Road to Hana: 5 Must See Stops on Maui's "Divorce Highway"

Driving the back road to Hana or ‘the other road to Hana’ is the perfect way to get off-the-beaten path when exploring Maui. On the way you’ll encounter everything from black sand beaches to rolling countryside, making your experience unforgettable. The reverse route is for those looking to escape the traffic and throes of tourists that plague this road of hair pins tuns, unforgiving one-lane bridges, and frustrated locals (justifiably so). We stayed and started in Upcountry Maui, which is the ideal place to start your back road to Hana journey:

Here are my 5 Must See Stops on the (back) road to Hana:

1. Koki Beach and Koki's huli huli chicken hut. Open 11am-6pm (or whenever they feel like it) BUT they often run out before end of day. We got here too early to enjoy the tantalizing charcoal chickens BUT we did enjoy sharing the dark red sand of Koki Beach with no-one but a couple of local surfers

2. Wai’anapanapa State Park's Black Sand Beach. The Black Sand beach at Wai’anapanapa is a big draw for visitors. The juxtaposition of the bright green jungle opening up to the black pebble beach anchored by the glistening blue-green water might just have something to do with it

3. Upper Waikani Falls - An eden-like scene awaits after a slightly-slippery but easily-accessible trail right off the Road to Hana. Soak in the beauty of this gorgeous 70 foot triple waterfall, cascading into an ultra-clear plunge pool that's perfect for a refreshing swim!

4. Garden of Eden Arboretum - Going down in history as the background imagery in the opening of Jurassic Park, the site offers a labyrinth of walking trails, a bamboo alley (the one you see on every influencer's instagram), a century-old mango tree, stunning ocean views, rainbow eucalyptus trees, and incredibly friendly (and hungry) peacocks!

5. Ho’okipa lookout - past Paia on the Hana Highway, this epic lookout is the ideal spot to spy on surfers at sunset but don't be fooled by those boulders below, they're actually turtles!

Road to Hana Packing List:

• Swimsuit

• Towel

• Water shoes

• Dry change of clothes

• Water bottle

• Snacks

• Phone charger

• Map or list of mile markers (there is NO service for most of the trip)

• Toilet paper
  

Road to Hana Food Stops:

• Aunty Sandy’s Banana bread (8:30am-2:30pm) Driving the Hana Highway turn left after Mile Marker 16 on to the Keanae Road

• Coconut Glen’s Ice Cream at Mile Marker 27.5 on the Hana Highway, open 11am-5pm. Vegan ice cream made with local coconuts in a fun and delicious range of flavors

• Ka Haku Smoke Shack - 10 buck chicken plus free coconut at Mile Marker 10.2

• Jen’s Thai Food at Mile Marker 28

• Nutcharee’s Thai Food at Mile Marker 32.2