Maui Road to Hana

This attraction is MOTIONSICK TO HANA. Whether you are driving yourselves in a small car or especially in a tour bus where you are stuck on the excursion for around 10 hours, you will almost certainly be taking dramamine until you pass out. Don't let the others sugarcoat this one... skip it it's bad! You will see your share of tropical scenery (black sand beaches, waterfalls, rainforests...you name it) on the next stop in Hilo so you are not missing anything. Our group rated this a pathetic 4 out of 10.

 

Park yourself at a beach such as Ka'anapali and relax and take in the beautiful scenery with the mountains in the background. No hassle and still marvelously beautiful Maui!

 

Also, It takes 4-5 minutes to go a single mile on this road. Keep that in mind.

Maybe I was an extreme case. By MM16, the road took it's toll on me and I think the rest of the group too. Let's just say the port-o-jons back at Twin Falls were a lifesaver. :P

 

There is beautiful scenery on the road sure... but as someone who is not even prone to motion sickness, it hit in spades. Go into this road thinking you will get sick and make every preparation you can to avoid it if you do try Road to Hana.

My wife is very susceptible to all types of motion sickness & even as a kid got it on a swing set and she's been a passenger several times with me on the RTH without having motion sickness.

She also has felt motion on a ship at the pier so in addition to being very susceptible to motion sickness I think there is amother factor. It appears that the power of suggestion can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. ;) Instead of taking Dramamine she takes meclizine (much less expensive generic Bonine or Dramamine Less Drowsy) which rarely causes sleepiness for her as a preventive. Bus rides are worse for her & why she asks others on the tour if she can be at the front of the bus which affects her less.

As you can read others feel similarly to me and just because of your bad experience not everyone (including those who are very susceptible to motion sickness) will get it on the RTH. :) Being prepared is a good idea but not to suggest it's like a wild rollercoaster ride for everyone & sorry that it affected you so much. We're not trying to sugarcoat anything but scaring others by telling them to skip it because of your experience seems extreme to me. :rolleyes: Many people enjoy the RTH & have a much different experience that you. :)

Maybe I was an extreme case. By MM16, the road took it's toll on me and I think the rest of the group too. Let's just say the port-o-jons back at Twin Falls were a lifesaver. :P

 

There is beautiful scenery on the road sure... but as someone who is not even prone to motion sickness, it hit in spades. Go into this road thinking you will get sick and make every preparation you can to avoid it if you do try Road to Hana.

You do make a good point, if you have passengers susceptible to motion sickness they may have difficulties due to all the twists and turns.

Another thing to consider is if you have issues with heights. In 2007 I drove the road with my sister in the back seat and she closed her eyes in some areas due to the drop offs near the road. She still had a good time though. :)

I would do it as a tour.

Keith

The Road to Hana is overrated and I would waste my time on it.

There are far better things to spend your time doing in Maui versus spending an entire day in a car.

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You have to enjoy the passion and finality of some of the responses here. :)

You have to enjoy the passion and finality of some of the responses here. :)

I agree & attempt to only share experiences without saying what is best for anyone else because there is rarely a "correct" answer for everyone. ;)

If you are the type of person who loves to make a trip to see the Grand Canyon or a trip to Yellowstone Park, you should enjoy the Road to Hana.

But if you are the type of person who enjoys spending the day in the casino, eating a leisurely lunch at a 4 star restaurant or just spending the day sunbathing on the beach, then the road to Hana is not for you.

If you are the type of person who loves to make a trip to see the Grand Canyon or a trip to Yellowstone Park, you should enjoy the Road to Hana.

 

But if you are the type of person who enjoys spending the day in the casino, eating a leisurely lunch at a 4 star restaurant or just spending the day sunbathing on the beach, then the road to Hana is not for you.

I am one who enjoys all of the above, at some time or other.;). To me, the Road to Hana is not about whether or not it is a worthwhile tour. It is more about the tradeoffs you must make in order to do the trip. Unless, as others have noted, you have the luxury of several days in Maui, time becomes a precious commodity, and there is so much to see and do. So, you have to ask yourself, if you have only one or two days, do you really want to devote all or half of it to doing only ONE thing?

With a rental car and an early start, and if one chooses to do something other than RTH, is possible to take in several different things on Maui depending on the time spent at each, including the drive up Haleakala, Lahaina, Kaanapali Beach, IAO to name a few. I have difficulty giving up all that for the sake of one very long, time consuming trip to Hana and back.

I am one who enjoys all of the above, at some time or other.;). To me, the Road to Hana is not about whether or not it is a worthwhile tour. It is more about the tradeoffs you must make in order to do the trip. Unless, as others have noted, you have the luxury of several days in Maui, time becomes a precious commodity, and there is so much to see and do. So, you have to ask yourself, if you have only one or two days, do you really want to devote all or half of it to doing only ONE thing?

 

With a rental car and an early start, and if one chooses to do something other than RTH, is possible to take in several different things on Maui depending on the time spent at each, including the drive up Haleakala, Lahaina, Kaanapali Beach, IAO to name a few. I have difficulty giving up all that for the sake of one very long, time consuming trip to Hana and back.

Exactly.

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If you are the type of person who loves to make a trip to see the Grand Canyon or a trip to Yellowstone Park, you should enjoy the Road to Hana.

 

But if you are the type of person who enjoys spending the day in the casino, eating a leisurely lunch at a 4 star restaurant or just spending the day sunbathing on the beach, then the road to Hana is not for you.

This is EXACTLY true.

The RTH is NOT overrated, it is exciting. But that was for us. We loved every minute of it with myself doing all the driving. We stopped when we wanted, we hiked a few paths, we picnicked out and we spent a nice amount of time at Wai’anapanapa State Park. You simply cannot do this on ANY tour. Yes it may be more relaxing, but it depends what you are looking for. If you want to just sit back an look out a window or do you want to DIY. We found the great part of the RTH was the thrill of driving it ourselves and we loved every minute of it.

check out this site for what the RTH offers.

http://www.prideofmaui.com/blog/activities/top-10-places-stop-road-hana.html

Cheers

Len

We just did the RTH with a tour group today and absolutely loved it. Even our ten year old son, who I thought would be bored to tears, enjoyed it. (Although truth be told, I did let him play his DS during the last hour.) We used Valley Isle excursions and were very very pleased. There were only eight of us on the bus and the driver was amazing. I am so glad that we went with a local expert who could share so much information with us.

With that said however, it really depends on your personal tastes and preferences. My husband and I both wanted to see the scenery instead of being the one who drove, so a tour group was best for us. Our guide timed things perfectly- she gave us just enough time to visit at each place, but other people might want the flexibility of spending more time at some places and less at others.

I think having a window seat is very important on this trip. I would much rather have a window seat in a car than be sitting on an aisle or inside seat on a bus or van.

I've driven the Road to Hana several times. I've seen plenty, what is the benefit for me, is the ability to stop where and when I choose. An example, I've enjoyed a lava tube walk, found Lindbergh's

 

Both options are excellent, depending on YOUR choices. :)

We have also done the RTH several times and have always enjoyed the trip. On our last trip we found Lindbergh's grave and it was simply majestic. You really feel like you are at the end of the world, and was very peaceful. It can be a bit difficult to find, so get directions and don't be shy asking anyone that you might see.:D

Which car rental company did you use in Lahaina? Did they have pick up at the ship?

Thanks

A lot of on here have used Discount Hawaii Car Rental. You can choose which company, if you have a favorite, and choose your own vehicle if you want something special like a Mustang or Jeep, or you can let the site pick the cheapest option. They all send shuttles to the ship and will take you back when you return the car at the end of the day.

Have fun! :)

ETA: Apologies. I just looked at their website and it appears to have changed since we booked with them. I'm not sure if you can use them if your pick up location is Lahaina. Maybe someone else can chime in. Again, so sorry!

Just returned from Pride of America cruise week commencing 8 August and we rented a convertible for the day through Discount Hawaii Car Rental (Alamo). Shuttle from Kahului port to airport and my brother loved the challenge of the RTH drive. We went straight to Oheo Gulch and then made some stops on the way back and still had time to drive up to the summit of Haleakala and return the car a bit after dark as the ship overnights in Maui.