Molokai: It’s Not For Everyone

I love Hawaii and had a goal of spending un-rushed time on all of the main six islands. I’d never visited Molokai and had been especially excited about going since they don’t cater to tourists. I wanted to experience the true Hawaii without commercialism. My daughters and I would only need two full days to see and do everything on the island, so I planned five.

It’s been everything that I had hoped it would be, but different.

Molokai is just 30 miles long and 10 miles wide with one main road. There are no traffic lights, no speed limits above 45 and only a hand-full of stop signs, shops, activities and restaurants. It’s an island with a long history, stories of heartbreak and deeply passionate people who are protective of their island. It’s home to the tallest sea cliffs in the world and an isolated former leper colony that still has a few remaining residents. When you first arrive on the island, you’re greeted by signs that say “Slow Down, This is Molokai”. They are not only a statement about driving slowly, but also about your state of mind. Life on Molokai is relaxed and seemingly stress-free. Stores have operating hours, but they’re not exact and that’s ok.

Some of the things that I was excited about seeing on Molokai have been overrated and aren’t as they’ve been glamorized on Instagram. Other things like a hike into the Halawa Valley with the Solatorio family have far exceeded my expectations.

Only half the people on the island are local and they’ve all been overly warm, welcoming and friendly. They’re also extremely protective of preserving their home. That’s obvious by the hand painted yard signs that say “Visit. Spend. GO HOME.” and “Vacation Rentals Not Welcome!”, by the abandoned Sheraton resort and by the partially developed planned community which were both met with intense opposition and community outcry.

The other half of Molokai residents came to visit, fell in love with the island and moved here. I ask the same questions to most everyone that we meet: “How long have you lived here?” “What brought you to Molokai?” and “How often do you leave the island?”

The answers to the first two questions are different for each person. There’s Dusty who moved here 17 years ago for a girl, Georgia who came in the 90’s to help deliver her sister-in-law’s baby, a shop owner who inherited land from her aunt and a museum worker who moved here two years ago because even though “it’s not for everyone, it’s perfect for me.”

But the answer to the last question is pretty much the same for everyone. “Why would we want to leave?”

Molokai may not be for everyone, but for the people who live here, it’s everything and that’s a beautiful thing.