Driving Maui’s Road to Hana was a more than picturesque and memorable adventure. Though, the choice to make the nine hour trek all in one day meant that certain sacrifices would have to be made. Never did I think that not jumping off a cliff would be called a sacrifice.
My biggest regret while driving the Road to Hana was was not doing the cliff jump at Ching’s Pond.
At mile marker 16.8, you can hike a couple minutes down a rocky, and sometimes, slippery path to Ching’s Pond. This is a popular swimming hole with a no-room-for-error, two-level cliff jump.
There are two tiers in which the jump can be made from, one at the street level, near the bridge and another about a dozen feet lower.
I don’t so much regret not jumping from the higher 25 foot tier, but the lower level seemed like good enough bragging rights.
When we arrived, the pond was semi-crowded, mostly with cliff jumping gawkers. The only ones actually jumping at that time were locals. Their watching families said that “this is their thing, they don’t like to swim, they just like to jump.” Okay.
The water bulls-eye was a spot about 10 feet in diameter, no room for error here.
Though I gave the jump a second and third thought, we were on a tight schedule and I did not wear a bathing suit, nor have a change of clothing. Wimp.
We drove away and for the rest of the ride back to the town of Paia I mentally kicked myself. Ouch.
Of course, this post comes with a “do not try this disclaimer”, meaning I absolutely do not recommend this dangerous, and probably illegal, adventure. But, it is the one thing that I look back at and say “wish I would have”. That doesn’t happen often.
