Explore Maui Without Depleting Your Savings

My husband and I sat in the timeshare, wondering where to begin. The days laid before us as opportunities, but where to start befuddled our minds. Randy and I had traveled extensively but never to Hawaii. We knew we wanted to explore the island but were at a loss how to begin.

My strategy on any trip is to grab all the brochures advertising excitement and spread them on the bed as a kaleidoscope of possibilities. In the beginning, I was a tourist looking for adventure, so multiple pamphlets with colorful photos and bold headlines were spread across the mattress, promising adventure. Caught up in the enthusiasm, I read about helicopter rides, snorkeling, and yoga classes.

Then the elimination process began. Randy prefers to avoid heights, so I nixed the helicopter; I hate putting my head underwater, so snorkeling is a no-go. Sure, we could go our separate ways and meet up at the end of the day, but after 40 years of marriage, we realize we would miss sitting on the balcony, drinking margaritas, and reliving the day’s experiences together. We travel as conjoined twins who are inseparable and like it that way.

Once the pile of brochures dwindled to a manageable number of choices, I switched roles from tourist to accountant, knowing I would have to balance the books and pay the bills when our escape from reality ended. So, activities that would require us to get a second job when we got home become relegated to the circular file.

I laid on my back, propped by two pillows, and explored the details of the tour titled Road to Hana, sponsored by Dynamic Tour Maui.

Overview: Hit the world-famous road to Hana during the full-day sightseeing tour of this byway’s lush farms, scenic overlooks, and rich Hawaiian history. Try to keep your jaw from dropping as you proceed along this iconic north-Maui route, passing postcard-perfect scenery at Wai’anapanapa State Park, Ho’okipa Beach Park, and Waikani Falls. Continue on to Ke’anae, a historic Hawaiian hamlet known for its fisherman and photo-worthy atmosphere and see the final resting place of aviator Charles Lindbergh.

A guide, round-trip hotel transport, and lunch are all included. Take the ‘path less-traveled’ on this scenic exploration of the famous road to Hana See the lesser-known sights along this celebrated Maui Road Enjoy postcard-perfect views at scenic spots Snap photos of the fishermen in the historic Hawaiian hamlet of Ke’anae from $209.99

What To Expect Itinerary

Stop At: Safeway Be able to grab a cup of coffee and grab whatever supplies are needed for the Adventure Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Hana Highway — Road to Hana 64 miles of the most scenic coastal tour in the world. With 640 turns and curves, 59 single lane bridges made from concrete and steel which was built in early 1900’s make this journey more adventurous.

Duration: 10 hours

Though this sounded enticing, the total price of $420.00 sent a shudder up my spine. At this rate, we would have to sell the house when we got home to pay for the trip. I did the math, and we would be paying $42.00 an hour to ride in a vehicle packed with other tourists for 10 hours. Applying my adulting skills, I continued searching and discovered an app that orchestrated a self-guided tour for the low, one-time price of $10.00, a $410.00 saving.

The next morning, we packed a lunch of cheese, crackers, deli meats, grapes, and fruit juice and headed out on our personal adventure. It didn’t take long to appreciate this decision. We drove without distractions from strangers, talked without eavesdroppers, stopped where we wanted for as long as we desired, and had all the advantages of a tour guide with the ability to mute the sound whenever we wished.

The tour began when the soothing voice of a male said, “Aloha and welcome to the Hana Highway.” He explained that the app senses the driver’s location and shared a map of progress with a blue dot on the map charting our movements. When we approached an interesting sight, an audio message provided more information, including pictures, to supplement the dialogue. There were 71 points of interest and if at any time we wanted to explore an area, we simply parked on the side of the road and moved at our own pace.

Each mini lecture lasted about a minute so we were not overwhelmed with information and sections could easily be skipped. In our case, we never skipped a section as we love history, folklore, science, and environmental education. The tour guide shared a wealth of knowledge and even pronounced the complicated Hawaiian words smoothly, unlike our pronunciations that sounded like disjointed, grunted syllables.

Historical Information

Scattered throughout the tour, we learned about how the island was formed, settled and populated. I enjoyed hearing about the evolution of different kingdoms and finally the development of democracy when Hawaii became a state. True events about battles, a tsunami, agriculture, and everything associated with Maui answered my questions about who discovered the islands, how the weather affected the residents, and what happened to the sugar cane crops.

Folklore

As an English major, I found the ancient stories of the natives entertaining, and they provided insight into the customs of the people prior to modern civilization. The legends and myths explained beliefs about how the gods intervened on earth, with a focus on the philosophy that animals, trees, stones, stars, and clouds have living souls. All this mingled with music from the different tribes. The virtual tour guide even made a connection to the movie Moana.

Natural Environment

Maui is home to flora and fauna that we had never seen before. Our senses were overwhelmed by the beauty. Prior to this experience, we appreciated the sights, but the lecture empowered us with names, descriptions, and a greater understanding of the endemic environment. The rainbow colors of the eucalyptus tree remain my favorite.

Sightseeing

While traveling the road to Hana we investigated less populated areas. I discovered the sand on the beach can be tan, black, or red depending upon the mineral formations in the area. We felt the serenity of the ocean as the waves pulsed back and forth and the force on the beach as the power of a breaker crashed onto the rocks.

Randy imitated Tarzan when he discovered the hanging vines really can be used to swing in the trees. When we return, I plan to purchase a loincloth so the image can be more authentic. We reveled in the natural sights that surprised us and assaulted our senses.

We parked and walked a short distance to a sandy beach where we enjoyed our picnic lunch. It was an excellent day. If you are faced with a choice about how to explore this area, there are several considerations to aid your decision. The road is narrow with some potholes and obstacles. A driver should be experienced and comfortable navigating the terrain. For individuals who like independence and are comfortable with this, a self-guided tour just might be right for you.