Getting There
Air
Molokai is just a short 20-minute flight from Oahu.
Molokai Airport (MKK)
+1 808 567 6361
http://www.hawaii.gov/dot/airports/molokai/mkkMolokai Airport is located on the central plateau of the island and offers commuter/air taxi and general aviation activities from the following airlines:
Aloha Island Air (+1 800 652 6541/ http://www.alohaairlines.com)
Hawaiian Airlines (+1 800 882 8811/ http://www.hawaiianair.com)
Molokai Air Shuttle (+1 808 567 6847)
Pacific Wings (+1 888 575 4546/ http://www.pacificwings.com)
Paragon Air (+1 800 428 1231/ http://www.paragon-air.com)
From the Airport
With the relative lack of automobile traffic and mass-transit infrastructure, the best ways to get from the airport to locations around the island are by taxi or rental car.
Taxi:
Molokai Off Road Tours and Taxi (+1 808 553 3369) offers taxi service to and from the airport.
Rental Car:
Budget (+1 800 527 0700/ http://www.budget.com)
Dollar (+1 800 342 7398/ http://www.dollar.com)
Island Kine Auto Rental & Sales (+1 866 527 7368)
Molokai Rent A Car & Sales (+1 866 239 3929)
Getting Around
There is very little traffic on this island, as evidenced by the lack of street lights. Most places on the island can be reached by car, except for some isolated spots which can only be reached by mule, boat, or airplane.
Rental car/jeep/moped:
Budget (+1 800 527 0700/ http://www.budget.com)
Dollar (+1 800 342 7398/ http://www.dollar.com)
Island Kine Auto Rental (+1 866 527 7368/ http://molokai-car-rental.com)
Molokai Outdoors (+1 808 553 4477/ http://www.molokai-outdoors.com)
Molokai Rentals & Tours (http://www.molokai-rentals.com)
If traveling overseas, take the safety precaution of registering your trip at https://travelregistration.state.gov and for helpful, practical advice about traveling technicalities and safety standards check out http://travel.state.gov/
Planning a Trip
Arriving
By Plane -- Molokai has two airports, but you'll most likely fly into Hoolehua Airport, which everyone calls "the Molokai Airport." It's on a dusty plain about 6 miles from Kaunakakai town. Twin-engine planes offer daily service. Commuter airlines Pacific Wings started operating a discount airline, PW Express (tel. 888/866-5022 or 808/873-0877; www.pacificwings.com/pwexpress), with eight daily nonstop flights between Molokai and Honolulu, and three daily flights between Kahului, Maui, and Molokai. Another inexpensive air carrier, is Mokulele Airlines (tel. 868/260-7070; www.mokuleleairlines.com). Another interisland carrier is Island Air (tel. 800/323-3345 from the mainland, or 800/652-6541 interisland; www.islandair.com), with eight to ten direct flights a day from Honolulu. I must tell you that I have gotten less than sterling service from Island Air; their reservations system (or customer service, depending on who is blaming whom) has left me stranded midroute, not once, but twice!
By Boat -- You can travel across the seas by ferry from Maui's Lahaina Harbor to Molokai's Kaunakakai Wharf on the Molokai Princess (tel. 800/275-6969 or 808/667-6165; www.mauiprincess.com). The 100-foot yacht, certified for 149 passengers, is fitted with the latest generation of gyroscopic stabilizers, making the ride smoother. The ferry makes the 1 3/4-hour journey from Lahaina to Kaunakakai daily; as we went to press a one-way ticket cost is $42 plus a fuel surcharge of $26 for a total of $68 adults (half prices for kids ages 3 to 12, under 3 years are free). Be sure to check what the current fuel charge is before you go. Or you can choose to tour the island from two different package options: Cruise-Drive, which includes round-trip passage and a rental car; or the Alii Tour, which is a guided tour in an air-conditioned van plus lunch.
Visitor Information
Contact the Molokai Visitors Association, P.O. Box 960, Kaunakakai, HI 96748 (tel. 800/800-6367 from the U.S. mainland and Canada, 800/553-0404 interisland, or 808/553-3876; www.molokai-hawaii.com), or stop by their office in The Moore Center, 2 Kamoi St., Ste. 200, Kaunakakai. The staff can give you all the information you need on what to see and do while you're on Molokai.
Fast Facts
Molokai and Lanai are both part of Maui County. For local emergencies, call tel. 911. For nonemergencies, call the police at tel. 808/553-5355, the fire department at tel. 808/553-5601, or Molokai General Hospital, in Kaunakakai, at tel. 808/553-5331.
Downtown Kaunakakai has a post office (tel. 808/553-5845) and several banks, including the Bank of Hawaii (tel. 808/553-3273), which has a 24-hour ATM.
Getting Around
Getting around Molokai isn't easy if you don't have a rental car, and rental cars are often hard to find here. On holiday weekends, car-rental agencies simply run out of cars. Book before you go. There's no municipal transit or shuttle service, but a 24-hour taxi service is available .
Car-Rental Agencies -- Rental cars are available from Alamo (tel. 877/222-9075; www.alamo.com), located at the Molokai Airport.
Taxi & Tour Services -- Molokai Off-Road Tours & Taxi (tel. 808/553-3369; www.molokai.com/offroad) offers regular taxi service and an airport shuttle ($29 for one to three people one-way to Kaunakakai).
Planning a Trip
Arriving
By Plane -- Molokai has two airports, but you'll most likely fly into Hoolehua Airport, which everyone calls "the Molokai Airport." It's on a dusty plain about 6 miles from Kaunakakai town. Twin-engine planes offer daily service. Commuter airlines Pacific Wings started operating a discount airline, PW Express (tel. 888/866-5022 or 808/873-0877; www.pacificwings.com/pwexpress), with eight daily nonstop flights between Molokai and Honolulu, and three daily flights between Kahului, Maui, and Molokai. Another inexpensive air carrier, is Mokulele Airlines (tel. 868/260-7070; www.mokuleleairlines.com). Another interisland carrier is Island Air (tel. 800/323-3345 from the mainland, or 800/652-6541 interisland; www.islandair.com), with eight to ten direct flights a day from Honolulu. I must tell you that I have gotten less than sterling service from Island Air; their reservations system (or customer service, depending on who is blaming whom) has left me stranded midroute, not once, but twice!
By Boat -- You can travel across the seas by ferry from Maui's Lahaina Harbor to Molokai's Kaunakakai Wharf on the Molokai Princess (tel. 800/275-6969 or 808/667-6165; www.mauiprincess.com). The 100-foot yacht, certified for 149 passengers, is fitted with the latest generation of gyroscopic stabilizers, making the ride smoother. The ferry makes the 1 3/4-hour journey from Lahaina to Kaunakakai daily; as we went to press a one-way ticket cost is $42 plus a fuel surcharge of $26 for a total of $68 adults (half prices for kids ages 3 to 12, under 3 years are free). Be sure to check what the current fuel charge is before you go. Or you can choose to tour the island from two different package options: Cruise-Drive, which includes round-trip passage and a rental car; or the Alii Tour, which is a guided tour in an air-conditioned van plus lunch.
Visitor Information
Contact the Molokai Visitors Association, P.O. Box 960, Kaunakakai, HI 96748 (tel. 800/800-6367 from the U.S. mainland and Canada, 800/553-0404 interisland, or 808/553-3876; www.molokai-hawaii.com), or stop by their office in The Moore Center, 2 Kamoi St., Ste. 200, Kaunakakai. The staff can give you all the information you need on what to see and do while you're on Molokai.
Fast Facts
Molokai and Lanai are both part of Maui County. For local emergencies, call tel. 911. For nonemergencies, call the police at tel. 808/553-5355, the fire department at tel. 808/553-5601, or Molokai General Hospital, in Kaunakakai, at tel. 808/553-5331.
Downtown Kaunakakai has a post office (tel. 808/553-5845) and several banks, including the Bank of Hawaii (tel. 808/553-3273), which has a 24-hour ATM.
Getting Around
Getting around Molokai isn't easy if you don't have a rental car, and rental cars are often hard to find here. On holiday weekends, car-rental agencies simply run out of cars. Book before you go. There's no municipal transit or shuttle service, but a 24-hour taxi service is available .
Car-Rental Agencies -- Rental cars are available from Alamo (tel. 877/222-9075; www.alamo.com), located at the Molokai Airport.
Taxi & Tour Services -- Molokai Off-Road Tours & Taxi (tel. 808/553-3369; www.molokai.com/offroad) offers regular taxi service and an airport shuttle ($29 for one to three people one-way to Kaunakakai).
