The Road to Hana is one of the most beautiful scenic drives in North America. Located on the island of Maui, traveling along this 52 mile road will expose you and your passengers to some of the most beautiful and amazing sites that nature has to offer. Although the island of Maui offers many tourist services that include a driver and guide to enable their visitors to sit back and relax and listen to the guide describe in detail all of the wondrous sites, this scenic drive is actually more fun and relaxing if you rent a car and are able to stop and go as you please. With approximately 56 one lane bridges and over 600 hairpin turns on the one way road that carries you towards the sites and sounds of black sand beaches, rainforests and many magnificent waterfalls, securing a convertible or a compact SUV with a removable canvas top for this day trip is definitely the best way to enjoy the ride.
The speed limit on the Road to Hana, also known as Hana Road or Route 360, is only 15 mph, so you would not need a powerhouse vehicle. What you will want is as open a view as you can get from a vehicle with nimble handling. However, both convertibles and compact SUV rentals are in high demand all year long in Hawaii and on the Island of Maui, so reserving yours as soon as possible can help to ensure that the vehicle you want for your scenic drive is available to you. Most people make the Road to Hana a day trip - it is a little over 2 hours to just drive through, but with so many things to see and do along the way you will want to allow a full day to experience it all. There is very little that matches the beauty of a sunset along the Road to Hana. The most popular rental vehicles in Hawaii and on the Island of Maui are the Chrysler Sebring convertible and the Jeep Wrangler. Both are agile vehicles that will conquer the curvaceous road with ease. The Sebring has ample room for 5 adults or 2 adults and 3 children.
The interior is well designed, comfortable and functional. Interior conveniences include air conditioning (should you want to put the top up and cool off, though the constant breeze usually makes this unnecessary) power steering, brakes and windows, and an a sound system with CD player. Many who have driven this road have purchased one of the many available CDs that describe the sites as you see them along the way. The more rugged Jeep Wrangler provides ample room for two adults and two children - adults may be uncomfortable for a long ride in the small rear seat. Air conditioning and a CD player are standard on most, if not all, Jeep Wranglers. Though the gas mileage is not as good with the Jeep Wrangler as it is with the Chrysler Sebring, the Jeep Wrangler seems to make the drive more of the outdoor adventure it truly is.
Once you have secured the appropriate rental vehicle, you will want to fuel up in Paia, as there are no gas stations between Paia and Hana. Be sure to pack your swim suits should the spontaneous urge to dive into one of the many beautiful waterfalls hits, or perhaps you might be more inclined to take a less adventurous dip in the ocean at the infamous Wai'Anapanpa Black Beach, which also features natural blow holes and freshwater caves just waiting to be admired and explored.
Although the Road to Hana is a very popular tourist attraction, the locals use this one lane road to get to and from their destinations and drive much faster than the majority of tourists. A few brave cyclists also ride bikes along the road and you will need to be prepared to meet a local, a cyclist or another tourist around any one of the many twists and turns along the way.
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