LANAI

Lana‘i is perhaps the least known, and least visited, of all the Hawaiian Islands. Even the ancient Polynesian settlers of the Hawaiian Islands did not settle Lana‘i until 500 years after they had settled the other islands. Why the Polynesians ignored Lana‘i is unknown. In modern times, Lanai’s economy was not oriented around the tourist, but around pineapple. With the 1990’s suspension of pineapple cultivation, Lana‘i has now become a world-class visitor destination.

In 1898, a Harvard graduate named James Drummond Dole got off a boat in Honolulu and saw his future. In 1901, he planted his first pineapple fields on 12 acres of land in Wahiawa. During the two-year wait for the pineapples to ripen, Dole built his own pineapple cannery. After the first harvest was canned and shipped out, Dole’s business took off.

In 1922, Dole paid over a million dollars (a staggering sum of money in that era) for the entire island of Lana‘i, using some of the profit he had made from his Oahu plantation. At the time, it was the largest real estate transaction in Hawaii’s history. He bragged to friends later that the island was worth at least $20 million.

Dole converted Lana‘i, and its 139-square miles of land, into a huge pineapple plantation. He had a harbor built to allow export of the pineapples, and created Lana‘i City for his workers. Even today, it still looks much like it did when it was first built; a small gridlock of homes surrounded by huge Norfolk pines.

Dole purchased Lana‘i because its weather was perfect for growing pineapples. Lying in the lee of the West Maui mountain range, it received a low amount of rainfall which was perfect for pineapples to flourish.

Until recently, the only hotel on the entire island was located within Lana‘i City. The Picturesque Hotel Lana‘i has all of 12 rooms, none of which are equipped with televisions. This can truly be called “getting away from it all.”

Lana‘i also boasts two 5-star resorts, which attract business moguls and celebrities. The 102-room Lodge at Koele under the towering Cook Pines of upcountry Lana‘i City, and the 249-room Manela Bay Hotel nestled in the sparkling bay and pristine beach of Hulopoe.
The island’s only airport is serviced daily by Hawaiian Airlines and Aloha IslandAir. By sea, visitors can easily travel from West Maui across the channel to Lana‘i via the Expeditions passenger ferry.

If you’re coming to Lana‘i by sea, your arrival to the island will be Manele Bay, a small boat harbor on Lana‘i’s south coast. Once you’ve docked there, it’s just a short journey before you reach nearby Hulopoe Beach. This beach has been designated by the government as a Marine Life Conservation District, which is why the snorkeling here can easily be named among the best in all of Hawaii.

There are only three paved roads on the entire island of Lana‘i. The rest of the roads are reddish, dusty tracks made flat by the constant passage of huge pineapple trucks. For this reason, a four-wheel drive vehicle may be necessary if you want to reach many of the historical sites on Lana‘i. Rental cars are available in Lanai City. Regular shuttle services are offered to registered guests between the island’s hotels, golf courses, and the Lana‘i Airport.

The highest point on the island, at 3,370 feet, is Lana‘ihale. On a clear day, you can see the islands of Maui, Molokai, Hawaii and O‘ahu from the summit. There is no way to drive up to this lookout; the only way is to hike up the pine-lined Munro Trail, a challenging path that winds in and out of valleys and thick growth. The fantastic reward of Lana‘ihale’s view makes it worth the effort.

While hiking up the trail, you may catch a fleeting glimpse of one of the many animals that inhabit the island. These animals have been brought to the island and left to breed, to provide sport for hunters. You may see goats, turkeys, or even deer trotting through the thick underbrush.

Lana‘i has several sites where wonderfully preserved petroglyphs can be seen. Luahiwa and Kaunolu Village are two such locations. Finding them is about as difficult as it is to find the other locations on the island. A good map and a good guidebook are necessary equipment, along with a good deal of patience.

On the north end of Lana‘i, seven miles outside of Lana‘i City, is the Garden of the Gods. Here, you’ll find bizarre lava formations that almost seem to have been created by man. At sunrise and sunset, the rays of the sun shine directly onto the formations, creating a dazzling, almost otherworldly lightshow that would truly be worthy of the gods’ attention.

Shipwreck Beach, which runs along Lana‘i’s northern coast, is a solemn testament to the powers of nature. During World War II, many warships ran aground on the jagged reef, driven onto it by the powerful winds that blow through the Pailolo Channel that separates Lana‘i and Maui. One of these unlucky ships still rests, almost entirely intact, on the reef offshore, and can often be seen from airplanes flying overhead. On the coast and along the beach are the remains of many more ships.

With its growing tourist accommodations and its unique history, Lana‘i is definitely not an island to ignore — now or in the future.