Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Wander along to
Kaunakakai
to gather vittles for a dinner under the stars at your
rental pad. On your last day let the sure-footed mules give you the ride of your life
to the
Kalaupapa Pen-insula
and crack open some fun at
Purdy's Macadamia Nut
Four Days
After the two days above, spend your third day in the ancient rainforests of
Ka-
makou Preserve
, followed by the island's best dinner at
Kualapuʻu Cookhouse
MAP
. On the morning of day four, stop by Kaunakakai and pick up some island
turally significant beaches of
Moʻomomi
, before finding the ultimate souvenirs at
Maunaloa's
Big Wind Kite Factory
.
One Week
As above, but add in lots of time to do nothing at all. You're on Molokaʻi time.
UNFORGIVING TRESPASSES
Exploring unmarked roads is not advisable. Folks aren't too keen on strangers
cruising around on their private turf, and fair enough - trespassing is illegal. On the
other hand, if there's a fishpond you want to see, and someone's house is between
the road and the water, it's usually easy to strike up a conversation and get permis-
sion to cross. If you're lucky they might even share some local lore and history with
you, particularly the old-timers.
History
Molokaʻi was possibly inhabited by the 7th century. Over the following years it was a vi-
tal locale within the Hawaiian Islands and played a key role in local culture. It was
known for its warriors, and its chiefs held great sway in the ever-shifting alliances
between Oʻahu and Maui. Much of the population lived in the east, where regular rain-
falls, fertile soil and rich waters ensured abundant food.
Some of the most amazing historical sites in the islands can be found here, including
the enormous ʻIliʻiliʻopae Heiau and the series of fishponds just offshore.
At first European contact in 1786, the population was about 8000, close to today's
total. Missionaries turned up in the east in the 1830s. Meanwhile the possibilities of the
vast western plains drew the interest of early capitalists and colonists. By the 1900s there
