[dt_sc_h2]Mama’s Fish House[/dt_sc_h2]

The adventure begins, first stop our old favorite place, Mama’s Fish House. We’ve been coming here for 15 years, way before TripAdvisor rated it in the top 10 restaurants in the US. Never disappoints. Mama’s Fish House in Paia, Maui, is the only Hawaii restaurant among the top 10 best restaurants in the U.S., according to a new analysis by dining reservations and review site OpenTable.com. Mama’s Fish House, established in 1973, ranks second in the nation below only St. Francis Winery & Vineyards in Santa Rosa, Calif. The only other Hawaii restaurant that appears on the full list of Top 100 U.S. restaurants, is La Mer, at Halekulani in Waikiki. The full list appears alphabetically and is unranked.

[dt_sc_h2]The Road to Hana[/dt_sc_h2]

 

Driving to Hana is not a commute or even the means to an end – the drive is an adventure in and of itself. “The adventure is in the journey” may be cliché, but it is also said that every cliché harbors a kernel of truth. No matter how many times I have driven this road, (including the few times I was silly enough to take it for granted), the adventure is just as magical, engaging, and never the same twice. The raw natural beauty is dynamic, containing countless hidden treasures and always just every bit as spectacular no matter how many times I drive it. The Road to Hana is, in my opinion, the most spectacular and beautiful road in the world.

As the name suggests, the thoroughfare in this section of the guide is made up by just one road: Hana Highway (Hwy 36 & 360). But don’t let the name “highway” fool you – The majority of the time you’ll be spending on the Hana Highway is a narrow, twisting, sometimes one-lane road with an estimated 600 turns and 54 (mostly) one-lane bridges, and no shoulder.

For those of you that enjoy a challenging drive, this could be your absolute favorite anywhere. A Mustang convertible, the quintessential Maui rental car, is probably the best car for the driving enthusiast, and convertibles and Jeeps with the top off will be rewarded with stunning unobstructed views. (But don’t get too smug looking at the poor sap in the Taurus – because he’ll likely get payback when you’re reminded that this is the rain forest and that next place to pull over and put the top up ain’t soon enough.)

For those that see driving as the way to get from A to B, and especially if you’re an overly timid (or just plain bad) driver, you still should not skip the opportunity to see this jewel of Hawaii. There are some fantastic van tours that can add a dimension to the journey you could never have on your own.

[dt_sc_h2]Travaasa Hana & Spa[/dt_sc_h2]

The Travaasa Hana, Maui overlooking Hana Bay delivers rustic luxury in the middle of Maui’s lush, secluded east coast. Guests can expect incredible service, a top spa, excellent food, a long list of stuff to do, and only 70 rooms on acres of uncrowded property. The rooms are large, clean, sleekly furnished — and stripped of TVs, air conditioners, clocks, and radios. It’s hard to reach unless you fly, but worth the trip.

[dt_sc_h2]Venus Pool[/dt_sc_h2]

Waioka pond as it’s called by the locals is the perfect gem for spending a day cliff jumping, swimming and sunbathing in a sheltered area from the rugged shoreline. There are two ledges, one higher and one lower for jumping off depending on your need for an adrenaline rush. Near the shore’s end there is a lava-rock island and another little pool where you can access a skylit cave, depending on the level of the water.

Accessing Waioka is a little bit ambiguous at the moment, as the locals don’t particularly dig the influx of tourists invading their swimming hole and it has been gated off with a big KEEP OUT sign. That being said, there is usually still an opening where you can get in, otherwise how else would the locals get there? It is on private land owned by Hana Ranch, so just be wary. You can find the fence to get in at mile marker 48.1 on the shore side of the road. Locals don’t really like it when you park here either, but when I went there were other cars parked along the road, so just try to find somewhere acceptable.

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[dt_sc_one_third first type =” type1″]Sample Itinerary[/dt_sc_one_third]
[dt_sc_one_third type =” type1″]Hana, Maui[/dt_sc_one_third]
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