Visitor tours are resuming for the first time since 2020 at the remote Kalaupapa National Historical Park on the Hawaiian island of Molokaʻi.
The site is perhaps one of the most isolated and least-known in the National Park Service. As Traveler correspondent Jennifer Bain wrote in June:
"Kalaupapa protects and preserves the history and stories of the people with Hansen's disease (formerly known as leprosy) who were banished to this remote peninsula on Molokaʻi in the Hawaiian Islands from 1866 to 1969, and who were guaranteed a home until they die even once they were freed to live anywhere.
Of the 8,000 people who have called this world-famous isolation colony home, seven remain who range from their mid-80s to 101. Another 60-odd government and ecclesiastical workers care for them and everything that’s here."
The tours were halted in 2020 to protect the remaining patients from coronavirus pandemic. The Park Service announced Tuesday that tours are resuming with the launch of Kalaupapa Saints Tour, founded by patient Meli Watanuki.
“I wanted to create something that not only shares the history, but also honors the people who lived it,” Watanuki, who has long worked to preserve her community’s legacy, said in an announcement posted to social media. “This is my home, my story, and my gift to future generations.”
The company is the only park-authorized commercial operator and offers "a respectful, accurate, and personal perspective on Kalaupapa’s history," according to the announcement.
The new tours will take visitors to key historic sites and focus on the stories of resilience and enduring legacies of Saint Damien de Veuster, Saint Marianne Cope, and others who devoted their lives to helping the patients.
Travel to Kalaupapa is limited to small planes and all visitors must be at least 16 years old and have a Hawaii State Department of Health visitor permit. Visit the park's website for more information.
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