Kalaupapa Mule Ride to Leper Colony

When we told my family we wanted to visit a leper colony, they thought we were crazy, considering Meg tends to contract horrible diseases or injuries on our journeys. We had been pining over taking this tour since we saw it featured in a travel video years ago. We made a special trip to Molokai, Hawaii to see the place. We had read a lot of reviews about people being scared on the mule ride, but I do not think it was nearly as bad as what others stated. We booked online a few months in advance. It was not cheap, but once we took the tour, the cost made sense given all the people, animals, guides, and effort involved.  We flew to Molokai the day before and stayed at a nearby bnb so we could arrive on time. We met up at the office location early the next morning, signed some waivers, then drove to the trail meeting point. We waited almost an hour for the mules to arrive with the mule skinners. We were in a group of 5 guests and two mule skinners. They matched us with a mule, which really looked more like a horse with a short mane, gave us instructions on how to ride, and we took off down the trail with a mule skinner in the middle and the back.

You start at the top of the mountain and ride down the steep trail with around 26 switchbacks. You gotta hold on tight and lean back. The mules were pretty cooperative, but mine liked to eat and did not like to be passed and pushed past another mule on the trail to get back in her place, which thankfully was not on a very narrow part. There are parts of the trail where the mule turns when you feel like you are hanging over a cliff, but most the time it was fine. The trail was wider than I expected, maybe 5 feet across with rocks and stairs built into the mud.  The view was breathtaking. We spotted a mountain goat in the woods, the trees were sprawling, and it opened up to the amazing blue ocean and skies. At the bottom of the trail you ride along a pristine beach to the guide meet-up point. You leave the mule there to rest while a van takes you on a tour of the Kalaupapa leper colony. We heard all about Father Damien, Mother Marianne, and leprosy. There were once 2000 residents, but now only 7 of the former lepers remained. Apparently, after a cure was found, many of them moved to Vegas, because why not?  We stopped by the town bookstore manned by one of the residents. Our tour guide was very friendly and told us lots of tales and sang along with a Ukulele and regaled us with lovely singing to demonstrate the acoustics of the church. One of the songs contained a reference to deer hunting which appears to be a pastime on the island due to population issues.  The guide was an avid hunter and makes belts out of deer hides and sells them.  Chris was disappointed he didn't have any with him for sale.  The Hawaiians are a spiritual people, so if you are put off by any mention of spirituality, Hawaii may be an uncomfortable fit. The guide tried to give a thorough example of the history of Catholicism in the town. I am not spiritual myself, but I appreciated the context and information provided.

A sack lunch was provided for us with a sandwich, chips, granola bar, and water. We ate lunch in a park area overlooking the mountains and ocean with a nice breeze. Bathrooms were available.
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After lunch we returned to the van, checked out the churches and cemetery, and spotted pigs and deer along the trail. Our guide was very enthusiastic. After that we returned to our mules and rode back up, stopping several times to let them rest. It was certainly harder on the mules going up. I could feel Smokey's heart beating beneath me. She would give some neighing protests before going further up the trail. One mule lost her footing and fell to his knees and the rider fell onto the stone pathway, but luckily was uninjured. The mules were sweating by the time we finished. I felt a bit bad for them, but you can see by their size and mass they are clearly large working mules. They know the trail without you needing to direct them at all.
The skinners were great and quick to help along the trail. It was one person's birthday, and the skinners and their children stood in a group with their arms around one another and sang a personal birthday song to her. It was so cute and endearing. Made you feel like family. I hope the land disputes are settled and the tours continue, because it would otherwise be a real loss for Molokai and the public. It was a fantastically unique, and memorable experience. I would highly recommend the trip either by hiking or the mule ride. 

​We finished off our trip to Molokai by heading to the Post-a-nut Post office. We decorated some coconuts with Hawaiian themes and mailed them home to our family. After that we dropped off our rental Mustang Convertible and flew back to Oahu. Stay tuned to hear more adventures.

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