Road to Hana

Today our day starts very early, at 5.00 am, because we have planned a drive along the most winding road in the world to Hana.

Most of the things were packed the previous evening, only the care package for our breakfast on the road still needs to be loaded into the car, and at 5.25 am it's time to depart, still with the top down.

Of the total 120 km one way (it doesn't seem like much, but it actually takes almost 3 hours of driving), the first 50 km to the starting point of the winding road still have a country road character. Our adventure begins from the small town called 'Pahia'. When we arrive here, the sun has already risen, so we put down the car roof - now we can go - first stop at a beach where several dozen surfers are already riding the waves at around 6.30 am, with the horizon adorned by a purple shimmer of clouds.

From now on, there are no more straight roads, the speed limit is 15 miles per hour and honestly, you really can't drive faster. But you don't have to, because there is so much to see and all of it under the open sky, indescribable! In addition to countless curves, we also pass hundreds of 'one way bridges', where only one lane crosses a bridge and we alternate with the oncoming traffic. Often, the road is not visible at all, so it's a good idea to honk to alert possible oncoming traffic. Our poor beetle will probably be hoarse tonight, but we had fun!

I counted at least five 180-degree turns, of course always with appropriate signage! On our left, the sea occasionally comes into view, and on our right, numerous waterfalls entertain us, some of them also causing wet roads.

There are also numerous fruit stands along the roadside, where locals sell regional fruits from their garden, colorful street signs announce the stands - actually, you should stop at each one!

We take plenty of time for this drive, stopping every now and then for some snapshots and enjoying the traffic-free drive to Hana. Due to our early departure, there are hardly any impatient drivers behind us, so we can take as much time as we want for the tour!

About 8 km before our actual destination Hana, we make a stop at Kaka's Cafe; Kaka is a local we already know from our last tour to Hana. She runs a small stand with all kinds of delicacies such as banana bread and you can buy the first fresh coffee from her on the way up. You simply have to meet Kaka in person, a very kind person, we immediately took her and her shrill voice to our hearts, and she is very happy about each of her visitors!

Finally, we go to Black Sands Beach, just before Hana, a black sand beach, where we have our packed breakfast at a picnic table with a phenomenal view around 9.00 am and review our route.

Afterwards, we leisurely start the return journey, as we already know Hana from last year and the place is really inconspicuous compared to the unique drive there.

On the way back, the road becomes much busier, at least in terms of oncoming traffic, but now we have the privilege of driving back home and an accordingly less traveled route ahead of us!

On the way back home, we also make another stop at the section of the beach where we watched so many surfers in the morning. Because there is also a separate section where you can observe numerous sea turtles, and we don't want to miss that. A perfect ending to this dream drive, which gains even more charm with the top down.