If you want to escape the world with all its noise and bustle, go to Molokai, the “Friendly Isle.” Here you will find peace and quiet with good hotel accommodations and rental cars. The beaches of Molokai are superb and not crowded. If you like golfing, there is a nine-hole course where you can take your time with no one wanting to play through you.
Kaunakakai
Kaunakakai is downtown Molokai. It is an old fashioned town without traffic lights to slow you down. Here you can shop for the things you will need during your stay on the island. Snorkeling equipment and fishing gear are in plentiful supply. Take a stroll down the town’s main street, Ala Malama Avenue, where you can enjoy browsing through the shops and boutiques for Hawaiian souvenirs. The street is named after the house of King Kamehameha V who used to stay on Molokai in the middle of the 19th century. While you are in town, be sure to visit Kapuaiwa Coconut Grove , a royal grove built by King Kamehameha.
Molokai Fishing
Probably the best fishing in Hawaii is found in the waters off Molokai. You can charter a fishing boat from two companies: Fun Hogs Sportfishing or Alyce C Sportfishing. You might catch A’u, Ahi, Mahi-mahi, Ono, or Aku and Kawa-kawa. These are the native Hawaiian names for Marlin, Yellow Fin Tuna, Dorado, Wahoo, and smaller tuna. Both sea captains will show you a wonderful day of fishing.
Molokai Whale Watching
If you prefer more passive sports, try whale watching. The Alaskan humpback whales leave their northern territory and head south to Hawaii where they spend their winters mating and giving birth. These magnificent creatures, forty feet long and weighing up to forty tons, play in the waters off Molokai. You can charter a boat to take you out to watch the whales as they cavort and enjoy the warm waters of Hawaii. However you are only permitted to get as near to them as 100 yards.
Kalaupapa National Historical Park
Inaccessible by car, the Kalaupapa National Historical Park lies on a promontory at sea level. From the main island of Molokai, you can merely glimpse it lying far below. The reason for its isolation is it once was a leper colony where victims of Hansen’s disease—the proper name of leprosy—were quarantined. The first victim of the disease was discovered in 1848. The disease was highly contagious among the natives and spread rapidly, and in 1866 the first victims were sent to Kalaupapa. Today there are fewer than 100 people with leprosy living at Kalaupapa. Since they are no longer contagious, because of the advent of modern medicine, they are free to leave, but prefer to stay where they have lived for so long.
Visiting Kalaupapa
If you would like to visit the Kalaupapa National Historical Park, you may hike down the long trail from the highest cliffs in the world to the peninsula. Visiting the colony is regulated, and you need to be invited by a resident. Instead of hiking to Kalaupapa, you can go down the three-mile-long trail on the back of a mule. The scenic views are magnificent and breathtaking, as you descend from 1700 feet to sea level. Nearby cliffs are even higher, reaching 3600 feet and more.
St. Damien of Molokai
The most famous resident of Kalaupapa, Molokai is Father Damien, the Catholic priest who dedicated his life to caring for the lepers. He eventually contracted the disease and died from it. Canonized by John Paul II October, 2009, he is now known as St. Damien of Molokai.
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