A closer look
Escaping to a Hawaiian island usually involves leis, but reaching Kalaupapa historically meant you were never coming back. Isolated by the tallest sea cliffs in the world, this secluded peninsula served as a forced quarantine for victims of Hansen's disease starting in 1866. Today, heritage travel demands a terrifying descent via mule down a 2,000-foot cliffside trail, offering visitors a sobering, profoundly isolated glimpse into a tragic chapter of medical history that most paradise-seekers eagerly ignore.
