Molokai exchange--some questions

[rickandcindy23]

We are considering an exchange to Ke Nani Kai on Molokai through HTSE (great inventory for Hawaii there). Is Ke Nani Kai near the ocean, and can you see whales from the resort? Also, what do you think of Molokai in general. Will we experience a lot of stinkeye?

How about the resort? Is it nice?

 

[Larry]

We were in Molokai for two nights and many people loved it there. I couldn't wait to get off the island and get back to Maui, but then again I'm from NY and having roosters wake me up at 5:00 AM and nothing to do after dinner but perhaps go for a long walk, was just too laid back for my taste. Went to a gorgeous beach one day at a state park and we were the only ones there for several hours. Again, could be great for some but I like people watching and talking to people on the beach and in the water so even though it was a nice beach it was totally boring for me.

If you do go the only interesting thing to do for me was go see the leper colony started by father Damien. We actually didn't take the mule ride down just got to the ridge over looking the colony and used the telescope to check it out plus read all about the colony and father Damien at the overlook where you get the mules.

I hope I haven't confused the issue even more for you but I hated Molokai and would never go back.

Hawaii is great but I would skip this Island unless you just want to veg out for a week.

 

[dive-in]

The mule ride down to the colony is closed due to some of the trail washing out.

http://www.muleride.com/

 

[DeniseM]

We are considering an exchange to Ke Nani Kai on Molokai through HTSE (great inventory for Hawaii there). Is Ke Nani Kai near the ocean, and can you see whales from the resort?

Here is my trip report

The resort is on the ocean, but there is a golf course between the condos and the water, so probably not.

Also, what do you think of Molokai in general. Will we experience a lot of stinkeye?

We loved Molokai and thought the people were extremely kind and friendly, however, they have been through hard times since we were there. I find that if you treat people respectfully, they will treat you respectfully.

How about the resort? Is it nice?

The TS's are on a property that used to have a big fancy hotel, that went out of business at least 10 years ago. It is in serious disrepair. The Condos are mostly residential with 3 or 4 timeshare units. We thought it was very comfortable, but it's not a resort environment. There are no activities, no restaurant, no nothing. The pool was nice when we were there. The golf course and tennis courts have been let go.

Molokai is VERY slow and undeveloped - it makes Kauai look like Manhattan. There are no obvious tourist activities - be sure you do your homework before you go, or you will have no idea what to do or see. If I were going again, I'd bring groceries from Maui if I were taking the ferry. Many locals make a monthly trip to Maui to grocery shop. Groceries and restaurants are very limited. There are no major stores.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Thanks so much for the information. We may skip Molokai for next year. Rick's stepmom is very fond of Kauai and Maui, so as long as she is with us, we will probably stick to those two islands.

I am surprised the island has so little in the way of shopping or activities, but that doesn't usually bother Rick. He would rather not go shopping. I would miss it. Sounds like Rick's dream vacation of rest and relaxation. I cannot give him that! He will get way too spoiled.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Don't ever underestimate Moloka'i for quiet and slow pace. If you need activities, don't go. You won't like it. But Molokai certainly has it's aspects.

As others mentioned, it's great for quiet and relaxation. For activities on the island, there's the trip to Kala'aupapa. Then there's taking the drive to the end of the island, and, perhaps doing the hike to the waterfall. After that there isn't much to do except go to the beach and take it easy.

Except for Ni'ihau Moloka'i has the highest proportion of native Hawai'ian ancestry. IMHO, that affects much of the character of the island. The people of Moloka'i by nature are less accommodating of things that they think will disrupt their traditions and values. They gladly and willingly accept that the consequence is less commercial activity and more poverty. When we were there I perceived an attitude that if those things are important to you, perhaps you should relocate to another island.

On the other hand, if you want to get a glimpse of what Hawai'i used to be like then Moloka'i is probably where you want to go.

For ourselves, we found the people gracious and friendly. But then, no matter where we are we don't engage with local residents as tourists. I know almost everyone says that, but the reality is that a lot of people who act like typical truly believe they are not acting that way. And I'm sure that includes us more often than I would probably like to admit.

*****

We plan to go back at some point It's not our top place to visit, but it certainly fits into our rotation of places to visit when we are in the islands.

DW has a co-worker who spends at least one week on Moloka'i every summer. It's very restorative for her.

 

[DeniseM]

I am surprised the island has so little in the way of shopping or activities,

Cindy - it's by design - the locals actively fight change. That's why 2 very nice hotels have gone out of business on Molokai. The people don't want development - period. About 5 years ago a developer was going to build luxury homes along the coastline and they literally ran them out of town. They won't allow cruise ships to come into port on Molokai, either. They are passionate about preserving their life style.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Cindy - it's by design - the locals actively fight change. That's why 2 very nice hotels have gone out of business on Molokai. The people don't want development - period. About 5 years ago a developer was going to build luxury homes along the coastline and they literally ran them out of town. They won't allow cruise ships to come into port on Molokai, either. They are passionate about preserving their life style.

Precisely.

Moloka'i is the island for those who want to maintain the connections with the past. Many of the people of Moloka'i believe passionately that what makes Moloka'i special, and valuable, is that it is a place to connect to traditions. They specifically do not want Moloka'i to become just like the other islands.

*****

So people who go to Hawai'i hoping that Moloka'i will be like the other islands, just less developed, will probably leave disappointed. They are likely to find the island boring, the people unaccommodating, and the facilities primitive.

Those who come to Moloka'i ready to experience something different can be richly rewarded.

 

[shar]

I would suggest that you take a day trip to the island and then decide if you want to come back at a later time for a week. Ferry goes from Maui every morning and returns in late afternoon. I thought a week sounded like a good idea until we spent the day there. Really nothing to do and all sightseeing can be done in one day. We had lunch at a hotel on a small beach that had some timeshare units but they were only hotel roooms and much to small for me for the week. We love quiet relaxation, but not this quiet.

Shar

 

[rickandcindy23]

Rick's stepmom is really into shopping. I rarely buy a souvenir or a piece of clothing on the islands anymore, but she buys some item for every one of her friends while there, then she mails them back.

Our longtime neighbor and friend is from Molokai and visits her family every summer. Her family never visits her, because they don't like the U.S., and they didn't even come for the weddings, when the kids got married, but the kids spent their honeymoons on Molokai. Worked out just fine for the family.

We rarely talk to her about Molokai, so I went by last night to talk about the possibility of us visiting there. She invited us to go next summer, while they are there, so she can show us around the island herself. We may, and if they take their son and daughter-in-law, our son will want to go, too, because our sons are best friends. Although, Josh was bored the last time we took him to Kauai and the Big Island, so we swore we would never force a trip like that on him again. :rofl: Imagine how boring Molokai would be in comparison to those two islands.

 

[DeniseM]

Molokai just has a few store front mom and pop stores for shopping. DH and I loved Molokai, but we are NOT shopping people, we love outdoor activities, and found the local people and culture fascinating. You really have to research and plan to trip to Molokai to know what there is to see and do. As you can see from our trip report, we found plenty to do for a week.

Another thing to remember is that Ke Nani Kai 15 miles from town, so you will probably be doing a lot of cooking. There are no restaurants or stores near the Ke Nani Kai. The Molokai Ranch that I referenced in my trip report and the little town that grew up around it, have shut down since our trip. There is one nice restaurant in Kanakakaui at the Hotel Molokai, but besides that there are just a few small cafes.

This is main street in Kaunakakai - the one and only tiny little town.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Looks like Hanapepe town. Love Hanapepe!

I don't know whether we will go or not, but Mom won't go with us to Molokai, that's for sure.

I think our second trip to Hawaii each year should be different from the usual one we spend with her. At 82 years old, she is not really into anything but shopping and visiting restaurants. She used to be more active, but hey, she's 82! She wouldn't even sit by the pool at the Westin this trip. And she wouldn't go with us to meet the two groups of TUGgers, either. She just likes to read, shop and eat.

 

[DeniseM]

Even Hanapepe is bigger!

 

[RedDogSD]

I totally agree with most of the sentiments on this thread. Went to Molokai once. They are fiercly protective of their Island, and I applaud that. Who needs another Tourist island? There are plenty already. I was happy with the Day trip there. I could do a week, but I would rather have the options in Kauai. You can sit around and do nothing on Kauai as well, but at least they have shopping and dining options if you want them. Not so on Molokai.

 

[Kona Lovers]

The great thing about Hawaii is each island's uniqueness. Molokai is in our plans as we haven't spent time there like on other islands, and from the sounds of things, it fits exactly what DW and I are searching for to unwind.

Marty

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

There is one nice restaurant in Kanakakaui at the Hotel Molokai, but besides that there are just a few small cafes. [/IMG]

Kamuela's Cookhouse is also good - probably better than Hotel Molokai.

 

[taffy19]

Don't ever underestimate Moloka'i for quiet and slow pace. If you need activities, don't go. You won't like it. But Molokai certainly has it's aspects.

As others mentioned, it's great for quiet and relaxation. For activities on the island, there's the trip to Kala'aupapa. Then there's taking the drive to the end of the island, and, perhaps doing the hike to the waterfall. After that there isn't much to do except go to the beach and take it easy.

Except for Ni'ihau Moloka'i has the highest proportion of native Hawai'ian ancestry. IMHO, that affects much of the character of the island. The people of Moloka'i by nature are less accommodating of things that they think will disrupt their traditions and values. They gladly and willingly accept that the consequence is less commercial activity and more poverty. When we were there I perceived an attitude that if those things are important to you, perhaps you should relocate to another island.

On the other hand, if you want to get a glimpse of what Hawai'i used to be like then Moloka'i is probably where you want to go.

For ourselves, we found the people gracious and friendly. But then, no matter where we are we don't engage with local residents as tourists. I know almost everyone says that, but the reality is that a lot of people who act like typical truly believe they are not acting that way. And I'm sure that includes us more often than I would probably like to admit.

*****

We plan to go back at some point It's not our top place to visit, but it certainly fits into our rotation of places to visit when we are in the islands.

DW has a co-worker who spends at least one week on Moloka'i every summer. It's very restorative for her.

I agree with you that there is enough to do if you like serious hiking or just relaxing. The problem is that the main company, who owned the best resort and restaurant plus golf course, has closed down. There isn't much left for going for lunch or dinner or play golf. I remember one other restaurant at the Hotel Molokai but that was all and there was only one little country store where you could buy your groceries.

The longest unspoiled beach is on Molokai plus they have the little coves where you will find monk seals baking in the sun. We loved our visit to this island as it is so different from a visit to Maui or Waikiki Beach. Each Hawaiian island is so different but Molokai may remind you to how the Hawaiian Islands used to be before the tourists came to visit here.

You won't believe what the speed limit is on this island unless it has changed. I believe it was 45 MPH and there is no traffic but some of the roads were quite an experience at only 15 MPH and certainly if you were meeting someone going the other way.

I would like to go back one day but may not like it as much as before. It's a very rugged island.

The timeshare resort isn't right on the beach but not far from it either and we never saw it inside. We rented a condo instead and would stay there again.

 

[taffy19]

Kamuela's Cookhouse is also good - probably better than Hotel Molokai.

We never discovered this restaurant when we were there. The dinner at the hotel was pretty good and we enjoyed the spontaneous entertainment by the local people very much.