The friendly isle of Moloka‘i long ago was known as the “lonely isle” because the power of its Kahuna priests was feared throughout the Hawaiian Islands and the mana (spirit) here was considered to be the strongest and greatest in all Hawai‘i.
Warring island kings gave Moloka‘i a wide berth, and persecuted natives often fled here for refuge. The nobility of Moloka‘i was as princely as any in Hawai‘i. Kamehameha the Great journeyed to Moloka‘i in 1790 to arrange for the hand of his queen, the high chiefess Keopuolani.
In 1795, Kamehameha conquered the island in his westward thrust toward O‘ahu and domination over all Hawai‘i. In the 1860s, the Hawaiian government established the isolated colony of Kalawao on the peninsula of Kalaupapa as the Hansen’s Disease (leprosy) treatment settlement. It was here that the devoted Father Damien de Veuster spent his final days.
Growth and development on the island have been pleasantly slow, with no high-rise buildings or fast-food chains and just a single traffic light on the whole island.
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O'ahu is the most visited of the Hawaiian Islands, home to the vibrant city of Waikiki Beach with its fantastic dining, shopping & nightlife, North Shore's banzai pipeline, snorkelling at Hanauma Bay, and an impressive arts and culture scene. Read more ...
