The Old-School Hawaiian Island You Need to Visit (Seriously, It Never Got Touristy!)

The very remote Papohaku Beach on a very remote island. (Photo: Sherry Ott)

By Sherry Ott

“The best thing you can tell people about Molokai is to not to come here,” my Molokai tour guide told me. I was alarmed. There I was on Molokai, one of the six Hawaiian islands that are easily visitable, and I was being told that people shouldn’t come here. It was some Freaky Friday kind of stuff.

“Molokai isn’t for everyone. It’s not like the rest of Hawaii,” my guide continued. “It’s slow. it’s not touristy. It’s the original Hawaii. It’s for people who really want to slow down and experience the old Hawaii and its culture. Those people will fall in love with Molokai. But people looking for tours, resorts, and decadent restaurants won’t find those things here.”

I was already in love with Molokai based on this description alone. I had heard so much about Molokai’s slow and normal pace, completely untouched by tourism, that I was tingly with excitement as I made the short plane ride over to this agriculturally rich island. As I thought about that conversation, I knew that it wasn’t that the guides didn’t want people to travel to Molokai. They just wanted people to know that “one of these [islands] is not like the other,” and understand that Molokai might not be for everyone.

However, I was pretty sure that Molokai was going to be for me. As soon as I walked off the plane, picked up my luggage at the tiny open-air airport, and drove away, I saw a handmade sign that read, “Aloha, slow down. This is Molokai.” This was the best welcome to any destination I could imagine. And things only got better from there.

Where to stay

Hotel Molokai stands alone in a time warp. (Photo: Sherry Ott)

My friends hadn’t lied to me. After just a few hours on the island, I had to agree that this island wasn’t developed with tourism in mind. I was staying in the ONE and only hotel on the whole island, aptly named Hotel Molokai. It was an adorable yet quirky hotel right on the water, highlighted by the “Meet the Manager” night, complete with drinks by the pool bar. Michael, the manager, is a Molokai character worth meeting. He’ll have you in the Aloha spirit in no time!

There are few other places to stay on the island. There are five condo complexes, some home rentals, and that’s it. Really. All in all, there are a total of 400 rooms on the whole island. And while we are discussing numbers, there are only two liquor licenses for establishments on the island, so wipe those visions of cabana boys, mai tais and rum shots on the beach away. However, luckily for me, Hotel Molokai holds one of the liquor licenses!

What to do

Molokai does have a tourism office. At its head is Julie Bicoy, who dishes out visitor information and advice on how to get the most out of your unique time in Molokai. I talked to Julie to find out what she normally tells visitors to do. She said she always points people in the direction of the cultural attractions like Halawa Valley and Kalaupapa, as well as more adventure activities like kayaking. She also suggests the weekly and monthly events that are going on in town: farmer’s markets, book readings, cultural events, and town gatherings.

Related: Let’s Take An Adrenaline-Fueled Island Hop Through Hawaii

A Molokai church nestled among the green. (Photo: Sherry Ott)

But mostly, she tries to stress the idea of, “Let the moments happen.” When you come across a picturesque beach, charming church, or intriguing sign, stop and take a look. If a local starts to tell you stories, listen. What makes vacation great is connecting, creating relationships, and talking story. I adore this Molikai-esque vision of travel. It’s not about the tourist stops or the bucket lists, it’s about the connections.

How to get around

The best thing to do is rent a car from the airport and take off exploring. As I was driving toward Kalaupapa lookout, I noticed that grass was growing in the cracks in the pavement on the main road. Apparently the roads get so little traffic there that grass is able to thrive on them! Julie told me that any paved roads were fine to explore. However, once it turned to gravel, I was on my own. Also, she warned me to be prepared: This is an island where picking up hitchhikers is encouraged and normal, so don’t be alarmed if you see a few thumbs.

Related: There’s More to Do on Oahu, the Hawaiian Island That Has it All

Grass grows in the middle of the road…definitely the road less traveled! (Photo: Sherry Ott)

And be sure not to miss the Molokai West End Beaches. Molokai has a lot of beautiful beaches on all parts of the island. However, not all of them are safe for swimming and snorkeling, and many are difficult to reach even if you do have a car. You will be amazed when you arrive at Papohaku Beach. It’s one of Hawaii’s longest white-sand beaches. Three miles long, and you’ll rarely see anyone else on it.

West End beaches. (Photo: Sherry Ott)

What to eat

I learned pretty quickly that people don’t travel to Molokai for the food, unless you really like bread. The island is filled with little basic cafes and drive-ins, but it doesn’t have any fine dining.

However, one must-do experience in Molokai is the bread run (and no, it has nothing to do with actual running). The Kanemitsu Bakery has been gracing Main Street for 80 years, and serves as a traditional bakery. However, at night, it transforms into a seedy prohibition-like experience. But it’s not booze that’s being secretly made and sold. It’s bread.

Related: Hawaii: Where to Eat Like a Local

When the sun has gone down and the clocks strikes 8:30, just follow your nose down a back alley behind the bakery. There, you’ll find a dimly-lit corridor (they type your mother warns you about) leading you to a little window where they’ll take your bread order. Choose from cinnamon, butter, strawberry, blueberry, and cream cheese toppings, exchange money, and you’ll walk away with a brown paper bag filled with hot bread. And it’s not just a little slice of bread. It’s a giant round of bread bigger than your head.

The bread run. (Photo: Sherry Ott)

Meet the locals

Molokai is called the Friendly Island in Hawaii; they even have a market called Friendly Market. I wanted to put it to the test: Just how friendly were the people? I decided to spend an hour walking around the two block Main Street and see what happened … would I make friends?

I encountered a couple of guys selling fish from their truck. They were indeed friendly, telling me all about the fish and where they caught it on the island and asking me about myself. I walked to the Friendly Market, where the clerk asked me if I was a photographer when she saw the huge camera around my neck. We chatted for a bit as I paid for my oatmeal and left.

Selling fish out of his truck: the original food truck in Molokai? (Photo: Sherry Ott)

As I continued down the street, a guy leaving the Filipino restaurant nearly ran into me. Hmmm … not very friendly, I thought. After apologizing, he looked at me and told me I should go inside the Filipino restaurant and eat.

I looked at him and asked, “What are you eating?”

“Here, hold this,” he said as he handed me his drink and smiled. Point is, I was wrong. He was very friendly.

As I sat eating my giant loaf of leftover cinnamon butter bread from the night before, I realized that by positioning themselves as the anti-tourism island, they have indeed become the island that people want to go to. Think that sounds weird? Then think back to every boyfriend you had growing up. There’s a reason why the aloof, bad boys were always most coveted.

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