Moloka`i Overview

Although the Hawaiian island of Moloka`i is tiny (it covers only about 260 square miles), it boasts a wealth of attractive features, including beautiful beaches, lush forests, tons of local culture and history, and, of course, that quintessential laid-back island lifestyle. Moloka`i was formed by two volcanoes, known as East Moloka`i and West Moloka`i, remains of which are still visible today. The volcanoes left behind some of the island's most recognizable geographical features, including Kamakou mountain (standing at 4,970 feet) on the eastern side of the island, and the tall, jagged northern sea cliffs. It is considered the least developed of the Hawaiian islands, and features only one larger resort and a few hotels in the main city of Kaunakakai. With a population of only about 6,000 to 8,000 people (depending on the season), Moloka`i has been able to preserve its pristine beauty and most of its ancient cultural artifacts, including fascinating burial grounds and religious temples. The island has also been recognized as one of the most sustainable islands in the world, thanks to its unspoiled landscape, environmental preservation efforts, and visitor-friendly atmosphere.

History

Like many of the other Hawaiian islands, Moloka`i was originally settled around 650 A.D. by native tribes from neighboring Polynesian islands such as Tahiti and Marquesas, who made their living fishing and farming. The first documented European experience on Moloka`i was in 1778, when Captain James Cook sighted the Hawaiian Islands and called them the "Sandwich Islands". Captain George Dixon was credited with being the first European explorer to actually set foot on Moloka`i, when he and his expedition anchored off-shore in 1786. Later, in 1832, the first Protestant mission was established on the island, bringing a few European settlers to build towns and churches on Moloka`i's eastern side.

The island is well-known for its history of hosting a "leprosy" (more commonly called "Hansen's disease") colony where those with the disease were sent to live. The first people with Hansen's disease were shipped to the Kalaupapa peninsula on Moloka`i in 1866 and had to predominately fend for themselves, building stone and stick huts and foraging for food. In the 1873, Father Damien de Veuster, a Catholic missionary priest, arrived from Belgium to help care for those living in the colony. He built up a small town at Kalawao, and set up various facilities to serve the colony residents and help them cope with their disease. The island of Moloka`i slowly continued to be settled throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, going through the ups and downs of economic prosperity in industries such as sugar production, pineapple cultivation, and cattle ranching. Today, the main industry on the island is tourism, which brings about 80,000 people to its sandy shores each year.