I was just reading today’s Maui News article about a parcel of land on Maui that was donated to the Haleakala National Park. As I was reading it, this sentence prompted me to wonder if you are familiar with the terms mauka and makai:

The parcel… is on the mauka side of Hana Highway and the Hana side of Oheo Gulch.

What that sentence means is that the parcel of land is on the mountain side of the Hana Highway. Mauka and makai are very frequently used in giving directions rather than right or left.

– Mauka (mow-kah) means on the mountain side of the road in the context of directions.

– Makai (mah-kigh) means on the ocean side of the road in the context of directions.

I think these words are actually more descriptive than left and right especially since most of the main roads follow along the coast line. Plus, when you understand these directions, you never have to worry about which direction from which you came. Whether you’re driving from the North or South, the makai side is always going to be on the ocean side side of the road.

Just as we read that excerpt from the Maui News article, you will likely discover that mauka and makai are used very frequently without a further description in Hawaii. So, now you’ll know when you go what these words mean and you’ll be navigating like a local.