The islands of Maui, Molokai and Lanai make up Maui
County.
Of the three, Molokai stands out as having the
closest link to old Hawaii. In many ways, landing on
Molokai today is similar to arriving on Maui 25 or 30
years ago. The sleepy town of Kaunakakai, the uncrowded
roadways, the country homes, the fishermen casting their
nets, the pidgin English, the roadside churches of a
bygone era, the community baseball games and canoe
races, the small-town feeling where everyone knows
everyone else - all contribute to a heartwarming, if not
nostalgic, experience. For many years the "Molokai
Ferry" was our connection to the "Friendly Isle" of
Molokai, but recently this has been discontinued
(temporarily we hope). Nowadays the major way onto the
island is via air.
A "fly-drive" package includes the plane trip over
and back, and a rental car on Molokai. You can spend
the day exploring at your own pace, visiting beautiful
beaches, rainforests, picturesque shoreline, and
historical sites. You might want to pick up a picnic
lunch in town and enjoy it at a shoreline park or
overlook. The day is yours and you can do whatever
strikes your fancy.
Take a guided tour. You'll be guided around the
island by a local who has probably spent a lifetime on
Molokai. The things you will learn, the places you'll
see, and the hospitality and local color provided by
the driver make this a great choice for anyone who
really wants to get acquainted with Molokai. This is
the quickest way to understand the essence of Molokai,
also known as the Friendly Isle
HELPFUL
TIPS
Tour Kalaupapa Peninsula, the site of Father
Damien's leper colony. On the northern coastline
of Molokai, sheer cliffs descend 2,000 feet to the
lovely and isolated peninsula that served as home to
Hawaii's leper colony last century. Even though
"Hansen's Disease" has been arrested in modern times,
this is still the home of eighty or so patients. Tours
are given daily by Richard Marks, the settlement's
sheriff.
The narrative is so informative, so touching and so
steeped in the dramatic history of the era, we
guarantee you will be moved by the experience. You can
get to the peninsula by airplane, or by the famous
Molokai Mule Ride which takes visitors down the
hair-raising mule trail to the base of the cliffs. Few
adventures in Hawaii are as unusual as this experience
at Kalaupapa. I recommend the journey, no matter which
way you choose to make it.
