Beauty Along the Road

by Tamara Rice of The Rice Paper

Now that I’ve spilled the beans on Maui’s Seven Sacred Pools, I should probably explain one of the most talked-about Maui attractions, which is the road you’ll take to get there: The Road to Hana.

Love it or hate it, it’s a memorable drive. Recently Maui reopened the more user-friendly freeway of the island (it suffered terrible damage during an earthquake and was shut down for far too long). However, the Road to Hana is a sight to behold and–provided you are not prone to car-sickness–makes for a great excursion.

When we braved the drive in a rental car–because what else would we be driving in Maui–my husband was designated the driver, our most-likely-to-lose-his-lunch friend got the other front seat, and my girlfriend and I were stuck in the back. Was it a long drive? Yes. Did it make our friend sitting shotgun want to puke? Yes. But did we have fun?

I think it depends on who you ask.

One thing we all agreed on: It was beautiful. Some of the most beautiful waterfalls and shores and jungles I’ve ever seen.

So, if you think you’d like to brave the road next time you’re on Maui, check out the five best tip lists for driving the Road to Hana before you do.

The Winding Road to Hana

1. Paradise-Found-in-Maui.com’s fabulous Road to Hana tip list.

2. What Maui’s rental car folks at AlohaRents.com want you to know about the drive, given you might be in one of their cars.

3. A tip list from the people at MauiInformationGuide.com, along with a great list of landmarks along the way.

4. A list with tons of user feedback from the award-winning site GoVisitHawaii.com.

5. Last but not least, tips and landmark notes from Hawaiilogue.com.

Photos by Tamara Rice and Wiedz (Flickr.com)