Is there any way to get to Nakalele Blowhole & Olivine Pools w/o the "forbidden road"

[cruisin'sz]

My question says it all - we want to see these sites but have read time and again that rental car companies void their agreements if you take their cars there (I tried calling Avis and National based on a previous poster's response and was told I could not take the car there). Question is, is there any other way to see these sites or do I just have to negate my car rental contract to do so? Also, does it make sense to turn around before the one lane road, or will that be an issue because then I'll be on the outside lane? Thanks again for all your help!!

[jerseyjk]

I still don't believe it will necessarily void your rental agreement. You should do more research before you give up.

 

To answer your question, the Nekele blowhole is right about at the start of or right before the one lane road section if memory serves. You could turn around and go back from this point without too much problem. The olivine pools on the other hand are quite a ways into the "forbidden" road and can only be accessed by driving the adventurous road. Once you're that far, you might as well keep going around the horn (so to speak).

[cruisin'sz]

Thanks for all your input - No, we're not giving up yet, I'd just rather do it all by the book if I have a choice.

[dawndelion]

The part of the road to the blowhole is not bad, and definitely worth the trip. There were a lot of cars there. The blow hole was cool because it was big and you could walk down to it and get sprayed - unlike others that you can only view from above behind a railing. The road past the hole to the olivine pools is much more hairy, so maybe make that judgment call when you get there.

[Rada_CMH]

No problem with the road at all to both the blowhole and the olivine pools - no unpaved sections if you drive it from LAHAINA and go back to Lahaina once you've reached the olivine pools. We expected the road to be much worse based on the Revealed books but it was fine - much better than the road between Hana and the Seven Sacred pools. Go for it and enjoy those spectacular views!

 

Once again I want to emphasize that we drove from Lahaina and back. If you want to drive from Kahului, then you may have some issues, so I would recommend that you go from Kahului to Lahaina using the cross-island road and then do the west coast from Lahaina. It will not take you very long and you will be on good roads all the way so no issues with rental companies.

 

Rada

[rubinstein2r]

The problem is not with the paving, it is with the width and the visibility. The first part eastbound from Lahaina isn't bad and I was feeling pretty confident. It is as you get closer to Kahalui that the road narrrows and becomes a series of blind switchbacks. I am all for fun, thrills and exploration but feel strongly (based on experience just this past week) that this road should NOT be a legal two way road. It is unsafe and I wouldn't ride or drive it again.

 

--My_AZ

[beachchick]

My question says it all - we want to see these sites but have read time and again that rental car companies void their agreements if you take their cars there (I tried calling Avis and National based on a previous poster's response and was told I could not take the car there). Question is' date=' is there any other way to see these sites or do I just have to negate my car rental contract to do so? Also, does it make sense to turn around before the one lane road, or will that be an issue because then I'll be on the outside lane? Thanks again for all your help!![/quote']

 

Hmph. I wasn't sure about National, but I'm positive that Avis didn't have the restriction. OTOH, that rental with Avis would have been almost 3 years ago. Rules and restrictions can change any time. Guess they must have decided that there were too many liability issues (and drivers who really, really shouldn't be on the part of the road around the north-east).

 

As others have mentioned, getting to the blowhole is not a huge challenge. However, the pools are on the first section that's pretty narrow, although it is paved. You'd only be on the "forbidden" part for maybe 1 to 2 miles. It is winding, it is narrow, and you really have to pay attention, but it is not like the sections further along. Once you get to the pools, you'd want to backtrack to the west coast, rather than continuing on to Kahului.

 

beachchick