East/Hana
The Road to Hana is one of the famous drives that most visitors will take, either driving it themselves or in a commercial tour van. The trip is just over 50 miles from Central Maui, but usually takes about three hours, longer if you allow time for ag stops, waterfalls, parks and views. Warning: There is no gas for sale between Paia and Hana. Warning #2: The signs that claim to be the ³last² food before Hana are usually inaccurate, but you should be prepared because sometimes they are right. Pick up food
and water, gas up the car, and get comfortable. Drive slowly enough for safety, and watch for places to get out of the way of those who are not taking in the views and want to move at a faster pace. It¹s a good idea to start early. So you may want to have breakfast in Paia,then pick up snacks and lunch at Mana Foods grocery store or one of the cafés around the intersection of Baldwin and Hana Highway.

After the pineapples and sugar give way to increasingly lush forests, for ag-tourists, there are many places to visit both public and private, most of them just by the roadside. Some of the stops are easy strolls in sloping forest land and planted arboretums, others are more adventurous and more demanding. You be the judge of your own abilities as you choose your stops.
Twin Falls, one of the earliest marked stops, has a smoothie stand that sells local fruits at the entrance. Then stroll in dry weather or a challenging walk when it is wet to the falls themselves. The swimming is good, and picnicking is permitted. However, if Hana is your destination, this is probably too soon for lunch. Also, if you want to take time to enjoy the sights and ag sites, you should book at least
one overnight stay in Hana. Otherwise, you¹re sure to find yourself saying that you don¹t have time to linger or stop in places that will be calling to you.

On the way, you¹ll find many waterfalls in wet weather, fewer in dry times, a bamboo forest (suggesting what some consider a future ag product/crop of Maui), and some of the most interesting forested wild lands in America. At KeOanae, there is an arboretum on the mauka (toward the mountain) side of the road, and a Hawaiian farming community on a peninsula on the makai (toward the sea) side. KeOanae could be a stop of a few hours if you have the time to see banana farms and traditional taro patches (called loOi), rocky coasts where cast-net and pole fishing provides dinner for a major portion of the population and where opihi (limpets) are harvested from the rocks.

By this point, the Hana ³Highway² is dotted with roadside stands offering tropical flowers, fruits and, in a few, prepared foods. Wailua peninsula, a little further east, is not so rich agriculturally, but is a beautiful hamlet with a very famous ³miracle" church made ofstorm-delivered coral blocks.

Nahiku is the next major peninsula jutting into the sea, and it still has evidence of a surprising ag history. Rubber trees were planted here in the hope of starting a rubber industry in Hawaii. The weather was too wet to
produce good quality rubber so the operation was abandoned in 1912, but the peninsula was changed and greatly enhanced by the effort which left rubber trees everywhere, even along the road.

As you approach the town of Hana, you'll find the Heavenly Hana Fruit Stand, a must-do on your list of stops. A great place to pick up some lunch is at the “Up in Smoke BBQ”, located right next to the Nahiku Ti Gallery. There you can shop for some locally made arts and crafts and enjoy grilled and smoked local fish kabobs, kalua pig sandwiches and baked breadfruit.
At mile marker 31 turn left onto Ulaino Rd. and go 1/3 mile to Ka`eleku Caverns. It’s the best volcanic show cave in the world and now offers self guided tours mon.-thurs. for only $11.95 ea. Signs and handrails lead you through the cavern and explain all the formations. You’re given huge lights to really bring the incredible cave formations to light. The passage through is huge and the trails easy. Check out their website for more details at www.mauicave.com or call them at 248-7308.

A bit further down Ulaino Rd. you’ll come to the “Hana Maui Botanical Gardens at Kaia Ranch. It’s a really nice setting to enjoy your picnic lunch. Still further down the road you’ll come to the Kahanu Garden. They’re offering self guided tours to see the Pi`ilanihali Heiau ( the largest in the state) and learn about culturally important plants. You can reach them at 248-8912 for more info.

The road to Hana is only a small part of the adventure. Many folks in Hana have built wonderful businesses to lure you here and keep you for a day or two. If they seem to show an extra amount of Aloha, it’s because they aren’t swamped with tourists and really appreciate everyone who comes.

Back on the Hana highway, heading south, a left turn takes you to the Hana Airport. IF you call ahead you might book a flight with Armin from Hang Gliding Maui. He’ll take you up in his powered hang glider (very safe) for a view of the hana coast that’s astounding! Phone him at 572-6557 for reservations. Next you’ll pass by the Heavenly Hana Inn, a gorgeous place to spend a couple nights. Check out their website at www.heavenlyhanainn.com, or phone them at 248-8442. Of course, there’s also the Hotel Hana Maui right past Hana Bay. They’ve got restaurants, pools, and tennis courts and an incredible spa! Phone them at 248-8211 for reservations or just stop by. There’s also “The Hana Coast Gallery, featuring original cultural island art and master crafts at the Hotel. There’s also the Puamelia Salon.

For a complete list of accommodations, stop by the Hasegawa General Store and pick up their “Hana Visitors Guide”. You can also pick up justabout anything else you’d ever need there also, from sunscreen to barbed wire fencing supplies.You can kayak at Hana Bay by arranging a charter with “Hana Maui Sea Sports”. Kevin can take you kayaking and snorkeling both on the same trip out. Call him at 264-9566 or 248-7711. Or you can sign up for a “Hana Ranch Ecotour” by phoning 248-7711.

Tour the highlands above Hana Ranch in the comfort of a Mercedes Benz UNIMOG Safari vehicle and view breathtaking vistas of Alau Island and Hana town. His “sunrise” tour is amazing. If you’d like to tour the Hana coast by horseback, call “The Hana Ranch Stables” at 248-8211. Shop for souvenirs at “Hana Treasures” right in the heart of Hana town across from the post office.