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Board the Maui Princess in Lahaina for Molokai’s Kaunakakai. Briefly explore the small town of Kaunakakai and drop into Kanemitsu’s Bakery & Restaurant for some coffee and pastry before starting your journey. Head east on Hwy. 450, visit a couple of ancient fishponds (e.g., Ualapu’e at MM 14 and one at Murphy Beach Park) along the coast, Father Damien’s St. Joseph’s Church and Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Church, and the Ili’ili’opae Heiau about a half-mile inland. Murphy Beach Park offers excellent for snorkeling, walking and picnicking. Continue driving to Sandy Beach and then up to Pu’u o Hoku Ranch. Stop at the overlook for Halawa Valley and Bay. Descend to Halawa Beach Park, park and follow the tricky trail up Halawa Valley to Moa’ula Falls and possibly Hipuapua Falls.
For touring of West Molokai, it’s best to rent a 4WD, especially to explore the southwest corner of the island and possibly the northwest coast. Arrange with Damien Tours or Molokai Stables to hike or ride a mule down the 3-mile, 1,600’ trail to Kalaupapa Peninsula. Tour the site of the leper colony that today is a National Historic Park.
From Kaunakakai, pass the Kapuaiwa Royal Coconut Grove, turn on to Hwy. 470, and stop at the Meyer Sugar Mill and the Molokai Museum and Cultural Center. Continue to Molokai Stables and Kukui Hapu’u Trail to Kalaupapa or pass it and enter Pala’au State Park to view the Peninsula from Kalaupapa Lookout. From here, either follow the suggestions for a hike or mule ride down to Kalaupapa Peninsula or return to Hwy. 470, visit Coffees of Hawaii’s coffee-growing plantation and then return to Kaunakakai for the return trip to Lahaina.
For those who decide to explore West Moloka’i, turn west (right) on Hwy. 480/Pu’upe’elus Ave. to Hwy 460 and then to Kaluakoi Road. Turn right towards Kaluakoi Villas (the resort is closed but the villas offer excellent, inexpensive vacation rentals) and Kepuhi Beach for snorkeling or take a left and drive to fabulous, 3-mile-long Papohaku Beach (that also offers great camping).
From Papohaku, return to Kaunakakai or continue driving to the end of Kaluakoi Road and then to Kapukahehu Beach, Kaunala Beach and Kaupoa Beach. The Sheraton Molokai Lodge & Beach Village rents tent cabins at Kaupoa Beach (Kaupoa Beach Village), part of 54,000-acre Molokai Ranch. Drive from Kaupoa Beach (on dirt roads) to beautiful remote beaches along the southwest coast, east and west of Hale o Lono Harbor (start of the Aloha Week outrigger canoe race), then north (on dirt roads) to Maunaloa for dinner at Maunaloa Dining Room in the Sheraton Molokai Lodge.