Even today when asked what they know about Lanai, many visitors still mention pineapple. Others are aware of the two world-class resorts that have opened on the island since 1992. Others know that Lanai features two of Hawaii's finest golf courses. In fact, a large number of the folks who travel to Lanai each day on the Expeditions Ferry go for a single day of golf.
Interestingly, while many still associate Lanai with the pineapple industry, pineapple was actually only grown on Lanai for about 80 years of the 20th century.
While the pineapple industry was responsible for a sizeable influx of foreign workers, primarily from the Philippines, it was unable to sustain itself as a profitable enterprise and the sons and daughters of many of the immigrant workers left the island for better opportunities elsewhere. It was a failed experiment. Today no commercial pineapple operation exists on Lanai.
Realizing the need to change or, quite frankly, fade away, the Lanai Company, under the leadership of David Murdock, made a decision to go in an entirely different direction by building two world-class resorts to attract visitor traffic to the island. The original Lanai development plan also called for implementation of a diversified agriculture to replace the pineapple industry, but that aspect of the plan has been widely abandoned.
Today, Lanai is totally dependent on the tourism industry for its survival. Many residents recognize that this dependency, like their former dependency on the pineapple industry, is much too risky for long-term prosperity. Visitor numbers to Lanai have actually declined in recent years. While the resorts, The Lodge at Ko`ele and the Manele Bay Hotel, have succeeded in reviving the island's economy and providing better job opportunities for island residents and their children, the future is still somewhat cloudy. Lanai remains an island in transition and one that still is looking for sources for a balanced economy.
One of the most popular ways to get to Lanai is to take the Expeditions Ferry from Lahaina, Maui. The ferry departs from Lahaina five times daily making an equal number of return trips. The 45 minute crossing costs only $50 round-trip. In conjunction with several island operations, Expeditions offers several deals which include automobile rentals, golf packages, sporting clays, and guided tours of island highlights. Others make use of the ferry to travel to one of the two resorts for extended stays.
Eileen and I selected a four-hour tour with the Adventure Lanai Ecocentre (808-565-7373) which also offers full day tours and sunset tours as well as diving, snorkeling and kayaking opportunities. The company is jointly owned by two Lanai residents, one of whom was our tour guide - Jarrod Barfield.
Our tour took us to many of the island's highlights including Lanai City, the Munro Trail, Maunalei Gulch, Shipwreck Beach, the Po`aiwa Petroglyphs, the Kanepu`u Forest Preserve, and the Garden of the Gods, as well as both the Lodge at Koele and the Manele Bay Hotel.
In addition to the photos in this feature, we will be adding a large gallery of photos taken on our visit.
The island of Lanai is not for everyone. Aside from the resorts and Lanai City, it is not easy to visit most other areas of the island. A 4x4 vehicle is a must and an experienced tour guide is highly recommended. In the week before our visit, two visitors stranded their rental 4x4's in the mud on the road to Shipwreck Beach. Visitors often attempt to explore the island on their own, only to find that they get lost, stuck or cause damage to their rental vehicle. Perhaps this is why the majority of island visitors stick nearby the resorts and golf courses. While the resorts are, without question, superb, there is much more of the real Lanai to experience.
For more photos of Lanai, check out our:
Lanai Photo Gallery
Our gallery of 66 photos of the Island of Lanai including the Munro Trail, Shipwreck Beach, the Garden of the Gods, the Lodge at Koele, the Manele Bay Hotel and much more.
