Van Life on the Road to Hana
Location: Road to Hana, Maui, Hawaii
Length of time: 4 days, 3 nights
In 2019, Charlie and I took our first “big” trip together. He had found a last-minute flight deal on Scott’s Cheap Flights, and we booked our entire trip within a few weeks. On this trip, we tested what soon became our favorite type of travel for the first time: roughing it for the first half and relaxing for the second half.
On this trip, we spent five nights in hotels or B&Bs (relaxing) and three nights in a campervan on the Road to Hana (roughing it). This blog post will cover our three nights on the Road to Hana, including where we stayed, what we ate, and what mistakes we made on our first major trip as a couple.
Why the Road to Hana?
At this point in our travel journey, we truthfully didn’t know much about unique destinations. We certainly didn’t have any idea our travels would take us to the Amalfi Coast or the jungles of Colombia. However, we did know about the Road to Hana. Considered one of the most beautiful roads in the world, our question was never, “Should we drive the Road to Hana?” It was always, “How can we make this last as long as humanly possible?”
A note about visiting Maui:
The wildfires that ravaged Maui in 2023 devastated the communities that welcomed us so thoroughly in 2019. When considering visiting Maui, it’s essential to consider how your actions and tourism may affect the people who live and rebuild there today.
Why van life?
When we went on this trip six years ago (just months before COVID), van life certainly existed but wasn’t nearly as popular as it is now. So, you might be asking, why would you want to stay in a van versus a hotel? The answer is that the Road to Hana is typically done in one day, and we wanted to extend our time there by utilizing campgrounds along the way. I’m not the best tent-camper, so finding a home on wheels was the best solution.
I will add that our van BARELY made it through the windy turns of the Road to Hana. If you also decide to rent a van, we recommend a more rugged and updated one than the one we had. If you aren’t considering camping along the Road to Hana, renting the smallest and most nimble car will be your best option.
Itinerary
Our biggest piece when prepping for your Road to Hana adventure is to download the GuideAlong the Road to Hana audio companion. This audioguide can be downloaded and used offline (since you won’t have any service on the Road to Hana). It follows you as you make your way through the journey. The guide will detail Maui's history and call out stops you can choose to follow. We cannot recommend this guide enough, and we wouldn’t have had nearly as good of a trip without it.
Note: This itinerary is for 4 days and 3 nights. Most people drive the Road to Hana in one day (or maybe two if they stay overnight in Hana, which we do recommend!). It is not possible to do everything on our itinerary in one day.
Don’t wanna read our entire itinerary? Here’s your tl;dr
Places to eat
Mama’s Fish House
Aunty Sandy’s
Thai Food by Pranee
Hana Ranch Restaurant & Store
Things to see
Maui’s Garden of Eden Arboretum
Ko'olau Forest Reserve
Waiʻānapanapa State Park
Haleakalā National Park
Hamoa Beach
The town of Haiku
Wailua Falls
So, let’s get into it! Here’s our itinerary for the four days and three nights we camped along the Road to Hana.
Day 1
On our first night in Maui, we stayed at a small hotel near the airport in Kaanapali. The following day, we headed over to Maui Adventure Vans to pick up our van for the week. We were given a conversion van from the 90s with a wooden board and mattress in the back and sent on our way.
Our first stop was in Pa'ia, the start of the Road to Hana. We snagged reservations for Mama’s Fish House, one of Maui's most famous restaurants. It was pricey, especially on our budgets at the time, but well worth it for the incredible view.
After Mama’s Fish House, we explored the shops around Pa'ia a bit before officially beginning the Road to Hana.
Within an hour of driving, we were immediately surrounded by the most beautiful scenery we had ever seen. The road narrowed, and we were driving up against the side of mountains and on one-way bridges. Once it became dusk, we knew we couldn’t drive any longer on the main road.
We ended up camping at “Camp Keʻanae,” now known as “Ke‘anae Uka” and, unfortunately, is no longer a functioning campground. While there, we set up string lights on our van and settled in for the night, facing the ocean.
Day 2
The next day, following our audio guide, we stopped at the Ko'olau Forest Reserve and walked around a bit to see some of the area's flora and fauna. We strolled through the Forest Reserve for a few hours before hopping back in the car.
Next, we arrived at Maui’s Garden of Eden Arboretum. This was a paid arboretum (which we were initially hesitant about) but contained some of the most stunning plant life I’ve ever seen. The ocean views here were incredible, and we felt it was well worth the price. Pro tip: Purchase bug spray before you enter! We got eaten alive here and had to buy some very overpriced bug spray while at the arboretum.
Continuing to drive, we next stopped along the side of the road to see some rainbow eucalyptus trees.
Around lunchtime, we arrived at a small town called Haiku. Here, we waited out a small storm (the waves were so big they were hitting the van) and grabbed some fresh, warm, banana bread from Aunty Sandy’s. We then stopped for some BBQ on the side of the road. You will find many vendors on the side of the Road to Hana, and I have to say that this was some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had.
Along the way, we listened to our audioguide and stopped whenever there was a chance of seeing a waterfall. Some stops were great, but others were either less exciting or difficult to park nearby.
Finally, we arrived in Hana! We grabbed dinner, drinks, and snacks at Hana Ranch Restaurant and Store, and headed to our next campground spot, Waiʻānapanapa State Park.
Day 3
On the final morning, we woke up before the crowds made it to Waiʻānapanapa and watched the sunrise over the black sand beaches. This morning ended up being the most special of the entire trip.
While at Waiʻānapanapa, we made friends with a wild pig who followed us around the beaches while we hiked. A note: the tide comes in FAST, so pay attention to rising water levels.
After the morning at Waiʻānapanapa, we stopped back in Hana for a quick lunch at Thai Food by Pranee, which we highly recommend for the view!
On the way back from along the Road to Hana, we stopped at our favorite beach of the trip: Hamoa Beach. This beach was an absolute dream, and we hung out for many hours here, eating some food we had picked up in Hana. We also stopped at Wailua Falls, the best waterfall accessible alongside the road.
📍 Hamoa Beach
📍 Wailua Falls
Oops!
It was at this point that we realized we made a critical error in our plan. Originally, we planned to spend the night near the top of Haleakalā National Park to see the sunrise. However, we didn’t realize that there are two entrances to Haleakalā, each at different ends of the Road to Hana. We reached the first entrance, and when we asked where the campground was, we were informed that the actual campground entrance was at the OTHER END of the Road to Hana.
Knowing this, we had to drive the rest of the Road to Hana and up to the top of Haleakalā in only a few hours and in the dark. This was not ideal and probably somewhat dangerous (due to the age of our van), but we made it up and were able to snag a camp spot. Pro tip: You need a reservation not only to camp but also to enter the park for the sunrise. Make sure you’ve accounted for both!
That morning, we saw the most beautiful sunrise of our lives and prayed our brakes would make it down (they did!).
Our thoughts on van life on the Road to Hana
We may be biased, but renting a van to see the Road to Hana is the best way to see as much as possible over a more extended period. Since the Road to Hana is commonly traveled in one day, extending the trip lets you take your time and savor the sights. Plus, you get to places before the crowds!
However, even if you aren’t extending the trip with a van, the Road to Hana is still one of, if not the, most beautiful roads we have ever driven on. We highly recommend it if you are in Maui—you won’t regret it!
