According to legend, the kalaipahoa (fire gods) who roamed the heavens as shooting stars, landed on Molokai and inhabited a grove of trees. Men who tried to cut down the possessed trees were poisoned when they touched the wood. One day, one of the gods revealed the secret of how to cut the trees down to a kahuna (sorcerer-priest). It is said that for centuries, the reputation of Molokai's priests was so fearsome that the armies of nearby Maui and Oahu didn't invade Molokai because they were too scared of the priests.
By the 18th century, the fears could no longer protect the island from outsiders and the king of Oahu, Peleioholani, invaded and ruled over Molokai. The king left his daughter on Molokai and she was subsequently captured and killed by Molokai chiefs. When Peleioholani heard of this, he returned to the island and took vengeance. Some of the Molokai chiefs who were unable to flee to Maui were captured and roasted alive.
The Oahu kings continued to rule over Molokai until 1785, after which Maui and the Big Island, which were at war with each other, ruled Molokai in turns for the next decade. In 1795 Kamehameha the Great invaded Molokai. His army was so large that it is said that their war canoes lined up along the island's coast for 6 km (4 miles). Molokai quickly came under his command and he continued his campaign by invading Oahu and finally uniting all of the Hawaiian Islands.
The first Christian missionaries arrived on Molokai in the 1830's. They established themselves in the vicinity of the densest native populations between Kamalo and Waialua and on the Kalaupapa Peninsula. Kamehameha V acquired most of Molokai's arable land in the 1850's; land that nowadays forms Molokai Ranch. Overgrazing, however led to the widespread destruction of native vegetation and fishponds. After Kamehameha V died, the United States annexed Hawaii and a group of businesses, including the American Sugar Company, attempted to develop a major sugar plantation in central Molokai. The company developed harbor facilities and a railroad system to haul the cane and installed a powerful pumping system to draw up water. By 1901 the well water that was used to irrigate the fields had become so salinated that the crops failed. The company started honey production on such a massive scale that at one time Molokai was the world's largest honey exporter. In the mid-1930's, an epidemic wiped out the hives and the industry. In the meantime, more attempts were made to find the ideal crop to grow on Molokai. Cotton, rice and several grain crops were tried, but eventually it was pineapple that could best withstand the island's dry and windy conditions. Plantation-scale production began in Hoolehua in 1920 and within ten years, Molokai's population had tripled as immigrants arrived in large numbers to work the fields.
In the 1970's, overseas competition ended Molokai's pineapple business and mainland American companies pulled out, resulting in high unemployment rates and hardship for the island's population. In 1985, cattle raising suddenly collapsed, because an incidence of bovine tuberculosis was discovered, prompting the government to destroy every head of cattle on Molokai. Molokai Ranch has since restocked some of its herd, but the majority of smaller cattle owners quit the business altogether.
Nowadays, the Molokai Ranch group still owns about one-third of Molokai, which is more than half of the island's privately owned land. Public access to the private land is restricted and traditional outdoor activities are forbidden on the ranch. In the 1990's, the ranch operated a small wildlife safari park, where tourists could take pictures of exotic animals and trophy hunters were allowed to shoot African eland and blackbuck antelope for US$1500 a head. Local activists made things so difficult for the ranch that the safari park was eventually shut down.
Tourism has never really gotten a foothold on Molokai and the sparsely populated island is the last remaining piece of the old rural Hawaii. There are no high-rise constructions and more farmers than tourists. Almost 50% of Molokai's population is of native Hawaiian descent, more than on any of the main islands. Molokai is trying not to turn into a concrete tourist fun park and the island has a reputation of being wary of outsiders. If you show some respect and aloha aina (love of the land), you will be more than welcome though.
People who are looking for a lot of nightlife and action, should not come to Molokai. The island is perfect for watching the sun rises over distant Haleakala on Maui and strolling along Hawaii's longest beach with barely another soul in sight. In the evening, you can watch the sun setting behind rustling palms and wind down with a little guitar music at the Hotel Molokai's oceanfront bar.
The temperature on Molokai hovers around 24°C (75°F) all year round. In the spring, summer and fall the temperature drops a little after sundown, but it is still pleasant in the evenings when the air is cooled by winds off the ocean. December to March is the wettest time of the year, but rains are short and far apart. Between April and November it rarely rains at all. The annual rainfall is 70 cm (27 inches).
The Ancient Hawaiian Games, known as Ka Moloka'I Makahiki are held in mid January. The week-long celebration features traditional native Hawaiian sports and events, including an outrigger-canoe fishing contest. Prince Kuhio Day, on 26 March, is a national celebration when all of Hawaii honors its first native delegate to the US Congress with music, song and dance. In May, the national holiday of Lei Day is held. At schools all across the state, hula dancing, singing, and lei making competitions are organized. Later in May, the Molokai Ka Hula Piko festival commemorates that Molokai was the birthplace of hula dancing with displays of traditional and modern hula. The Molokai Challenge at the end of May, is a 52 km (32 miles) long kayak race across the treacherous Kaiwi Channel, from Kaluakoi Resort to Kok Marina in Oahu.
In September the Aloha Festivals Parade is followed by Drag Races down Kaunakakai's main street and in October Hawaii's major outrigger-canoe race of Na Molokai Hoe is held. The event attracts teams from all over the world, who take off shortly after sunrise on Molokai and finish at Waikiki's Fort DeRussy Beach five to eight hours later.
Kaunakakai is the largest town on Molokai and has an easy, laid back atmosphere. Other interesting places include Iliiliopae Heiau, the Kalaupapa Peninsula, Kamakou, Maunaloa Molokai Ranch, Moomomi Beach and Papohaku Beach.
Molokai has excellent mountain climbing possibilities. Swimming is good on Molokai, but the coastline around Kaunakakai has very silt waters and some of the other beaches have rough and dangerous currents. The best beaches are situated on Molokai's southeastern end. The waters off 20-Mile Beach in East Molokai offer some nice snorkeling.
Molokai is particularly famed for its kayaking routes and you could kayak for weeks on end along the coast and across pristine reefs or remote valleys. You should be careful, though, as some routes run through ocean swells and rough waves and are for experienced kayakers only. Hiking is much safer and Molokai's lush valleys, spectacular waterfalls, beautiful rainforests, rugged cliffs and long beaches are very popular places to walk. Motorbike riding, tennis and golf are also available.
Molokai is known as the 'friendly island', but even though it has plenty of aloha, it remains ambivalent about vacationers. As a result it is one of the archipelago's least visited islands and only receives about 70,000 visitors annually. Molokai's inhabitants try to hold on to their culture and values and don't want their island transformed into beachside city-malls, like the other Hawaiian Islands. Evidence of this attitude is reflected in the many stickers on trucks saying 'Keep Molokai Molokai'.
All in all, people on Molokai are not too keen on outsiders cruising around on their private turf, especially as there's still a bit of pakalolo (marijuana) growing here and there. If there's a fishpond you want to see however and someone's house is between the road and the water, it's usually no problem to start a conversation and get permission to cross. If you show true interest in Hawaiian customs and habits, Molokai people can be receptive and friendly.
People on Molokai consider themselves as the guardians of Hawaiian traditions and culture. The island was the birthplace of the Hawaiian hula dance. The essence of the original hula was in the chanting, without which there would be no dance to the Hawaiian mind. The rhythm was supported by gourds, drums, split bamboo sticks and other instruments, although hula could be performed without these instruments, but never without the chanting. Since the 1970's a renaissance of traditional Hawaiian culture has taken place and the old chants and dances are being performed more and more. The skills are handed down reverently from teacher to student in special sanctuaries. The Hawaiian language is also enjoying revived interest and as a result new appreciation for the poetry of the ancient texts has emerged, including the complexities of thought and meanings-within-meanings that this subtle language offers.
Molokai measures 684 km² (264 sq miles) and is Hawaii's fifth-largest island. It is 61 km (38 miles) long and 16 km (10 miles) wide and roughly rectangular in shape. The island lies about halfway the Hawaiian chain, some 25 miles southeast of Oahu and 9 miles northwest of Maui.
Molokai is a geological union of two separate shield volcanoes that erupted to form two distinct islands. On the eastern island, huge waves of lava formed high mountains that acted as a funnel. Clouds were trapped between these mountains and the resulting heavy rainfall and stream erosion cut deep valleys. It is these valleys, where you will find lush rainforests nowadays. On the western island, modest hills and tableland were formed. Later eruptions filled the channel between the two islands, forming the present day Hoolehua Plains and creating Molokai.
Molokai's volcanic origin provided the island with its rich soil. There were countless pineapple plantations up to the end of the 1070's, but cheap imports from abroad ended the pineapple business. Locals then developed small-scale farming more intensely. Nowadays, Molokai's most significant crops include coffee, watermelons, dryland taro, macadamia nuts, sweet potatoes, seed corn, string beans and onions. All these crops thrive in the island's warm and sunny climate.
All international flights to Hawaii land at Honolulu Airport. Molokai has air connections with Honolulu and Maui several times a day. If you want to visit other islands in the archipelago by air from Molokai, you will have to make a stop at Honolulu, or even change planes there.
You can get to Maui by ferry.
If you want to explore Molokai, you should be careful, as many dirt paths that look like ordinary roads, are actually driveways into someone's backyard. As on the other islands in the archipelago, there's still a bit of pakalolo (marijuana) growing here and there and it is understanding that many locals are not too keen on outsiders cruising around on their private property.
The best way to explore the island is by car. Vehicles can be rented at several places and it is best to book well in advance, especially if you need a car over the weekend. Cars with racks for bikes, kayaks and surfboards are usually available without any extra charges. Rented cars are often not allowed to be driven on dirt roads.
Mopeds and bicycles can also be rented on Molokai.
There are no metered taxis on Molokai. Several companies provide taxi services for set fees, but otherwise you just have to agree on the fare before getting in. Taxis often meet incoming flights, but if you want to be assured of transportation from the airport, you should make reservations in advance.
There are numerous hotels and restaurants on Molokai. Camping is restricted. It is best to contact the land owner and ask for permission if you want to set up your tent somewhere.
The time on Molokai is UTC/GMT minus 10 hours. Electricity is 110/120V, 60 Hz. The local currency is US Dollar and foreign currencies can be exchanged at almost any bank or exchange bureau without any problem. Banks are available in most towns on Molokai. Credit cards and travelers cheques are widely accepted and there are ATM's at many places. Health risks include Sunstroke, dehydration, leptospirosis, a freshwater bacterial disease and ciguatera poisoning, due to eating ciguatoxin-affected fish. Molokai's telephone area code is 808.
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