Maui

We have done the road to Hana but were on Maui for 3 days. The ride up is a 2 lane road with one lane bridge every other turn unless they have been able to widen that road. It has been several years since we were in that area. I would never attempt it Porting in Lahaina.

We have done the road to Hana but were on Maui for 3 days. The ride up is a 2 lane road with one lane bridge every other turn unless they have been able to widen that road. It has been several years since we were in that area. I would never attempt it Porting in Lahaina.

You can have your day as busy or light as you’d like, but in terms of “attempting it” you have the time to pull it off from Lahaina with extra time as insurance. We live just north of Lahaina and can get all the way around at a good clip, stopping along the way to see things briefly, in about 7-8 hours. You should build in some time as you will be hitting some traffic coming back into Lahaina in the late afternoon. But to make a 9:30pm tender? You’ve got plenty of time for the drive.

It is possible. When we drive it we usually leave around 9:30-10am stopping in Paia for a late breakfast. You can be in Hana for a late lunch. We then continue all the way around and you can be back to the airport around 6-7pm. This leave time for some stops but not much.

 

When I take visiting friends on the drive we will usually stop in Paia for about 20-30 min, Hana for about 30, the Seven Sacred Pools for about 30-45 min, and then continue to drive the way around without much of a stop beyond a quick photo op or the general store that’s on the back side. Optional substitute would be the lava caves. You’ll have enough time not to rush but don’t dawdle.

 

Whatever you do, don’t drive to Hana and then turn around and drive the same way back in reverse. Keep going all the way around- it’s extremely beautiful.

We do have to add that each person should decide if such a long drive in a car is right for them or not. Granted, you will see a lot, but most of it will be from a car window. It just seems a visit to Maui should be more than hours and hours of driving.

Our problem next March, we are only in Port until 6 PM and since we have been to Lahaina and the Islands 4 times now, most recently in 2014 during our Transpacific and 12 day Hawaii back to Seattle, this cruise will be more to relax. Daughter will be here for a visit in May so she & I will go over our stops and finalize our plans. Lahaina is a beautiful area to sight see and enjoy coming back.:)

We do have to add that each person should decide if such a long drive in a car is right for them or not. Granted, you will see a lot, but most of it will be from a car window. It just seems a visit to Maui should be more than hours and hours of driving.

I feel the same way...don’t see too much of our island from a car.

It’s true that what works for one person may not be best for someone else & that’s why I’ll share experiences without telling anyone what they should do.

I feel differently about driving along the barren southern landscape of an isolated section of Maui...done it a couple of times with visitors & it wasn’t a “must see” for us. And be cautious about the weather because heavy rainfall creates slides & erosion that blocks roads in many areas. If missing the ship & the next stop is Ensenada before returning to the Mainland that’s an expensive flight & fine for violating the PVSA regulation.

The Road to Hana is a wonderful experience. We have done it twice both on land based vacations. Yes you can turn around halfway but the big payoff for us was the black sand beach at the end. Also keep in mind that the driver has to concentrate so hard on the hair pin turns that they will miss a lot of the scenery. I often wonder if my husband would have enjoyed it more on a bus tour. Also keep in mind your driving skills. We got into a traffic jam once and the issue was a woman totally froze behind the wheel of the car due to the drop offs scaring her. So...no real advice except it is worthwhile but maybe not something to plan for a day you have to get back to a ship.

Let's do the math here. Just because the ship supposedly arrives at 8 a.m. does not mean tender operations will start immediately. Those on the ship's tours will tender first. It is up to the Harbormaster how long your ride will take. We have come right in sometimes and other times we had to hold outside the harbor until there was space/timing for us to get to the dock (Lahaina is a small harbor). After that you have to get to the car rental agency. When you get on the road, you will need about 45 minutes to get to Kahului (where Hana Highway begins). The following schedule is from a tourmaui.com website and will give you an idea of timing from there. Remember to add about another hour to get from Kahului back to the car agency in Lahaina plus time to get to the tender dock. From what we read, your ship leaves at 10 p.m., so the last tender would obviously be well before that. No opinions. Just a FYI for consideration. Last thought - how late is your car rental company open in Lahaina? You may have to return the car before they close.

 

The schedule we mentioned:

 

5 hours one way. 7 to 9 hours round trip from Kahului depending on stops. Drive to Hana and back – 10 to 12 hours depending on stops and finding a place for lunch or a picnic. Drive all the way around (do the loop) – 10-12 hours with more stops but less time at them.

 

 

Celebrity Cruises Adventure to Hana is a 9:30 Hours tour, it's available only in overnight stop at Lahaina