The Hana Highway - Maui

Here's a lesson for all of us:

DON'T BE AN IDIOT (like me). Pay ATTENTION (unlike me) to your guidebook when it tells you to GET SOMEWHERE BEFORE THE HORDES (which I didn't).

The Hana Highway is the perfect example of this. We gently ignored the Lonely Planet suggestion of getting up with the sunrise. What a mistake. Doing this (ignoring said advice) will put you on a one-lane highway to halfway-hell with American tourists up the wazoo. 

And there's the point, this side of Maui is gorgeous. Some might be a little disappointed, in fact, to find Maui in general a little dry. The beaches are marvelous, yes. The rugged interior of the island is impressive once you're up in the cloud forest, yes. But the rest of the island is (as is to be expected, really, despite what our imaginations have told us) volcanic and dry. Also, Maui is developed enough to have lost quite a bit of it's romantic island getaway ideal. But this side of Maui, the Hana side, is gorgeous and does deserve the right attention.

The right attention, however, is not traipsing behind families of 7 to a waterfall so visited that it seems nearly artificial. No, no, no. The right attention is not being so annoyed that by the time you get towards the end of the highway, towards black sand coves, lava tubes and Hana itself, you're already tired and, because you are dreading the road back, thinking of starting back asap just to get it over with. 

So here is our no-bullshit advice:

• Pay attention to the guidebook and GO EARLY. 
• Also, if you really want to enjoy this side of Maui, we recommend the 4WD vehicle.
• And, lastly, it might be a good idea to book a nights accomodation towards the end of the highway (Hana, perhaps?) so you can go slow and fully explore and enjoy this beautiful side of Maui. There is a pretty nice camping area at the Wai'anapanapa State Park.

The Pineapple Inn - Maui

If you're a Hawaii regular, you already know that a rental car is an absolute must. But for the newcomers, this news supposes another important implication. You can stay whereEVER you want!! You're going to be driving to the various sights, beaches, waterfalls that mark your personal itinerary no matter what. And so, in that spirit, and in the spirit of both affordable and non-massive/intrusive hotel properties, we recommend the Pineapple Inn near the south shore of Maui.

For around 150 dollars a night (a pretty damn good price for Maui) you can enjoy this little inn set above the town of Kihei. Each room has a lanai (little terrace) all to itself and a kitchenette. The rooms are beautifully decorated, well-stocked for breakfast (bagels, muffins, juices, coffee and tea, yogurts and some fruit) and very, very clean. The bathrooms are perfect. The pool is small but clean and is set in a gorgeous communal garden area. The jacuzzi is also top-notch, and, here, you won't have to share it with hordes of children or 4 other couples. On our stay, we had it to ourselves each night. They also provide a bbq, which, if you're interested in grilling up some of that famous Hawaiian pineapple at the Pineapple Inn, works marvelously...

The drawbacks:

1. You can hear the traffic from the road below, especially from the pool/garden area. If you're incredibly sensitive to this...think again. 
2. If you don't like the breakfast food on offer, you're pretty much stuck buying your own.
   

You can find more information on their website: pineappleinnmaui.com and also via the ample user reviews on Tripadvisor.com