gas tank.
Gas in Paia is expensive even by Maui standards , and it's the last place for gas until you get to Hana, some 42 miles, 54 bridges, and hairpin turns down the road. The former plantation village of Paia was once a thriving sugar-mill town. The mill is still here, but the population shifted to Kahului in the s when subdivisions opened there, leaving Paia to shrivel up and die. But the town refused to give up and has proven its ability to adapt to the times.
Now chic eateries and trendy shops stand next door to the mom-and-pop establishments that have been serving generations of Paia customers. Plan to be here early, around 7am, when Charley's , Hana Hwy. Enjoy a big, hearty breakfast for a reasonable price. After you leave Paia, just before the bend in the road, you'll pass the Kuau Mart on your left; a small general store, it's the only reminder of the sugar-plantation community of Kuau.
The road then bends into an S-turn; in the middle of the S is the entrance to Mama's Fish House, marked by a restored boat with Mama's logo on the side. Just past the truck on the ocean side is the entrance to Mama's parking lot and adjacent small sandy cove in front of the restaurant. It's not good for swimming -- ocean access is over very slippery rocks into strong surf -- but the beach is a great place to sit and soak up some sun.
Windsurfing Mecca -- A mile from Mama's, just before mile marker 9, is a place known around the world as one of the greatest windsurfing spots on the planet, Hookipa Beach Park. Hookipa Hospitality is where the top-ranked windsurfers come to test themselves against the forces of nature: thunderous surf and forceful wind. World-championship contests are held here, but on nearly every windy afternoon the board surfers have the waves in the morning , you can watch dozens of windsurfers twirling and dancing in the wind like colorful butterflies.
To watch the windsurfers, do not stop on the highway, but go past the park and turn left at the entrance on the far side of the beach.
You can either park on the high grassy bluff or drive down to the sandy beach and park alongside the pavilion. Facilities include restrooms, a shower, picnic tables, and a barbecue area.
At the bottom of the gulch, look for the road on your right, which will take you out to Maliko Bay. Take the first right, which goes under the bridge and past a rodeo arena scene of competitions by the Maliko Roping Club in summer and on to the rocky beach.
There are no facilities here except a boat-launch ramp. In the s, Maliko had a thriving community at the mouth of the bay, but its residents rebuilt farther inland after a tsunami wiped it out. The bay may not look that special, but if the surf is up, it's a great place to watch the waves.
Back on the Hana Highway, as you leave Maliko Gulch, around mile marker 11, you'll pass through the rural area of Haiku, where you'll see banana patches, cane grass blowing in the wind, and forests of guava trees, avocados, kukui trees, palms, and Christmas berry. Just before mile marker 15 is the Maui-Grown Market and Deli tel.
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