I stepped onto the cracked cinnamon earth and stared at the grass swaying in the wind, as the sunlight colored the tips golden. I had found the prize for taking the road less traveled.

When I plan a trip I try not to do a lot of research or look at too many pictures. I don’t want to know too much about the place before I go there, because I like to build up the excitement of exploring a new place. The Road to Hana is something I was really excited about. The bends and turns in the road make for an exciting drive and in this case, the journey truly is the destination. If you have motion sickness you may not like this drive but it’s honestly not too bad; there are twists and turns but not a whole lot of ups and downs.

Kahului to Hana

As soon as we landed at Kahului Airport, we grabbed a rental, ran some errands and headed towards Hana. The last place to get gas and food is a small town called Pa’ia. There is a gas station in Hana but it has uncertain operating hours. Growing up in Pakistan, I am very used to being in car rides through bumpy roads and narrow pathways, so this was nothing new for me. I took charge and informed my husband that I was driving.

As you start the drive, it takes a while for those trademark bends to appear. After approximately 10 miles from Pa’ia you will see the 36 mile marker. This marker designates the official start of the road to Hana. The miles countdown to Hana and even though route 360 continues onwards, the mileage system changes at that point. There are many places to stop along the road.

If you see someone driving fast in a pickup truck then they are probably a local and they are used to seeing the scenery on their daily commute. So please try to pull over at an overlook and let them pass. I think we made it to Hana in about 3 hours with all the stops, but we didn’t stop as much as I thought we would.

Twin Falls

The first notable stop is at the Twin Falls. This will appear shortly after you cross the 34 mile marker. The entrance is marked by a farm stand and parked cars. The lady who runs the farm stand sells the most addictive candied coconuts ever! The smoothies make for a great way to cool off when you return from the falls.

The first waterfall appears pretty quickly, but you have to hop over some muddy bushes on the left to view it. The second, and prettier, waterfall is a ~0.5 mile hike from the entrance. It might seem a little confusing to find, but if you keep walking for about 15 minutes to the end of the path , you will get there.

Take care as you get into three feet of water to get close to the falls; the bottom is slimy and slippery. I had a little adventure when a lady fell into the water and her slipper (Hawaiian speak for flip flop) floated away in the off offshooting canal. I jumped into action, ran alongside the swiftly floating slipper, grabbed a stick and pulled the shoe out of danger and onto the foot of its flustered owner.

Sleepy Towns Along the Way

Once back at the car and covered in sunscreen again, we continued our twisty ride. Around mile 31-30, you pass the dreamy/hazy-looking towns of Huelo and Kailua. We made very few stops after that for a while, including one at Kaukauna State Wayside Park. They have picnic tables and restrooms but the restrooms are smelly and gross. This is a good stop to stretch your legs but there isn’t much more to do here. We did see some cute feral cats.

The next notable stop is at Wailua Overlook. There is only enough parking for 2 cars. Once you climb some stairs to the right, you can get a nice view of Wailua Valley.  Another 2 miles down the road, you encounter the voluminous Waikani Falls. This is a really picturesque spot.

We stopped our day’s adventures at Hana as our plan was to spend the night there. Man! It was really hard to leave the next morning. Hotel Hana Kai Maui has condos with balconies facing the ocean. There are plenty of windows to let in the cool breeze and the soothing sound of the ocean waves crashing onto the rocks.

The hotel has a path that leads to a black pebble beach. The waves aren’t tame here and it isn’t recommended for swimming. The condos are equipped with kitchens and are very economical for families. You can easily spend a few days here. Local attractions include an excursion to the Hana Lava Tube, Wai’anapanapa State Park (with camp grounds), Hamoa Beach and Ohe’o Gulch. Dinner was homemade spicy vegetable rice (thanks to a trip to the local store), fresh fruit, and banana bread that we acquired from stands along the way.

Hana to Kula

From Hana, if you drive ~12 miles south, you will get to a small offshoot of the Haleakala National Park. If you have already been to the Haleakala Crater, then show your previously purchased entrance receipt to park and access the Ohe’o Gulch. Otherwise pay $10 at the entrance, grab a map, and park your car. Your entrance receipt is valid for 3 days and you can use it for visiting any part of the Haleakala National Park, so don’t throw it away.

From the parking lot, walk to your left as you are facing the ocean and you will see the path that leads you to the Seven Sacred Pools. The pools, formed of basalt rocks, are filled by the cascading waters of a stream. There are really more than 7 pools, and there is nothing sacred about them.

Many people drive up to Ohe’o Gulch or to the grave of Charles Lindbergh and then turn around to trace their path back towards Kahului. There is a myth around the ‘horrible’ drive on Kaupo Road. Several online forums indicate that driving on this road is in violation of rental car agreements. I read my Avis rental car agreement, found no such stipulation in it, and drove onwards.

Kaupo Road does have some shabby sections with areas or falling rock and road maintenance, making it hard for two cars to pass at the same time, but fortunately this is a very small section of the road. If you decide to take the road less traveled, you will be rewarded with grand vistas.

Kaupo road continues onto Pi’ilani Highway. This is where things become fun. The beauty of this mostly deserted land is hard to describe. We stopped at a church and took in the serenity.  If you have a thing for photographing old churches, this will satiate you.

Soon after, we noticed a gap between the mountains in the distant and realized that it was the Haleakala Crater making a dramatic drop from the skies. I also noticed a wide gorge that suddenly appeared like a misplaced hole in the mountains.

As we moved forward, the road was rough so we went slowly, stopped often, and enjoyed the scenery. It might have been tricky to do this drive at night. There were magnificent views of the blue ocean against the black volcanic rock, the cracked earth winding onwards into a rough road, and rolling hills to the right that disappeared into the cloudy sky.

Driving through this wilderness felt like a dream. It seemed like everything was so untouched and preserved. The air was fresh, the greenery was so soothing and I knew this was going down in my memory as one of the most beautiful places in Maui. This is pretty much what most of the drive is like until you hit Kula Highway and start to drive North in the direction of Kahului.