With its gorgeous coastal scenery and narrow winding roads, Hana Highway on Maui, Hawaii, makes for perfect reason to take it slow and easy.

By MARY LIM Photography HAWAII TOURIM AUTHORITY (HTA)/RON DAHLQUIST; HAWAII VISITORS AND CONVENTION BUREAU (HCVB)/LINDA CHING

Legend has it that Maui, the second largest island among Hawaii’s cluster of six and shaped like a man’s head and body, was christened after a demigod of the same name.

And it is so easy to understand why even divine beings would be attracted to this enchanting atoll. After all, Maui is packed with plenty of pretty natural sights and sites, from whale-watching off the gorgeous coastline in the west to hiking luscious trails of Iao Valley in the central and strolling on the pearly shores in the south.

Ride the winds
Most visitors to Maui, however, would do well to pencil in a trip along the Hana Highway, a 60-mile road that connects Hana town in the east to the rest of the island. Hailed one of the world’s most scenic drives, the Hana Highway, a two-and-half-hour car journey from Kahului Airport, was named among the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

What motorists must know, is although the highway leads you through a wondrous labyrinth of rainforests, beaches, waterfalls, bridges, with superb views of the ocean and mountain ranges, it is also a challenge to navigate. Besides being narrow and winding, it is scattered with 600 hairpin curves and 54 historic bridges, thereby reducing average speeds to an astonishingly unhurried 24km/h.

Drive eastwards from Kahului Airport and the first stop is Paia Town, a historic seaside plantation town dotted with an array of shops and restaurants. This is also where drivers should fill the up the tank before proceeding to Hana – reach before 6pm because that’s when its only service station closes!

Foot loose
If you’re hoping to stretch your feet, stop by Waikamoi Ridge Trail. There are two trails to choose from but both start at the picnic shelter near the parking area. For half an hour, you will be led through a serene forested slope and bamboo grove, after which you will end up at a grassy clearing.

Over 26 acres of Maui’s finest natural treasures await at the Garden of Eden Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Created by Alan Bradbury, the island’s first ISA-certified arborist and landscape designer, it was singled out for its conservation practices and proper land use and development techniques.

Its lovely landscaped setting features a multitude of exotic flowers, trees and birds from the South Pacific and tropical rainforests. You will also find the largest collection of Ti plants in Hawaii here.

Lookout!
Located just past the Kaenae Arboretum is Kaenae Peninsula, a windswept nook along the rugged shoreline adjacent to lava pinnacles, taro patches and a rustic Hawaiian hamlet. Here is where you can take in one of the most magnificent views of Maui’s seafront scenery. Incidentally, the area was virtually destroyed by a tsunami in 1946. The exception was a stone church that remains standing till this day.

Over at the Wailua Peninsula Lookout, you will be greeted by the scene of the locals pounding away on the starchy taro root with boards and stones – to make a traditional delicacy known as poi. Among the several waterfalls along this section of the highway is the impressive Waikani Falls, which plunges 200 feet downwards through a vegetation-wrapped cliff.

For the full story, check out escape! Feb/Mar 09.