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Molokai vacations | Molokai vacations packages | Molokai cheap vacations

Born of volcanic eruptions 1.5 million years ago, Molokai remains a time capsule on the dawn of the 21st century. It has no deluxe resorts, no stoplights, and no buildings taller than a coconut tree. Molokai is the least developed, most "Hawaiian" of all the islands, making it especially attractive to adventure travelers and peace seekers.

Molokai lives up to its reputation as the most Hawaiian place chiefly through its lineage; there are more people here of Hawaiian blood than anywhere else. This slipper-shaped island was birthplace of hula and the ancient science of aquaculture. An aura of ancient mysticism clings to the land here, and the old ways still govern life. The residents survive by taking fish from the sea and hunting wild pigs and axis deer on the range. Some folks still catch fish for dinner by throwing nets and trolling the reef.

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Modern Hawaii's high-rise hotels, shopping centers, and other trappings of tourism haven't been able to gain a foothold here. The lone low-rise resort on the island, Kaluakoi -- built 30 years ago, now closed and empty -- was Molokai's token attempt at contemporary tourism. The only new developments since Kaluakoi were the Molokai Ranch's eco-tourism project of upscale camping in semipermanent "tentalows" (a combination of a bungalow and a tent) and a 22-room lodge on the 65,000-acre ranch -- both of which closed in 2008 when the Molokai Ranch shut down all operations.

Not everyone will love Molokai. The slow-paced, simple life of the people and the absence of contemporary landmarks attract those in search of the "real" Hawaii. I once received a letter from a New York City resident who claimed that any "big-city resident" would "blanche" at the lack of "sophistication." But that is exactly the charm of Molokai. This is a place where Mother Nature is wild and uninhibited, with very little intrusion by man. Forget sophistication; this is one of the few spots on the planet where one can stand in awe of the island's diverse natural wonders: Hawaii's highest waterfall and greatest collection of fishponds; the world's tallest sea cliffs; sand dunes, coral reefs, rainforests, and hidden coves; and gloriously empty beaches.

Attractions

The North Coast
Even if you don't get a chance to see Hawaii's most dramatic coast in its entirety -- not many people do -- you shouldn't miss the opportunity to glimpse it from the Kalaupapa Lookout, at Palaau State Park. On the way, there are a few diversions (arranged here in geographical order).

The Legacy of Father Damien: Kalaupapa National Historic Park
Kalaupapa, an old tongue of lava that sticks out to form a peninsula, became infamous because of man's inhumanity to victims of a formerly incurable contagious disease.

King Kamehameha V sent the first lepers -- nine men and three women -- into exile on this isolated shore, at the base of ramparts that rise like temples against the Pacific, on January 6, 1866. By 1874, more than 11,000 lepers had been dispatched to die in one of the world's most beautiful -- and lonely -- places. They called it Kalaupapa, "The Place of the Living Dead."

Leprosy is actually one of the world's least contagious diseases, transmitted only by direct, repetitive contact over a long period of time. It's caused by a bacterium, Mycobacterium leprae, that attacks the nerves, skin, and eyes, and is found mainly, but not exclusively, in tropical regions. American scientists found a cure for the disease in the 1940s.

Before science intervened, there was Father Damien. Born to wealth in Belgium, Joseph de Veuster traded a life of excess for exile among lepers, devoting himself to caring for the afflicted at Kalaupapa. Horrified by the conditions in the leper colony, Father Damien worked at Kalaupapa for 11 years, building houses, schools, and churches, and giving hope to his patients. He died on April 15, 1889, in Kalaupapa, of leprosy. He was 49.

A hero nominated for Catholic sainthood, Father Damien is buried not in his tomb next to Molokai's St. Philomena Church, but in his native Belgium. Well, most of him, anyway. His hand was recently returned to Molokai and was reinterred at Kalaupapa as a relic of his martyrdom.

This small peninsula is the final resting place of possibly more than 11,000 souls. The sand dunes are littered with grave markers, sorted by the religious affiliation -- Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist -- of those who died here. But so many are buried in unmarked graves that no accurate census of the dead exists.

Kalaupapa is now a national historical park (tel. 808/567-6802; www.nps.gov/kala) and one of Hawaii's richest archaeological preserves, with sites that date from A.D. 1000. About 60 former patients chose to remain in this tidy village, where statues of angels stand in the yards of the whitewashed houses. The original name for their former affliction, leprosy, was officially banned in Hawaii by the state legislature in 1981. The name used now is "Hansen's disease," for Dr. Gerhard Hansen of Norway, who discovered the bacterium in 1873.

Kalaupapa welcomes visitors who arrive on foot, by mule, or by small plane. Father Damien's St. Philomena Church, built in 1872, is open to visitors, who can see it from a yellow school bus driven by resident tour guide Richard Marks, an ex-seaman and sheriff who survived the disease. You won't be able to roam freely, and you'll be allowed to enter only the museum, the crafts shop, and the church.

Mule Rides to Kalaupapa -- The first turn's a gasp, and it's all downhill from there. You can close your eyes and hold on for dear life, or slip the reins over the pommel and sit back, letting the mule do the walking down the precipitous path to Kalaupapa National Historical Park.

Even if you have only a day to spend on Molokai, spend it on a mule. This is a once-in-a-lifetime ride. The cliffs are taller than a 300-story skyscraper, but Buzzy Sproat's mules go safely up and down the narrow 3-mile trail daily, rain or shine. Starting at the top of the nearly perpendicular ridge (1,600 ft. high), the surefooted mules step down the muddy trail, pausing often on the 26 switchbacks to calculate their next move -- and always, it seems to me, veering a little too close to the edge. Each switchback is numbered; by the time you get to number four, you'll catch your breath, put the mule on cruise control, and begin to enjoy Hawaii's most awesome trail ride.

The mule tours are offered once a day Monday through Saturday; the park is closed on Sunday. Tours start at 8am and last until about 3:30pm. It costs $165 per person for the all-day adventure, which includes the round-trip mule ride, a guided tour of the settlement, a visit to Father Damien's church and tomb, lunch at Kalawao, and souvenirs. Book in advance, as these tours often fill up. To go, you must be at least 16 years old and physically fit, and weigh less than 250 pounds. Contact Molokai Mule Ride, 100 Kalae Hwy., Suite 104, on Hwy. 470, 5 miles north of Hwy. 460 (tel. 800/567-7550, or 808/567-6088 8am-10pm; www.muleride.com). Advance reservations (at least 2 weeks ahead) are required.

Seeing Kalaupapa by Plane -- The fastest and easiest way to get to Kalaupapa is by hopping on a plane and zipping to Kalaupapa Airport. From here, you can pick up the same Kalaupapa tour that the mule riders and hikers take. Molokai Mule Ride will pick you up at the Kalaupapa Airport and take you to some of the area's most scenic spots, including Kalawao, where Father Damien's church still stands, and the town of Kalaupapa. The package includes round-trip airfare from Honolulu, hotel pickup, guided mule tour, entry permits, tour of the historical park, and a picnic lunch; it costs $319 per person, with a two-person minimum.

If you are coming from Maui, your choices are either to take the ferry (where you will hike in and back out in 1 day, or join the mule ride and then stay overnight, due to the ferry's schedule) or to go by plane (call them and they can help set up a charter plane).

If you are on Molokai and want to fly directly into Kalaupapa, Molokai Mule Ride will book you from the Molokai Airport to Kalaupapa and include entry permits, a park tour with Damien Tours, and a light picnic lunch for $130 per person, with a two-person minimum.

Seeing Kalaupapa by Ferry/Hiking -- From Maui, take the Molokai Princess (tel. 800/275-6969 or 808/667-6165; www.mauiprincess.com) to Molokai, where you'll be met and transported by van to the top of the 1,700-foot sea cliffs. Here you hike down the 3-mile trail to the Kalaupapa National Historical Park; at the park, you are met by Damien Tours and given a van tour of the peninsula, during which you'll visit Father Damien's St. Philomena Church, see his early gravesite, and hear the stories of struggle and courage of the residents of Kalaupapa. The only catch is you have to hike back up the 1,700-foot cliffs, where you are picked up by van and returned to the ferry dock for the trip back to Maui. This fabulous experience really should be undertaken only by the physically fit (it will take about an hour to hike down and another 90 min. to hike back up). Cost for ferry, transportation, tour, and lunch is $277 (participants must be at least 16 years old).

The West End
Maunaloa -- In the first and only attempt at urban renewal on Molokai, the 1920s-era pineapple-plantation town of Maunaloa has become a ghost town ever since the Molokai Ranch closed all of its operations in 2008 (including the movie theater, restaurant, lodge, and some shops).

On the Northwest Shore: Moomomi Dunes -- Undisturbed for centuries, the Moomomi Dunes, on Molokai's northwest shore, are a unique treasure chest of great scientific value. The area may look like just a pile of sand as you fly over on the final approach to Hoolehua Airport, but Moomomi Dunes is much more than that. Archaeologists have found adz quarries, ancient Hawaiian burial sites, and shelter caves; botanists have identified five endangered plant species; and marine biologists are finding evidence that endangered green sea turtles are coming out from the waters once again to lay eggs here. The greatest discovery, however, belongs to Smithsonian Institute ornithologists, who have found bones of prehistoric birds -- some of them flightless -- that existed nowhere else on earth.

Accessible by jeep trails that thread downhill to the shore, this wild coast is buffeted by strong afternoon breezes. It's hot, dry, and windy, so take water, sunscreen, and a windbreaker. At Kawaaloa Bay, a 20-minute walk to the west, there's a broad golden beach that you can have all to yourself. (Warning: Due to the rough seas, stay out of the water.) Within the dunes, there's a 920-acre preserve accessible via monthly guided nature tours led by the Nature Conservancy of Hawaii; call tel. 808/553-5236 or 524-0779 for an exact schedule and details.

To get here, take Hwy. 460 (Maunaloa Hwy.) from Kaunakakai; turn right onto Hwy. 470, and follow it to Kualapuu. At Kualapuu, turn left on Hwy. 480 and go through Hoolehua Village; it's 3 miles to the bay.

The East End
The East End is a cool and inviting green place that's worth a drive to the end of King Kamehameha V Highway (Hwy. 450). Unfortunately, the trail that leads into the area's greatest natural attraction, Halawa Valley, is now off-limits.

A Horseback Ride to Iliiliopae Heiau -- On horseback (where the elevated view is magnificent), you bump along a dirt trail through an incredible mango grove, bound for an ancient temple of human sacrifice. This temple of doom -- right out of Indiana Jones -- is Iliiliopae, a huge rectangle of stone made of 90 million rocks, overlooking the once-important village of Mapulehu and four ancient fishponds. The horses trek under the perfumed mangoes and then head uphill through a kiawe forest filled with Java plums to the heiau (temple), which stands across a dry stream bed under cloud-spiked Kaunolu, the 4,970-foot island summit.

Hawaii's most powerful heiau attracted kahuna (priests) from all over the islands. They came to learn the rules of human sacrifice at this university of sacred rites. Contrary to Hollywood's version, historians say that the victims here were always men, not young virgins, and that they were strangled, not thrown into a volcano, while priests sat on lauhala mats watching silently. Spooky, eh?

This is the biggest, oldest, and most famous heiau on Molokai. The massive 22-foot-high stone altar is dedicated to Lono, the Hawaiian god of fertility. The heiau resonates with mana (power) strong enough to lean on. Legend says Iliiliopae was built in a single night by a thousand men who passed rocks hand over hand through the Wailau Valley from the other side of the island; in exchange for the ili'ili (rock), each received an 'opae (shrimp). Others say it was built by menehune, mythic elves who accomplished Herculean feats.

After the visit to the temple, your horse takes you back to the mango grove. Contact Molokai Wagon Rides, King Kamehameha V Highway (Hwy. 450), at mile marker 15, Kaunakakai (tel. 808/558-8380). The tour and horseback ride costs $37 per person. The hour-long ride goes up to the heiau, then beyond it to the top of the mountain for those breathtaking views, and finally back down to the beach.

Kamakaou Preserve -- It's hard to believe, but close to the nearly mile-high summit here, it rains more than 80 inches a year -- enough to qualify as a rainforest. The Molokai Forest, as it was historically known, is the source of 60% of Molokai's water. Nearly 3,000 acres, from the summit to the lowland forests of eucalyptus and pine, are now held by the Nature Conservancy, which has identified 219 Hawaiian plants that grow here exclusively. The preserve is also the last stand of the endangered olomao (Molokai thrush) and kawawahie (Molokai creeper).

To get to the preserve, take the Molokai Forest Reserve Road from Kaunakakai. It's a 45-minute four-wheel-drive trip on a dirt trail to Waikolu Lookout Campground; from here, you can venture into the wilderness preserve on foot across a boardwalk on a 1 1/2-hour hike. For more information, contact the Nature Conservancy (tel. 808/553-5236; www.nature.org).

En Route to Halawa Valley -- No visit to Molokai is complete without at least a passing glance at the island's ancient fishponds, a singular achievement in Pacific aquaculture. With their hunger for fresh fish and lack of ice and refrigeration, Hawaiians perfected aquaculture in A.D. 1400, before Christopher Columbus "discovered" America. They built gated, U-shaped stone and coral walls on the shore to catch fish on the incoming tide; they would then raise them in captivity. The result: a constant, ready supply of fresh fish.

The ponds, which stretch for 20 miles along Molokai's south shore and are visible from Kamehameha V Highway (Hwy. 450), offer insight into the island's ancient population. It took something like a thousand people to tend a single fishpond, and more than 60 ponds once existed on this coast. Some are silted in by red-dirt runoff from south-coast gulches; others are in use by folks who raise fish and seaweed.

The largest, 54-acre Keawa Nui Pond, is surrounded by a 3-foot-high, 2,000-foot-long stone wall. Alii Fish Pond, reserved for kings, is visible through the coconut groves at One Alii Beach Park. From the road, you can see Kalokoeli Pond, 6 miles east of Kaunakakai on the highway.

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, one of five built by Father Damien on Molokai and the first outside Kalaupapa, sits across the highway from a fishpond. Park in the church lot (except on Sun) for a closer look.

Halawa Valley
Of the five great valleys of Molokai, only Halawa -- with its two waterfalls, golden beach, sleepy lagoon, great surf, and offshore island -- is easily accessible. Unfortunately, the trail through fertile Halawa Valley, which was inhabited for centuries, and on to the 250-foot Moaula Falls has been closed for some time. There is one operator who conducts hikes to the falls .

You can spend a day at Halawa Beach Park, but do not venture into the valley on your own. In a kind of 21st-century kapu, the private landowners in the valley, worried about slip-and-fall lawsuits, have posted NO TRESPASSING signs on their properties.

To get to Halawa Valley, drive north from Kaunakakai on Hwy. 450 for 30 miles along the coast to the end of the road, which descends into the valley past Jersalema Hou Church. If you'd just like a glimpse of the valley on your way to the beach, there's a scenic overlook along the road: After Pu'u o Hoku Ranch at mile marker 25, the narrow two-lane road widens at a hairpin curve, and you'll find the overlook on your right; it's 2 miles more to the valley floor.

Halawa Valley: A Hike Back in History -- "There are things on Molokai, sacred things, that you may not be able to see or may not hear, but they are there," says Pilipo Solotario, who was born and raised in Halawa Valley and survived the 1946 tsunami that barreled into the ancient valley. "As Hawaiians, we respect these things." Solotario feels it is important that visitors learn about the history and culture of Molokai; that is part of the secret of appreciating the island.

"I see my role, and I'm nearly 70 years old, as educating people, outsiders, on our culture, our history," he said at the beginning of this cultural hike into his family property in Halawa Valley. "To really appreciate Molokai, you need to understand and know things so that you are pono, you are right with the land and don't disrespect the culture. Then you see the real Molokai."

Solotario and his family, who own the land in the valley, are the only people allowed to hike into Halawa. They lead daily tours, which begin at the county park pavilion, with a history of the valley, a discussion of Hawaiian culture, and a display of the fruits, trees, and other flora you will see. Along the hike, Solotario stops to point out historical and cultural aspects, including chanting in Hawaiian before entering a sacred heiau. At the waterfalls, visitors can swim in the brisk water. Cost for the 4-hour tour is $75. Book through Molokai Fish & Dive (tel. 808/553-5926; www.molokaifishanddive.com). Bring insect repellent, water, a snack, and a swimsuit. Don't forget your camera.

Note that if you venture away from the county park into the valley on your own, you will be trespassing and can be prosecuted.

Nightlife

Hotel Molokai, in Kaunakakai, offers live entertainment poolside and in the dining room every night. At Aloha Fridays, every Friday from 4 to 6pm, the musicians of Molokai who have been performing here for decades show you why locals love their music and hula. With its South Seas ambience and poolside setting, this has become the island's premier venue for local and visiting entertainers.

The Paddlers' Inn, also in Kaunakakai, has recently become a nightspot for live Hawaiian music, comedy acts, and other entertainment such as karaoke; visit the website for the current schedule.

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Gastronomy

The good news is that on Molokai, you won't find long lines at overbooked, self-important restaurants. The bad news is that Molokai's culinary offerings are spare.

A lot of people like it that way and acknowledge that the island's character is unchangeably rugged and natural. But a few years ago, when the renovated Hotel Molokai unveiled a tropical fantasy of an oceanfront dining room, the islanders thought this was the height of culinary pleasure. And it quickly became the island's busiest restaurant.

Even with such developments, however, Molokai has retained its glacial pace of change. Its culinary offerings are dominated by mom-and-pop eateries, most of them fast-food or takeout places, and many of them with a home-cooked touch. Personally, I like the unpretentiousness of Molokai; it's an oasis in a state where plastic aloha abounds. But sybarites, foodies, and pampered oenophiles had best lower their expectations upon arrival.

You'll even find a certain defiant stance against the trappings of modernity. Although some of the best produce in Hawaii is grown on this island, you're not likely to find much of it served in its restaurants, other than in the takeout items at Outpost Natural Foods, or at the Molokai Pizza Cafe (one of the most pleasing eateries on the island) and the Hotel Molokai. The rest of the time, content yourself with ethnic or diner fare -- or by cooking for yourself. The many visitors who stay in condos find that it doesn't take long to sniff out the best sources of produce, groceries, and fresh fish to fire up at home when the island's other dining options are exhausted. The "Edibles" sections under "Shopping" will point you in the right direction.

Molokai's restaurants are inexpensive or moderately priced, and several of them do not accept credit cards. Regardless of where you eat, you certainly won't have to dress up. In most cases, I've listed just the town rather than the street address because, as you'll see, street addresses are as meaningless on this island as fancy cars and sequins. Reservations are not accepted unless otherwise noted.

Molokai vacations | Molokai vacations packages | Molokai cheap vacations