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Rockymom77
We took this drive to the beach twice on our trip. It is a long twisty drive, but so beautiful. The beach at the end was a great reward. We were able to swim and enjoy the nice beach. There were several nice little beaches to stop at along the way, too.
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denny570123
this was a beautiful drive on a very slender road that lines the Molokai east coast. many beautiful pull-offs for pictures and once at the end there is a wonderful beach to rest back and take in the sights. If you want you can hike up the trail(if not too wet) to a huge waterfall, hike, picnic, enjoy the sights on this section of secluded Molokai
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Rhody19
At the far eastern end of Molokai is the magnificent Halawa Valley & beach. The road leading to the area is narrow, winding & often single lane, but the drive is beautiful & definitely worthwhile. The main beach area is in a protected cove & is accessed by wading across a shallow stream of water. The views back over the Halawa Valley are so beautiful & glimpses of the waterfall can be seen in the distance. The land in the Valley is privately owned, but local guides can be hired to hike into the waterfall for those desiring to hike to the falls.
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510timk
It was like a mini drive to Hana, very scenic road to the Valley but not so intense you can enjoy some of the scenery. Valley was nice and great place do have a picnic lunch or a lazy afternoon. They do have a guided tour to the waterfall but you need to be there by 9AM, we did not know about this prior to our visit, so if you going and want to hike to the waterfall with a guide get there early.
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SunnyW358
It is well worth to take the drive to the Halawa Beach park. The road was very narrow in many places, but the drive was extremely beautiful. The highway ends at the park. The surroundings looked kind of deserted and there were signs indicating no trespassing. There was also a sign that said no hiking today due to rain and the track was dangerous. It seemed like it has been there for a long time. We could see a tall waterfall far away, but there no way to get there without a guide. The beach area was serene and there were two families with kids who were on floaters. Other than that there was no sign of life. One could see the destruction caused by past tsunamis in the area.
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LaChatNoir
We booked the Halawa Valley hike direct with Greg Solatorio. When we arrived at the park before 9 a.m. there were signs that the hike had been cancelled until further notice because of trail conditions and danger of flash flood, but a guide did show up. We gathered in the park pavilion while Pilipo Solatorio shared stories of life in the valley and showed us some historic photos. Pretty neat that the grammar school he attended is where the park now stands. At the beginning while we were signing our waivers and he was collecting our money he asked what brought us here, and I was not able to ascertain whether he found our answers satisfactory or not. There was an awkward moment when Pilipo talked about the practice of makana, which is the custom of bringing gifts when you visit someone's home. He looked at us for a long pause and I wasn't sure if he was expecting us to give him something. Is our $60/person admission price not makana enough?Much has been made in other reviews about the breathing ceremony and sharing ha (breath of life). I'm not sure if Pilipo just wasn't feeling it today, or didn't deem us worthy, or what. But we didn't do that at all. What he had to say was very interesting, but I would categorize it as historical background rather than cultural experience. Our guide, Shawn, was great. He offered us walking sticks and we were glad to have them. The trail isn't particularly difficult and we are not hikers at all. But it was a muddy mess due to all the rain Molokai has had lately. There was one river crossing, but there were several large boulders you could step on and Shawn stood in the water to offer us a hand for balance as we crossed. The waterfall at the end was pretty spectacular and worth all the muck to get there. Only three of us got in and the water was freezing cold. It took our group of seven about 1 hr and 50 mins to reach the falls. Shawn stopped us along the way to point out different trees, fruits, and flowers. We also walked passed archeological and culturally significant sites, like a fishing temple, birthing temple, cemeteries, and rock formations said to contain the gods. It was all very interesting. Time back was only 1 hr and 15 minutes. The drive to the park isn't bad at all if you proceed cautiously. There are curves and blind turns, but reviewers who describe it as a white-knuckle road must not have experience driving in Europe, the Black Hills, or any rural, mountainous region.
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daeibaker
I was there on my honeymoon .I had been living in oahu in Honolulu, but molokai is a drastic change, we loved it..hardly no one around us .as opposed to oahu ...the hike to the falls was absolutely gorgeous.that was over twenty years ago. I hope the people and population has not been to altered. It was truly paradise. Mahalo.
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ReedHockaday-Hawaii
The views are fantastic. After following a two-lane road along Molokai’s southern shore, a single-lane roads cuts across Molokai’s mountainous eastern end to reach Halawa Bay near the island’s northeast point. This view looks down upon the bay, and it’s another 5 to 10 minute drive down to the bay’s Halawa Beach Park. Bring your own food and drinking water. Once there, one of the two high waterfalls along the stream that feeds into the bay can be seen in the distance inland. The land along the stream before it reaches Halawa Beach Park is largely privately owned.
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mtinnkeeper
Visiting Molokai is like visiting Kauai 50 years ago before Princeville & all the other developments. The drive to the Halawa Valley travels along the oceanfront then climbs up & over the east end of the island through ranch country to an astounding final few miles of switchbacks as you drop down to Halawa Beach. Vistas of Molokai mountains and across the channel to Maui are jaw-dropping! Along the road on the south side of the island is access to unpopulated sandy beaches. Throughout the trip, one is struck by the fact that there are no high-rise condominiums and few visible homes--just the unspoiled island of Molokai. The road is paved but narrows to one lane for the last 3 to 4 miles. Use extreme caution on the blind curves--you think no one else is within miles but then it's a big surprise when an on-coming car suddenly appears at the narrowest part of a sharp curve. The 'highway' ends at the entrance to the beach and the beginning of the trail up to the falls. Without making the hike (which other reviewers indicate is challenging), easy paths lead around to the headland and along the water. The river is wade-able as it makes its winding entrance to the bay. Surf was high in December so no one was in the beach front waters. White knuckle driving for 3 to 4 miles was well worth it to get to this beautiful tropical valley between high mountains and opening onto a secluded beach.
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Travelingwoaclue
Take the last few miles of the drive to Halawa very carefully. Philip and his family are very proud of their culture and they took about an hour to talk about their experiences and how they interact with others that reside in the valley.The hike is quite intense and would not recommend this to someone that is not athletic or in questionable shape. The first crossing of the river has the hiker up to their knees in swift water, stepping on quite large, slippery immersed rocks. The second crossing of the river near the end of the hike is across boulders. Again, BEWARE, this was not easy for me and suspect that it will be difficult for many if not most people.Wear shoes that you don't care about the condition after you complete the hike. They will get wet and muddy. Bring Bug Spray because misquotes are plentiful.Bring a sandwich with you because the tour stops at the falls for an hour or so. Don't expect a sandy beach somewhere near the falls. You will have to find a comfortable rock to rest and eat. Don't forget the camera.
