The drive around the north side of West Maui is absolutely breathtaking - in some ways more impressive than the Hana Highway, which gets much more publicity.
From Kapalua to Wailuku you pass some of the most rugged coastline in the world and view lovely beaches and bays which are not well known or frequented. Read more about West Maui's Rugged North Shore.
Photo by John Fischer, licensed to About.com
The reason the rental car companies tell you not to drive there is because it will VOID YOUR CONTRACT. If you have a rental car, do NOT go through here. Plus, the views are great, but you don’t need to go the whole way. Once you get to the first place you can turn around after the first one lane road, turn around and go back, unless you like hairpin turns on the edge of a cliff and your wife screaming at you for an hour for going too fast when you’re driving 5-10 miles per hour. It’s great for about 10 minutes, but then it’s just more of the same scenery and some tedious driving.
True–it’s the craziest drive I’ve encountered, But I have to say, it was worth the trip just for Lorraine’s banana bread and hospitality. True welcome-true Aloha. In addition to coffee and a slice there, we bought a couple loaves and took them back to the condo. This wonderful bread is found in the village of Kahakaloa. We had gone on a Saturday morning, followed a couple fellows on bicycles, and talked with them about the village at a stop along the way. There are two banana bread places. The bikers suggested Lorraine’s.
Yep—the car ride was scarey. Perhaps next time—a moped?