Pu'u O Hoku Ranch - Kaunakakai, Hawaii

Sarah F.

Pu'uohoku Ranch is a magical resort on the eastern end of the island of Moloka'i. To be clear, this is not your usual Hawaiian resort catering to tourists or golfers. ||Moloka'i is very rural and locally oriented. Pu'uohoku Ranch is a remote, family-owned, biodynamic farm with guest lodgings and activities for people who are looking for a relaxed, nature based getaway - with fabulously appointed accommodations and services. The rooms are beautiful, and there is a lovely big pool for swimming.||Activities include horseback riding, visiting the bee hives, the farm and gardens, yoga, hiking, and even hunting the feral, invasive, Axis Deer. We weren't into hunting, but we were happy to partake of the fresh venison offered when the kitchen was preparing our meals. All the food is amazing - mostly local and expertly prepared.||You will need a car (easy to rent from Turo or one of the normal agencies), so you can explore this incredible setting. Halawa Valley - with its wild surfing and a hike thru this ancient sacred land to a waterfall - is a short drive down a very adventurous (but paved!) road. In the other direction, back towards the town of Kaunakakai, you'll find a series of small beaches and spots to surf. Our favorite is Kumimi Beach for swimming in the remnants of one of the ancient fish ponds that line this side of the island.||Maui rises from the sea a few miles away, providing an amazing backdrop with its ever-changing weather and the lights of civilization twinkling at night.||If you are looking for true "island life", where life moves at the pace of the tides coming in and going out, and the fruit ripening on the trees, and where you might have to wait a moment on the narrow "no passing" road for two locals in their trucks to stop and greet each other, and if you appreciate the welcome spirit of real Aloha, and a sense of the ancient spirits of this magical land in the middle of the ocean and beneath the starry night sky, along with very comfortable lodgings, then I can highly recommend Pu'uohoku Ranch.

Sarah F.

Stunning views of Maui across the channel and whales breaching, great accommodations, amazing friendly staff ... this is a family run, working ranch with heartfelt hospitality, so your stay will not be boring. (It will also not involve any golf or fancy resort type things or fakey cultural events).

That said, we did yoga on the outdoor deck, had Lomi lomi massages, enjoyed the beautiful pool, and either relished amazing meals cooked for us with local ingredients (including venison, prawns, fish, and veggies I had never seen before!) or had access to the ranch kitchen when we cooked for ourselves.

This is rustic, rural Hawai'i, with hidden beaches, amazing hikes, horseback riding, and locals stopping to have a quick chat as they pass each other on the one lane road. Here, it is easy to feel the spirits of this land, and see the ancient stone remnants of their bygone communities in adjacent Halawa Valley. In the present day, this is a place that has protected the true meaning of the timeless spirit of aloha.

We don't have children, but our friend's kids had a blast. There were many activities geared towards them and a delightful lack of screens! (Although there is excellent internet and we were able to work remotely.)

Special note: There is a 6 month rental on the property called the Sugar Mill Cottage which we absolutely adored. Over looking the road and Kumimi Beach, it is west of the Ranch resort, closer to town. It is set up for longer stays and has everything you need for a blissful retreat. Highly reccomend!!

chelsea M.

We booked out the entire lodge and Lehua cottage, which included breakfast, lunch and dinner for the entire 3 days and 2 nights. The facilities itself is in great condition and the vast blue sky and miles of greenery allowed for a relaxing experience even though we were there for business. The Lodge includes 12 rooms, 6 of those rooms sleep up to 2 and 3 of the remaining rooms can sleep up to 4. Each bedroom in the Lodge comes with its own bathroom and they stock up on toiletries for you so you really need to just show up.||The Lehua cottage could sleep up to 4 with 2 separate rooms located in one cottage, however, the cottage is not your small traditional cottage one imagines when one hears that word, the master room is huge! Although there is no AC in the main gathering room, it was not needed, at all. During the month of September, the air was nice and cool, even during the day time.||Our booking included breakfast, lunch and dinner for our entire stay and the chef that Pu'u O Hoku Ranch booked for this event did not disappoint! He used local and fresh ingredients, including fish that they caught that morning! Chef John Villiarimo and his team were very accommodating to our no-MSG requests for some of our guests and managed to provide a variety of dishes that looked and tasted amazing! ||The Lodge provided all the amenities we needed, including an amazing pool, which is much appreciated as beach access is a few miles away. The team was flexible in catering to the groups needs and hosted a sunrise walk one morning and a short hike to their garden. Rudi and Zena catered to our teams facilities request, if there was anything that was needed, they made sure we had it, including speakers for music, projector for presentations and rearranging the room to allow the team to meet both indoors and outdoors. ||If you're looking for a place to host a retreat or even a small family reunion and want to head to the island of Molokai, Pu'u O Hoku Ranch will NOT disappoint! The staff is friendly, facilities are clean and well-kept, food is amazing and the views and scenery are unlike anywhere else in Hawaii.||They also have a small shop down the road that sells locally produced goods including the ranch's very own honey!

sskroll

Quite an interesting ride through this area. Such a beautiful spot on the island but not for the faint of heart in getting there as it is quite a ride. Friendly and knowledgeable people. There is a ranch store that is worth visiting with plenty of parking.

Adriana S.

Rating store & location only since I was not a guest at the ranch. Just passing by and came across this beautiful, peaceful spot. The staff was incredibly kind. The store has a variety of unique items and came back a second time! Definitely worth stopping in!

Kelea B.

I had the most amazing stay at the Pu'u OHoku Ranch! The accommodations were beautiful and the ranch itself is stunning. Our host and hostess were so accommodating and informative about the land! I learned so much about the ranch and the island of Molokai. It was a great weekend getaway with friends! I will be coming back soon

JULIANA A.

Arguably one of the best and most beautiful places I’ve ever stayed. Feeling so refreshed and rejuvenated after my experience. The lodges were renovated and cozy while the staff looked after us and our needs. The general store had all the best products and gifts you want to bring home for family and friends. Will definitely be back again soon!

Ellie H.

Our family of four stayed on the ranch for an extended stay. We couldn't have been happier. The ranch was a spectacular place to explore, from mountains to the ocean. We rode horses and hiked and swam in the ocean and explored the quiet East end of Molokai. We can not wait to return. Everyone on the ranch was especially helpful and made our stay comfortable and enjoyable. The ranch is one of the most beautiful places we have ever been and once you are there you won't want to leave. Dr. Dave and Lisa Hunt