Hawaii – Lanai
The small island of Lanai is located in the lee of Molokai and Maui and has only a little more than 2000 inhabitants. To get to know Lanai, you have to experience opposites. Within a few minutes, you can get from a secluded beach through pine-forested highlands to the volcanic landscape of the island.
The third smallest of all the Hawaiian Islands is a true golfer’s paradise. The best resort hotels in Hawaii and two of the most beautiful golf courses in the world are located on the island of Lanai. Microsoft CEO Bill Gates is a regular guest at the Manele Bay Hotel and swings his golf clubs at The Challenge at Manele.
We have booked a flight from Oahu to the small island of Lanai and will spend the turn of the year here before we set off for the other islands of the Hawaiian archipelago. Already during the landing approach we see the bizarre beauty of this island, which only really opens up to you on a hike across the island.
The island of Lanai is also called the island of paradise. It is the smallest, but also the most exclusive of the developed islands of Hawaii. Until 1990, it was a pure pineapple island. In the meantime, two of the most exclusive hotels in all of Hawaii have been built. The Manele Bay Hotel is supposed to be our first accommodation. We arrive late in the evening and use the warm evening hours to eat on the terrace.
Lanai is only 29km long and 21km wide and has just under 50km of paved roads. The two luxury hotels have a total of only 350 rooms. The island has hardly any space for more visitors. If you want to discover paradise for a few days, this is the place for you. The island of Lanai is home to the largest pineapple plantation in the world. It belongs – like almost all of Lanai – to the Dole Pineapple Company. Lanai is a special “insider tip” with dreamlike, almost deserted beaches, hiking trails through a mountainous region rich in wildlife and a tiny, centrally located island capital at a cool 500 meters altitude. Lanai City is a sleepy place that hasn’t changed much in 100 years. The exclusive villas and suites of the Manele Bay Hotel are located on a dream beach. The view from the antique-laden lobby and pool is breathtaking.
The Experience at Koele, in the romantic forest and park landscape of the “Lodge at Koele”, was voted the best golf course in the USA. Pictures are available to see on our Lanai Golf Courses page. On the coast, white sandy beaches with rustling palm trees beckon.
Bumpy trails – only accessible with off-road vehicles – lead through the rugged but impressive hinterland. You can also take outback tours in Wrangler jeeps via the Munro Trail, a 12 km long trail through the mountains. Alternatively, the trail can of course also be hiked on foot. During the tour you have magnificent views over the small island and the sea. There is rarely a more beautiful beach than Polihua Beach on Lanai. Nowhere else is the sand so soft and the water so blue. Although the Garden of the Gods is only a few km away, few travelers get lost in the remote northwest of the island. Swimming is too dangerous at this point because of the strong current. A picnic is also one of the highlights of a stay at the lanai.
