Advice - Maui

[kadellis]

Traveling on POA in May, docking in Kahului. We really want to do the OLL, but found that we won't be able to if we do Road to Hana, as time just doesn't allow (we will have a rental car). So I was wondering if we take the day and travel towards Lahaina, can we travel the coast, and is it as scenic and nice as RTH. Trying to decide if we should ditch the OLL and do the RTH, and just do the Lu'au offered by the ship in Kaui. Advice? Thank you so much!

[pspercy]

Personally I think the Hana drive is over rated; yes, it's a pretty drive on a narrow twisty road and was likely an adventure when parts weren't paved but nowadays it's fine. I think I prefer to drive up Haleakala and also take in "upcountry".

 

For a real white knuckle drive, try going from Kahalui/Wailuku around far west Maui to Kapalua:

http://www.mauimagazine.net/Maui-Magazine/May-June-2009/Kahakuloa-Journey/

http://www.hawaiihighways.com/photos-Kahekili-Hwy.htm

 

http://revver.com/video/475613/071013-27-keeping-my-eyes-on-kahekili-highway/

(Video from motorcycle).

[Sherette7769]

Do you have two days on Maui? If so, have you considered doing the OLL on the first night and then Hana the next day?

[Giantfan13]

RTH is best done on day one, if you are there overnight. It's a trip that can have complications so do not trust getting back to your ship on time. Most likely you will, but most here recommend doing the RTH on day one.

[Cash123]

Traveling on POA in May, docking in Kahului. We really want to do the OLL, but found that we won't be able to if we do Road to Hana, as time just doesn't allow (we will have a rental car). So I was wondering if we take the day and travel towards Lahaina, can we travel the coast, and is it as scenic and nice as RTH. Trying to decide if we should ditch the OLL and do the RTH, and just do the Lu'au offered by the ship in Kaui. Advice? Thank you so much!

 

Why do you not think you will have time to do the OLL, we have a car for the 2 days and plan on doing the RTH in the morning and hopefully get back to the ship around 1.30pm for some lunch and then leave for the OLL around 4-4.30pm to get there around 5.30pm.

[smrtypnts]

Why do you not think you will have time to do the OLL, we have a car for the 2 days and plan on doing the RTH in the morning and hopefully get back to the ship around 1.30pm for some lunch and then leave for the OLL around 4-4.30pm to get there around 5.30pm.

I've been thinking about this same dilemna and from everything I've read, and advice of CC members everyone says it takes the entire day to do RTH. Maybe you plan to turn around before the halfway mark, cuz I can't imagine returning to the ship around 1:30.....again--from what I've read, I felt I wouldn't be back to the ship until 5 or 6 and later if i run into some sort of traffic jam.

[Cash123]

I've been thinking about this same dilemna and from everything I've read, and advice of CC members everyone says it takes the entire day to do RTH. Maybe you plan to turn around before the halfway mark, cuz I can't imagine returning to the ship around 1:30.....again--from what I've read, I felt I wouldn't be back to the ship until 5 or 6 and later if i run into some sort of traffic jam.

 

yes from reading some of the posts a few people say that doing half the trip is enough and that should take around 3-4 hours so that would give us plenty of time to get back for some lunch before setting out to the OLL, we were thinking of doing a luau at paradise cove on Oahu but it seems the OLL gets the best reviews and we wouldnt have had time to fit everything in, by doing the OLL it frees up some time. plus it wil give us something to do in the evening other than being on board.

[pspercy]

An alternative in Lahaina to OLL, tho' not outdoors, is Ulalena:

http://www.ulalena.com/

 

It's very good.

[Giantfan13]

yes from reading some of the posts a few people say that doing half the trip is enough and that should take around 3-4 hours so that would give us plenty of time to get back for some lunch before setting out to the OLL, we were thinking of doing a luau at paradise cove on Oahu but it seems the OLL gets the best reviews and we wouldnt have had time to fit everything in, by doing the OLL it frees up some time. plus it wil give us something to do in the evening other than being on board.

 

Cash

 

I know you didn't ask, but to just spend a couple of hours on the RTH is missing the entire beauty of the road. Remember that if you drive 2 hours onto the road, you will need 2 hours to return. There are so mnay just beautiful things to see and do along the road. it is not just a car trip, but a sort of adventure. there are short hikes along the way, places to stop and grab a snack or a meal. There are many picture stops and many many other things to do. Why rush it just to get back to eat lunch??

When We did the RTH we never made it all the way to Hana because we found so many wonderful places to stop and just enjoy things. You simply cannot rush thru Hawaii.

I can guarantee that 2 hours is just not enough time to see or do the RTH.

[Cash123]

Cash

 

I know you didn't ask, but to just spend a couple of hours on the RTH is missing the entire beauty of the road. Remember that if you drive 2 hours onto the road, you will need 2 hours to return. There are so mnay just beautiful things to see and do along the road. it is not just a car trip, but a sort of adventure. there are short hikes along the way, places to stop and grab a snack or a meal. There are many picture stops and many many other things to do. Why rush it just to get back to eat lunch??

When We did the RTH we never made it all the way to Hana because we found so many wonderful places to stop and just enjoy things. You simply cannot rush thru Hawaii.

I can guarantee that 2 hours is just not enough time to see or do the RTH.

 

Trust you to put a spanner in the works LOL, as others have said theres just not enough time to do everything we want, I take your point about cutting short the RTH trip just so we can get back and have lunch, we might compromise and allow say 6 hours which hopefully will allow us to see a large part of the route and the beautiful scenery, and yet there are some postings on another thread that say the RTH is over-rated and they wouldnt bother doing it at all !!!.

 

We are meeting up with our freinds who are coming with us tomorrow so hopefully we can sort out what we want to do, but the most important thing is that we need to make time on the monday to play a round of golf LOL

[kadellis]

Thank you all for your thoughts on this. I have been away from the boards for several days, and just getting to review everyone's helpful comments. We are still considering doing TRH on the second day, but leaving really early, like 5 or 6 in the morning and going about 3 hours down the road, then turn back. I am assuming the most direct way back is the way there? No alternate routes to take back that are shorter? Thanks again everyone!

[Giantfan13]

Thank you all for your thoughts on this. I have been away from the boards for several days, and just getting to review everyone's helpful comments. We are still considering doing TRH on the second day, but leaving really early, like 5 or 6 in the morning and going about 3 hours down the road, then turn back. I am assuming the most direct way back is the way there? No alternate routes to take back that are shorter? Thanks again everyone!

 

Unless you go all the way to Hana, and do the circle island route, the only way back is the way you came. Same curvy roads, same one lane bridges, jsut a different look as you will see the other side of what you saw before.

 

Cheers

 

 

Len

[sceptic]

If you actually leave around 6 AM you will find the road essentially deserted. You can get quite far along the road, and I would suggest figuring out where you want to stop beforehand, via the Maui Revealed book or similar guide.

 

Here's an oddity: Be aware that 3 hours of driving out will not result in a 3 hour return trip. it will take longer coming back, thanks to much more traffic (and the fact you're driving on the outside... it does tend to slow one down a little bit). Heck, you can quite easily get to Hana in 3 hours if you leave at 6 AM.

[kadellis]

Good tips on the return trip! Considering just driving straight down, then making stops on the way back, and when we are close to 1:00 pm, just not make anymore stops. Is it true that you need to be on the ship 2 hours before departure from the Islands? So, if the ship leaves at 6:00, we need to be back on it by 4:00? In all the cruises I have been on, we always board the ship 30 minutes prior to departures. Thanks again for all the good advise!

[smrtypnts]

Good tips on the return trip! Considering just driving straight down, then making stops on the way back, and when we are close to 1:00 pm, just not make anymore stops. Is it true that you need to be on the ship 2 hours before departure from the Islands? So, if the ship leaves at 6:00, we need to be back on it by 4:00? In all the cruises I have been on, we always board the ship 30 minutes prior to departures. Thanks again for all the good advise!

30 mins prior is the same for PoA NCL. You may have ready 2 hours, but that is for embarkation day only.

[pamlh1]

Trust you to put a spanner in the works LOL, as others have said theres just not enough time to do everything we want, I take your point about cutting short the RTH trip just so we can get back and have lunch, we might compromise and allow say 6 hours which hopefully will allow us to see a large part of the route and the beautiful scenery, and yet there are some postings on another thread that say the RTH is over-rated and they wouldnt bother doing it at all !!!.

 

We are meeting up with our freinds who are coming with us tomorrow so hopefully we can sort out what we want to do, but the most important thing is that we need to make time on the monday to play a round of golf LOL

 

 

My son and family did RTH a few years ago while staying on Maui.we are all going back for a cruise in July and he said the one thing we should and needed to do was RTH. He said it is not to be missed. It's the journey not the destination.

[born2cruize]

30 mins prior is the same for PoA NCL. You may have ready 2 hours, but that is for embarkation day only.

 

The two hours embarkation time is for processing you paperwork not on board time. You can do the embarkation stuff at noon then leave and explore Oahu and not return to board the ship until 7:30.