May 27 2009
The Little Island of Lanai
Now is a great time to visit Hawaii. With the downturn in the economy, prices for flights and especially hotels rooms are at a multi-year low. We just recently returned from a trip to the islands and Maui specifically where we discovered a new treasure to explore on our next trip. We discovered the island of Lanai, one of the best tropical islands we have ever been to.
You can see Lanai from the West side of Maui. But, we never investigated what was on the island or what there was to do there. We always just assumed it was similar to Kahoolawe (deserted) or Molokai (pretty much just locals) and so never dug any deeper. Well, on our recent trip we found out there was quite a bit to see on the island of Lanai and that there are a couple of really nice Lanai hotels.
So, for one day’s adventure we took the ferry to Lanai with the intention of spending the day there. We found out ahead of time that there was a shuttle that ran from the harbor where the ferry docks and between the two main hotels (both Four Seasons). So, that was our plan; take the ferry across from Lahaina and then shuttle between the two hotels and explore each as well as the main town of Lanai City and then take the late afternoon ferry back to Maui.
The ferry across to Lanai is only about a 30 minute ride, but it was a nice trip and we got to see a few humpback whales off in the distance. The ferry actually tries to avoid the whales, so don’t take it as a substitute for an actual whale watching trip. We also saw quite a few spinner dolphins as we pulled in to the harbor on Lanai.
The first hotel is the Four Seasons Manele Bay and it is right on a beautiful beach. This is a classic gorgeous beach resort, but smaller than many of the rest you see on the other islands. The Manele bay has a great pool and beautiful artwork throughout and supposedly one of the best beaches on the island (we didn’t bring snorkel gear).
Next we took the shuttle to the top of the island which is actually at almost 2000 feet of elevation. We got off at the Lanai Hotel stop (the only other hotel besides the two Four Seasons resorts). We toured the cute little town square, went into a few shops, and got a bite to eat for lunch then caught the shuttle up to the Lodge at Koele – the other Four Seasons hotel on Lanai.
This hotel was a complete surprise in that it is very unique, especially for Hawaii. The hotel is built to resemble an old hunting lodge in the woods. The structure is beautiful and the ground are extraordinary with huge grassy areas and tropical plants and flowers everywhere. We walked the path around the property to admire this very interesting place.
We decided not to dine at the Lodge at Koele (pricy), but instead head back down to the harbor for the ferry back to Maui. We thoroughly enjoyed our day on this interesting island and on our next trip we plan to stay at one of the Four Seasons hotels on Lanai for a few days at least.
