Our Affordable Hawaiian Vacation - Road to Hana

"It's not about the destination, it's about the journey."  That couldn't be more true than on the Road to Hana.

With our flight to the Big Island of Hawaii just a couple of days away, our diving schedule needed to taper so that we wouldn't get decompression sickness when flying to altitude. We took this opportunity to visit some must-see sites in Maui. On our 5th day in Hawaii, we decided to take the "Road to Hana".

The Road to Hana is considered to be one of the most beautiful stretches of road in the U.S. Full of rainforests, beaches, waterfalls, and quaint food stands, there were so many things to see, we didn't even bother to cover it all.  However, based on my superficial visit, here is what I learned about maximizing one's experience on the Road to Hana. 

Beautiful Black Sand Beach at Wai'anapanapa State Park-

Road to Hana (M. Leung)

(1) Do NOT take a tour bus

I completely respect that some people may want to hire a tour bus to avoid driving the windy roads, however, I think that the best sights on the Road to Hana are off the beaten path. While most tourists gathered around the first, obvious waterfall at Pua'a Ka'a State Park, we had read from Lonely Planet there was a better waterfall just beyond the bend. We were not told, however, that "beyond the bend" meant getting completely muddy, and shuffling across a functioning aqueduct 30 feet up in the air (below left). At the end of the hike, however, we were rewarded to a spectacular waterfall, which most importantly, was all to ourselves (below right).

Getting to the 2nd waterfall at the Pua'a Ka'a State Park

is treacherous, but rewarding

(2) Do NOT wear heels

We saw several tourists wearing heels so they could look beautiful against the beautiful backdrop of the Road to Hana. I was wearing functional Tevas, but wished I was wearing Kevlar from head to toe. We heard there was a spectacular red sand beach in Hana, but that the path to it was rather treacherous. We were told there was a sheer wall that you had to climb. I thought Mark and I were tough enough to handle it. But the wall was really difficult to climb, not because it was so steep, but because there was no traction. I had to climb on all fours at top speed to make progress, otherwise I would have slid back down the hill. But the red sand beach at the end of the hike was totally worth it:

The Red sand beach at Hana is difficult to get to,

but well worth the climb-

Road to Hana (M. Goodnow)

(3) DO be careful how you interact with the locals but don't be afraid to mix with them either

The Road to Hana is populated with many locals, some of whose feelings are mixed towards tourists visiting their domain. However, don't be afraid to mix with the locals either. We saw some native Hawaiians swimming in their local swimming spot off the Keanae peninsula (see below left).  The water looked so great, I couldn't resist joining them. I was well rewarded for some adventurous snorkeling (see below right).

Left: local swimming hole on Keanae peninsula, including dog on boogie board
Right: Snorkeling there was wild and adventurous

(4) DO support local business

The fruits and products you'll find along the way are fun and delicious.

These avocados are almost as large as my head-

Twin Falls, Road to Hana

(5) DO take lots of pictures.
When you feel on the fence about taking a picture, take it anyway. The pictures are some of the most beautiful you'll take on your vacation.

Local swimming spot on the rugged Keanae Peninsula-
Road to Hana

The Keanae peninusla has been
farmed for centuries

Tomorrow, we'll be visiting Haleakala Crater National Park... Stay tuned.