First of all, relax and slow down. If you’re looking for endless excursions and tours, this isn’t the place for you (try Oahu). Especially due to covid, there are a lot of things that aren’t available, but! My boyfriend and I had a lovely time. We’ll start with the more excursion-y type activities.
Molokai Fish and Dive. The snorkeling is phenomenal on the fringe reef surrounding the island…. absolutely stunning. Tim, the owner of Fish and Dive is wonderful, knowledgeable, and fun. Annea was our snorkeling companion most days and it was great. You’ll go out on the wharf early in the morning and snorkel when the water is at its calmest (at least that was the case in July). We were the only boat out. All of the days we were there.
There are restrooms on the boat as well as on the wharf. You’ll get back just in time to grab some lunch in town at Tim’s food truck or other local spots. Just walking up and down the wharf in the morning is pleasant… but you HAVE to go on at least one snorkel/dive excursion while on Molokai. It was the biggest most healthy reef I’VE EVER SEEN and I’ve snorkeled all over: Belize, Fiji, Great Barrier Reef, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Honduras, etc.
Halawa Valley Cultural Hike (site appears to be down, but if you just google this I think it’ll pop back up). This is another MUST DO. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time, at least an hour, to drive to Halawa Valley Park entrance (We were coming from hotel Molokai). This is on the East side of the island. The drive… isn’t for the faint of heart if you’re not used to twisting roads near water. But it is simply breathtaking. We had Greg as our guide and learned so much about Hawaiian culture on Molokai. He made sure to make the distinction that he speaks for himself/this island and not for others. We hiked to a waterfall at the back of his property. Stunning.
Sea Cliffs. I can’t speak from experience because the conditions were such that we couldn’t go while I was there, but ask around and try to take a boat to experience the sea cliffs from the water. They’re on the North side of the island and I’m sure they’re stunning from that vantage point. You can walk up to an outlook to sort of get a glimpse at the Kalaupapa peninsula lookout (you just take 470 to the end of the road. Literally can’t miss it). There’s a breathtaking view of the peninsula and you can sort of see the sea cliffs too.
Get HOT BREAD! In town, you go down a small alley to the side of Kanemitsu’s Bakery & Coffee Shop in the evening and get yourself a tasty huge loaf of bread with cinnamon and other goodies slathered inside. Be patient, it may be a wait, but you’re on island time and it’s a great time to talk to some local folks.
Molokai Burger is great for some fast tasty food.
Relax and swim (to your ability level and be mindful of the conditions– we went in July) at Murphy’s Beach, Papahaku [pictured above], and Kepuhi. You can see some neat fish right off the shore!
Check out Kumu Farms for some fresh produce and other goodies like soap.
Check out the Macadamia Nut Farm [didn’t get a chance to go]
Check out the Plumeria Farm [didn’t get a chance to go]
Ask about any other guided hikes or tours you may be able to take to the peninsula where the leper colony is/was (a few of the original folks still live there, I believe, so you can understand why they are super cautious due to covid).
*** When it doubt, ASK. Ask permission. Ask what’s recommended, etc.
I will say this… tough there is a lot of fun things to do, you’ll have to ask around/call around. A lot of websites aren’t up to date and you’ll have to leave messages and wait to be called back. This didn’t turn me off, but you’ll potentially have to let go of some of your face-paced ideas. There’s beauty all around you on Molokai. If you’re bored, it’s your fault 🙂
Much love
Natalie
Eternal Ocean of Words 