Oahu to Maui: Road to Hana Day Trip with Airfare & Lunch

4.70

(155 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing that hit me was the smell—wet earth and something sweet, maybe guava, drifting in through the van window as we left Kahului Airport. Our guide, Kaleo, had this way of pointing out things you’d never notice on your own—like how the light changes just before a rain shower on the Hana Highway. He slowed down near Pa'ia so we could see the old sugar mill ruins, but honestly I was already distracted by surfers at Hoʻokipa Beach Park throwing themselves into waves that looked way too big for comfort. The wind there is loud, almost like it’s laughing at you.

I didn’t expect the road to feel so alive. Every corner was another flash of green or sudden ocean blue—sometimes both at once. At Waiʻanapanapa State Park, we walked down to the black sand beach and I remember how the sand felt weirdly cool between my toes, not hot like I thought it’d be. There were kids climbing over lava rocks and someone playing ukulele somewhere up above us. Lunch was at Hana Farms—a little open-air spot where everything tasted like it had just been picked that morning. I tried breadfruit for the first time (not sure I loved it), but their pizza was really good.

Kaleo stopped at Puaʻa Kaʻa State Wayside Park so anyone who wanted could swim in a waterfall pool. The water was cold enough to make you gasp but after a minute I didn’t want to get out. On the drive back along the same road, everything looked different—shadows deeper, colors softer. We passed more bridges than I could count; some so narrow Kaleo joked about “Maui lane etiquette,” which apparently means waving at every single car you pass (I lost track). By then everyone in our group was quiet or dozing off except for one couple still arguing about whether they saw a mongoose or just a skinny cat near Hana.

I keep thinking about those moments when everything slowed down—the sound of water hitting rocks, or just watching mist move over jungle hills. It’s hard to explain why that sticks with me more than any photo could.