We're driving the Road to Hana

Happy Wednesday to all my favorite road trippers,

If you follow along with our daily newsletter, then you know we’ve been up to some different stuff this week.

We – ✨ the content team ✨ – were challenged to each plan four different trips with a few set parameters, and we’ve been sharing them every day this week in the daily newsletter.

Monday was ‘la dolce vita’ in Italy, Tuesday was a trip around the world to Japan, and today we took on the Aloha State. (Tomorrow is still a surprise, but my friend Sam might have snuck a lil mini road trip in there for y’all — lemme know if you’d like a full version!)

Conveniently, we each planned a trip to different islands, so that’s three separate itineraries for a Hawaiian getaway.

And while you may not think of Hawaii when it comes to road trips, there are some very scenic drives across the different islands.

Maui is getting all the love today, though, because it was my island of choice — because it has a famous drive. 😏

So if you’re not the type to relax at the beach all week and prefer to get in the car and explore… this one’s for you! 🌴🚗💨

• 🌴 The Route Report: Maui’s must-drive routes

• 🤢 Roadside Assist: Motion sickness woes solved

• 😳 Pit Stop Poll: Are you up for one of these drives??

🌴 The Route Report: Maui’s must-drive routes

Anyone who does a quick Google while planning a trip to Maui will see two must-do items pop up in just about every blog, Reddit post, or trip planning site.

The Road to Hana and a trip to Haleakalā National Park.

Well, guess what, friends? Those require driving.

And since I specifically mentioned the Road to Hana in my Maui itinerary, it’s getting the lion's share of the attention today.

That doesn’t mean it’s the best... It’s just the one I obsessively researched for you. You’re welcome. 😏

Road to Hana

This is one of the things to do on Maui.

It’s a 64-mile drive that starts a little over 15 miles east of the Kahului airport and winds its way around the windward side of Maui toward the town of Hana.

This side of the island gets the northeast trade winds, meaning more moisture and rain – which makes for amazing waterfalls and lush rainforests – and a potentially challenging drive if the forecast changes quickly.

The road itself is paved – though narrow — and has over 600 curves and 59 one-lane bridges, so it is by no means a casual drive in the best conditions.

It’s technically just a 2.5-3 hour drive if you do it straight through, but the stops along the way are what this drive is known for, so plan for longer than that.

Many visitors plan to do it in one day, which makes for a looong 10-12-hour round trip, which is why my version of a Maui trip included a two-night stay in Hana to slow down and enjoy what the area has to offer.

Plus, this way you aren’t worried about beating traffic, afternoon rainstorms, and impending nightfall. 😳

If you are going to drive it in one day, commit to it. Full stop.

Get up early — like too early for a vacation early — and get on the road before 7 am to avoid the tours and traffic, snag parking spots at stops along the way, and budget enough time to make it back before dark.

But seriously, there are too many worthwhile stops for me to recommend rushing this route, y’all.

There’s Hoʻokipa Beach Park for surfing and sea turtles and Twin Falls for an easy walk to waterfalls.

Detour to Keʻanae Peninsula for coastal views of waves crashing on the black lava rocks below – plus a famous slice of banana bread at Aunty Sandy’s.

Right after mile marker 19, you’ll see Upper Waikani Falls, a trio of waterfalls visible from the road, that you can pull over and visit — if you can find parking.

And the popular black sand beach at Waiʻānapanapa State Park, which requires advanced reservations ($5/person + $10/vehicle for non-residents), is also along this route.

Frankly, there’s so much to see and do that I can’t do it justice in a newsletter. I’d highly recommend downloading an audio guide for your drive, like Shaka Guide (a paid guide that has tons of rave reviews) or a free version like this one.

The official end of the Road to Hana is the quiet coastal town that gives the drive its name and offers a more authentic look at old Hawaii before the high-rises and resorts moved in.

Personally, I think Hana is worth a couple of nights to slow down and appreciate your surroundings and explore at a more intentional pace – which is why I planned my trip that way. 😉

The 64-mile end I quoted you, though, continues past Hana to the Kīpahulu District of Haleakalā National Park.

This is actually only one half of Maui’s national park – it’s divided into two distinct districts that are not connected via roads– and is home to the 'Ohe'o Pools and Pīpīwai Trail, a four-mile loop to the 400 ft Waimoku Falls.

At this point, you can turn around and head back towards Kahului or stay in Hana as suggested.

A word to the wise

The Piʻilani Highway technically continues around the back side of the island, extending the Road to Hana into a full loop, but it is not a drive I’d recommend here.

• It's a challenging and remote 1.5-2-hour drive

• It’s unpaved and frequently washed out

• There’s no cell service or gas stations

• And tow trucks and emergency services will take a long time to get to you and will be expensive.

And if that doesn’t seal the deal, almost every rental company explicitly prohibits driving this section.

So, be smart and head back so you can do another drive later during your trip. 😊

Haleakalā Summit Drive

As I mentioned, Haleakalā National Park is divided into two districts. And they aren’t connected. So don’t make the mistake of trying to pair a visit to the Haleakalā summit with the Road to Hana.

This is a drive for another day. Or morning if you’re ambitious enough to a) get up early enough to make it to the summit by sunrise and b) snag the required sunrise reservation. 🫠

If waking up before 3 am on vacation sounds like your personal version of torture, driving up later in the day allows you to sleep in and requires no reservation. Plus, a sunset drive could pair with some amazing stargazing at the summit.

The drive itself is 2-2.5 hours from Kahului, Wailea, or Lahaina, but be sure to fill up before you go because there are no gas stations — or provisions — in the park.

You’ll climb over 10,000 ft as you drive up to the summit, so be sure to layer up and pack a legitimate jacket — particularly for freezing cold early morning visits — because you’ll be leaving the tropical island temps far behind.

Once at the summit, though, you’ll be treated to sweeping views of the surrounding crater and sunrises and sunsets above a blanket of clouds.

The route is well-paved, but it does feature numerous switchbacks and lacks continuous guardrails, making it a daunting drive in the dark or in heavy fog or cloud cover.

But it’s generally regarded as easier than the Road to Hana. 😉

And if you’re still itching for more after these two, there’s Honoapiʻilani Highway (Hwy 30) through Lahaina along the west coast that’s an easy paved drive.

🛑 But be very, very sure to turn back after a stop at Nakalele Blowhole to avoid continuing down Kahekili Highway (State Route 340), a drive that’s known to be the most dangerous in Maui and expressly prohibited by most rental car agencies. 😳

🤢 Roadside Assist: Motion sickness woes solved

These drives are incredibly scenic — and intimidating — and can also be motion-sickness-inducing with the curves, switchbacks, and constant looking out the window.

If you’re one of the lucky ones to have had the unfortunate experience that is motion sickness, you’re not alone… Hi, welcome to the puke-y kids club — I saved you a seat. 🤢

I learned a loooong time ago that I have to sit up, look out the front window, and have airflow on my face when the road starts to get winding. And absolutely NO reading in the car. 🙅‍♀️

Which is fine until you need to look at your phone and navigate from the passenger seat.

I mentioned my woes to a friend last year, and he shared a tip that has honestly made my reading-induced motion sickness largely disappear. It’s like magic. And it’s not Bonine.

Apple's Vehicle Motion Cues (iOS/iPadOS)

If you’ve got an iPhone or iPad, as I do, then you’re in luck.

ICYMI, Apple introduced Vehicle Motion Cues in iOS 18 a few years ago, an accessibility feature that reduces motion sickness when using an iPhone or iPad while moving in a vehicle.

It functions as little dots on the edges of your screen that mimic how the vehicle is moving, without interfering with what you're doing on the device.

I’m not a scientist or app developer, but my understanding is that it’s supposed to fix "sensory conflict" — when your inner ear feels the car moving but your eyes see a static screen — by giving your eyes something that matches what your body is feeling.

All I know is that it works. I’ve used it in many a car ride.

And it seems to work any time you’re locomoting, whether that’s on trains, subways, or in planes when they’re taxiing (or experience turbulence 🫣) — it actually even works in the cupholder of a stroller on a walk too. 😂

The dots were a tiny bit annoying at first, but after I got used to them, I was just happy I didn’t feel like I was going to toss my cookies when the road got rough.

Here’s how to set them up if you’re a fellow sufferer and have an iOS device:

• Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad

• Tap Accessibility, then tap Motion

• Tap Vehicle Motion Cues

• Tap an option — choosing "Automatic" makes the dots appear whenever the device detects you're in a moving vehicle

You can also just toggle them on/off manually in the Control Center — but I’m too lazy for that and don’t want to risk turning them on too late.

The latest iOS update even lets you customize their size, spacing, motion, and color — because motion sickness prevention should be cute. 💅

Unfortunately, Android users don’t have a comparable built-in feature yet. So sorry, my nauseous friends. 😔

Anywhooo, hope that helps some of y’all out… cause it might come in handy on some of those drives!

😳 Pit Stop Poll: Are you up for one of these drives??

Today was a little different since we tied into the main Daily Drop newsletter, so you’ll want to check there for the points and miles take on how to get to this road trip destination.

And if you’ve done one of these drives, I’d love to hear some details! 👀

A hui hou (until we meet again) 🤙

Katie Begnoche
Writer, Daily Drop
29.7604° N , 95.3698° W

With contributions by April Wilson.