If you go
WHERE TO STAY Hotel Molokai
1300 Kamehameha V Hwy., Kaunakakai 808-553-5347 hotelmolokai.com Modeled after a traditional Polynesian village, the island’s main hotel is close to Molokai’s small downtown in Kaunakakai. Rates are generally $169-$259.
WHERE TO EAT Kualapuu Cookhouse
102 Farrington Ave., Kualapuu 808-567-9655 bit.ly/KualapuuCookhouse A locals’ favorite, with yummy casual Hawaiian plates such as teriyaki, stir-fry, lemon chicken, grilled mahi mahi, ribs and stuffed shrimp. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner most days. Breakfast plates $2-$18, lunch $5-17 and dinner $5-$37. As for the service, “If you’re in a hurry, you’re on the wrong island,” the menu says. Cash only.
Kanemitsu’s Bakery and Coffee Shop
79 Ala Malama St., Kaunakakai 808-553-5855 bit.ly/KanemitsusBakery A popular island hangout with fresh-baked breads and pastries. Around 7:30 p.m. most weeknights and 7 p.m. weekends, locals head down a small adjoining lane to the bakery’s back door to buy hot loaves of bread ($8-$10.25) filled with strawberry, cinnamon, blueberry, cream cheese and butter flavorings. They are traditionally eaten in one sitting
WHAT TO DO Kalaupapa National Historical Park and guided mule tour
Highway 470, Mile Marker 5, Kualapuu 808-567-6088
muleride.com Make mule-trip reservations well in advance and call close to your expedition: Trips are subject to weather and other conditions affecting trail safety. Cost is $230 per person, including taxes and fees. Fee includes a sandwich lunch, a guided bus tour with Kekaula Tours and permits. If you plan
to hike, you can also book that through the mule operators. Cost of hike, with permit, sack lunch and guided bus tour is $87, with taxes and fees, and you must be 16 or older. Make sure you’re in shape for a steep, rugged, six-plus-mile round-trip trek. Take plenty of water and snacks.
Damien Tours
P.O. Box 6, Kalaupapa National Historical Park 808-567-6171 damientoursllc.com Hikers and fly-ins can book directly with Damien Tours for an immersive tour of Kalaupapa operated by patient-residents inside the village. Cost of the permit and guided van tour is $60, and you must be 16 or older. Bring your own lunch. Cash or check only.
Palaau State Park
Highway 47, Ho’olehua 808-984-8109 bit.ly/PalaauStatePark If you don’t want to hike, fly or ride the mules into Kalaupapa, you can take this quick stroll on a handicap-accessible path to a well-signed overlook. You’ll gaze down some 1,600 feet onto the promontory selected to be a leper colony in the 1860s. Best to go on a clear day. Nearby, across the parking lot, is the short trail to Molokai’s famous Phallic Rock.
Molokai Museum and Cultural Center
1795 Kalae Hwy, Ho’olehua 808-567-6436 The small museum has a fine collection of photos of the Kalaupapa settlement and its residents over the years. There is also a nicely restored pioneer sugar mill on site. The gift shop has interesting local items. Entry is $5. Open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Information nps.gov/kala/planyourvisit