We recently took the Deluxe Hāna Tour with our family, and unfortunately, it was a very mixed…read moreexperience.
The Road to Hāna itself is absolutely beautiful, and we genuinely enjoyed the scenery and the many stops along the way. Bryce was also helpful when my family expressed concerns about slipping while trying to reach the larger waterfall. He personally helped us down to a lower waterfall, which we appreciated.
However, I feel it is extremely important to be completely honest about the driving because this was not simply a case of the driving "feeling" fast or unnerving. Bryce nearly rear-ended other vehicles multiple times. On several occasions, he was following so closely that there was very little stopping distance between our vehicle and the vehicle in front of us. He also was, in fact, driving at approximately three times the posted speed limit at certain points, despite the roads being extremely wet, narrow, winding, and windy.
We understand that the Road to Hāna can have hazards such as falling rocks and mudslides and that tour drivers need to keep the vehicle moving. However, that does not make driving at those speeds on wet, winding roads feel safe. There were multiple moments when our entire family was genuinely frightened. When we expressed our concerns, we were told to "just close our eyes." That was not reassuring at all.
What made the situation even more concerning was that after nearly colliding with other vehicles, there were no apologies or acknowledgment of how serious the situation was. Instead, Bryce would laugh it off and make comments about tourists being bad drivers. At one point, he even joked that he had a "spare bumper in the back." Considering we were already frightened by the driving, that comment did not come across as funny--it made us even more uncomfortable about how seriously our safety was being taken.
Aside from the driving, we also had a major issue with the timing of lunch. We passed the lunch location around noon but were not actually given lunch until after 2:30 PM. By then, our family was starving. The sandwiches and drinks were also lukewarm, as the coolers did not appear to have ice in them. Because lunch was provided so late, we also missed the opportunity to get Huli Huli chicken because the stand was already sold out by the time we got there.
Despite these issues, we did enjoy the beautiful views, the waterfalls, and the various stops throughout the tour. There were definitely parts of the experience that we will remember fondly.
Overall, I would say the tour had the potential to be an incredible family experience, but the driving was a serious safety concern that overshadowed much of the day for us. I hope the company takes these concerns seriously, particularly when it comes to vehicle speed, following distance, and how guests' safety concerns are handled. The Road to Hāna is beautiful and worth experiencing, but families should be able to enjoy it without being afraid for their safety.