Being Belgians, this would be a special tour for us, being able to visit Father Damien's place. Everything was well organized. As preparation to this tour, I read, on recommendation of someone on the internet, the book Moloka'i by Alan Brennert. This is a very good preparation, well written and made the experience even more emotional. I really could feel how people lived here, what they were going through in those days. As regards to the tour: the pilots were friendly and professional. the pick-ups were punctual, waiting times in the airports were less longer than expected. Only the lunch provided was a bit on the lower side, this could have been organized a bit better. Local guide explained very well, interesting guy. Definitively worthwhile the trip and the money!
Review by: James E, February 2017
The experience of visiting Molokai was excellent. The tour itself leaves a lot to be desired, in my opinion. I think that most people expect, when they sign up for a tour that their tour will begin shortly after their arrival at the site and that they will be transported back to their departure point as soon as the tour is completed. This is far from that. The air flights are not dedicated to this tour, they are regularly scheduled commercial flights to and from the island Oahu in our case. _br/_ As a result: _br/_ 1 Long delays in beginning the tour after arrival at the airport._br/_ 2 Even longer delays after the tour as the next scheduled flight to Oahu is almost two hours later. In most places you could fill that time by hiking around and exploring but that is impossible at Kalaupapa due to the severe restrictions on where visitors can go unaccompanied. From the airport the light house is nearby and would have made an interesting hike, but posted signs limit a hike to about 20 yards up the road, then it is no trespassing. This means that for your entire waiting period you will be stuck in the very small airport building, no entertainment or food available and no internet availability, at least on our Android/Verizon combination._br/_ If we had to do it again we would definitely look for a tour company with aircraft dedicated to the tour group._br/_ In fairness, our bus tour guides were very knowledgeable and friendly and gave a tour that not many could. Our pilots were very professional and earned our respect for the amount of work involved in flying these small planes. Even the van drivers taking us to and from the hotel were very friendly and informative.
Review by: Kathy.kaknes, February 2017
I had a great time on this trip! Everything was exactly as described and the whole process was organized and easy. The flight was terrific I wish my window was a bit clearer, but I think that was the age of the plane, not cleanliness. The pilot was great, doiing everything including check-in and carrying bags! I loved the tiny Kalaupapa airport! We did have to do some waiting at the airport, both at the beginning and end of the tour, but this was explained in advance and I was entertained with information about Kalaupapa and exploring the immediate area on foot.
Review by: Margaret Hudson H, February 2017
Take lunch and water with you. They did not have enough lunches to go around. The tour guide was great. Tour planning was disjointed and inefficient use of time. Great historical experience
Review by: Lee S, January 2017
Total rip-off. We spent most of the day waiting for the flight, waiting for the guide and waiting for the flight back. The tour consisted of a short tour around the former leper colony, a church and that was it. There was no tour of Molokai, just Kalapupapa. The box lunch was also horrible.
Review by: Beth C, February 2016
My sister and I booked this day trip having read Moloka'i by Alan Brennert, and falling in love with the island of Molokai and its history. After a beautiful flight from Oahu be prepared for a tiny airplane, we arrived at the Kalaupapa Airport. While there is some downtime waiting for other tour members, we just enjoyed the idyllic setting of the island and the true peace and quiet that can only come from a place like Molokai. Our tour guide, Norman, was the most authentic human being I've ever met. The tour was a little slow off the start, and I was anxious to get to more of the history and story of the island, but that came eventually. If you haven't read the aforementioned book before booking this tour, do so. You will have a greater appreciation for all that you are seeing and experiencing. I re-read the book immediately afterward and fell in love with the history all over again and especially loved having true scenery to connect to what I'd read. A very special experience!
Review by: Anne K, October 2015
There's a lot of waiting time built into this tour: you wait to be picked up at the airport in Molokai, you are driven to wait for the people who hiked or rode a mule, you wait again at the tour operator's refreshment store...
Review by: Adrienne H, September 2015
The flight to and from Mololai was a great experience, providing the three of us with some great views of Honolulu and of Molokai. A bonus benefit was meeting at the Kalaupapa airfield an old friend of mine whom I had not seen for forty years, plus a couple of other folks from our home state of Michigan . We were joined on the bus tour by the hikers and the mule riders who made the trip up and down the trail instead of flying in and who joined us for the bus tour. The gentleman tour guide and driver of the 1992 school bus was very informative, insightful, and inspiring. All in all, I consider this day trip the highlight of my entire ten days in Hawaii.
Review by: Nancy Carol E, June 2015
Very well done. Could tighten up on time spent at airports waiting for other groups to join our tour.
Review by: Tara K, April 2015
They put us on the wrong trip. It got a 1 star only because our tour guide was good
Review by: Jeanette H, February 2015
I wanted a helicopter tour. When we were picked up we learned it was a fixed wing tour. Did not go. Would not recommend this company.
Review by: Rosanne M, April 2014
Very informative and interesting. So glad we went!
Review by: carol k, August 2013
Loved being there but way too much dead time, waiting was about half of the trip, 40 minutes after landing, then waiting for hikers, then waiting for mules riders, then waiting for the plane to fly another group to topside then fly us back _br/_
The tour was inspiring and informative, it would have been 5 star if timed more efficiently thanks
Review by: carol k, August 2013
Loved being there but way too much dead time, waiting was about half of the trip, 40 minutes after landing, then waiting for hikers, then waiting for mules riders, then waiting for the plane to fly another group to topside then fly us back _br/_
The tour was inspiring and informative, it would have been 5 star if timed more efficiently thanks
Review by: Kenneth R, July 2013
A great way to spend a day not far from Oahu. The historical aspects of the old leper colony and Father Damien was outstanding. The only complaint is the waiting time for the scheduled aircraft to take us back to Honolulu. There could be "filler" activity to allow tourists to enjoy Kalaupapa's beauty. As an example a donkey ride up the trail to a vantage point that overlooks the National Park.
Review by: Doris S, June 2013
The tour was very interesting and informative. The plane trip to Molokai was picturesque. The beauty and serenity of the island was more than I could have imagined. The picnic lunch was fantastic.
Review by: Hugh C, April 2013
The trip was not exactly what I expected. We spent half the day just waiting - we were the first to arrive in Molokai and then had to wait for the plane to go pick up others on the Island then we waited some more for those who rode the mules down the mountain. When our tour actually began we were loaded into an OLD school bus which broke down and so we waited again while a couple of people tried to fix it before someone came along and gave our driver a ride to go get another OLD school bus. The tour of the Leper Colony and Molokai was probably only about 90 min as much of it has burnt down. Then we were dropped back off at the airport where we waited again for the pilot to take others back to their location and then return for us. Out of an 10 hour day, we received a 90 min tour.
Review by: Vicki B, March 2013
The tour of Kalaupapa was wonderful and we would recommend it. However, we were dropped at the airport in Kalaupapa at 9am and we were not briefed about what to expect. Our group was alone at the airport until the tour guide showed up at 10am. Apparently that is the usual pick-up time because the tour waits for hikers from top-side Molokai. Some information about that would have been helpful.
Review by: Jere S, February 2013
A very interesting and enjoyable trip, start to finish. You will learn a lot about the history of Molokai on this venture! Scenery is beautiful as well.
Review by: Patricia Mary N, January 2013
There was too much "downtime," When we arrived at the little Molokai airport at not quite 9:00 a.m., we were told the tour would not begin until 10:00. By 10:30, we were still waiting, and got picked up sometime after that. The nearest we could figure out is that the mule driver (who was also our tour guide) had to bring the mule riders down first (they were already on the school bus when we were picked up and participated in our tour). The tour itself was very nice, but when we were brought back to the airfield, we had to wait another two hours for our return flight to Oahu. Mind you, we were in the middle of nowhere so its not like we could browse through town. The trip was supposed to have been 6 hours, but we were gone for 9 hours. Unexceptable and not up to Viator standards! We have been all over Europe with Viator trips and have NEVER experienced this.
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