2 curated experiences
Hāna
You cannot do everything in one day — you will need to choose. Non-negotiable stops: Ke'anae Peninsula (about halfway, lava church + taro fields + Aunty Sandy's banana bread — order extra, it sells out), Waianapanapa Black Sand Beach (reserve separately $25/person), Hamoa Beach after Hana village, and Pipiwai Trail at Kipahulu for the bamboo forest and Waimoku Falls. Skip the Hana Lava Tube if time is short. Fill gas in Paia before departure — the only station in Hana can be closed. The back road from Kipahulu back to Kihei (~30 min of unpaved road past the Pools of 'Ohe'o) is prohibited under most rental car contracts and not insured; double back the same way.
Hāna
The black-sand beach, sea caves and lava arches at the end of the Road to Hāna. The reservation is the trap: it releases exactly 30 days ahead and sells out.