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Molokai is nicknamed 'the friendly isle.' With only 6000 residents on the island, you'll have plenty of room to find your own private paradise.
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Murphy Beach in Molokai is one of those picture-perfect South Pacific settings. With its shallow waters and clear visibility, it is a destination beach for snorkelers. However, this photograph was taken on a saturday and there isn't a soul in site! You can find Murphy Beach right before mile marker 20 on Molokai's Highway 450.
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A visit to Molokai is a visit back in time. There are no buildings on Molokai taller than a palm tree. There isn't a single traffic light on the island. And Molokai only has one elevator on the entire island, at the Molokai Ranch. You're a long way from Waikiki!
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Believe it or not, Murphy Beach on Molokai used to be the town dump! Years ago the Jaycee's banded together to clean it up, and today it is also known by the locals as Jaycee's beach.
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Need a fill up? Better do it in town. Most of the gas pumps outside of Kaunakakai, the main town, are historical.
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Accomodations are sparse in Molokai, where the mean temperature only varies a few degrees, winter or summer, day or night.
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Ranching is one of the largest industries on Molokai, and once you rise past the tropical coastline into the upcountry, the rolling fields and pastures go as far as your eyes can see.
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Just before the turn of the 19th century, a group of prominent businessmen purchased 70,000 acres of land on western Molokai, and leased another 30,000 acres from the government. This land formed the Molokai Ranch, which to this day still takes up 53,000 acres, or about one-third of the island. It remains a working cattle ranch, home to the Paniolos, or Hawaiian Cowboys.
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Molokai is perhaps most reknowned for being the home of Father Damien's leper colony. Set on the Kaluapapa peninsula, the beauty of this strikingly beautiful coastline stands in dark contrast to the horrors of humanity that took place here in the name of ignorance and fear. From the 1860's to the 1940's, thousands of leprosy victims from across the south pacific were exiled here, under wretched conditions with no amenities, and left to die. Kaluapapa is only accessible by sea (at certain times of the year), or by a long hiking trail that drops 1,800 feet and features over 30 switchbacks. Most visitors take the mule ride down, unfortunately the mules can book up days in advance. Today, access to the trail is by permit only. Decades ago, access up the trail was protected by guards, and could cost your life.
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The steep trail down Kaluapapa was chilling. Along the way I found this cross etched into the trail, warning of fear and trepidation ahead. Lepresy patients who were banished here were usually thrown overboard from ships anchored off the coastline, left to struggle their way to shore. Hundreds drowned, and those who clawed their way to shore arrived with nothing. Father Damien arrived on the peninsula in 1873, and worked there until his death, also of lepresy. He brought order to the island, helped build churches and shelters, and brought dignity to a people that had been left for dead by society.
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Originally built in 1872, St. Philomena Church, on the Kalawao side of the Kaluapapa Peninsula, was an icon of hope for thousands of lepresy victims. Father Damian spent his first nights here, and built on to the church twice, up to the day he died, nearly doubling its size.
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The graveyard at St. Philomena's pays respect to many victims and saints; Father Damien wished to be buried here, but was returned to his native Belgium. In 1995, Father Damien's hand was buried in his gravesite at Kalawao, to represent his hand in dedicating his life to the victims of lepresy on Molokai. For the full story on the leper colony at Kaluapapa, rent the DVD Molokai: The Story of Father Damien, starring Peter O'Toole and Kris Kristofferson, and filmed on location here.
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The view from inside St. Philomena's Church towards the Kalawao graveyard and Judd Park overlook. Advents in medicine allowed lepresy (now known as Hansen's disease) to be treated in the early 1940's, so patients are no longer quarantined to outposts like Kaluapapa. Today, over 60 residents remain on the peninsula; they are free to leave but most are over 60 and haven't known life beyond this compound. They are well cared for by the government, and have most of the trappings of modern-day life. Escorted tours of Kaluapapa are available on a limited basis, so book in advance. Beyond Judd Park are the famous sea cliffs of Molokai, the tallest sea cliffs in the world.
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Despite the horrors of Kaluapapa, it remains one of the most strikingly beautiful scenic locations on earth. This area, the Judd Park overlook, was featured in the opening scenes of Jurrasic Park and The Lost World.
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Another view of the stunning Judd Park overlook, on the island of Molokai.
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Molokai's sea cliffs are the tallest in the world, and can only be seen by air. Molokai is just off the coast of Maui, and can be reached by air or by ferry. It makes a great day trip from Maui, and a nice diversion from the resorts to quiet island time.
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Kaluapapa now has a small airport. If you hike down, you might be able to hitch a ride back on Paragon Air, or one of a number of charter planes. The $25 we spent to hitch a ride up the seacliffs was the best money spent on the trip. And even though the flight lasted less than 5 minutes, the views were breathtaking.
