Although Molokai is only a 20-minute flight from Oahu, you’ll feel like you’ve taken a journey back in time to Old Hawaii when you visit. Although some of the friendliest people in the land of aloha live here—it’s called the Friendly Isle—Molokaians have not actively embraced tourism. Instead, they have preferred to keep things as they’ve always been—peaceful and quiet. The 80,000 or so visitors who explore Molokai each year don’t come for mega-resorts, designer boutiques, gourmet restaurants run by celebrity chefs, or the like. There aren’t any. Rather, they come for the laid-back setting, nearly deserted beaches, and the island’s unspoiled beauty. Its largest city, Kaunakakai, is charming, but has only a few restaurants and shops in a block-long downtown.

Molokai, which covers about 260 square miles, rose from the Pacific about 2 million years ago with the eruption of three volcanoes—one to the west, one to the east, and a much smaller one to the north. Locals say that the 38-mile-long island is shaped like a shark, with its "dorsal fin" created by the smaller volcano. Many people know the island best for that tip of land, called the Kalaupapa Peninsula, which sits below some of the world’s tallest sea cliffs. It’s here that Hawaii banished its lepers in the 1800s, and where Father Damien ministered to them until his death in 1889. This area with such a sad past remains one of the island’s most popular attractions, although reaching it involves either taking an adventurous mule ride down a steep trail or paying for a pricey air tour.

Molokai’s best beaches are to the west, where the climate is more arid and the landscape less stunning. This side of the island is also home to the 60,000-acre Molokai Ranch, a good place to go horseback riding, hiking, or biking on one of the many trails.

For more of a tropical environ, visitors head the opposite direction, to what locals call the East End, Molokai’s rainier side. The sights include green valleys, historical churches, ancient fishponds, and more.

The waters off Molokai beckon many as well. As on every other Hawaiian island, there are many companies that offer an array of water adventures, including kayaking, sailing, sportfishing, scuba diving, and snorkeling tours.

No matter where you go or what you do on Molokai, you won’t see many other people, but those you do meet will likely be smiling and welcoming. The locals pride themselves on their aloha spirit, and with good reason: they’re downright friendly folks.