I was browsing through some forums on Tripadvisor.com and read some really funky stuff about staying on Molokai.

2 years ago, we visited Lanai and loved it. My husband and I are devoted Hawaiiphiles and want to visit Molokai. I was fine until I read some of the reports and warnings of Tripadvisor. Does anyone have some recent experience with their visit to Molokai?

Also, if we stay on the East end -- how long would it take us to get to "town" (pizza, bakery, ice cream etc.)??

Thanks all. CCC

Cececat -- I think it depends where you're staying but Molokai has a reputation for having a very strong local vibe and is nothing like a typical resort area although it sounds like that's what you're looking for. I know people who are local from Hawaii and they are also a little intimidated when they go to Molokai to fish or hunt.

BTW -- I saw you stayed at the Uyan hotel in Istanbul last year -- what did you think? I'm considering booking a deluxe room there...

My husband and I went for three days in 2002...stayed at the Hotel Molokai. It is definitely much more rugged than the other islands, and the people are definitely a bit reserved. However, nobody was rude or threatening. We did not hunt or fish, but we did tour all over the island and visit a few beaches for snorkeling.

It won't take you very long to get into town. The island isn't that big and there is no traffic.

we live near the kalaupapa lookaout and one of the reasons we made moloka'i our home is because it is still safe. i see nothing but friendly faces here. it is family oriented and everyone knows one another. you asked about staying at east end, nice area, very lush and green. you would be anywhere from 11 to 25 miles east of kaunakakai and shops. there is a little store and take-out restaurant at 16 miles east of town.

You should be fine as long as you don't "wander" into private lands. Stay on the beaten paths. Are you backpacking it? I would suggest staying in a hotel or b&b.

I visited Molokai in May and stayed at the hotel Molokai. I read that tripadvisor.com stuff too, and was a bit concerned.

However, I must say that EVERYONE that I encountered was extremely friendly and laid back. People were nice in the grocery store; people stopped to chat and ask where I was from when I was getting food, etc. The locals in the Hotel were totally cool.

I think that the vibe you give off is the one you get back. If you complain that things are backward, etc, you won't have a good time. If you're laid back and friendly, people will act the same towards you.

I think its good to be smart about this. I have no experience on Molokai but a lot on Oahu, kauai, Maui and the big Island. There is absolutely racial tension on all the islands, does not mean that you will come across it on your 2 wk stint but its a mistake to think it does not exists. In my experience you need to be careful in poorer areas on any island but it can surprise you anywhere and with any economic group. That is the fun fact you learn about racism when you are on the opposite end of the power structure. In my mind, its not as grey as most racism I might come across where people just don't understand each other, that is a part of it certainly but there is also a history.

The Hawaiians have been through a lot and largely at the mainland hand so there is this history that we can represent to someone that is tired,poor and maybe angry. Well we probably represent that history to others too as people remember what their grand parents went through and problems still go on, do a search on the Akaka bill.

www.oha.org and then their links to see how Hawaiians are working to reclaim resources that really should have been their birth right.

I have heard statistics that 70-80% of Hawaiians on Molokai get by on some type of public assistance, add that to the stretched resources of a small island, fear of development they see on neighbor islands... Not trying to explain away any aggressive acts just helps me when I have an understanding of how things are for the person pissed off at me (LOL).

And after all this,

I can tell you that the people up above who said they only see smiling faces and friendly people, that very well may have been their experience. Good idea to stick to the beaten path as others have mentioned.

I am a frequent visitor to Hawaii but have yet to make it to Molokai. I also lived on Oahu for 3 years in the mid 90's

I visited Molokai in Nov 2003. It was my first visit there though had been to Oahu, Big Is and Kauai two other times.
We wanted to try something new and liked the idea of trying to see of piece of old Hawaii without tourism. We found it. Like the fact that there were no stop lights or elevators. The people we encountered were very friendly and pleasant and they appreciated the fact that we took the trouble to come to their island. It was obvious by some hand made signs that the islanders were not interested in having cruise ships stop there and I can understand that. We stayed at the Molokai Ranch at the Kupoa Beach Village in a tentalo (sp?) and we really enjoyed it. Not for everyone though. We also went to the Molokai Ranch Lodge which was quite nice. Also spent our last night at Hotel Molokai for the convenience. Our room was actually rougher than the tentalo.
During our visit we Hiked to Kalaupapa which was the main reason we went to Molokai in the first place. We loved the hike and took the required Damien tour with Richard Marks. It was quite interesting. While on the tour we met a young local guide who actually drew us a map for a hike to a great waterfall that we NEVER would have found without his map.

I wish we did some mountain biking on the sea cliffs, but I would say that if you want to visit this island, you either need to want to be very active, or totally non active. Those in the middle may not be so happy.

Sarah, I am so glad you topped this. Your earlier post had me searching for vacation rentals as I have always wanted to visit Molokai.

I especially enjoyed your post here. Very well said. I look forward to checking out oha.org as I try to educate myself about the islands history and current affairs. While on island recently I looked for books to explain unbiasedly about the homestead act etc....any books you'd recomend?
Mahalo

Thank You, This is kind of convaluted so bear with me here. I wrote this late late. Homstead act: do a search try Nativehawaiianbooks.com Go to wikipedia and see if there are any other links with trask. OHA should have most of the information.

FYI Library of Congress has that turn of the century statement of protest against anexation, maybe you could see it online. I have heard of people travel to Washington from Hawaii just to see where their grand and great grand parents placed their protest. You very well may be able to find out about the homestead in there. OHA would be your best source I would imagine though.

You know I really learn as I go along. I find a lot of films help me find my way on this issue. Aloha beyond Hawaii is a great, recent documentary that tells you many of the Hawaiians who had to move to the mainland.
Really about taking aloha to another land

Rent the PBS American Experience episode
"Hawaii's last queen"
Then go to Iolani Palace your next visit on Oahu.

http://www.namaka.com/catalog/spirit...ea_temple.html "maunakea temple under siege " another pbs a film about the clash between Scientists and Native Hawaiians on Maunakea. The community gets $1. a year to lease that mountain space and it it like a temple of sorts for native Hawaiians. Well watch the movie you decied.

There is an abbreviated version of Hawaiian history on Amazon. 80 pages You can see what they lost pretty quicky. I think by continuing to read about this as I do you learn about more things that happen.

North Shore 2 years ago there were a group of houses that were part of the Hawaiian homstead act (If I am phrasing this correctly). All of the people living on the land had to prove high level of Hawaiian blood through documentation to rent these properties.

Well someone sold a large chunch of land next door to these homes and up popped a condo complex on a field. Just before all the NEW tennents moved in the Hawaiian residents next door were given eviction notices. The city was converting the property into a park obviously to serve the interest of the people in the condo comples

now if you had family visiting you on one of these properties for 10 years who would you be mad at City legislators, sure! ... but they are a lot more protected than the four women dawning there new NY beachware. Just a thought.

The picture bride is another movie that gives you a feeling of how the Japanese came to settle in Hawii. It gives the feeling of old Hawaii too.

The books I know are very dry The Kauai the Separate Kingdom by Edward Joesting

Shoal of tim Gavin Daws and most of this stuff is form early contact

lighter reading (Blue Latitudes) charting boats of Captain Cook through out polynesian will give special meeting on your next visit to Kealakekua bay.

Here is one women who's books I would look up Haunani-Kay Trask but try not to be put off by her harshness.

Mahalo Sarah!

Really looking forward to searching out your leads. If you're into fact based fiction, I loved Kiana Davenport's books. I would suggest starting with Shark Dialogues and read the three in order to see how her writing style has developed. That said, her Song of the Exile moved me enough to read it twice within a short period of time.

Again thanks for the tips. I think I know what I'd like to see on my next visit to DC! Very moving I'm sure!

aloha halemlu..
Have they ever reopened the old Kaluakoi Resort on the west end?
We stayed there our first 3 trips over and were saddened to hear they were closing years ago. Hence all of our stays on Kauai now instead of a split of a few days on Molokai too.

Also missed the old Mid Night Inn restaurant that was never rebuilt.

I'd kill for a Kanemitsu "rip apart and devour bread ".

I bought some of THEE best honey I ever had on Moloaki, too. Can't remember who made it but it was onoliscious.

Very nice island and the northeast part of the island rivals the NaPali on Kauai.