Lanai
A short but breathtaking ferry ride from Maui, the island of Lanai is a place of stark beauty and world-class luxuries. The smallest of the primary Hawaiian Islands, Lanai offers a surprising array of attractions including outdoor adventures, championship golf, white sand beaches, and two of Hawaii’s most luxurious resorts.
Tip: If you wish to rent a four wheel drive, make sure to reserve on in advance. Often you don’t need one, but better safe than sorry.
Many day-trippers from Maui are perfectly content to spend their time on the sands of Hulopoe Beach, overlooking the bay of the same name. A protected marine preserve, the bay is a wonderful snorkel and dive site.
For more adventurous travelers, a four-wheel drive rental will provide access to some of the island’s more remote wonders, such as the largely deserted Kaolohia (Shipwreck Beach) and the fascinating Keahiakawelo (Garden of the Gods), a bizarre, almost alien landscape.
Another option is a stroll through the shops of tiny Lanai City. Looking much the same as it did some eighty years ago, the town was created to house plantation workers on what was at the time the largest pineapple farm in the world.
