Which Hawaiian islands are not open to visitors?

Niihau, also known as the Forbidden Isle, is a beautiful small island in Hawaii spread across 180 sq km. The island is off-limits to outsiders and only the Robinson family, their relatives, invited guests, government officials and US Navy personnel are allowed here.



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The state had asked that all non-essential West Maui travel be postponed until October 8, 2023 (see below for official state notice). Other areas of Maui (including Kahului, Wailuku, Kihei, Wailea, Makena, and Hana), and the other Hawaiian Islands, like Kaua?i, O?ahu, Lana?i, and Hawai?i Island, remain open.

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Access to the Reserve (the island and the 2 miles of ocean surrounding Kaho'olawe) is restricted because of the continued danger of unexploded ordnance. Access to the Reserve is permitted only with authorization of KIRC for specific purposes, such as restoration, education, and culture.

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Molokai. Molokai is the best island for solitude, meaning few tourists and small town Hawai?i life. Additionally, Molokai is all about making your own adventure, easy but scenic hiking, and most of all, relaxing! If you like a slow vacation, then Molokai may be for you!

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The best time to visit this Hawaiian island to avoid tourist crowds is April to June and September to November. Lanai and Molokai are the least visited islands and are the perfect rural getaways for introverts.

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No one is allowed to land on Niihau unless you are a resident of the island, a member of the Robinson family, or an invited guest. The Robinson family permits helicopter tours, but contact between the visitors and natives is not allowed. Fishermen and sailors may visit the island by sea, but are not able to land.

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A hint: It's not because you have to be rich and famous to visit the island. Quite the contrary, Niihau's owners are upholding a promise made to a former Hawaiian king to protect the island from the outside world and to maintain the island's beloved Hawaiian heritage.

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With the exception of Lahaina, West Maui accommodations have begun to reopen to visitors again. Your visit will support Hawai?i's businesses and workers that rely on tourism for their families' livelihood, especially when you are mindful in the following ways: Visit with aloha and compassion. Support local businesses.

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Some Lahaina residents will be allowed into their neighborhood on Monday to see what is left of their homes, for the first time since wildfires swept across parts of Maui on Aug. 8 and killed at least 97 people, making it one of the nation's deadliest disasters.

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Here's why. Fodor's Travel named Maui one of 10 destinations on its 2023 “No List” that tourists should reconsider visiting this year. The travel publication outlined 10 regions ranging from Antarctica to Italy that are threatened by environmental damage caused by overtourism and climate change.

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Some locals, many of them of Native Hawaiian descent, have gone so far as to argue that travelers should cross Hawaii off of their future itineraries for good. Tourism is seen as one of several factors that allowed the Maui fire to become so deadly.

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No one is allowed to visit Hawaii's Forbidden Isle—the 70-square-mile island, which on a clear day can be spied from Kauai's west coast—unless they are invited by Niihau owners the Robinson family, or by one of its 70 full-time Native Hawaiian residents.

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Moloka?i welcomes visitors with an open heart, and, as you'll see below, it does have many “tourist-friendly” areas to visit, plenty to keep you busy for several days, in fact, including one of the state's longest beaches and most-intriguing historical sites.

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Elizabeth Sinclair purchased Ni?ihau in 1864 for US$10,000 (equivalent to about $190,000 in 2022) from the Kingdom of Hawaii. The island's private ownership passed on to her descendants, the Robinsons.

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Among the Hawaiian Islands, Molokai is known as the Friendly Isle, and those who live there would consider it the best island to live on by far.

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