Frequently Asked Questions
Copyright 2010: Hana 4 Less | Hana Tours. All Rights Reserved.
WHO SHOULD USE OUR VAN?
If you have a large family or group of people who want to stay together or just want more leg room. The cost of the van depends on the amount of people going and holds up to 14 people. Just divide the cost of the van with the amount of people to discover your discount per person. You will see, the more people, THE MORE YOU $AVE !!!
WHAT STOPS DO YOU MAKE THAT THE VANS DON'T?
Because of the vans size and schedule there are several places they can't go to; or choose not to go to. To see how we differ - Check Out US VS VAN
REBOOKING?
If You miss your appointment with our Driver/Guide for whatever reason, we will try our best to rebook you for another day while you are on Maui depending on our availability and your schedule. There will be a rebooking charge of $50.00 to $100.00(depending if you use your vehicle or ours) for this service. You will be informed in advance of the time and location where you will be meeting and our Driver/Guide will remain at the location for one hour before leaving, giving you a fair amount of time to make the appointment or call to let us know what is going on.
DO I TIP MY GUIDE?
Tips are a major source of income for most service people in Hawaii (waiters, entertainers, guides, drivers etc) and they not only appreciate, but also depend on your generosity. For tours, a common tip would be $10 per person in your group. If you feel your guide/driver did an especially great job, you may want to tip more.
DO YOU RECOMMEND ANY PARTICULAR RENTAL CAR AGENCY?
We feel that it is better to stay with the major national car rental agencies. We have had some instances of people being disappointed in their vehicle or it not being properly maintained when renting from less recognized local agencies. One thing you don't want on the Hana Highway is maintenance problems. We also suggest that if you plan on doing the Hana and beyond tour, you rent something with some clearance and that is comfortable for an all-day tour. Although I've seen many types of rental cars that try going around the backside, because of the road conditions (26 miles of gravel, pot holes and cobblestone) it would be a lot more comfortable in a vehicle higher off the ground with some clearance or if you have a larger group just to use our van.
WHERE DO WE MEET OUR GUIDE?
If you use your rental, we normally meet in the K-Mart parking lot, which is near the airport All the major car rental agencies have offices close to the airport, so meeting there makes the most sense. Plus it allows you a last chance to get any items you may have forgotten and to use the restrooms before we start. If you choose to use our SUV / Van, we can pick you up at your location.
DO WE NEED TO BRING OUR OWN FOOD?
If you don't want to waste time that could be used exploring more of Hana or you have a large group, we would suggest you bring your own lunch However, there are places along the road to purchase snacks or lunch. You can get a nice hot sit down lunch outside of Hana with either steak, pork, chicken or veggie for $8 to $13, Sometimes the local community is selling Huli-Huli Chicken on weekends. You should also bring plenty of water, juice or soda. Keep in mind, once we start the road, clean restrooms are about 2 hours apart. (if you need a cooler, let us know)
WHAT SHOULD WE BRING ON OUR TOUR?
Bring either a camera or camcorder with you to capture memories (your guide/driver will assist you in taking pictures throughout the day). Bring extra batteries, because there is nowhere in Hana to get special batteries for your camera and you don't want to have to go back to your hotel to get them. Wear slippers or sandals, also bring either sturdy shoes or water shoes because you'll be walking over uneven ground, sharp lava rocks and streams throughout the day.
WHO SHOULD NOT TAKE THE TOUR?
If you have major problems with motion sickness and have to make stops every few miles to recover, we don't recommend taking the tour (our guide/driver does carry ginger candy with them which is a Chinese remedy for motion sickness. This works on about 90% of the people who use it). If you have to catch a plane or ship before 7pm, or if you have planned dinner reservations or luau reservations. There is no way to guarantee time of return depending on weather and road conditions. Remember, the times we offer are just suggestions. Since this journey will take all day to complete, we recommend not having anything else planned the day of the tour.
CAN WE JUST MAKE A DEPOSIT TO RESERVE OUR DATE?
If you are booking 60 days in advance or longer, you can make a non-refundable $100 deposit to guarantee your requested date. A month prior to your requested date, you will be required to make the remaining payment to continue with reservations. If you decide not to take the trip, you will not be responsible for the balance due, however, you will forfeit your deposit.
IS THERE A CANCELLATION FEE?
Tours are non-refundable unless a minimum 48 hour notice is given. Cancellations between 48 and 24 hours result in a 50% penalty; cancellations within 24 hours of departure are 100% non-refundable. Or if you fail to show up for the tour. If there is a problem and you need to rebook, just let us know and we will try to accommodate you depending on availabilty. There is a small fee for rebooking. We do not charge for overtime and we do not have any half-day fees because there is no way to do a tour to Hana in half a day.
ARE THERE ANY AGE LIMITS FOR YOUR TOUR?
Since our tours are private and exclusive - there are no age limits. Our guide/drivers are especially great with children and we can happily accommodate the needs of the elderly with canes or walkers. (There are very few places to use a wheelchair)
We don't recommend new borns because of the road conditions and the length of the tour. We have taken 3 yr olds and up with no problem.
HOW LONG ARE THE TOURS?
If you use your rental, we generally meet at 6:30am in Kahului, by the airport. We do this so we can start the road before it gets overcrowded. If you choose to use our SUV/VAN, we will make pick-ups from as early as 6:00am. depending on your location. Time of our Hana tours vary based on the weather and road conditions and takes about 10 to 11 hours from start to finish. We have been known to extend our tours in order to show you some of our favorite sites, which can result in a longer than normal tour. If you need to be back by a specific time, let your guide/driver know this at the beginning of the tour so we can plan accordingly. If you choose to use our SUV, 12 or 15 Passenger Van add another half hour or more to the day depending on where you are staying on the island.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE TOUR?
First - of course, is the cost of the rental car if you haven't already rented one. A fully fueled rental car is required for our tours. There are only a few gas stations once we start the tour. One is at the beginning of the tour and one is at the end of the tour past the winery, and the other is in Hana (gas in Hana costs $6 to $7 dollars a gallon). If you choose our SUV / VAN, we take care of everything. If you use your rental and you choose our Hana and Beyond Tour, make sure you rental has enough clearance underneath, so the back road is comfortable.
Second - your rental agency may charge a fee to add a driver to your agreement. When you rent your car ask them how much per day to add an additional driver. (usually $10 to $15)
Third - there may be entrance fees for sites you choose to visit. For instance, Haleakala National Park and The Pools of O'heo (Seven Pools) currently charges $10 per car or $5 per person. (depending on how you enter)
Ka'eleku Caverns (Entrance Fee $12 per person, Not Included In Price)
Fourth - there are stops along the way where you might want to purchase souvenirs and food (banana bread, shave ice, etc).
ARE WE PLACED ON ANY TYPE OF SCHEDULE LIKE THE VAN TOURS?
Unless you need to be back at a certain time, THERE IS NO SCHEDULE. YOU CONTROL THE DAY AND YOU CAN MAKE ALL THE STOPS ON OUR LIST, OUR JUST THE STOPS ON OUR LIST THAT INTEREST YOU. WE DO HAVE TO BE IN HANA NO LATER THAN 12 NOON AND LEAVE HANA , NO LATER THAN 3PM, SO WE ARE NOT DRIVING IN THE DARK!
WHAT IS THE COST OF YOUR TOUR?
We have a flat rate for couples for each tour we offer, which is about average for a private tour, but each additional person added lowers the price even more (all passengers must be in seat belts). Remember that your guide/driver uses up one passenger seat. We can't take more than 14 people, because that's what a VAN holds.Check the Tour Page for breakdown of cost.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
On the day of your tour, IF YOU USE OUR SUV / VAN, we can PICK YOU UP AND DROP YOU OFF at your condo, hotel or port of call. IF YOU USE YOUR RENTAL, we will meet at a designated location near the airport. If we use your Rental, and you rented near the airport, you can go to your rental agency and add the guide/driver to your rental agreement as driver for the day, if you choose to do so. The guide/driver will then begin your journey on the Hana road.
ARE YOUR TOURS AVAILABLE TO SHIP PASSENGERS?
If you dock in Lahaina on Sunday at 8am and leave at 6pm, we currently don't offer any of our tours at this time.
If you dock in Lahaina during the week and stay overnight - All Tours are available
If you dock in Kahului on Sunday at 8am and leave Monday at 6pm, we offer the following tours:
Sunday - Hana and Back Tour
Monday - All Tours are available
You should bring a light jacket or poncho. We will be traveling from sea level to 4,000 ft during the journey, so weather conditions may vary throughout the day. We will also be going through a rain forest that receives over 400 inches of rain a year. You'll want to wear your bathing suit under your clothes, so you can shed them quickly and jump in for a quick swim when the situation presents itself. You should bring sunscreen, towels and mosquito repellent. If you plan on snorkeling, bring a snorkel set along as we do not provide them.
