 As the 18 -seater prop plane
slowly descended over Molokai I remember looking out the window and seeing the bright red
iron rich soil for as far as I could see. The land was dry with a very old west look about
it. Living on Oahu we are used to our beautiful mountains cluttered with lots of houses,
the view out my window as we prepared for landing did not have a house in sight! As we
taxied to one of the two gates that made up the entire Molokai airport I could feel the
stress and tensions of everyday life just fall away and looked forward to the adventures
that awaited us!
The red iron rich soil of West Molokai
We arranged
to stay at a Bed and Breakfast rather than one of the few hotels on the island. Jack and
Cheryl, hosts at Ka Hale Mala
(The Garden House), greeted us at the airport. Jack joined us in our rental car to give us
an orientation of the island as we headed to the B&B to drop off our luggage before
heading out to explore the island. When we arrived at our temporary home we enjoyed
yummy breadfruit loaf and cold iced tea as Jack went over a map of Molokai with us
pointing out "must see" destinations. After he explained our options Jack
offered to take care of calling the activity providers for a guided hike and a boat ride
on the Na Pali coast that we wanted to do. This allowed us to head out and see for
ourselves all the great things Jack was describing to us.
Ka Hale Mala Bed
and Breakfast
On our first day we drove around
the West end of the island. This was the dry area we flew over for landing. One of our
first stops was at the only large hotel on the island, Kaluakoi Resort. We stopped to pick
up some juices and dip our toes in the sand at their beautiful beach. We were amazed there
was no one else on the beach. The waves seemed to break very hard close to shore, which
may deter beach goers.
The beach at Kaluakoi Resort
Not too far down the road from the
resort is Papohaku Beach Park, the largest white sand beach in Hawaii. There is access to
the beach through the campground. As you head towards the ocean the grass turns to white
powder sand. We kicked off our shoes to walk barefoot in the sand only to find the sand
was very HOT and began cooking our feet.
Papohaku Beach
After we ran about 50
yards to the ocean to extinguish our feet we looked along the horizon at the almost
deserted beach we were amazed at how breathtakingly beautiful this beach was. There were
only two other people on the 3 miles of beach. As far as we could see there was perfect
wind swirled sand dunes and Turquoise Ocean.
Papohaku Beach
The waves broke even
harder on the shore than at Kaluakoi. There are warnings as you enter the park that
swimming is not recommended due to the rip currents and dangerous shore break. It is
definitely worth stopping at to admire the amazing view and catch some rays!
Papohaku Beach
Along the same road as Papohaku
Beach there are many public beach access roads to small coves around the parameter of West
Molokai. They are beautiful to stop and enjoy their scenery. The ocean on the West Side
seemed very rough; we did not see anyone in the ocean at any of the beach parks.
A newly developing area on Molokai
is Maunaloa Town. A working cattle ranch called Molokai Ranch is located in this area and
for the last 3 years has been bringing quite a bit of tourism to Molokai. The Ranch offers
unique all-inclusive vacation programs. You can almost rough-it in deluxe domed tent-like
dwellings with running water and electricity. They offer programs such as horseback
riding, hiking, water activities, and mountain biking to name a few. Off the dirt road
leading to the Ranch is another un-paved road to Hale O Lono Harbor. The long and winding
road leading to the harbor offers beautiful views of Lanai, Maui, and Oahu across the
bright blue ocean on a clear day. On this road it is important to take your time and watch
where your are going, there are some areas where the road drops off dramatically along the
sides.
View from Hale O Lono Harbor
Next we headed out to another
challenging road leading to the Moomomi Preserve. The dirt road leading to the preserve is
bordered by ranch lands and offers a spectacular cost line view. This road has many
potholes and rocks along the way. As long as it is not muddy, you drive slowly, and use
common sense you can make it in a compact rental car. We did! At the end of the road is a
place to park, and a community center. Follow the path past the community center to begin
the hiking trail through a unique dune ecosystem. Guided tours are available through the
Hawaii Nature Conservancy at 808 553-5236. We drove to the lookout but we did not have
time to hike any of the 923-acre preserve.
Road to Moomomi Preserve
We still had a few hours of
daylight to explore so we headed to the Kalaupapa Lookout. The Kalaupapa Peninsula is
accessible by boat, mule, or a grueling hike. Kalaupapa is the where Father Damien, a
Belgian priest, came to help the sick, lonely, and dying who were forced to live here. It
is believed Leprosy arrived in the islands in the early 1860's with the immigrants from
China. It spread easily to Hawaiians who had a weak immune system due to 1000 years of
isolation from diseases. Those who were plagued with Leprosy in the Hawaiian Islands were
banished to this remote area of Molokai. The poor lepers were removed from their families
and homes by force, put on a boat, and tossed into the turbulent ocean off the East
(right) side of the peninsula.
Kalaupapa Peninsula
The lookout is in a state park up
in the mountains at 1,664 feet. The air up there is cool and fragrant with Norfolk Pine.
The lookout gave an amazing birds eye view of Kalaupapa peninsula and steep Pali Sea
cliffs.
In the same park as the Kalaupapa
Lookout is the "Phallic Rock".
Phallic Rock
The sign below
tells the history of this rock and reads: "Many years ago the man Nanahoa and his
wife lived on this green hill of Puu Lua. One day a beautiful young girl appeared and
began to admire herself in a pool of water. Nanahoa watched admiringly and the girl
returned a smile to his reflection in the pool. Growing jealous the wife grabbed the young
girl by the hair. Nanahoa hit his wife in quick tempered anger and sent her tumbling down
a nearby cliff where she turned to stone. Nanahoa also turned to stone but his power
remains in this male rock. It is said if a woman goes to Kauleonanahoa with offerings and
spends the night she will return home pregnant. Phallic or fertility rocks are found on
all Hawaiian Islands, but this is the finest example. The rocks present form is a natural
configuration which has been carved to some extent."
There is a tour on which you ride
a mule down the steep mountainside to Kalaupapa. We did not have time for this adventure
but had hear from others who went on the mule ride that it was very fun and interesting.
The mules are very sure footed and provide a safe and unique experience.
Molokai Mule Tours
It was
getting late so we headed out to the Cook House, a restaurant Jack had recommended, and we
enjoyed some hamburgers and reflected on our adventures so far. Later that evening, after
the sunset, we took a leisurely drive to do some stargazing. There are no city lights or
skyscrapers and not many streetlights to obstruct the view so the countless bright stars
pop out against the black sky. There isn’t much else for nightlife on Molokai, this
is primarily an island enjoyed best during the day.
DAY 2
Unlike the other Hawaiian Islands
Molokai has a barrier reef about a mile from shore. For day two we had planned to go
snorkeling at Mile 20 Beach where the reef comes in closest to the shore and is the most
easy to accessible. We were trying to arrange a boat ride to the remote Pali coastline on
the Northeast side of Molokai for our third and last day, but as we were preparing to
leave to go snorkeling Cheryl got a call from the guys with the boat and they said 'they
were going to the Pali coast in 2 hours if we wanted to go we should go now.' We decided
to take advantage of this opportunity and headed out to the Halawa Valley Harbor on the
eastern tip of the island. This side of the island receives more rainfall, is more lush,
and has a waterfall that can be viewed from the roadside.
Moaula Falls in Halawa Valley
The road leading to valley offers
amazing views of the coastline, ancient fishponds, Maui, and Lanai. Our boat was about an
hour late in arriving but we got a chance to meet and talk story with Chris, a man in his
40’s who has lived on the Pali coast for 20+ years. Chris and his wife and another
family are the only permanent residents still living in the lush valleys along the Pali.
This is where the water and wildlife is abundant and there used to be up to 10,000
Hawaiians who lived in these valleys. Now there are less than 5. The waters on the Pali
coast are very rough and from October to almost April they are not accessible by boat.
Chris was waiting for a ride home on the same boat we were waiting for. It was interesting
to learn about what is like to live life more close to nature like the ancient Hawaiians
did but with some modern conveniences. Molokai has no natural harbors, thus the slow
development. When the 20 foot boat came we waded out to meet our captain, Robin, and then
stowed our gear. The seas were swelling to six feet and made for an exciting adventure!
When we got to the valley Chris lived in, he tossed his supplies overboard and swam it all
into shore. His only other option would be a challenging 12 hour hike over the mountain
and through the valley, which Chris said he does once a year just to make sure he still
can. He can do it in eight hours.
This is the valley along the Pali Coastline that Chris lives in.
There are only two boats for hire
that go to the Pali coast. It can be challenging to work this adventure into your
schedule, but it is worth the effort. There are scenes that are so spectacular you can
hardly believe that they're real, places you can only see from the water.
Puahauni Point on the Pali coastline
There were waterfalls
weeping from cliff crevices all along the coastline. The Pali coastline also has the
tallest sea-cliffs in the world at over 1,000 feet.
Tallest weeping fall in the world!
A few days prior to our arrival on
Molokai a six acre portion of a Pali cliff slid off into the ocean. We were among some of
the first people to view the aftermath.
Close up of the recent landslide on the Pali coast of Molokai
There are
several valleys along the Pali coastline. Around every turn is another beautiful natural
wonder!
Papalaua Valley
We traveled the entire Pali
coastline almost to the Kalaupapa Peninsula. We even took an exciting detour through a sea
cave.
Mokohala Island off Molokai
The other family that
lives on the Pali side, other than Chris, was a relative of our boat driver. He
took us into the cove for a close up look of their private paradise. They have a beautiful
large modern home powered by hydro electricity from waterfalls and the streams. The house
sits up on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Lush rainforest and waterfalls surround it. Now
that is living!
A beautiful waterfall in a cove along the Pali coast
On our way back we
picked up a group of guys who were on a hunting/camping trip in one of the valleys. Like
Chris, we just pulled into the cove they had to swim with all their gear 35 yards. Hunting
is often used to try to control the overpopulation of feral pigs, goats, and deer that are
causing terrible erosion problems by munching the plants down to the root. We could see
many goats up on the cliffs along the coastline.
View along Pali coastline
We had an amazing adventure on the
boat and enjoyed the hospitality of Robin our boat driver, and his crew. They explained
what we were looking at and stopped the boat whenever we wanted to take photos. I often
get seasick so Robin checked with me frequently to see how I was doing. I tried the new
motion sickness wristbands on this adventure and it amazingly did the trick!
These hills are filled with wild goats!
After our adventure we returned to
the B&B Cheryl had great news for us. Since we were able to go to the Pali a day early
she contacted the Hawaii Nature Conservancy and was able to get us in on the monthly
guided hike to the Kamakou Preserve. We had attempted to sign up for that hike a month
prior to our arrival but they were booked. We were so excited to be able to go on the
guided hike the next day!
DAY 3
The Kamakou Preserve
guide hike by the Nature Conservancy is a popular once a month adventure because the
preserve is filled with many rare, endangered, and endemic plants and animals. Some are
found no where else in the world but in the preserve. Unfortunately if you cant get
in on the hike your only other option to see the preserve is to catch a ride with park
workers. The preserve does not have paved roads and only 4 wheel drive vehicles can make
it around. Even those often get stuck. It is best not to attempt to go there on your own.
We met the hike leaders and other
hikers at the airport. It is important to scrub all mud, dirt, or seeds from hiking boots
so no unwanted plants or bugs end up in the preserve. After our boots were inspected we
headed up to the preserve in a 4X4 with Doug, one of the hike leaders. On the way up we
spotted some deer on ranch land off a few hundred yards. Then, out of the blue, a buck
began running along side the truck. We clocked it at 25 mph for about 30 seconds before it
veered off into the field. What an exciting start to our adventure! After entering the
preserve we soon came across a boat shaped ditch. The mountains of Molokai used to be
covered with a sandalwood forest. The trade boats would stop in Hawaii to pick up
Sandalwood to sell to China, who used the fragrant wood for incense. The Hawaiians would
hack down the trees then fill up the boat hull size pit. When the pit was full Hawaiian
men would drag each trunk of wood down by hand to the ocean to fill a trade ship. This was
back braking labor and it took many of the Hawaiians away from their normal duties of
farming, hunting, fishing, etc. It is said that the workers pulled up the saplings to
prevent their children from having to endure such tortuous work. Today sandalwood trees
are rare and are protected against harvesting.
Because some of the plants and
animals in the preserve are so rare, you must walk through the preserve along a wooden
plank path. This is a rain forest, and it was very wet inside the preserve. As the
elevation climbs the forest gets moister and is lush with lots of ferns. If you have heard
of the Hawaiian Happy Faced Spider the Kamakou Preserve is where they live. Since the
spiders are very small, about a ¼", they are very hard to find and you must seek
them out. At the top of the mountain preserve is a bog. Since it is the peak of the
mountain it gets rain daily and the hard clay dirt below the surface prevents the water
from running off, so it just sits there. This excess water increases the acidity of the
water and has caused stunted growth of the flora and fauna found in the bog. There were 1
foot high Ohia trees in the bog that were planted the same time as the 50 foot Ohia trees
not far down the trail. The two Nature Conservancy guides explained some of the wildlife
we were looking at and how Hawaiians utilized them in every day life. The end of the trail
is at a valley lookout. Unfortunately a cloud had blown in and we were in it, unable to
get a view of the valley. We had a great time on this adventure!
MOLOKAI is No' Ka Oi (number one)
We have fallen in love with the
island of Molokai and it’s people. This is still a place where you don’t have to
lock your doors at night, people greet one another as they pass walking or driving by,
there is very low crime, and the Aloha spirit is strong. There are no buildings higher
than a coconut tree. There are no fancy restaurants, just good home cooking at places like
the Molokai Drive-In. There are no malls or traffic lights on this island. Just recently
the first movie theater opened and the first elevator were installed on Molokai. On
Molokai we felt like we had stepped back a few decades to small town USA, and it felt
GREAT!
The most important thing to bring to Molokai is
flexibility. We found that this is not and island to plan ahead what you want to do.
Molokai has less than 2,300 permanent residents and does not rely on tourism. There are
limited organized tours and activities that will allow you to explore Molokai’s
unique ecosystems, history, and culture. Many residence have other jobs in addition to
providing tours. It is important to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. People
of Molokai are very dedicated to their families and many do not offer tours on the
weekends, that is family time. When we first discussed going to Molokai we were not sure
there would be enough to keep us busy. We found Molokai has a lot to offer and look
forward to returning soon for more adventures!
 PLEASE
NOTE: Prices for island activities featured within our
site are NOT guaranteed. Since we are not
affiliated with any of the activity providers we are not notified if services or prices
change. You will need to contact the activity
provider directly for a current price quote and for availability information.
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