Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
With the 2008 closing of Moloka'i Ranch, a lot of Maunaloa businesses just up and closed
with them. Given the commercial exodus from the western half of the island, the options
for shopping are limited.
A Maunaloa staple which has been around since 1980, the
Big Wind Kite Factory
(120 Maunaloa Hwy., 808/552-2364,
www.bigwindkites.com
,
8:30am-5pm Mon.-Sat.,
10am-2pm Sun.) is an eclectic hodgepodge of everything from handmade kites to wood-
work from Bali. Plus, it's the only store left in this town, so by process of elimination
it's well worth a look. The owner Jonathan is only too happy to give free factory tours of
where the kites are made, help you fly a kite in the park, or even make a free kite for any
children you may be toting along with you. The store also sports the largest collection of
book titles found anywhere on the island. It's possible to visit this place four times over
and still find something new. Just look for the rainbow stairs in what little is left of down-
town Maunaloa.
Curiously ensconced among the abandoned buildings of the former Sheraton right
next to the Kaluakoi Villas,
A Touch of Moloka'i
(1121 Kaluakoi Rd., 808/552-0133,
9am-5pm daily) is a basic sundry store good for procuring a few postcards, some snacks,
various clothing items, but nothing of immense value. Nevertheless, seeing as it's the only
store in the Kaluakoi complex, it's better than driving into town.
More of a grocery market than anything else,
Maunaloa General Store
(200 Maunaloa
Hwy., 808/552-2346, 9am-6pm Mon.-Sat., 9pm-noon Sun.) does sell a few basic clothing
items such as vintage boardshorts made out of rice bags and any basic hardware supplies
you might need. The pickings are slim inside this one-room market, and if there's anything
specific you're looking for, there's a good chance you'll need to find it back in town.
The pickings out here can be remarkably slim. If you need any basic item, general store
Mana'e Goods & Grindz
(mile marker 16 on Hwy. 450, 808/558-8498, 6:30am-4pm
Mon.-Fri., 7:30am-4:30pm Sat.-Sun.) is your only option. Farther up the road toward
Halawa Valley, you need to be in dire need to warrant shopping at the
Pu'u O Hoku
Ranch Store.
Not that it's bad by any means, just that the selection can be random and
thin.
