Christine Hitt
The remote Kalaupapa National Historical Park on the island of Molokai is reopening to visitors, with the first public tour date scheduled for Sept. 24.
Kalaupapa was closed in March 2020 during the pandemic and remained closed after restrictions were lifted in 2023, as the national park did not have any tour vendors -- until now.
"Visitor tours are resuming at Kalaupapa National Historical Park with the launch of the Kalaupapa Saints Tour, founded by patient Meli Watanuki," the park said on its website. "The tour is the only park-authorized commercial operator and offers a respectful, accurate and personal perspective on Kalaupapa's history."
Starting in the mid-1800s, Kalaupapa is where more than 8,000 people with Hansen's disease (also known as leprosy) were forcibly exiled. It wasn't until 1969 that quarantine was abolished. The National Park Service established Kalaupapa National Historical Park in 1980. A few cured patients remain at Kalaupapa today by their own choosing.
Prior to the pandemic, there were Kalaupapa tours operating, including a mule ride that took visitors from topside Molokai down the steep cliffs to the peninsula where Kalaupapa is located. The new tour does not use mules, and is a one-day tour by plane out of Honolulu at 8:35 a.m. on Mokulele Airlines and returns at 5:27 p.m.
The company chose Seawind Tours & Travel as the official tour company. On arrival to Kalaupapa, visitors are given a safety briefing and then a tour of Kalaupapa and Kalawao historic sites, followed by lunch and a stop at a bookstore before returning to the airport.
"I wanted to create something that not only shares the history but also honors the people who lived it. This is my home, my story and my gift to future generations," said Watanuki. She is inspired to "preserve the history of her home" through these tours and invites visitors to experience Kalaupapa "with respect and aloha," according to the tour description.
The tour price of $575 per person includes the roundtrip flight, guided tour and required visitor pass from the Hawaii State Department of Health.