Exploring Lanai

During our recent trip to Maui, we decided to take a day trip to explore the nearby island of Lanai. Even though it’s just 9 miles from Lahaina, Lanai is a world apart from Maui. 98% of the island is privately owned by Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and most of it is undeveloped; no Costco, no Walmart. The are two luxury hotels on the island: The Four Seasons Lodge at Ko’ele and the Four Seasons Manele Bay Hotel and the very small town of Lanai City, which is home to many of the island’s 3600 residents. It had probably been 10 years since I last visited Lanai (I’d previously only been to Manele Bay and the airport) and from what I remember, not much has changed and I doubt it ever will.

Lanai City

Our day started early at the Lahaina Habor where we caught the 6:45am Expeditions Ferry. The total cost was $120 round trip kama’aina rate for 1 senior ($10 each way), 2 adults ($25 each way) and the baby was free since he is still under 2. Tourist rates are a little higher, but still a good value if you’re looking for a fun activity/getaway from Maui. The ferry is also very popular among golfers who go over for the day and also locals from Maui who like to camp on the beach there. The morning crossing took about an hour and we arrived at Manele Bay where we took a shuttle up to Lanai City to rent a jeep for the day. Lanai only has 3 paved roads, so if you want to explore more of the island like we did, you’re going to need a 4×4. On the other hand, If you’re just looking for a less-adventurous and relaxing day on the beach, Hulopo’e Bay, one of the most beautiful in the state, is about a 10 minute walk from the harbor, no car needed.

Lanai Jeep Safari

All said and done the Jeep rental was about $150 with taxes and fees and included the 20 minute shuttle ride to Lanai City from the Harbor (the first person on the contract was free, then $10 for each additional passenger). As far as I know there’s only one company that does business on the island, Dollar, so that’s your best (and only) choice. We briefly explored around Lanai City, checked out the airport, the shipping harbor, and then headed towards the north side of the island and Shipwreck Beach, where an inter-island freighter has been stuck on the reef since the late 1960s. We also explored Garden of the Gods, a boulder field on the north side of the island. A few of the roads we closed to due to recent heavy rains, but the island is quite small and we were still able to get a pretty good feel for the place. It’s raw, pristine, and unlike anything else in the Hawaiian chain. If and when we do go back I’d also like to take the jeep trail to Lanai Hale which is the highest point on the island at 3370 ft.

We ended our day with a swim at Hulopo’e Beach while my dad volunteered to return the car back to Lanai City. From there is was a quick walk to Sweetheart rock to take pictures and eventually back to the harbor to catch our 4:30 ferry back to Lahaina. The ride home was a little slower due to larger afternoon swells in the Au’au channel, but the longer duration meant more time to spot some of the many whales which like to visit Hawaii’s warm waters during this time of year, which was an added treat on top of an already great day.