Maui - west side vs Hana in late Feb
 

Planning for a trip in late February but torn on the accomodations.... hoping some suggestions can guide me towards the right decision.
Initially the plan was to stay around Kaanapali or Wailea mega-resorts and split the stay between Maui and Molokai (5days/2days). But now I am thinking of splitting the stay between Hana and west Maui. The reason being, most of activities that interest us are on Hana side (Pipiwai trail, Haleakala trail and sunrise, Red Sand beach, Black sand beach etc). If I stay in Wailea/Kaanapali, I am looking at 3-4hrs driving everyday or more(given peak season traffic). Should I look into splitting the stay in Hana and west Maui (and save Molokai for another time)? I have read some threads where folks emphasized on the remoteness of Hana side (and lack of options/amenities). And secondly, not sure if weather will be hospitable in February on Hana side.

Any suggestions on -
- living on Hana side (Traavasu is an option)
- would 4days be too much/little for Hana
- anything to be worried about given the rainy weather

Late February can be a time of heavy rain in Maui, and Hana is the side of Maui with a lot of rain.

https://www.govisithawaii.com/2014/0...th-and-island/

I would not choose February to plan a days-long visit there, with the risk of heavy rains and landslides. Furthermore, you say that you are wanting to hike the Haleakala trail: Are you planning on hiking up the trail from Hana? Again, heavy rain can make it dangerous to hike it. Now if you were using Hana as a base of operations, it is not convenient as a base to visit Haleakala or anything else on Maui.

Are there any Maui attractions that help with living on Hana side? If not, I'll stick to my original plan and visit Molokai for couple of days after visiting west Maui.

I live here, so I'll give it a go.

Hana is great, but four days would be a bit much. There's always a chance of rain, but as it was mentioned earlier, you have a bit more of a chance during February. Most of what you have said you wanted to do in Hana can be done in a day or two, so I think that four days would be a bit overkill. That said, making that drive from Wailea out there every day would be terrible...so if you want to spend everyday there, then get a place out there. Also, if you're trying to do the Haleakala hikes, they are accessible from the other side of Haleakala, and not Hana. How much of a hike are you trying to do? There are some great ones, up there.

I would recommend staying out in Wailea or the West Side, and doing an early and action packed Hana experience one of the days and hitting up Haleakala on another day, and then heading over to Molokai for a couple of days. You'll get to see and do a lot more, and if it is pouring down rain in Hana you can skip out on that part.

Thank you for the comments. It does help a lot.

We enjoy hiking... nothing overnight but wifey and I can do 10-15milers if well rested and prepared.
But that said, we aren't looking to hike in Hana everyday and that's not the purpose of the trip. If I want to explore a lush, tropical island i'd be looking to visit Kauai in late summer/fall. But I didn't want Maui to be only about beaches as well. I feel west Maui side resorts overpower many other things the island has to offer and I don't want to miss out on it.

I would highly recommend taking a hike into the crater at the top of Haleakala. If you want something different than the typical Hawaii tropical island experience, that's it for sure.

I lived on Maui from 1967 to 2004, and always enjoyed going to Hana for vacations of two to three days. There's lots to do there--Waianapanapa State Park with its black sand beach and freshwater caves for swimming, and exploring archaeological sites and other hikes. Hana Bay has a nice beach and some interesting snorkling. Red Sand (Kaihalulu )Beach is spectacular-my family used to spend entire days there. The Kipahulu section of Haleakala National Park has some beautiful freshwater pools and interesting hikes.

The 13-mile hike through Haleakala Crater (down Sliding Sands trail and up Halemau'u trail) is fantastic. Head up the mountain in the early morning to catch sunrise, but park your car at Halemau'u Trailhead and hitchhike from there to the top (there will be hundreds of other friendly tourists driving all the way to the top for sunrise). Take plenty of water, sunscreen, and rain gear.