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From cobblestoned Portuguese alleys navigated one-handed with a stroller to reef dives in Fiji, this is where the trips live. Told through words and whatever camera happened to be with me.
I shoot film and digital and travel with family in tow. These posts are part travel journal, part photography log, and part love letter to the places that made an impression. I hope they make you want to go see them for yourself.
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The Road to Hana — Beyond the Turn (Part II)
The Road to Hana and beyond — narrow roads, raw coastline, and the question every traveler faces: turn back, or keep going?
Young Surfer at Koki Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii, Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Long Way ‘Round - Or, Why We Can’t Keep Still
You could spend a week in West Maui and never feel the need to leave. We tried—but the pull to explore won out. The Road to Hana is demanding enough on its own, but beyond it lies a stretch most visitors are warned against: rough roads, uncertain conditions, and a simple question—is it worth continuing at all?
We’d done the loop once before—and, perhaps foolishly, decided to do it again.
Aston Papakea, Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron ISO500
Paia
We left before sunrise. This is not because your author is a morning person, furthest-from in fact, but experience taught us that the road to Hana, given its tight, narrow and winding nature, can become quite the slow grind once the tourists and transport trucks start to fill it. That and there’s a lot to see and a lot of ground to cover to see it all. With empty stomachs and the dawn commencing just ahead of us, we drove east planning on a reasonably quick first stop for breakfast and provisions in the small town of Paia 34 miles away.
The Boba Bar, Paia, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Paia, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Paia, Maui, Hawaii, Lecia M10R, 35mm Sumicron
Paia proved a quaint little town, and while we didn’t stay long, it’s a good launching off point to the Hana Highway with a gas station and a multitude of coffee shops and restaurant options. We caffeinated at The Boba Bar and stocked up at Mana Foods which is a bit of an eclectic organic food market that includes a Hot & Ready counter of warm food options. Happily recommend both, but there’s certainly a bit more to explore if you have an extra 30min or so. We on the other hand were eager to get going, but not without stopping at Ho’okipa Beach Park which is just a bit further down the road from the town for some lovely views to get us in the mood for the drive ahead. At Ho’okipa you’ll almost certainly see some turtles on the beach, and likely a few chickens and roosters as well, but the rocks suggest to me it’s not an ideal spot for a swim.
Ho’okipa Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii, Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
The Real Road Begins
If you are not a confident driver, this route is not for you. Once well past the quaint confines of Paia, the road begins to narrow as grassy rolling hills give way to thick jungle that occasionally encroaches onto the road, squeezing it narrower than you’re ready to imagine. As someone who competed in motorsports for nearly a quarter century, some sections of the route even have me exclaiming “Really?!” as I round a bend only to find the entire road narrowing to 1.5 lanes wide with a transport truck barreling towards me. Heading out towards Hana, there is typically a sheer drop on your left-hand side and a wall-like mountainside covered in trees and ferns on your right. There’s no room to squeeze over in many places, and sections appropriate for passing are very few and far between. This is not to say this isn’t enjoyable for us motoring masochists, but be prepared for a mentally fatiguing workout.
Of course, with the added stimulus of my in-laws and a 2.5 year old in the car, the variables impacting one’s focus only intensify. The familiar wail of “I have to peeeeeeeee” seems all the more shrill when you know there’s nowhere to stop, literally. Luckily there are sections where the road wides slightly, likely to accommodate larger trucks passing eachother in opposite directions, and these are typically just before some of the narrow bridges that span waterfalls and chasms. I don’t want to dissuade you from trying it (and there are alternatives including guided tour rides by experienced locals), but when you get to the “end” you will find yourself asking the fundamental question: “Do I want to do that all over again in the opposite direction?”. We’ll come back to the answer of that question a little later in the story. I’m getting ahead of myself though, because there are some stunningly beautiful sights to stop at along the way and besides views the chance to take a little mental break from the taxing road is more than welcome.
Waialohe Park, KeʻAnae Peninsula, Maui, Hawaii, Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Ke’Anae
After about 20 miles of endless corners you’ll approach your first opportunities to stop and take a breath. First, a quick turn-off to the right takes you up a small hill to Savor Maui, a little food truck with coffee and snacks. Unfortunately the stove wasn’t working when we got there, so it was cold food only, but our bellies were still happy from breakfast so a smoothie and some caffeine and we carried on. Shortly afterward you can again leave the main road to descend to the Ke’Anae lookout. This small peninsula just into the sea with black rocky shores constantly smashed by the waves. It’s quite the juxtaposition of green to black to bright blue (not that you can see that here).
I suggest you start with a quick stop at Waialohe park for some photos, which is just on your left as you make your way onto the peninsula, then walk up to Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread because the banana bread is tasty and it’s something of an institution here. Hop back in the car and drive a bit further to the Ke’Anae lookout for more waves crashing on jagged shores. Ke’Anae makes for a short but welcome detour, and you’ll be felling fresh to tackle the road once again which you access the same way you came.
Ke’Anae Lookout, Maui, Hawaii, Leica M10R, 35mm Sumicron
Nahiku Market
Another viable spot for a lunch stop, we enjoyed the coconut shrimp and chips here and there’s options for coffee, desserts and souvenirs as well. This small market sits just to the side of the road and is easy to spot as you’re driving.
A quick snack break at Nahiku Marketplace along the Road to Hana, Maui, Hawaii, Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Hana Lava Tubes
Just before reaching Waiʻānapanapa State Park adventurous travellers can choose to take a detour and visit the Hana Lava Tubes. For a small fee visitors receive a guide map and flashlight to facilitate exploring the cave system. It’s a bit surreal walking through a lush tropical environment among towering palms only to come upon a staircase into a barren rocky hole in the ground. If you’re not claustrophobic I’d suggest this is an interesting diversion to take on this journey that is otherwise dominated by jungles and seascapes. The immediate change in climate (from warm, bright and humid to dark and cool) provides an otherworldly reminder of the volcanic origin and nature of Maui that feels distinct from the towering Volcano ever present at the island’s centre. Originally created by flowing lava, and likely extending for many miles, one’s mind races to the incredible force of nature that created it and perhaps what the locals might have thought of them in ancient times and how they might have interacted with them. Sanctuary, ceremony, even just storage? Many such caves can be found on the island but likely most are not suitable for any but the most experienced spelunkers. If nothing else a visit here is a nice break from the heat outside. Note: as of February 2026, Google lists the cave as temporarily closed for further archeological exploration, so be sure to check ahead if you’re keen to visit.
Hana Lava Tube, Maui, Hawaii, Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Wai’anapanapa State Park - Black Sand Beach
A mile or two after the lava tubes take another detour left towards the coast to enjoy the black sand beach of Wai’Anapanapa State Park. While this side of the island tends to be breezy, this was a nice spot to stop and relax for a while on the warm sand. I took a swim with mask and snorkel and it was quite fascinating to observe the light playing along the bottom with the grey/black sand swirling in mesmerizing patterns. The water here is exceptionally clear, which makes for some fun treasure hunting as well allowing me to spot eels, fish, a turtle and a pair of sunglasses. There’s a rinsing station at the bottom of the stairs before heading up to the parking lot and I highly recommend you use it as this sand seems to stick to everything more than usual - perhaps another of its unique properties.
Black Sand Beach, Maui, Hawaii, Leica M10R, 35mm Sumicron
Black Sand Beach, Maui, Hawaii, Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Hana
As I said in the introduction, “It’s about the journey, not the destination”. For us Hana was not the target of this trip, but given it’s the roads’ namesake, and tummies were grumbling again, it only makes sense to stop here. Hana is a fairly quiet and unassuming village, with a beach that pales in comparison to those you’ve passed along the way as well as some of the sights that follow that I’ll touch on shortly. You’ll more than likely be hungry by the time you get here and the small food truck village on the south side of town (set your map for Poke Bob’s) is delightful and delicious with a variety of options to suite many tastes. I didn’t take many photos in Hana and that’s not a slight to the town, but we were more fixated on food and taking a bit of a break after hours in the car.
We attempted to visit the "Red Sand Beach” but were turned around by a security guard who told us it was the private property of a nearby school. Fair enough I suppose, though we didn’t see any indication of that in our pre-trip research. Hana Bay Beach Park may be a suitable spot for a picnic but I didn’t feel compelled to try swimming or sunbathing there. Suffice it to say, you aren’t enduring the road to see Hana, or at least, that shouldn’t be the mindset you approach the journey with. Call it a milestone, a box ticked, and the mid-point from which you have a decision to make, carry-on, or turn back?
Poke Bob’s Food Truck, Hana, Maui, Hawaii, Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Koki Beach Park
Just south a few miles south of Hana is a turn-off that’s worth taking. Koki Beach Park is a beautiful bay lined with a a mix of sandy beach and rocky shoreline with the Alau Island Seabird Sanctuary visible just offshore. This, we discovered, is a favourite haunt of some local surfing schools. Students travel here from all over the island, some daily, to put in hours of practice and training in the waves. It seems far from an ideal spot for us uninitiated, with shallow reefs and jagged rocks jutting out of the waves all over. Coaches stand at the shore and brief their classes before sending them out into the sea.
Surf School at Koki Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R
The Road Less Travelled
Leaving Koki Beach, you follow the road south and there are more sights to see including Wailua Falls -a lovely hike with a beautiful bamboo forest along it’s route. While that hike is normally worth the visit (we stopped there many years prior) we were starting to think about the road home and in particular trying to cover most of it in daylight. This is a point worth considering in your planning, driving these routes at night wouldn’t appeal to most, but with a bit of planning and an occasional eye on your watch you can cover much of it before dark and still have time to relax along the way.
Shortly after the turn-off for the falls, the road begins to get a bit rougher. Eventually you’ll come to a sign that reads “Road Closed” standing directly in your path. This is the spot the rental car shop told you not to go past along with some additional suggestions that you’re at your own risk in doing so, possibly without insurance coverage, and “there’s not much to see there”, and so on. I’m not suggesting you disregard that advice, but if one were to do so, there are certainly sights to enjoy -unlike anything you’ve seen yet. Additionally, I’ve been told that the guided tours can continue past this point, and if that option better suits your risk appetite then it may well be the preferred approach. Beyond the sign the road does indeed get rough, and has noticeably gotten worse in the ~10 year gap since we first visited, more akin to some remote Forest Service Roads in the mountains back home; with significant potholes, rocky washed-out sections, single-lane bridges and some perilous precipices adjacent crumbling sections of road on the outside of blind corners. Have I sold you on it yet? Read on.
Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
To me the South and South-West corners of Maui are spectacular. A complete change in ecosystem from what you’d experienced up to this point, you traverse from lush jungle to rolling grassy plains and dry steppes more akin to what you might see in cowboy movies (apart from the ocean and volcano, of course). It is beautifully desolate. You will encounter almost no other travellers on this stretch but for the cows at pasture and occasionally in the middle of the road. If you’ve timed your day well, you’ll start to round the South-West corner of the island as the sun begins to set and that serene vista alone has been worth doing the road to Hana twice. The road condition also improves here to the point you’re rolling on nearly perfect asphalt on an undulating road with twists and turns that beckon the riders and racers among us to pick up the pace. But the scenery and atmosphere here compels you instead to take it easy, to take it in. The stress of the hours of driving up-to that point melt away and you glide towards the setting sun in peace.
The further you travel the more massive the island and its volcano Haleakala appear. Unobstructed by palms, the view endlessly expands before you. You begin to wonder just how far you are from your starting point after all (very). Further, you ask yourself -how different can this Island be from one corner to the next? Does the towering volcano at its centre really have such power and influence that the very weather and life surrounding it changes so completely depending where in its shadow they lay? Perhaps that’s part of Maui’s charm, in its mimicry of the sheer diversity of the Earth we enjoy today -condensed into something one can experience between sunrise and sunset.
Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Maui, Hawaii, Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Maui, Hawaii, Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
West Maui in Monochrome — Kaanapali, Napili & Kapalua (Part 1)
When I booked a week away to the Island of Maui, a project dawned on me to abandon the temptation to capture the vivid colours of the island and seek instead to document it as I first saw it through the monochrome images shared by explorers and tourists generations before me.
Kapalua Beach, Maui, Hawaii, Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Aloha
Growing up, I was endlessly fascinated by old books and magazines I’d find at my grandmother’s house describing the far off places of the world. National Geographic magazines and Readers’ Digests, some decades old even at that point, were filled with novel images and captivating stories of wild coastlines lined by swaying palm trees, towering volcanoes, thatch-roofed villages, and strong men paddling through giant waves. Some images showcased vibrant landscapes, while others in grainy black and white evoked the excitement of discovery and left the color pallette to the imagination and to me these were somehow the more engaging images. So, when I booked a week away to the Island of Maui, a project dawned on me to abandon the temptation to capture the vivid colours of the island and seek instead to document it as I first saw it through the monochrome images shared by explorers and tourists generations before me.
Aston Papakea, Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R
Aston Papakea, Kaanapali
Regular readers of my blog might find this destination a bit surprising, especially as a place we’ve now visited twice, and at the same property no-less. While it’s neither wild (well, wait until the next story for that) nor posh, it is, to me, eminently relaxing and to that effect sometimes I don’t mind being able to just put my feet up, not think too hard about what to do next, and arrive and leave rested from a trip. To me, Kaanapali retains an enjoyable balance between curated and quaint, with resort properties large and small lining the coast as well as a small towns and hamlets along the coastal road.
We stayed here once before, around ten years ago, at the same property in fact, the Aston Papakaya Resort. Kaanapali is one of the core resort areas on the west coast of Maui, with the seaside facing the islands of Moloka’i and Lanai. It was largely sparred by the wildfires that devastated Lahaina the year before, the remnants of which we caught glimpses of along the way. There’s everything from simple homestays to extravagant hotel properties to stay at depending on the vibe you’re looking for. Our apartment within the Papakea property was well appointed with a full kitchen, lanai (balcony), and an upper loft area that acted as our “in-law suite”. There was ample room for the five of us which included my in-laws who we brought along in hopes of a bit of babysitting support. The buildings on this property certainly aren’t new, but generally appeared in great condition, with our own suite likely renovated recently judging by the lack of wear and tear. It was a nice bonus that our lanai faced almost due west and allowed a lovely view of the inner courtyard with its ponds, palms, pool and the ocean beyond with Moloka’i rising in the distance. Exuberant songbirds and a steady breeze greeted us as we stowed our bags following the roughly hour long drive in from Kahului airport.
Aston Papakea, Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
I find the architecture and layout of this resort interesting. At first glance it doesn’t particularly stand out, but as you begin to wander it’s paths there’s an element of Spanish fortress meets brutalism that feels oddly out of place and at the same time rather playful. I could imagine myself as a kid running along the winding paths, playing hide and seek around sharp corners and verdant bushes, and imagining all sorts of foes attempting to storm this seaside citadel.
Aston Papakea, Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Aston Papakea, Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Aston Papakea, Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Honokowai Beach Park, Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
The downside to this resort is the lack of direct beach access. While the sea is certainly immediately adjacent, it’s a sub-optimal setup for any lounging on the sand or snorkelling as only a thin strip of sand separates sea and seawall and even then only at low tide. The good news is there are fantastic options for beach-time both walking and easy driving distances away.
Napili & Kapalua
Napili and Kapalua Bays are located just 7km north of the Aston Papakea. They are essentially adjacent, separated by a spit of land that juts into the sea. If you’re driving, street parking is likely your best bet for both though there is a small parking lot nearby Kapalua. It’s hard to pick a favourite between the two, and in fact looking back at my photos I can struggle a bit to remember which is which! The sand here is soft and warm, though shade is at a premium with the few coveted palm trees spots claimed quickly in the mornings. The snorkeling at both is excellent, and I quickly regretted not bringing my dive camera along to capture some of the beauty. Turtles, of course, are delightfully abundant, but as are many other fish and creatures. I even caught a fleeting glimpse of a barracuda swimming past in the deep blue as I swam out to the outer reaches of one of the bays. The shape of the bays shelters them to some degree from the waves, making swimming and play bye the shore safer for young ones, though still worthy of careful attention. Just a bit further up the coast the north facing beaches are clearly pounded more by the surf and less ideal of a snorkel or casual swim. For food and drinks on the beach your best options are Sea House on Napili and Merriman’s just next to Kapalua. As usual, happy hour is where your money will go the farthest.
Napili Bay, Kaanapali, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Napili Bay, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Kapalua Bay, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Ka’anapali Beach
If you head south from the Aston Papakea there’s a roughly 3km stretch of beach from the Hilton to the Royal Lahaina that offers quick and easy access to the sea, warm sand and a myriad of dinning and shopping options. A trail just above the beach runs the entire length of this strip of sand and allows access to the various vacation properties. These beaches are more exposed than the bays of Napili and Kapalua and thus less optimal for snorkelling or swimming, but nonetheless are excellent spots for laying on a sun bed or towel and soaking in the warmth.
Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Our favourite restaurant in this particular area, Monkeypod Kitchen (a more casual sister-restaurant to Merriman’s), was actually a bit further south between the Westin and Whaler hotel’s in a dense shopping area. Lively and akin to a Cactus Club for my Canadian readers. Their Mai Tai is excellent. Honorable mention to Duke’s for its vintage surf vibe.
Figuring out the menu at Monkeypod, Maui, Hawaii, Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
Adventure Time
Most regular visitors to Maui attempt the Hana Highway once, and call it done. Even for the driving enthusiast this tight and winding route, often filled with timid tourists, can become exhausting, and while spectacular, always feels a bit like a test of luck and resilience. To go beyond Hana is of course forbidden -or so they insist at the rental car counter. We’d done this trip before, and clearly forgot -or let’s say, misremembered- how long of a day, and challenging a route it could be. With this being the in-laws first visit to the island we felt remiss not taking them on the journey. How did that go? Was it worth a second try? Where did we stop along the way? Did we go the full lap ‘round (and should you)?
The wilder side of Maui, Hawaii, Leica M10R, 35mm Summicron
The Road to Hana and beyond — narrow roads, raw coastline, and the question every traveler faces: turn back, or keep going?