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crankyape1534 t1_jcqnsji wrote

I’ve had both positive and negative experiences on that road, but regardless it’s beautiful out there. No questioning that.

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illerminati t1_jcssgsx wrote

I hated it so much. Those one lane roads for two directions with sharp turns and heavy rains. At least op got awesome pictures though 🤷‍♂️

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rectal_warrior t1_jcsw1s7 wrote

Ar man, that's what roads are made of, remote breathtaking scenery, loads of sharp turns hugging the coastline 👌 perfect till you get stuck behind someone

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Max_Thunder t1_jcu4tqz wrote

I totally agree!

By leaving super early to do it clockwise it helped a lot in not being stuck behind someone (I did get stuck behind one very anxious driver that refused to let me pass, until a local arrived behind very fast and started honking a lot right before a pull out and the anxious driver finally let me pass too after we both let the local pass first obviously). The other time when we did it counterclockwise, we also avoided most tourists by finishing the loop at around 4-6 pm. Most tourists stick to a very predictable schedule!

Never felt in danger, no one is taking these sharp turns super fast, everybody we encountered seemed careful. I think it helps that the road is sold all the time as dangerous, the most anxious and/or inexperienced drivers tend to avoid driving it.

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Max_Thunder t1_jcu3m2l wrote

I loved it so much I drove the whole loop twice (stopping at difference places each time), I really liked driving the sharp turns and the feeling of being a bit in the middle of nowhere. Didn't encounter heavy rain though, just some normal rain for short parts, so visibility was always good. There are generally few cars on the road so it's a really nice change of pace from most of the island.

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scarlet_sage t1_jcsqgqw wrote

Planning to go in April. What negative experiences?

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diamondpredator t1_jcsrhqh wrote

One of mine was the locals bombing down narrow dirt roads next to cliffs going way too fast and nearly rolling me down the cliff.

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rectal_warrior t1_jcsw4al wrote

If you take the road anticlockwise it's not a problem, the bit south of Hana is way better

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nuberoo t1_jcx42y4 wrote

Parts of that road looked completely terrifying when I was there several years back - like one lane by a cliff face and a road that looks like it'll crumble into the ocean with too much weight (this is the southernmost tip coming from the west). Has it gotten better?

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rectal_warrior t1_jcx8huo wrote

If you're not used to driving on small mountain roads it would feel overwhelming, but all the bits that's look like they'd crumble away are evidently very solid. I'm sure parts of it the roadsurface have improved, there's still a decent amount of gravel road, but the cliff sections, still standing, as solid cliffs that have been pounded my the ocean for hundreds of millions of years tend to do

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stablestabler t1_jctsjg8 wrote

Be prepared to see things from the road. A lot of places you could pull over before no have no parking signs. Still totally beautiful!

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Max_Thunder t1_jcu5qoz wrote

And these signs seem very recent. Some guides mention many swimming holes that are now very difficult to access. Some other places had signs from locals to discourage tourists, and while it holds no legal value, who wants to take their chance offending local people.

Maui is however dealing with unprecedented numbers of tourists, and what was once semi-secret swimming holes are now well-known thanks to guides and social media, so it makes sense, there are always those tourists who see a full parking lot (more like a pull-out area with space for just a few cars) and manage to park themselves in a very awkward unsafe way, easier to just restrict parking altogether.

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crankyape1534 t1_jct44s6 wrote

I was chased by locals in pickups once. Like 3 lifted trucks chased my vehicle because one of my passengers had somehow insulted a lady by throwing up along side the road when he got car sick. My friend had puked on their land they said. Even though it was just on the roads edge.

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cyclingbubba t1_jcu25jv wrote

Drove the road there many years ago. Absolutely stunning. Me and my new wife pulled over and hiked a bit into the woods for some honeymoon time but 5 minutes in we were finding our calf muscles really itchy. We turned around and by the time we made it back to the car we were almost crying from the intense non stop itching. Didn't go away for a while and it ruined the day. Only on the knees down so it must have been a ground dwelling bug of some type.

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