Halfway to Hana Mini Guide
Don’t be confused — driving all the way to Hana and staying for a few days can be peaceful and so relaxing! Truly a picture perfect Maui experience. However, sometimes a few full days on the east side can get in the way of other plans when you only have one day to spend exploring Road to Hana.
Instead of dragging yourself out of bed at 6 AM to be on the road — and hopping in and out of your car — for 10 hours, we recommend driving the Halfway to Hana route. You may even beat some of the all-day road tripper traffic!
This is what we suggest:
Start by grabbing coffee and breakfast, then making your way to Paia. Stop at Ho’okipa Beach to watch surfers and see lots of sea turtles (honu); park in the lower lot, and find honu towards the right side of the beach!
Next stop is Twin Falls for a nice hike/walk and swim if the upper falls are open! Enjoy all the flora — it’s really beautiful around there.
After Twin Falls, you can stop at Garden of Eden Arboretum or continue to Aunty’s Sandy’s (next stop); these gardens are a nice walk through native plants, and even a rainbow eucalyptus grove. This could be an optional stop depending on timing and how you’re feeling.
From the arboretum head towards Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread which is located at Ke’anae Peninsula; the water there is wild and beautiful! You must get some banana bread, of course, too.
Another optional: if you’re still hankering for something sweet after banana bread (or save the banana bread for later!), drive the additional 30 min to Coconut Glen’s for delicious coconut ice cream!
From there you can turn around and make your way back. This is also a good time probably because folks who are doing the entire RTH are still on their journey, so traffic may be a little lighter/faster!
Stop at Nuka for lunch/dinner — one of our favorite spots! Mostly Japanese food with some other menu items, like a delicious burger. Their karaage chicken, sushi rolls and miso eggplant are especially good!
Head back to your campground (we’d suggest Camp Olowalu) and enjoy a low key evening!! 🌺
When you need a break, pull over to one of the parks along the way and take a rest in your camper van. If you decide staying overnight at one of the Hana campgrounds is a better option, you can still use this guide for the first half of your trip!
