Reviews

Worth The Money Below are the summarized points of experience. I traveled solo and had excellent weather (and three drivers).

--- THE BAD ---
-... read moreBelow are the summarized points of experience. I traveled solo and had excellent weather (and three drivers).

--- THE BAD ---
- I received confirmation that my lodging address was pick-up friendly and I did get picked up where I selected. However, turns out Mahalo Tours shouldn't pick up at the address I input. This caused problems as 1) I had to change vans (from Junior) in the morning and ended up with the worst seat in the second van with Lenny as it was almost at capacity with a whole family who boarded beforehand; and 2) at the end of the day, about half an hour was spent with Lenny on the phone trying to clarify who was going to drop me off to my address until eventually Charlie came over to drop me off in the 3rd van of the day. Overall, me van hopping was a time-mooch for everyone and it shaved off time from the tour.

- Black Sand Beach. This was the highlight of the trip BUT we were to stop here for 60-minutes and I broke away from the family who also booked the trip to do my own thing. I timed myself and I spent 55-minutes walking/taking photos near the black lava rocks and when I came back up, Lenny was waiting for me, a bit agitated, as the family I shared the van with only spent 25-30 minutes browsing around and were ready to hit the road. Them waiting 20-30 minutes seemed to have inconvenienced them and I think it agitated Lenny who passive aggressively said we should all be conscious of people's time -- directing it at me. As I did keep an eye on the time, I was confident I didn't overstay and looking at timestamps on my photos, I spent 45 minutes on photography and an extra 10 minutes walking around (not a lot of area to cover). If I can spend the full time allotted seeing a church I don't care much for without complaints, they can spend the full time allotted waiting for the rest of the tour group to see the sights we paid for. Lenny should have made this clear to the whole group ... granted it should be common sense when the tour is booked with other people -- but he was also ready to go when the majority were back in the van. If BSB was allotted to 60-minutes... it should be the full 60 minutes. I paid money for this tour too.

- The solo seat in the second row on the right side is the worst seat in the house. I was forced into the seat as the rest of the seats were taken up by the family and/or their belongings when I changed vans. The most interesting views are seen from the left side of the van. Good luck if you get stuck on the right side -- esp. that seat.

THE GOOD
- Drivers were excellent! They were hospitable and good at what they do -- as I mentioned above, I met three. I met Junior, Lenny and Charlie. All three are comfortable with people and very personable. My favorite being Charlie -- absolutely fantastic sense of humor! His wit is unmatched.

- Everything of interest was seen. I'm big on photography and it's why I went so I did get my money's worth. Maui also delivered with the excellent weather.

- I see some negative comments about driving conditions. Literally the main reason most don't drive the Road to Hana is the winding roads -- it's why I didn't drive it myself. I don't get motion sickness so I didn't mind the drive but do some research before you book and start complaining about the driving.

- Food. Food was excellent! They accommodate vegetarians. I love getting sugary snacks (my sugar drops so even if I didn't come prepared, Mahalo tours would have delivered!).

All in all, you can't help who you get to share the van with but if you have a large family taking up 85%+ precent of the van, perhaps let a solo traveller know. I'm not the type to bend so it can cause for some bad blood. I'll try to get my money's worth and if I'm given 60 minutes to room around, I'll spend 60-minutes roaming around. read less

Great views with friendly driver We loved our Road to Hana trip with Lenny. He managed to shows us amazing views and part of... read moreWe loved our Road to Hana trip with Lenny. He managed to shows us amazing views and part of our family jumped into a waterfall with him. He told us lots of family stories since he had relatives from several places on Maui. We stopped often enough that we never felt captive in the van. We liked that he was courteous to the other drivers on the road. read less

Our driver Junior was an amazing driver. He professionally took the turns and curves to help alleviate motion sickness for... read moreOur driver Junior was an amazing driver. He professionally took the turns and curves to help alleviate motion sickness for the passengers. He helped drivers coming from the opposite direction navigate safely and was very courteous to them. It was raining on and off and he is a skilled driver. I love that the company picks you up at your hotel. We only had six people on our tour and it was perfect. We had eight stops. We had a good half hour to swim in the Pua'aka'a Wayside Falls and at least that long at the black sand beach to swim and hike. The food was great! The tour took 12 hours but you can't get around that due to the roads and the distance. Please note that tipping your driver is a customary and polite thing to do. I was surprised that some guests were not aware of tipping customs! These drivers deserve it! read less

Great tour! We did the road to Hana your on February 24/2020. We had Nathan as our guide. He was kind and... read moreWe did the road to Hana your on February 24/2020. We had Nathan as our guide. He was kind and courteous. From Hana himself so was very knowledgeable about the area. We started out with a great little breakfast of delicious muffins (strawberry guava...yum!!) and fresh fruit. It was great just being able to relax and let someone drive us! Many stops along the way at main points of interest. Including yummy banana bread. Lunch was hot and delicious. I had the Mahi mahi plate and it was seriously one of the best meals I’ve ever ate! All of us including our 2 kids (ages 10&13) really enjoyed the day! read less

Road to Hana tour This tour was awesome. We had Shelly and she was awesome. Very informative as she group up in the area.

Wonderful day! Loved the road to hana tour! Mac was our tour guide and made the day fun and very interesting! The... read moreLoved the road to hana tour! Mac was our tour guide and made the day fun and very interesting! The food throughout the day was fabulous. So glad we chose to have someone else drive us so we could both enjoy the sights!
This tour was worth every penny. I would highly recommend. read less

Road to Hana Tour Road to Hana with Shelly as our guide/ driver was wonderful!
She picked us up at our condo, stopping once more... read moreRoad to Hana with Shelly as our guide/ driver was wonderful!
She picked us up at our condo, stopping once more to pick up two other couples. She was great, being from Hana herself, lots of info! Lots of highlight stops!
BBQ lunch! Lots of snacks!
Highly recommend this tour where you can watch and listen without having to watch the road!
We left at 7am. She took us all around the south end and back the west side. Home by 6pm.
Mahalo Shelley!
MacDonalds from Sask. Canada read less

Amazing Road to Hana tour I wish to send great compliments to Nathan - our guide/driver, well tailored program and amazing lunch box from Nathan's... read moreI wish to send great compliments to Nathan - our guide/driver, well tailored program and amazing lunch box from Nathan's family kitchen. 5 stars out of 5, good time. read less

Hana Full Circle This tour was excellent. It covers about 95% of the island. The landscape and views are spectacular. Our tour guide... read moreThis tour was excellent. It covers about 95% of the island. The landscape and views are spectacular. Our tour guide was David and he was spectacular as well. He shared a wealth of knowledge about the island. He started with a morning reminder call, showed up on time, and we felt very safe with his driving. The tour provided a fantastic lunch and snacks. We would highly recommend this tour and ask for David, you won’t be disappointed. read less

Road To Hana Great experience. So happy to have taken this tour rather than driving. David, our guide, was a superb driver... read moreGreat experience. So happy to have taken this tour rather than driving. David, our guide, was a superb driver and a wealth of information. Time was limited at each stop in order to complete the entire journey but he pointed out several places to return for half day trips if one's schedule allowed. Unfortunately we were at the end of our stay. The lunch was one of the best meals we had during our stay on the island. read less

Heavenly road to hana Shelly was our tour guide and she was awesome. Lot of fun and very knowledgeable .tour was fantastic with little... read moreShelly was our tour guide and she was awesome. Lot of fun and very knowledgeable .tour was fantastic with little tidbits such as fresh strawberries grapes pineapple throughout the day. Lunch was amazing .I had salmon and wife had the pork ribs. So delish. Shelly went above board in keeping us laughing and let us have fun. Would definitely recommend her and mahalo tours.#shishi ty shelly glenn and laurie. read less

Long but great trip MAC was a great driver. Very informative and knowledgeable. Being native/local he added some great incite to our... read moreMAC was a great driver. Very informative and knowledgeable. Being native/local he added some great incite to our trip. Would have liked to stop at the seven sacred pools but he explained how they have been contaminated by the forest being over run with goats and pigs. The locals used to hunt them to control the population but the national parks no longer allow it. The route completely circumvents the volcano so you don’t double back and get to see areas that most people don’t get to see. read less

Road to Hana Mak was our guide. He certainly made us feel like Ohana!! He was very knowledgeable and fun. We learned a... read moreMak was our guide. He certainly made us feel like Ohana!! He was very knowledgeable and fun. We learned a lot about Hawaii. He takes pride in his hometown and it shows! We are coming back next year and will send our family out with him on a tour! Mahalo for making this such a memorable trip for our 30th anniversary! read less

Just took a trip with Mak as our driver. He was awesome the entire time even though this was his... read moreJust took a trip with Mak as our driver. He was awesome the entire time even though this was his third tour day in a row and you could tell his voice was going out. He was full of energy and information to share. Ha handled the treacherous roads like a pro and we never felt unsafe, even going down tiny 1 lane roads with no guardrail and a 200 foot drop to the ocean beside us. Our tour van had 7 people with 4 rows of seats, meaning every couple and the 1 solo rider all had easy window views from both sides. You eat good on this tour. Throughout the day you are given a breakfast island muffin, fresh strawberries, Maui gold pineapple, your choice of several BBQ lunch options (seafood, ribs, chicken, pork, tacos, or pasta), grapes, and potato chips. Plus you stop at the islands best banana bread shop, a honey stand, and a McDonald's (mostly as a bathroom break, but you could get food if you really wanted to).We had stops at several places along the way, a couple of waterfalls, including one you could swim at, a black sand beach where you could swim and explore a lava tube, a red sand beach, a botanical garden, Charles Lindbergh's grave, and the aforementioned food stops. Mahalo Tours was well worth the money and we would happily recommend it. Booked through travel shack for $150/person. read less

Mahalo tour in Maui We had Zach & David who were sooo AWESOME! We had such a great time with them plus they got... read moreWe had Zach & David who were sooo AWESOME! We had such a great time with them plus they got us a ressie with Mama’s Fish House on a Saturday!!! Highly recommend them! read less

Road to Hana with MAK MAK was amazing the day was more than I ever dreamed it could be. The local strawberries, cake, grapes, and... read moreMAK was amazing the day was more than I ever dreamed it could be. The local strawberries, cake, grapes, and LUNCH were all delicious. MAK is so proud of his home here and it shows. We had the time of our life!!!!!! read less

Excellent Road to Hana Tour! My husband and I had a wonderful tour with Junior. As soon as he picked us up, we knew... read moreMy husband and I had a wonderful tour with Junior. As soon as he picked us up, we knew it was going to be a great day! He was a great driver, we felt safe and comfortable with all the stops and turns on the Road to Hana. Junior was so knowledgeable and full of energy. He kept us informed and we really enjoyed our conversations with him! We had a lot of laughs. He really made the tour enjoyable, so we were not scared of the cliffs or turns. The lunch was DELICIOUS! Excellent bbq at a local restaurant! The van was comfortable and it really was a great day. The stops were fantastic. We have such beautiful pictures from the day! Even though we were traveling as a couple, there was a family with children that came with us. Everyone was happy! Thank you again to Junior and Mahalo Tours!! read less

Fantastic, stress-free, and worth every penny! I was intimidated by the reputation the road to Hana has but I was... read moreFantastic, stress-free, and worth every penny! I was intimidated by the reputation the road to Hana has but I was so pleasantly surprised how comfortable and safe I felt with Mahalo. Mack was our guide and he was training Shelly so we were fortunate enough to have 2 experts on our trip and together they were great. We were picked up from the Kaanapali area at 6:50am and made it back to hotel by 7pm. We were fed a breakfast of fruit and local breads, lunch was amazing, the huli huli chicken is the way to go there, and a snack of chips and fruits in the afternoon with plenty offers of drinks along the way. I was worried about my 10 year old who tends to get car sick but Mack is such a great driver and we stopped so often that it was never an issue. We did have a few opportunities to swim at a few spots but not for too long and that's just because the trip was so packed with places to see. I feel like it's a great value, 12 hours of hosted entertainment, history, meals while viewing the most beautiful parts of Maui. read less