卡劳帕帕国家历史公园

We took a great airflight from Topside Molokai; to get here-the view of the cliffs and the whole Molokai ., from the plane, was terrific and worth the money! Once we landed; we were met promptly by the Father Damien Tour bus(an old schoolbus) operated on our time, by a female descendent of RIchard...( I think the whole tour group is a relative of his)...it was so informative. Unreal to see how a whole town was created "downside" to contain Hawaiians problemed by leprosy...It leaves you speechless to hear the story told by the driver...visits to the church where the nuns and Father Damien cared for the ill, were awe inspiring..Gorgeous scenery...The ocean views are spectacular. We were wisely advised to bring drinks and snacks; although some were available at a little shanty bar that was part of the bus trip...Our bus picked up hikers and mule riders; their stories ,while interesting, left us in particular, glad that we took the flight to and from topside Molokai, to Kalaupapa(hot weather would have made me miserable to hike or ride down the coast)...Don't miss this fantastic historical tour!

We hiked to Kalaupapa and were extremely pleased with this day trip. The hike down is easy and absolutely beautiful views. The park is incredible. The story, tour by Hawaii Department of Health very meaningful. You leave in awe of Father Damien, Sister Marian, the residents stories and the employees. A wonderful experience. Now the hike out at the end of the day was strenuous, tiring but well worth it. We highly recommend the experience.

My husband and I hiked up and down the Kalaupapa trail and would absolutely recommend it to those of moderate fitness. The trail is about 2.5 miles long each way with a 1600 feet change in gain so is moderately strenuous. The trail is made up of a series of switchbacks (numbered along the way to about 29) which meander along the coast. The views are amazing both on the way up and down. The path is of variable width and most sections are like a series of steps. Some sections are quite muddy with mule droppings mixed in and so can be a little bit smelly especially with the heat, some tropical rain and the flies. However the trail is reasonably well maintained. We set off at about 7.30 am to beat the mules down and arrived at the beach by about 8.30 with some quick stops on the way down for photos and water. We hiked back up in about 70 minutes, again with some stops for water and to admire the views. The trail is muddy so old well worn shoes are recommended. I hiked in running tights to protect my legs from the mud and would recommend this. There were some intermittent light rain showers so a light jacket or top may be helpful. We would recommend carrying at least 2 litres each depending on how much you drink and maybe a snack. If you go early you will be down before the mules and then can watch them meander past. We would definitely recommend!

Kalaupapa has been a national park since the 1980's. It is funded and paid for by tax dollars and the trail was recently built by tax dollars (nearly half a million). However, one resident has cashed in and in order to view what your tax dollars are funding, you are required to pay $50 in cash to a resident who holds a monopoly on a "tour". While the tour is very interesting and could be worth the money, the requirement to pay $50 cash - which ironically is probably being under-reported and NOT being taxed - to enjoy what you are already paying for is very disheartening. I have been to over 100 national parks, historic places, and sites and this one is disgustingly run. Whereas there is certainly a beautiful history to this place, these residents are no longer "banished" here and they are being WELL taken care of by the government (our tax dollars are paying over 80 employees to benefit 8 people). The sense of entitlement is unreal.

This is one of those unique places of the world that take a bit of doing to get to, but is definitely worth it. I'll never forget it. If you are in Hawaii, I recommend you take a day and come to Molokai for this experience. (If you are already on Molokai, it is a no-brainer, of course). You can fly, mule ride, or hike. I chose the hike and loved it. Mules would be fun, but I wanted the workout and to save some money. So, I flew in from Oahu on Mokulele Air (awesome views out the window), 30 minutes, and you're landing at the airport. Rented a car because for $60 I get much more flexibility than two $30 taxi rides to the trailhead. I had to stop at the mule place to get a tour and lunch pass ($69) -- it's pretty run down looking shack like structure, hardly a sign, and really had nothing for sale (some snacks and water would be welcome). Also, despite what they say on their website and instructions, it is NOT at mile marker 5. More like 4.5. You'll eventually find it because there isn't anything else out there, but how hard would it be to put out a visible sign and say it is "between mile marker 4 and 5". Oh well, whatever. The trailhead starts at a metal gate that says "no trespassing, private property" which threw me for a bit, but some other folks came by and said we were supposed to ignore that. Okay. . . You immediately get some fantastic views from the top and I could tell this was going to be awesome. The trail was quite muddy and wet and I was so glad I had my hiking boots instead of running shoes or whatever. Most other people had regular shoes and they were pretty much ruined from the continuous mud puddles, etc. (small price to pay however). Even going down, it is strenuous and your calves will probably be quivering after a while. It was lovely to get closer and closer to the ocean and finally end alongside the beach. What a beautiful place and this was just the beginning. After a 45 minute wait, the tour school bus pulled up, but the mule riders hadn't quite arrived yet. They finally made it and about 30 mule people, hikers, and fly in folks were on the bus. The Tour. It is at least two hours. 45 min. would have been fine with me. I don't need to know what every single little structure is. However, I did get the Kalaupapa NP passport stamp, so that was awesome. Tough one to get. The payoff for all of those tour stops is a lunch on the other side of the peninsula with views that will just knock your socks off. Wow. One of the most beautiful spots I've seen in the world. Several of us were eating lunch on the grass, overlooking the ocean and cliffs and we could all read each other's minds -- this is really extraordinary. Unforgettable. We piled back in the buses, drove back to the trailhead and everybody got out. I had taken 1:20 to hike down and wanted to see if I could beat that on the way up. I'm a pretty active cyclist and in decent shape, but I've seen better days. These 4 hot shot young yoga girls took off, half running, and I figured they would tire and I could bring them back with a hard, steady pace. I figured right, but just barely. It took until switchback 2 (out of 26) and I was going at my absolute max, having to stop once in a while to catch my breath. I didn't pass them, probably couldn't anyway, but we all hit the top close together and I done it an hour. Dang. Great hike, interesting story, and incredible beauty. (Oh, and don't miss Phallic Rock at the end of the road, just past mile marker 5. Trust me.)