Travel Hawaii: Mucking About on Molokai

Sharing is caring!

Travel Molokai – Kepuhi Bay near resort of Ke Nani Kai

Travel Hawaii: Mucking About on Molokai

By Cherie Thiessen, Photos by David Dossor

Riding mules down the highest sea cliffs in the world to visit a former Leper colony. Hiking with a park naturalist in a mountainous rain forest on the island’s remote Eastern side. Wandering on a myriad of sandy, unpeopled beaches and braving the turquoise surf. Driving a harrowing one-lane track toward Halawa on the easternmost part of the island to uncover yet more wide expanses of beaches overseen by a twin waterfall vista that thousands pay big money to hover over by helicopter. Snorkeling or trying out ‘snuba’ in the middle of the largest (30-mile) fringing reef in the United States. Does this sound like some fun mucking about?

Now add more mundane pleasures, like sipping coffee and sampling goodies on the verandah of Molokai’s flourishing ‘boutique’ coffee plantation, cracking a few macadamia nuts and chatting with Tuddy Purdy, who was brought up on the island and happy to share his memories at the island’s 5-acre Macadamia Nut Farm. Like browsing the Saturday Farmers Market in Kaunakakai village, or raising a Mai Tai to toast a great day, or week, at Molokai Hotel’s happy hour. Or like eating jumbo shrimp or mahi mahi fish and chips at the Paddler’s Inn while partaking of the local entertainment, an eclectic group of talented Hawaiians who show up everywhere everyone gathers, many of them locals with ukeleles to play along.

Whoever would have thought a 673-sq.km island with 7,500 people could have so much to do? We’re here for two weeks and are soon pitying the visitors who planned only a few days’ visit to this small, less-visited island, thinking that that would be enough.

Happy Hour at the Paddlers Inn

MOLOKAI ADVENTURE BEGINS

The adventure begins with Mokulele Airlines’ tiny plane trip from Honolulu airport. Eight of us weighed and checked in, then soon boarding and peering out of windows at the island that’s making a tentative appearance through a veneer of low clouds.

It continues as the four of us deplane, pick up our rental car and then drive to the ‘commercial hub’ – the tiny village of Kaunakakai with its two markets, several small stores, bakery, gas station, liquor store, pharmacy, health food store, several little cafés and burger joints. And, Dave’s Hawaiian Ice Cream is a shop that shouldn’t be missed (two scoops for the price of one on Mondays!).

After provisioning (Oh my God, papayas for only $1 each!) we eagerly drive to our vacation rental (#212 is one of the best units available in Ke Nani Kai), with knock-your-sunglasses-off beach and sunset views from the upstairs balcony, a chef-quality kitchen and a bedroom and bathroom for each couple.

Happy hour follows quickly behind unpacking, and out come the maps and calendars. Tomorrow we’re going mule riding, a Molokai must-do for the past 40 years. Owner, Buzzy Sproat, is a true muleskinner. Not only has he been around horses and mules since he was a toddler, but he was the first to ride a mule down the precipitous and treacherous cliffs we’re about to plod down. He reassures the 8 of us that mules do not believe in suicide; ergo not one rider has been lost yet.

MULE RIDING ON MOLOKAI

We’re off and the lumbering gait suits us all fine, because soon we’re sloping down the 1700’ sheer drop, leaning back to help brake the mules and trying to avoid looking over the precipice. Consisting of 26 switchbacks, this sliver of a trail is 1.5 mules wide and it’s almost 3 miles down to the Kalaupapa National Historic Park, an infamous leper colony on Molokai’s central northern coast. The well-ordered community is still home to some Hansen’s disease patients but it is now also dedicated to preserving the past and educating future generations about a little understood disease that once filled people with terror.

Mule Riding on Molokai

An hour and a half later, dismounting on rubbery legs, we board the bus waiting on the verdant field. In a tour lasting several hours we hear all about the now-sainted Belgian priest who arrived here in 1873, Father Damien.  It’s a history lesson of the best kind, replete with all necessary ‘visual aids’, and seeped in atmosphere.

All too soon we’re heading back to the mules and the cliff-side plod back up. Visitors to the park can either choose to fly in, ride the mules, or hike in, but everyone needs a permit to visit this fertile lowland of once-banished sufferers. Thank heavens this is only Day 2!

ROAD TO HALAWA

The adrenalin continues on our next day – hugging the coastal one-way road en route to Halawa on the easternmost part of the island, and grateful our vehicle is compact. Turning a final corner we all uniformly gasp as we find ourselves staring at that iconic tropical nirvana scene, twin waterfalls streaming from jungle cliffs. Once we’ve wound our way down to the end, we’re off to break open the copious windfall coconuts, watch surfers, and tumble in the friendly breakers ourselves as they roll onto a wide sweep of empty beach.

Hiking the skinny boardwalk at Kama Kou Preserve

HIKING IN KAMA KOU PRESERVE

Another day finds us up early and hiking in Kama Kou Preserve’s rain forest, a swath of old Hawaii, protected in the mountains of East Molokai. Guided by a naturalist who knows every inch of this pristine natural habitat, we teeter on the narrow boardwalk, while he points out some of the 200 species of native plants only found here. Traversing a mountain bog, we then picnic on a ledge high above Pelekunu Valley, grateful that this was one rare day when the island’s ubiquitous but short lived squalls did not materialize.

Beach Discoveries and Cycling on Molokai

BEACH DISCOVERIES

During the next few days, there’s the fun of new beach discoveries, like Dixie Maru Beach on the west side, or Mile 20 beach towards the eastern end, a snorkeling haven. There’s the camaraderie of Hawaiian music by talented locals, a group called Na Ohana Hoaloha, (gathering of friends) on Sundays at the Paddler’s Inn, or at the Coffees of Hawaii, or the Friday night happy hour at the Molokai Hotel. On another day there’s the rush of being splashed by a curious Humpback Whale on a whale watching tour, and on the final day, we experience the thrills of snorkeling around the reef on a 40’ Catamaran with Kimo and his team. We discover Green Turtles and Angelfish while Kimo spears fish for a cookout back on the wharf.

Hiking to Dixie Maru Beach

Does it get any better? It does, because then you can add the Saturday farmers’ market in Kaunakakai, where we discover what an eggfruit tastes like, pick up sourdough bread, drink milk from coconuts and wonder over veggies and fruits we’ve never seen before.

Then stir in bicycle rentals on the honor system and the long sweep of flat and quiet highway euphemistically called Hwy 450 that our tires hum along, with beachfront parks and swimming holes, one of Father Damien’s churches, a great snorkeling beach and even a takeout and store in the right place. My partner, David, disallows my picking up the coconuts that fell from last night’s winds: there’s no space on the surprisingly deluxe bikes.

The best surprise, perhaps, is the discovery that on Molokai the visitor is the minority. Hawaii must have been like this once on the other islands: laid back, with light traffic, friendly locals, beautiful scenery and functional communities that are not beautified for tourists, an island with only a few places to stay but a whole lot of reasons for doing so.

OK, so what’s snuba? You take a snorkeling mask with a mouthpiece connected to a long hose and then you can dive up to 30’ without needing a tank or certification. The thrills of scuba diving are combined with the ease of snorkeling. (But don’t try this yourself! Ask the local guides.)

A nightly ritual – sunset at Ke Nani Kai Resort.

Well that takes care of the last day. When our final Molokai sunset drops over our lanai we ask ourselves… When are we coming back?

IF YOU GO:

• Kalaupapa Mule Trip
• Hawaii Beach Home Rentals – Our Suite #212 had 2-bedrooms, 2-bathrooms, and great views from the lanai.
• Whale watching, Snuba, cultural tours
• Hawaii Official Tourism

Sharing is caring!