A chance to visit another Hawaiian Island is just a short boat trip away.
Always eager to check another spot off of our bucket list, we make arrangements to visit the to visit the island of Lana'i. Viewable from Maui, few have even heard of the island due to its small population and limited accommodations.
The island is mostly owned (97%) by Larry Ellison (Founder of Oracle). It's population is only about 3,000 individuals and land area is only about 140 square miles.
Lana'i is known as the pineapple island from its past as a Dole plantation. Even though pineapples are not grown there anymore, the land is littered with plastic from the days when crops covered the land.
Unfortunately during our visit, Hawaii was enduring one of its roughest storm periods in history. When we boarded the boat in Lahaina, the gentleman working the gate advised us to consider returning early due to "weather events." This was bummer to us because with the island only offering $1,000 nightly hotel rooms, we only chose a day trip.
We arrived at 7:30 at the Manele Harbor and were picked up by John Price of Lana'i Jeep Rental. He drove us in to town where we were renting a set of 4-wheelers to cruise the island.
After picking up our 4-wheelers, we cruised down to Kaunola Village. Despite the wind, it was nice having the old fishing village to ourselves, getting to explore tide pools.
Next, we visited the main event - the Lana'i Cat Sanctuary, which was largely the reason we chose to visit the island. Despite ridiculous winds, it was all that we could have hoped for an more. We spent about an hour playing with the cats, made our donation, and headed back to Lana'i city.
We were the only ones on the trails, so it was amazing to cruise around and take in the expanse of the island.
Once in Lana'i City, we grabbed our first meal of the day at Richard's Market and explored Dole Park. We made the executive decision to head back on the 2 PM boat, rather than the 4 PM or 6 PM and luckily that we did so because the two later ones were cancelled. We would have been stuck overnight with a substantial bill for lodging had we stayed any longer. The boat ride back was the most trecherous I've ever encountered and we were thrilled to be back on dry land in Lahaina. One thing to be sure to check out when you get back to Lahaina is the Lahaina Banyan Court. It'a an unbelievable park that is covered by a banyan tree.
It was a fun experience, but far too short and stressful for my liking. We'll definitely have to get back on a day where the weather is more tame.
Know Before You Go
You can arrive to the island by plane or boat (from Maui by boat)
The lodging on the island is extremely limited, so ensure that you have made accommodations in advance.
Due to the small population, food and amenities are limited.
Most of the island is unpaved, so getting around will require 4WD.
Resources
Location
The island is south of Molokai and to the west of Maui. The boat ride from Maui to Lana'i typically takes about 45 minutes. The dock is about 10 minutes from town.
Video
The video show a quick overview of our short time (less than 7 hours) in Lana'i.
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