It's all about the trip. 12 hours in the van and Alex made it a great time. He drives the road counter clockwise instead of the usual clockwise trip. Knows the road, the legends and the locals. Great trip.
Be sure to take the guided tour. Upon being picked up from our cruise ship, we headed to a local golf course for a meager breakfast didn't know it was included and had already eaten then proceeded along the tour. The sights and vistas were stunning, i.e. treacherous cliffs, snow-peaked mountains, cascading waterfalls, semi-secluded beaches, etc. A box lunch was also provided. Our guide was informative, but was new, and not familiar with some of the smaller creeks and minor waterfalls made it difficult or impossible to catch a photo. The roads are sometimes very narrow and we were glad to have chosen not to rent a vehicle.
This trip was really great. it started on the far side versus normal Kahului which makes the trip better.