Lanai - The Private Island

Since Lanai was a privately owned pineapple plantation for nearly 100 years, it escaped the over-building of tourism and retains much of the original native charm that made it the chosen summer home of King Kamehameha. With only 3000 inhabitants, wild axis deer outnumber humans in this tropical island getaway. Its privacy and charm combined to entice Bill Gates to choose it for his wedding and honeymoon, but it is also rated rated among the top ten diving locations in the world. Although it is small and sparsely populated, it offers much to visitors, including two incredible world-class resorts. Some of the not-to-be-missed excursions on Lanai are Shipwreck Beach for treasure-hunting with a backdrop of a reefed ship, the ancient fishing village of Kaunolu Bay where you can look for petroglyphs, and the best snorkeling spot in the Hawaiian chain, Hulopoe Bay.

Kaunolu Bay: An ancient Hawaiian fishing village on this bay was thought to be first inhabited in the 15th Century and was once the vacation site of King Kamehameha. After he conquered Lanai in the early 1800's, he chose the site as a favorite fishing spot. He rebuilt the Halulu Heiau and had a residence nearby.

An interpretive hike built by the Bishop Museum gives educational information about the sites and the numerous ruins located here. Kaunolu Village is on the register as a National Historical Landmark. There are stone foundations of more than 100 Hawaiian homes, storerooms, garden walls, and burial sites located here. People lived in this village until the late 1800's. It is thought to be the religious center of Lanai. 

Shipwreck Beach: Kaiolohia Beach, known as "Shipwreck" Beach, is the best place for beachcombers looking for "treasures" from beach glass to drift wood to glass floats. The strong currents and coral reefs have caused many shipwrecks, although the World War II Liberty Ship, visible from the beach, was purposely sunk on the reef over 50 years ago. The ruins of an old lighthouse mark the trail to the shipwreck and petroglyphs can be found on large lava rocks nearby.

Hulopoe Bay: Hulopoe Bay, a protected marine preserve, is Lanai's best spot to see spinner dolphins and humpback whales. It is known as one of the top-ten diving destinations in the world. Lava tidepools along the bay's south shore are fun for the whole family to explore. Next to Hulapoe, is Manele Bay where the endangered Hawaiian turtle and monk seal are sometimes spotted on the shoreline.

Garden of the Gods: This eerie red landscape of rocks and boulders strewn across the landscape like some cosmic sculpture garden is located at the northern end of Lanai. It includes a self-guided nature trail leading through the Kanepuu Preserve, a unique dryland forest that is home to 48 native species, including the endangered Hawaiian gardenia.

Luahiwa Petroglyphs: A rural trail off Hwy 440 about a mile outside of Lanai city leads to one of Hawaii's largest and best-preserved collections of petroglyphs clustered in the foothills of the Palawai caldera. The challenge of reaching them is rewarded with hundreds of glyphs depicting figures representing men and women, family units, pets, goats, canoes, and even a possible surfer.

Fishing: 1000-foot lava cliffs form a spectacular backdrop for fishing in the channel between Maui and Lana'i. Charter boats from Manele Bay take fishermen out for ahi (Tuna), ono (Wahoo), mahimahi (Dorado), or 800 pound marlin.

Golfing: The Experience at Koele, an 18-hole championship course designed by legends Greg Norman and Ted Robinson, graces every hole with awe-inspiring vistas, from mountain ravines to Pacific expanses to the neighboring islands of Maui and Molokai across the channel. This dramatic course is a one-of-a-kind experience. Along the southern coast, Jack Nicklaus created one of his most famous masterpieces, The Challenge at Manele golf course. Set on the cliffs above Hulopoe Bay, this target-style course roams across several hundred acres of natural lava outcroppings, using plunging ravines, native kiawe and other trees as natural hazards. Both courses consistently rank among the best in the world by leading publications and travel guides. There is also the Lodge at Koele's 18-hole Executive Putting Course, a miniature version of the world-class Experience at Koele golf course, which also offers croquet and lawn bowling under a canopy of banyan trees.