The long and windy Road to Hana on Maui, is one of the most breathtaking drives anywhere. The road is about fifty two miles in length, including over 617 curves and 56 one lane bridges.

You can make the adventurous drive on your own, but why not leave the trip to the experts. I highly recommend Valley Isle Excursions. They are by far, the top luxury tour operator on Maui.

Valley Isle Excursions operates 12 passenger luxury mini-coaches. Their air-conditioned vans have 12 captain’s chairs, 2 on each side of the isle. These comfortable seats provide large, 40″ vertical viewing windows to easily take in all the beauty that Maui has to offer.

On the Road to Hana, there are numerous stops along the way for passengers to take time and embrace the beauty that is Maui. You get a continental Hawaiian breakfast, picnic lunch, as well as snacks and sodas throughout the day.

Your tour to Hana will truly be a memorable one. Your drive will pass pineapple and sugar cane fields, spectacular cliffs, dense bamboo jungles, breezy Eucalyptus groves, brilliant tropical flowers and incredible waterfalls. The postcard-perfect panoramas appear untouched for hundreds of years.

Valley Isle Excursions allows you to enjoy the informative, narrated tour on the famous Road to Hana. Our tour guide and narrator was a kind gentleman named Iwi. He had a great sense of humor and was very knowledgeable about Hawaiian culture and its rich history.

Driving along the northern coast of Maui presents numerous views of the rugged and scenic coastline. Sheer cliffs, crashing ocean waves and lush tropical vegetation are a feast for the eyes. This makes your Road to Hana trip even more enjoyable.

One enjoyable stop is at the world famous Black Sand Beach or locally known as Waianapanapa Beach. The Black Sand Beach is actually composed of small, water-rounded pebbles. Black Sand Beach is located in the midst of the beautiful 120-acre Waianapanapa State Park. Situated among black lava cliffs and framed by tropical flora, Waianapanapa Beach is quite a sight. Take time to walk along the trail, looking down at crashing waves and jagged cliffs, plus several impressive blow holes.

It was time for lunch and we stopped at a local park for a relaxing picnic lunch of chicken, rice, green salad, macaroni salad, bread rolls and dessert.

The most popular stop was The Seven Pools of O’heo or better known as the Seven Sacred Pools. The Pools of O’heo are a series of cascading waterfalls and tranquil pools that descend through the O’heo Gulch and flows into the nearby Pacific Ocean. The Pipiwai Streams feed these amazing waterfalls and numerous pools starting 2 miles inland. We spent about an hour swimming in the pools and walking along the trail offering incredible views.

Another interesting stop is to the grave site of aviator Charles Lindbergh. Lindbergh flew the first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, from Roosevelt Field on Long Island to Le Bourget Field in Paris in the Spirit of St. Louis plane.

Charles Lindbergh, nicknamed the “Lone Eagle”, spent his final years on Maui, where he died of lymphoma in 1974. Lindbergh was buried on the grounds of the Palapala Ho’omau Church in Kipahulu.

For wine enthusiasts, you will visit Hawaii’s oldest winery, which is located nearby Haleakala volcano. Taste a variety of Maui’s fine wines, walk around the picnic area and visit the gift shop for some souvenirs.

As you continue along the eastern and southern side of Maui, you have the mighty Haleakala volcano looming over off your right-side. The landscape becomes more barren of vegetation, but that’s what numerous volcanic eruptions over the years will do.

What’s obvious is that Valley Isle Excursions definitely knows where all the best scenic spots are, both to visit … as well as capture wonderful pictures. Their drivers are highly skilled and trained. Although the road is windy and carries a lot of traffic, we always felt safe and could solely focus on the beautiful Road to Hana scenery.

There are many Maui tour companies available but what sets Valley Isle Excursions apart from the competition is their knowledge of the road, the weather, and how to spot the best opportunity for their quests. Tours are adjusted on a daily basis (as needed) to give customers the highest value stops they can.

Thanks Valley Isle Excursions, for an unforgettable trip to “Heavenly Hana.” The tour was absolutely fabulous!

Valley Isle Excursions
(877) 871- 5224
Email: tour@tourmaui.com

Paradise and Hawaii are synonymous. The chain of Pacific Islands is one of the most beautiful spots on earth. Maui has often been described as the best island in the world, and I tend to agree. If you do go, what are some best things to see and do on Maui? Well you can spend your laid back Hawaiian vacation sipping pool side drinks, but your trip will be much more meaningful if you take in the unique, local sights.

For 12 years in a row, Maui was named the Best Island in the World by Conde Nast Traveler, and the folks there know a thing or two about top travel destinations. In fact, Maui has also been named the Top Travel Destination by Conde Nast Travel voters.

What is it about Maui that makes it the best island in the Pacific Rim, and perhaps the top vacation spot in the world? Besides the obvious natural beauty characteristic of all Hawaiian islands, Maui has the added benefit of perfect travel weather, Upcountry agriculture for fresh homegrown produce, and more children and family activities than any other Hawaiian island. Add in award-winning restaurants, lodgings that range from the most eco-friendly to top luxury resorts, world-class golf courses, upscale shopping, galleries featuring local artists, and of course the best snorkel and scuba sites anywhere – any tourist can see that Maui is in a class by itself. Tourists have great vacations without leaving their hotel grounds, simply relaxing by the pool or ocean. However, to get a real flavor of this perfect South Pacific island, a more interesting vacation can be had by exploring your surrounds.

What are the best things to see and do on Maui?

– Maui was formed by two adjacent volcanoes, and today the two peaks are joined by a long, lush valley (hence its moniker, “The Valley Isle”). The East Maui volcano is Haleakala, and the West Maui volcano, is Kahoolawe.

– Iao Valley, between them but closer to Kahoolawe, is like a land from another time – it takes little to imagine seeing a pterodactyl soar by, or perhaps hobbits puttering about. For tourists who like to geocache, and who travel with their handheld GPS devices, there is also a tricky geocache here. The Iao Needle is a goal for many tourists in the Iao Valley; I like the walk and hike along the way just as much.

– The Whalers Village Museum in Lahaina is a fun family place to see on West Maui, especially if you like the natural history element of museums. Lahaina as a town has many, many family vacation ideals, and during peak travel season the town is crawling with kids.

– If you want to spend as much of your Maui vacation outdoors as you can, the petroglyphs in Olowalu are interesting; this area is not well traveled, it’s a genuinely remote part of Maui. Children won’t like the hike, but adults like the closeness and accessibility of the petroglyphs. Please respect the area as a monument to Hawaiian history (it’s depressing to see a little “modern” graffiti scattered on the cliffs here).

– Haleakala is much bigger, and more impressive than Kahoolawe. It takes about 2 hours to drive to the peak of Haleakala, and when the elevation gets to the tree line, the temperature actually drops a full degree every yard or so. Haleakala provides a spectacular vista, and during peak tourist seasons can get pretty crowded. I recommend getting up early to see the sunrise from Haleakala; most people on vacation choose to sleep later, so it might not be as crowded, plus the 360 degree view is unforgettable. Further, by 1:00 in the afternoon, clouds settle into the crater, so that visitors can’t get a clear view all the way down.

– A popular, favorite tourist attraction is in fact a day trip: The Road to Hana is worth the car rental. Leave early in the morning and plan for many scenic stops along the way. The giant waterfalls and preserved rain forest of Hana make it the best way I can imagine having to be in a car while on vacation. The road to Hana is curvy and not well maintained, with 54 bridges (pace yourself – they’re all photo-worthy) and a multitude of waterfalls and rainbows.

– My favorite stops along the road to Hana are the town of Paia (for the best packed lunch to picnic along the way), Kula (the Upcountry’s farmland), the ‘Ohe’o Gulch (7 Sacred Pools – amazing) and Wailua Falls. Take your time on the road to Hana, please; there are some sweet little local artist communities and many other stops along the way that make it all about the trip as well as the destination.

– The Maui Ocean Center in Ma’alaea Harbor is roughly In between the towns of Kihei and Lahaina. The Maui Ocean Center has hammerhead sharks, sea turtles (they’re returned to the Pacific upon reaching adulthood), and other local marine life on exhibit. This was a great trip for my younger child, who was too little to get the hang of snorkeling.

– The most upscale resorts are found along the loveliest stretch of shoreline in Maui, in Wailea. Great snorkeling in Wailea is had by simply wading in and starting. Giant sea turtles relax along the naturally formed jetties in Wailea, and dolphins seem to get a kick out of putting on a free show for Wailea visitors.

– The best snorkeling and scuba diving isn’t right off the beaches of Wailea in Maui, however; reserve a spot on a boat to take you 25 minutes out to Molokini. Molokini is an uninhabited, extinct volcano, pure lava rock with a bird sanctuary above. Because there is no sand, just coral reefs and lava rock, the water stays as clear as glass. Molokini is most quickly gotten to from The Maui Prince Hotel in Makena, just to the east of Wailea. On one boat trip back from Molokini, we saw two humpback whales breaching maybe 20 yards off the boat’s starboard bow. It rocked the boat, of course, and was an unforgettable, moving experience.

Anyone can have a nice vacation in Maui by spending a week on the resort grounds, swimming in the pool and sipping fruity drinks. But you can do this anywhere (with the right weather). Maui has so much more to offer than just luxury all-inclusive resorts and hotels. Your memories of your vacation in Maui will be richer and deeper, if you venture off the resort property and soak up the local culture, history, and nature.

Maui is the best island and the top travel destination in the world for a reason, and that’s not for the pool side drinks alone. My favorite vacation island in the world might be yours, too, when you do and see some of the great things on Maui.