MOLOKAI, HI

Moloka'i is often called the most Hawaiian of all the islands. There are a few reasons it has this reputation. First of all, a higher percentage of full-blooded Hawaiians live here than on any other island except Ni'ihau. Second, the way of life on the island remains almost untouched by modernization or commercialization. Time marches on in Moloka'i, but it does it so slowly and gracefully as to be almost unnoticeable. The third reason has to do with the attitude of people on the island. Almost all of them display a genuine "Aloha Spirit" that is impossible to find in any other place in the world. People aren't just polite on this island; they're warm. Shopkeepers aren't professional; they're genuinely interested in being helpful. It's an amazing thing to behold, especially for mainland city dwellers, and it is the reason why Molokai's nickname is 'The Friendly Isle'.

Unlike O'ahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island, Moloka'i does very little advertising. It does not have any regular tourist publications, and only the largest businesses are registered with the Convention and Visitor's Bureau. It prefers to ... more