Molokai is small in size, only 38 miles long and 10 miles wide, but it is big in the Hawaiian spirit. It offers simplicity, quiet beauty and pristine beaches to travelers in search of the “real” Hawaii.

Molokai has a west side, and east side, a backside and a topside. The west side is sun-scorched and arid. The 53,000 acres of Molokai Ranch where cowboys still ride is here, along with the unusual collection of exotic animals at the Molokai Ranch Zoo. There is also lodging at the Ranch’s ecotourism project of upscale “camping” in semi-permanent “tentalows”, a combination of a bungalow and a tent.

The east side is the tropical Molokai. Here you’ll find the best snorkeling at Murphy’s Beach Park, at the 20 mile marker. There are green valleys, ancient fishponds, and historic churches. The 14,000 acres of certified organic land that makes up the Pu’u O Hoku Ranch is on the eastern tip of the island.

The charming little town of Kaunakakai, where the ferries dock, is on the backside of Molokai. On the outskirts of town is the Hotel Molokai. The land gradually rises from sea level fishponds to cool uplands and the Molokai Forest.

Topside Molokai and the Kalaupapa Peninsula, where Father Damien devoted his life to the exiled lepers in the 1860’s, are on the north part of the island. The breathtaking sea cliffs are the highest in the world, and make the north shore inaccessible by anything other than an airplane or a boat tour to the base of the cliffs in the summer months.

The best of Molokai can only be seen on foot, bicycle, mule, horseback, kayak or boat. If you like to explore remote places, this is the Hawaiian island for you.