Hana is a sleepy little town located in Maui on the backside of Haleakala. Hana is a fairly quiet town with only one or two hotels. It has a small public beach that when compared to some of the other beaches on Maui seem less than impressive. And what sleepy town would be complete without a horse ranch. Hana is definitely not lacking in charm. While millions of people travel through Hana each year, few people actually stay here. The road to Hana as the Hana highway has been dubbed is more about the journey, than the actual destination. If you were to drive straight from Kahului to Hana the trip would take you about two hours. But, as I said before, this trip is about the scenery.
If you were in a huge rush to get to Hana, you would be disappointed. In order to do this trip properly, you should be in no hurry and allow for an eleven or twelve hour trip.
The first place to stop on the road to Hana is the twin falls. They are impressive if you have never seen a waterfall, but you will see some much more spectacular views along this journey. The Ko'olau Forest Reserve is one stop along the way that you should not skip. You will first see Norfolk pines located on the hillside, then some vibrantly colored Eucalyptus trees (very impressive to the east coast native). Next you will see a vast expanse of bamboo trees. It's worth the time to visit this tropical forest.
If waterfalls are your thing, you are in luck. There is the famous Waikamoi falls located at the bridge just before the 10 mile marker. This waterfall is impressive to say the least. It stretches some hundreds of feet above the bridge, and it has several different colors of moss growing alongside the falls.
The next place to stop is the Kaumahina State Wayside Park. It has picnic tables and provides a wide ocean view. This is the perfect place to stop for a quick romantic lunch. For the next several miles there is a spectacular ocean view, offering ample opportunity to pull over and take pictures. If it has recently rained, then you are in for a special treat, you will see a plethora of water falls exhibiting a rainbow of colors due to the wild vegetation. You don't get much closer to perfection than this. At this point you are roughly halfway to Hana.
The Ke'anea Valley marks the halfway point to Hana. This valley is home to the Haleakala Crater, which was formed from an eruption of the Haleakala volcano. Lava erupted from the volcano and flowed into the valley creating this giant crater. It is a sight to see. As you drive on from here you will see a sign that says "halfway to hana". There is also a camp site here, so you can either make camp or explore around the first half some more, or you can drive onto Hana.
The second half of the road to Hana is even more exiting than the first. As you approach the town of Wailua, you will pass a few fruit stands offering homemade goodies and fruit. If you are hungry for a snack, this is the place to stop.
The first stop on this second half of this journey is Our Lady of Fatima Shrine. It is a little blue and white chapel built in the 1860's. This church has an existing congregation, but they no longer use this chapel as the current sanctuary.
Another site not to be missed is the Ka'eleku caverns. You can actually go into underground caves formed by lava eruptions from ancient volcanoes. You will probably need a four wheel drive vehicle to access this one. The Kahanu garden is a botanical garden located on the road to Hana. It is a National Conservation effort. The next stop just past the botanical garden is the sacred pools. They offer a natural water park of sorts. The view is spectacular and unlike anything that I have ever seen.
Near the top of the mountain, almost to Hana is Wai'anapanapa State Park. The park is located amongst an impressive black sand beach and has two caves that you can walk through. They actually lead to the ocean, so be careful. I have heard that there is an opportunity here for good snorkeling, but I will never find out. There are several signs warning would be swimmers of unusually large man of war, strong rip currents and sharks. Hmm, maybe I'll sit this one out!
Now get back in your car, for the next stop, Hana. Before I mentioned that Hana is not really all that spectacular considering all the gorgeous stops along the way, however, it is worth your time to stop in this sleepy little town. There are a couple of little café's that make for a good place to have lunch. The beach is complete with a pier that you should at least take a quick stroll on. Hana even has an airport. You can either stay in Hana at one of the few lodging options, or if you are like most people it is time to head back to the resort area.
Most people will drive back the way the came, perhaps stopping at a few of the places that they might have missed along the way. Or, if you are amongst the brave few, you may continue onward. This will require a four wheel drive vehicle. You will drive along a dirt path that could be called a road, but it's extremely winding and curvy, along the top of a cliff with no guard rails to protect motorist from falling hundreds of feet into the ocean below.
There are a few signs instructing drivers to honk in order to alert oncoming traffic, because this is only a one lane road. It is a little bit scary, but thrilling at the same time and the view is unbelievable. This isolated road complete with ocean views on one side and cow pastures only lasts for a few miles, and then it's back to civilization.
You can get a detailed map complete with a C.D. from your concierge or even the gas station. The map will give specific mile marker indications, allowing even the most lost prone driver to find these breathtaking sights.
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