Molokai Sunset on Papohaku Beach

While I’m not even going to attempt to be as beautifully poetic as Beth was in her eloquent post about the break of dawn on Kaua’i, I did want to share with you my experience watching the sunset on a deserted beach on the west end of Molokai, during my stay on the island, courtesy of the Hawaii Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Hawaii’s sixth-largest isle, Molokai is known as the “Friendly Isle,” and indeed its residents are incredibly welcoming — people think nothing of hugging you hello and good-bye, even if you’d just met! But it’s also wonderfully pristine, with very limited development. Zero traffic lights!

Molokai is an ideal vacation destination for folks who want to get back to nature to discover what the rest of Hawaii was like before high-rise resorts and sprawling strip malls. Just 38 miles long and 10 miles wide, with no more than 8,000 residents, it’s easy to get to know Molokai intimately, even over the course of a short stay. (Though I did meet one East Coast couple who was on the island for 11 days in an effort to ‘drop out’ and disconnect for a while — from technology I presume, not each other…)

I read about Papohaku Beach in my trusty Frommer’s guidebook, which said it’s not atypical to find the wide, sandy bay virtually empty. No people, just footprints, the guide said.

Indeed, when i made the early evening, 20-mile drive to the westerly beach from the main town of Kaunakakai on the southeast end, I found only a handful of tent campers in the grassy stretch between the parking lot and the beach. I saw no families there cleaning up their towels and sand toys after a day at the beach, nor any couples sharing a bottle of wine while watching the sun sink into the ocean. No one. Nada. Zilch.

It was totally surreal to be walking such a large beach alone. Perhaps spooky is a better word. Just me in my own head, wishing I had my husband or someone else to share my experience with. The views were stunning: sand dunes and drifts as far down the bay as the eye could see–in both directions–totaling a three-mile stretch of beach. What a playground!

But seeing the pretty sunset — alone — just strengthened my resolve to bring my entire family back to Molokai — not only to take in the wonderful natural scenery and take part in fun excursions and outdoor adventures like snorkeling and kayaking, but to get to know “old Hawaii” and contrast it with some of the more populated resort areas we’ve visited.

For now, my photographs will have to suffice, but I do look forward to sharing this magical island — and its gorgeous sunsets — with my family some day!