17. Maui - Road to Hana

The beds are rock hard, the neck pillows uncomfortable, and the furnishings in the cabins at Waiʻānapanapa State Park are more than spartan. And yet: As we open our eyes that morning and hear the distant roar of the Pacific, we all agree – this overnight stay is absolutely worth it.

While most Maui vacationers wake up in stylish hotel rooms with high-speed Wi-Fi, our day starts completely analog. Here in the dead zone, there is hardly any internet. The result? The kids are outside for hours enjoying nature, instead of hanging in front of screens. We make a fire, laugh, and watch the starry sky together. A luxury resort simply cannot offer this freedom and connection to nature.

We leave our cabin with heavy hearts in the morning, and the winding road lies almost empty before us. Our first stop takes us directly to the Ke'anae Arboretum.
Since we already know the colorful eucalyptus trees from the drive in, we enjoy this free botanical garden on the way back without the stress of cameras. Away from the well-trodden paths, the flat, shady trail leads deeper into the dense rainforest. We walk past gigantic ferns and historic taro terraces. In the morning, when the large tourist crowds are still far away, there is an almost magical silence here. It’s the perfect place to just breathe deeply, listen to the birds chirping, and let the gigantic, green plant world take effect on us. After the leisurely walk in the Ke'anae Arboretum, we steer our car back onto Highway 360 at noon. The winding drive to the Twin Falls takes about 45 minutes. At this time of day, there is quite a bit of oncoming traffic, so we have to stay focused as we wait and inch forward at the many one-lane bridges. The road continues to wind along the spectacular coast, revealing new views of the sea and dense rainforest around each bend.
Since our stop at the Twin Falls didn’t work out on the way in – the waterfalls were unfortunately closed at that time – we are now highly motivated to make this stop.
For a small parking fee, we secure a spot on the farm property. Before we set off, we put on our swimwear and non-slip water shoes in the parking lot – this saves us from changing later in the jungle, and we are ready for the water right away! From here, a well-trodden tropical path winds deeper into the lush greenery.
We initially skip the first pool on the left and hike about 30 minutes deeper into the jungle until we reach the large, back waterfall. It is already well-filled here: The atmosphere is lively, and many other travelers are bathing together with us in the large natural pool.
The boys don’t hesitate long and jump right into the cool water. I hesitate for a moment – the water is quite fresh. But the setting in the deep forest looks so inviting that I throw all doubts overboard. Eventually, I decide to take a dip and don’t regret it for a second! Thanks to our water shoes, the slippery stones in the water don't bother us at all, and we swim together in the crystal-clear, refreshing river pool.
After this extensive cool-off, we hike back the same path to the front. To top it all off, we all take a quick jump into the first, front waterfall pool to fully enjoy this spot as well. After the long drive in the car, this double dip is the perfect reset button for the body!
After the adventure at the Twin Falls, we leave the actual Hana Highway and head to the colorful hippie town of Pāʻia. The place is considered an absolute hotspot in many travel guides. While driving through, the scene with the colorful wooden facades of the old plantation houses looks really charming and inviting from the car window.
We park the car and take a short walk through the streets to see for ourselves. However, the spark just doesn’t ignite. It’s extremely crowded, noisy, and somehow we aren’t enjoying it as much as expected. Sometimes that’s just how it goes when traveling – some places look better from the movement of the car than during actual exploration on foot. So, we quickly decide to leave the hustle and bustle behind, get back in, and drive straight on. Before we head to the hotel, we stop at the Kahului Fire Station and receive a warm welcome.  We get another insight into the work of the local fire department and chat. Then we buy T-shirts. Upon arriving at the hotel in Kahului, we check into our room and jump right into the pool. We then enjoy Hawaiian food at the local restaurant. Now we play a few board games together.