Molokaʻi

Molokai is for a second or third trip, or for a few quiet days added to Maui or Oahu, not for a first-timer expecting resort comforts. There is not a single traffic light, and Hotel Molokai in Kaunakakai is the island's only hotel, so settle where you will sleep early. Getting there takes a regional flight from Maui or Honolulu, since ferry service ended about a decade ago, and reserving a rental car ahead is essential. Some highlights need a local host: Halawa Valley is open to the public only with a local guide. The National Park Service paused public tours of Kalaupapa, the historic settlement on the north shore, in July 2026 and has given no date for resuming them, so do not plan a trip around it until they return.