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How long is the drive from Hana toward the Piilani Hwy?

Ruth

By Ruth,
in Hawaii

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Ruth

Ruth

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How long is the drive from Hana toward the Piilani Hwy and passed Ukupakaku on Hwy 31 to Hwy 311 back to Kahului?...We are going to start in Kahului to Hana and then all the way around the east side of the island...plan to make stops along the way!!!!

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Ruth

Ruth

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Thanks for the information...we are going to do the whole thing in one day..From the Port to Hana....and around the south side...Back up to the Port again...I figure we will be in about dark....I plan to take water, food, snacks, wear bathsuit under my clothes, a change of clothes, camera, and lots of energy. It will be a long day...But I already told my husband we wouldn't make it back for dinner that night...So we will be prepared for the worst.

I am sure it will be a wonderful experience. Look forward to it.

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breeding

breeding

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We were at the shell station to get our CD and map about 10:00 and made it to the black rock beach by 2:00. We continued on going right through Hana and got to the seven sacred pools at 3:00. The girls played in the pools for about 30 minutes and we continued on the forbidden road. We had heard about the non-pavement, the bumpiness, the very narrow road with steep banks but no one told us about how much it was like a rollercoaster. The girls loved it. We ended up getting to the winery by 4:58, which they closed at 5:00 but she let us in to taste some wines. That is a fun little stop that I wish we had more time to check out. We were back at the Lahina / Wialea intersection at 6:00

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worldsbestcandles

worldsbestcandles

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I thought I would ask here.... On our second day in port (Lahaina) we were thinking of taking our rental car (renting a car on day 1) and getting up really to go see the sunrise up on the crater, drive back down and start our drive around to Hana and all the way around and return the rental car in Lahaina and get back to the pier in time for a 6pm sailaway? Any thoughts?

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sceptic

sceptic

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wbc, although it is technically feasible, it will make for a very long day - especially for the driver. It does involve leaving Lahaina at 3:30 or earlier to make it to the summit. Then the road to Hana, then O'heo Gulch, then the back side, then down from the upcountry and into the late afternoon traffic from before Kahului all the way to Lahaina. And yes, there is rush hour on Maui.

 

To me, the most negative thing about this itinerary is: you'll always be checking your watch. Am I staying too long at this waterfall? Do we have time to see the beach/town/shoreline? You'll be checking the mileage back to some point. You'll worry about the traffic. And so on. It doesn't lend itself to a fun and restful day (btw, when I did this exact itinerary I was staying for a long time on Maui and didn't have the time constraint of a departing cruise ship.)

 

My advice - if the forecast is for a clear sunrise at the summit, do it. Then enjoy the great vistas at the summit for a while, then go lay on a beach somewhere - maybe Kihei, maybe Makena, maybe up to Kapalua. Far more enjoyable than clockwatching all day.

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worldsbestcandles

worldsbestcandles

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we're not beach people... we don't like the water and don't want to layout at all... I know that sounds awful, but we're not. We really want to see as much of the island as we can. We weren't planning on stopping at every single waterfall, but wanted to see the black and red sand beaches and a few other places... not to say that we don't understand the beauty that is Hawaii, it's just that we don't like to spend time doing nothing on a beach, we like to walk, drive, take pictures, etc....

 

We were thinking that if we are going to drive to Hana, we might as well keep going around rather than turn and come back, or is that the wrong assumption?

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rjscott

rjscott

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Although I love the water, I am not a "beach bum" either. We usually snorkel for a bit in the A.M., but then we too like to do some sightseeing or be a bit more active in some other way. That said, I agree that your plan to do the sunrise on Haleakela and Road to Hana is a bit too ambitious. Although I loved seeing the sunrise from the summit, if I had to choose, I'd choose the Road to Hana as my activity for the day. We didn't make even close to all the "recommended" stops on the CD guide, but we did stop at a few and stopped a the state park (with the black sand beach) for lunch. We didn't stop in Hana at all, but did stop at Lindbergh's grave and Oheo gulch for a bit. We did take the southern route all the way back, and I'm glad we did as it is such a different landscape. Hope this helps! :)

 

Becki

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spleen93

spleen93

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And I would agree as well that while technically possible, I wouldn't recommend it. It's a very exhausting trip you're talking about. Kick back and relax! It's a vacation, not an enforced march. ;)

 

Spleen

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sceptic

sceptic

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wbc, if you're going all the way to O'heo Gulch then going the southern route is a bit faster. It's quite different with a LOT less traffic, but also with lousier driving conditions.

 

Whether the Hana highway/southern loop is better than spending the day at Haleakala/upcountry is a matter of taste. Both are remarkably different, both are memorable. The views from the summit are truly breathtaking, and there are many terrific hikes both there and farther down the mountain.

 

The Hana Highway is, well... the road to Hana. It's a journey rather than a destination.

 

To me, the sunrise from the summit is an "event." Seeing the vast crater sloping down to the clouds is one of the great sights in Hawaii.

 

This really isn't a Hobson's Choice. Either option will be fantastic. I envy the fact you have to make this sort of decision!

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worldsbestcandles

worldsbestcandles

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Thanks for the info. I thought that since we would be up on the crater for sunruse (being about 6 something AM in October) it would put us on the road to Hana earlier than others and therefore could get a little ahead of the game on traffic heading out to Hana. If we weren't to do the sunruse at the top of the crater, we would probably not start as early as it would still be somewhat hazy and I would like a clearer view for that (most of the tourbooks recommend that you're on the road by 8am).

 

We are doing the ziplining on our first day there and should be done about 3pm. Could we do any part like maybe head south past the crater and hit O'heo Gulch on Satruday night (we're not doing hte luau) and then start from port and head to Hana and back on the North road on Sunday morning?

 

Sorry to ask so many questions.... I know much more about Oahu, just none of the other isalnds.... Thanks!

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Ruth

Ruth

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I hope you dig this thread up after your trip and left us know how it worked out. :cool:

We are on the NCL Pride of America July 30th...we are renting a car for 2 days...My husband and I are planning to drive the whole loop to Hana then south and back to port...If we don't make it back by dark....maybe we will stop and spend the night...We plan to take sandwishes and snacks, water etc...I will write online about this trip...I enjoy the research before a trip and return with letters about the trip....

All the Best

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worldsbestcandles

worldsbestcandles

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I hope you dig this thread up after your trip and left us know how it worked out. :cool:

 

 

Not sure who you were referring to here, but I haven't planned anything, I'm here asking questions. I know how easy it is to go around Oahu in a 3-4 of hours and that's why I'm asking about Maui because I haven't been there.

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spleen93

spleen93

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3 pm is WAY too late to do anything with the Road. I would reserve the Road for its own day - trust us, it'll make planning and your days easier. 3 pm is a good time to hit the beach and watch a sunset, IMHO. :)

 

Spleen

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worldsbestcandles

worldsbestcandles

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WBC, perhaps you could do Iao Needle after your ziplining. It is not a huge commitment of time and it is a really lovely spot, with some easy hikes. Ck out this website: http://www.hawaiiweb.com/maui/html/sites/iao_valley_state_park.html

 

Thanks! I've read about that area and we wanted to go there anyways. I appreciate your help!

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beachguy

beachguy

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Thanks for the info. I thought that since we would be up on the crater for sunruse (being about 6 something AM in October) it would put us on the road to Hana earlier than others and therefore could get a little ahead of the game on traffic heading out to Hana. If we weren't to do the sunruse at the top of the crater, we would probably not start as early as it would still be somewhat hazy and I would like a clearer view for that (most of the tourbooks recommend that you're on the road by 8am).

 

We are doing the ziplining on our first day there and should be done about 3pm. Could we do any part like maybe head south past the crater and hit O'heo Gulch on Satruday night (we're not doing hte luau) and then start from port and head to Hana and back on the North road on Sunday morning?

 

Sorry to ask so many questions.... I know much more about Oahu, just none of the other isalnds.... Thanks!

 

I'm afraid you are being far too optimistic with your time estimates from Haleakala. Assuming that you drive up in the dark, watch the sunrise, stay for 5 minutes, and then head straight down with no stops to take in the scenery, you are still looking at about 1-1/2 hours from the summit to the start of the road to Hana. I can't imagine going up to the summit and then dismissing the beauty of the entire mountain area. There are several stopping points for different views of the crater, as well as amazing views of coasts.

 

I know you are doing ziplining, which I assume is on Haleakala (I'm sorry, but I'm just not clear on how ziplining works there). It may include lots of views of the crater, etc., but I can't imagine it would give you any real time to take it in and just marvel at it all. Of course, it's entirely up to you.

 

I agree with Spleen 100% (aloha Spleen:)) about 3 pm being far too late to attempt a drive around the south side. You don't want to be driving back on the difficult parts of the road at night. It's just not a good idea, IMO. In fact, the road to Hana (from Kahului) is best done in daylight. These are not easy drives.

 

The other thing, and again it's your choice of course, is that it seems like you will be cramming every minute with go here, then go there, then there and there, etc. I know the tempation--my first visit to Hawaii my DH (who had spent a lot of time there on business) had to practically tie me down and say, "honey, there's no way you can see and do it all in one trip"--and we were on Maui for a week. Even though you aren't beach people (and that's certainly fine), there are places you can go to just hang loose a little bit and relax. I can't tell you the number of visitors I've seen during our visits who are trying to do it all--they look exhausted and frazzled, rather than relaxed and happy. Again, this is all IMO.

 

The two things that you should really consider are (1) with the Haleakala sunrise you will still be getting on the road to Hana around the same time as the majority of people and (2) under no circumstances should you try to drive the south side at night. I can only recommend that you decide which things are most important to you and go from there. Personally, I think your itinerary is very agressive, activity wise.

 

Have a great time whatever you decide to do.

 

beachchick

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beachguy

beachguy

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Because Hawaii is closer to the equator the sunrise/sunset (oh,oh...song cue) doesn't change all that much. I'd say around 7 for summer and around 6 for winter for sunset, and 6 for summer and 7 for winter for sunrise. (This is based on experience, not verifiable fact.) For August 1, plan on 7 pm for sunset. (Anyone know if Farmer's Almanac has a website? If so, it might list the times accurately.)

 

Hey Spleen, we're going through withdrawal here. I need some real pineapple (we ate ours up) and are really missing ono and opakapaka. We live in a coastal fishing area with great fish, but I gotta tell you, we're hooked on fish that just don't like our cold waters...come to think of it, we're not fond of swimming in the local water either. Brrr!

 

beachchick

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