We're taking the road to Hana today (slowly, but not so slow as to piss off the residents). This is a full day trip.
Komoda Store and Bakery
3674 Baldwin Ave, Makawao, HI 96768
808-572-7261
Open Daily 7:00 am to 1:00 pm
Closed Sunday and Wednesday
This bakery is on the way to the Road to Hana. I want to stop here early before we make the run down the Road to Hana so the girls can get a look at Makawao and decide if they want to come back and noddle. That and I want to try a malasada!
Local tradition since 1916 for cream puffs, donuts on a stick, butter rolls & other pastries.
Mile Marker 10 – Waikamoi Stream and Waterfalls – Priority
Two waterfalls right by the side of the road. A quick stop if you just want to take a peek and snap some photos or you can take the easy path down to the falls and take a dip. You can usually judge the upper falls based on the lower. If the lower pool looks inviting, the upper will be even better!
Maui's Garden of Eden
Mile Marker 10.7
10600 Hana Highway (Highway 360)
Open Daily 8:00 am to 4:00 pm - Admission Fees: $20 (ask for AAA discount)
Twenty-six acres of trails alive with brilliant colors, unique flowers, rare trees, and the sweet aroma of tropical blossoms in a uniquely natural island setting.
Mile Marker 13 Stunning Vista – Quick Stop
After the wayside, the road takes a turn for the dramatic as you wind down the coastline with mind blowing views down the coast. There are no pull-outs until you get lower down the road, but you can easily hop out and carefully back track up the hill to get sweeping views down the coast, over the Keanae Peninsular and Honomanu Bay, with the hillsides dripping in green jungle foliage. These views are the reason you drive this road!
Mile Marker 14.5 – Vistas – Quick Stop
- Hana Highway overlook
As you head up out of the Honomanu Valley the views start coming thick and fast. First, you get a look back up the cliffside you just descended, with great views of the ribbon of tarmac that is the Hana Highway. As you crest the hill the vistas turn to the east and the Keanae Peninsular and the Nua‘ailua bay sweep into view. This is one of the most scenic parts of the highway. The Cliffs here are tall and overgrown however and the vegetation can block some views. However, tempting it is to hop a barrier to clear a better view this can lead to a very sudden close-up view of the bottom of the cliff!
Mile Marker 16 (+0.6) - Ke’anae Arboretum – Priority
We really like the Keanae Arboretum and the fact it is free really hikes it up above the Garden of Eden. While it lacks the Waterfall views there are lots of great tropical plants on show and you don’t feel as bad rushing through as you haven’t paid an entry fee. It still has the worry that this is not really the best time spent on your Hana adventure, but it is hard to recommend skipping such a nice free attraction.
Mile Marker 16 (+0.7) Ke’anae Peninsular – Must Stop
The Keanae Penisular is a real must-stop for several reasons. One it is stunningly beautiful. Two the lava rock juts out into the pacific and creates a really rugged shoreline that large breakers smash up against in dramatic fashion. You can look down the Lost Coastline and take in the stunning view including the Jurrasic Park Rock, and finally, this is the home of Aunty Sandy’s.
Whatever time you get here make sure you visit everyone’s favorite Aunty. This rustic little shack serves several food items but we are not really interested in anything but the banana bread! We reckon it is the best Banana Bread on the island and eaten still warm from baking while taking in the stunning peninsular is one of our favorite things to do on a Hana trip. It’s all about the little things.
Mile Marker 17 (-0.2) Chings Pond – Priority
Ching’s pond is a small and easily missed little pool right under the highway. It is often incredibly clear and deeper than most pools. The small waterfall and lush greenery make this a very nice stop to cool off. It is also Selfie Paradise and very Instagram-worthy! Locals use this pool for cliff diving, however, to do so requires Kahuna’s the size of churches. The only splash zone remotely deep enough for a safe landing is incredibly narrow and requires immense skill and bravery. Even if locals are present and showing you how it’s done, we still advise watching in awe rather than partaking in this near-ritual suicide!
Mile Marker 19 Wailua Valley State Wayside – Priority
An often missed Park that offers little but a nice elevated overlook that gives good views down over Wailua Village and more importantly inland and up through the Koolau Gap towards Haleakala. This is one of these rare exceptions and the landscape is seriously dramatic!
Mile Marker 19 (+0.2) - Wailua Village Overlook – Quick Stop
This pull-out just past the 19MM and Wailua Valley State Park gives even better views of the village valley floor below. You only need to spend 5 mins at each of the last there stops to get some really wonderful vistas in before the jungle closes around you and you lose this scale for a while.
Mile Marker 19.5 - Upper Waikani Falls (Three Bears) – Quick Stop
Three Bears is also one of the prettiest waterfalls you will see from the road. So you have to stop for a few minutes and take it in. Made up of three separate falls it is really quite beautiful. You can climb down and take a dip in the small pool if the water is steady, but we prefer Changs Pond and we just take in Waikani from the roadway. We should mention, this Stream is pretty prone to flooding, and when running hard, swimming is highly ill-advised!
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Mile Marker 22.5 – Pua’a Ka’a Falls – Priority
This State Park Wayside has basic restrooms in case the need arises, and it also has some very picturesque waterfalls. These are really nice Selfie spots and a great place to grab an Insta shot without much effort as they are right beside the highway. There are exciting hiking opportunities above these falls but these have been restricted in recent times.
Mile Marker 24 – Hanawi Falls – Quick Stop
Another quick stop for a wonderful waterfall, by now you may be tempted to start skipping waterfalls after all you will have seen quite a few. Hanawi is a nice falls, multi-tiered and if the flow is average has got a pool you can dip in, but it is passable to slow to a crawl to take this one in. Assuming you have your fill of Waterfall Photos by now.
Mile Marker 25 – Makapipi Falls – Quick Stop
Makapipi Falls is nothing but another waterfall, staggering in most places but on the Hana Highway just an average scenic waterfall. However, this fall is different in that it is visible from above. From the roadway, the water crashes straight down below you into a deep pool. Worth a quick stop as it makes a refreshing change of vantage point.
Mile Marker 27 – 31 Roadside Dining – Priority
Coconut Glen’s offers mind-blowing Vegan Ice Cream (Coconut Milk instead of cow’s milk). Glen’s Ice cream is ridiculously good!
At Nahiku Marketplace there is a huge selection of Food shacks from Island Chef’s local Seafood, BBQ Island Style Tacos, and Jens Tahi Food Stand. You can even Grab a chilled Coconut to wash it all down with!
Kahanu Gardens
Daily 9:00am – 3:30pm - Monday thru Saturday
Self Guided Tour (normal hours ): Adults – $18
Guided Tour (Wed and Fri 9:30 am) Adults – $30
650 Ulaino Rd, Hana, HI 96713
(808) 248-8912
Kahanu Garden is home to Piʻilanihale Heiau, believed to be the largest ancient structure in Polynesia.
Mile Marker 31 – Ulaino Road attractions – Priority
As you start getting into Hana a left-hand turn takes you down Ulaino Road. Here you will find a selection of attractions such as the airport, Hana lava Tubes, and the Kuhaha Garden and Pi’ilanihale Heiau.
This is also the location of the Blue Pools. These once-legendary Pools are now very much off-limits. Don’t even try.
Waianapanapa State Park
Daily 7:00am – 6:00pm
Admission Fee: $5/person, Parking Fee: $10
It appears that a reservation is required and it can only be made 1 month in advance. We need to pay $25 for the parking and the 3 visitors.
Take Highway 360 about 53 miles (3 hours) east of Kahului airport. Waiʻānapanapa State Park is at end of Waiʻānapanapa Road.
Mile Marker 32 – Wai’ānapanapa State Park – Must Stop
This is a "Destination stop" and time should be spent exploring the different attractions of the area. The Hiking Trails, Blow Hole, Sea Arch, tidal caverns, and the Legendary Princess Pool are all wonderful.
The Black Sand beach at Wai’ānapanapa is phenomenal. The Sand is made of tiny black pebbles that formed during an eruption. The Jet-Black Sand contrasts with the lush greenery to make for a location that is completely out of this world. If you were only to stop once on the whole journey this would be it!
NOTE: The mile markers have been increasing since the zero mile marker at the intersection of 36,360, and 365. They now change after mile marker 34 to mile marker 51 and start to count down as you travel to Kipahulu Visitor Center.
Mile Marker 51 (+0.8) – Haneoo Road – Detour Must Stop
This 1.6 Mile detour misses out on a dull part of the Hana Highway and replaces it with two stunning beaches and a really unique and tasty food stop!
Koki's HuliHuli Chicken – Must Stop
One of the best dining spots on the Island is Koki’s Huli Huli Chicken. If you are expecting a "Fine Dining Experience" think again, this is little more than a backyard hut. But in terms of a culinary experience, it’s right up there. Huli Huli refers to the turning of the chicken, which is a bit odd as if you didn’t turn it one side would be raw! The chicken is marinated in a rich Polynesian Style sauce and then cooked over an open fire, turned regularly which is referred to as a huli. The Smoke and the heat from the fire intensify the marinade and the chicken ends up out of this world! Like so many of the best things in life, it’s so simple but oh so delicious. Eating Huli Huli Chicken down by the ocean in the remote backwaters of Hana’s suburbs is one of Maui’s real pleasures.
Mile Marker 35 (+1.9) – Hamao Beach – Priority
The Hana Coastline is wild and rough as it is pounded by uninterrupted Pacific swells, as such almost all the beaches in the area are pretty poor for bathing. We constantly push people away from anything more than a quick dip. Finally, right on the far side of Hana do we get to a beach where you can really take a plunge.
Hamao Beach is a fantastic Bathing beach. The wide deep sand beach with moderate shore break is the perfect place to play around in the surf! The Sand is soft and deep and most free from rocks. It is soft Coral sand with a little black lava fleck thrown in giving a salt and pepper look to the beach. The Ocean is wonderful fun here. The shore break can be strong but most of the time the waves shoot up the beach and it’s perfect for playing around in. The area retains some of the lost world aesthetic that most Hana beaches have but actually works as a beach.
Mile Marker 45 (+0.2) – Wailua Falls – Quick Stop
Wailua Falls is one of the most striking roadsides falls and wonderful last stop before Kipahulu. While there is a pool below the falls for you to take a quick dip, most people hold off swimming in Oheo Gulch. This makes this a quick stop to stretch the legs and take in the beauty of the falls. The Twin level and narrow lush green valley, filled with vegetation, make this a real spectacle, and a taster of what is to come just a few miles up the road.
Mile Marker 42 – Kipahulu Visitor Center – Must Stop
Oheo Gulch – Pipiwai Trail – Waimoku Falls
If you have ventured this far past Hana it can only be for one reason and that is Kipahulu. The remote district of the Haleakala National park. Inside the park, there are a few sites of interest. A Hawaiian burial site, an interesting visitor center, and a small beach that has poor bathing conditions. There are a few short but scenic hiking trails.
But the main attractions are the Oheo Gulch and the Pipiwai Trail with its stunning waterfalls. One of our all-time favorite hikes on the Island. This 4-mile round trip hike takes in some seriously unique and wonderful landscapes as you track deep into the Hawaiian rainforest past prehistoric valleys, ancient trees, and consuming bamboo forests to reach one of the most picture-perfect waterfalls in the world. If the Road to Hana was a hike this is it. After every turn is another jaw-dropping spectacle, and the whole route is dripping with dense jungle and unmatched beauty.
