October 9, 1996
Molokai calls itself "the friendly island," a place where you can see the real Hawaii. Many visitors would agree. It is the least developed of Hawaii's six major islands, offering miles of pristine beaches and sites rich in Hawaiian lore. About 7,000 people live here, including the highest percentage of native Hawaiians of any of the islands.
Although only a 20-minute flight from Honolulu, Molokai is a world apart. "No high rises, no shopping centers, no fast foods, not even a traffic light," says Grale Lorenzo-Chong of the Molokai Visitor's Association.
Molokai may have a tourism group, but it does not have a large tourist industry. Islanders have voted down plans to build high-rise resorts here. As a result, "You can probably have the beach park or the beach itself -- the whole beach -- to yourself sometimes," says Lawrence Aki of the Association.
The island is only ten miles wide, and of that, about a third is beach -- the longest uninterrupted sand beach in Hawaii. Besides the unspoiled white sand, pounding surf, and spectacular scenery (including the state's highest waterfall and the world's highest sea cliffs), the major attractions on the island are Molokai Ranch and a famous colony for victims of Hansen's Disease (leprosy).
The Molokai Ranch, on the arid west end of the island, is the second-biggest cattle ranch in the state. Its Wildlife Conservation Park is patterned after an African landscape: Deer, antelope, giraffes, zebra, and rams roam free amid tropical vegetation. But there are some things you won't see.
"We're not allowed to have any meat-eating animals, like lions or even elephants... animals that would be destructive or too dangerous," tour guide Pilipo Solatorio explains.
The Kalaupapa Settlement, one of the earliest leper colonies in the Western Hemisphere and now a National Historical Park, can only be reached by a rocky two-hour hike or by mule. Here, at the base of an enormous cliff, Hawaii's King Kamehameha in 1865 established the colony, where sufferers from all the islands were banished. Although the advent of drug treatments now controls leprosy, some residents continue to occupy the settlement -- coming and going as they please.
Molokai has a few resorts, as well as bed-and-breakfasts and budget accommodations. Campsites are accessible, and some are even free.
Weather: Honolulu
City Guides and Maps: Hawaii
Related sites:
© 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.