Often described as Hawaii’s “least touristy” island, Molokai hosted around 30,000 visitors in 2024, a minuscule percentage of the millions of tourists who came to our state.
Home to about 7,400 residents, much of the island’s land remains dedicated to agriculture, cultural preservation, and rural areas.
The island has no big-box resorts, not much nightlife, no permanent traffic lights, and limited visitor infrastructure. The tight-knit community has historically resisted large-scale tourism to protect its slower pace of life.
Until 2016, travelers could reach Molokai by ferry from my hometown of Lahaina, but the service was discontinued due to competition from commuter air travel and declining ridership, Maui News reported.
Today, small commuter planes are the only way to access the island.
I paid $190 for my round-trip ticket from Maui, and the turbulent 20-minute flight quickly made it clear to me why this trip isn’t for everyone.