I absolutely love what I do for a living, but the only thing I’d rather do than work is wander with my camera through a new place. I prefer to not know where I’m going or what my entire plan is, and take each bend in the road as it comes. As much as I enjoyed all of Maui and the time I spent with my mom, my favorite day was the one spent on the Road to Hana–the remote highway on Maui’s eastern coast. It was a wild and crazy day full of surprises, waterfalls, and crazy climate changes. 

I debated writing a full step-by-step guide to the Road to Hana, but there are so many guides out there that I don’t think you quite need mine 🙂  rather than to add one more to the list I figured I would give you my top tips and then give the photos that will hopefully inspire you to make the trip on your own one day. After all, the best part of the trip is not knowing what lies ahead. 

-My top tip for anyone wanting to take this trip is to go early. We were concerned that by leaving at 6 AM we were going to hit a lot of traffic on our route, but we left at around 5:30 and hardly saw anyone else.
– Download the GypsyGuide Hana App (SUPER helpful and also amusing)
– Stop at Haleakala and Hike the Pipiwai Trail!
– Look for roadside stands along the route

– I’d recommend going the full way around, even though rental car companies will tell you not to. The road is definitely rough and bumpy, but if you drive carefully you’ll be fine, and you’ll get to see a whole new side of Maui!