Lanai: The Hawaii Your Mama Never Told You About!
Written: May 02 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Unique Hawaiian experience! Perfect if you want solitude and very few tourists.
Cons: A bit pricey. A little windy, off road is bumpy but I thought it was fun!
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| kauaigirl's Full Review: Lanai |
When my husband and I went back to Hawaii, we decided to do a big 'circle island tour' and hit a lot of the islands. Of course we had to go back to Kauai, we decided to skip Oahu and go to the Big Island, Maui and for something different, a day trip to the island of Lanai.
Lanai is most commonly reached by taking a ferry or charter boat from the island of Maui. You can also fly in from Honolulu should you decide you're going to stay longer. We took the Expeditions ferry over and the round trip price was $50 (lower for residents)and from what I understand, that price has stayed the same for 10 years, so I'd recommend Expeditions.
I also recommend that you take the earliest ferry out (6:45am) and take the latest ferry back (6:45pm)to maximize your time on the island.
We rented a Jeep from the only major rental car company on the island, Dollar Rent A Car. It was $139 per day. I know that sounds a little steep, okay, a LOT steep but if you were the only rental car company with a monopoly on the island, what would you charge!? They sent a van down to Menele Bay Harbor to pick us up and take us to the office.
The scenery is very different from anything else you will experience in Hawaii. Some areas look like a barron desert, others like a Rocky Mountain dream with horses and pine trees with swirls of clouds hanging overhead.
We arrived at the rental office to pick up our Jeep and it was by far the most comical as well as charming thing we had seen. Dollar is on the back side of Lanai City Service. This is the main building in town. It serves as the rental agency, general store, gas station and body shop. What more could you expect of this little island! It was a refreshing change of pace and gave new meaning to the phrase "one stop shopping".
They gave us a map that told us how to get to the local attractions and we had to be back by 5pm to be picked up by the van to go back down to the harbor for our ferry.
We started off for the Garden of the Gods. We'd always heard about it and wanted to see it for ourselves. On the way, we passed the Lodge of Koele, a beautiful luxury resort set in the mountains. It looks like a cozy place to stay and if you plan on staying on Lanai the Lodge and the Manele Bay Hotel are your upscale choices and the Hotel Lanai is moderately priced. There's a huge rock on the side of the road that points you to turn left from the main road onto a dirt road. We passed the Stables at Koele and saw beautiful horses waiting for hotel guests to keep them company. When you get to the intersecting road, turn right and hold on to your booty!! The ride is VERY bumpy but well worth the trip. You pass through a pine forest that looks like an ash wasteland from the years of pine needle accumulation on the ground. The right side is all gray and the left side is red from the red dirt that the Jeeps kick up .
One thing to keep in mind, we went on a Sunday which is Axis deer hunting day. We were told by the rental agency not to stop or get out of the car while in the marked hunting area as some hunters have the tendency to shoot first at things that move and ask questions later! So keep the windows up and wait to stop when you get to the "garden".
Finally, we arrived at the Garden of the Gods. If you are picturing a lush garden rich in green vegetation, it couldn't be further from it! It is a sea of deep red dirt and rocks stacked into eerie monuments. Some of the stacks were very intricately balanced one on top of the other and stayed perfectly still in 22mph tradewinds. It was the most awesome and spooky thing we had ever seen. It is nothing but quiet. The only thing you hear is the wind whipping around you. The coastal views are wonderful with the island of Molokai as a backdrop. The contrast of the red dirt against the brilliant blue ocean is truly breathtaking. After wandering around and taking some great pictures, we decided instead of turning back, we would go to the end of the road to Polihua Beach. The beach is only a 4 mile drive past the Garden of the Gods but feels like 20!! You have to go about 15 mph to get past the huge ruts in the road, some various rocks sticking out of the ground and the occasional hubcap and license plate! Sounds REAL appealing huh? TRUST ME, IT IS WORTH THE TRIP!! We finally arrived to the beach and it was unbelievable. There was a family fishing a ways down the beach but other than that, there was no one for what seemed to be miles. It was the most gorgeous stretch of beach I had ever seen. The winds were really going so laying out or swimming was out of the question. The only downside is there are tremendous currents so venturing into the water is out, just let the waves splash your toes! It's still romantic! We did sit down and write in our journals and this was the perfect place for it. We spent about 45 minutes there and headed back up the bumpy road.
When we got back on paved road, we decided to go to Shipwreck beach. At the end of the Keomuku Highway, we encountered another dirt road that led us to our destination. We didn't explore much of the beach but stayed close to a smaller beach where we could clearly see the beached ship Liberty in it's final resting place. The reef extends out very far from shore and because of this, sailors can sometimes get caught up in it. While most escape, the Liberty was not as lucky. It's rusty exterior makes it look like a ghost ship but I can't help but wonder what kind of spectacular artificial reef was forming on the ship underwater. Of course getting to the ship is nearly impossible and not advisable but sometimes letting your imagination make up stories about it is more fun that facts are!
It was afternoon by now and we were getting a little hungry. We decided to stop off at the Blue Ginger Cafe for lunch. It's a funky little local place and when I say little, I mean LITTLE! One person can barely pass another when one is ordering and the other paying for their bill. There are about 5 tables inside and 6 outside on the lanai. The locals tend to sit outside talking story. We grabbed a small two seater table inside. The menu is varied and they have just about anything you want and the prices are reasonable. I got the teriyaki chicken and my husband got the Ono Burger. (Ono the fish, not a ono "good" beef burger) It was delicious and as we ate, a picture of Arnold Schwartzenagger who had visited the the restaurant when he was in town, graced our presence.
After lunch, we explored the island a little and went to the last active pineapple field on the island, by the airport. It's really interesting to see these fields if you've never had the chance to see one before. Don't miss it. I know that sounds crazy but it's very sad to see that the island labeled "the Pineapple Island" only has one active field left.
We did go shopping (I use that term loosely!)and picked up some souvenirs of the unique island and some t-shirts. We hung out at the park since it was 4pm and we needed to be back at the rental agency at 5pm. It was nice to see the local children playing and just reflecting on the day. We missed SO much because we really took our time. There is a lot of good snorkeling there, petroglyphs, a lost Hawaiian village and of course, the 11 mile Munro Trail where, on a very clear day, you can see all of the Hawaiian islands except for Kauai. But we'll tackle that one next year when we go back. When we got back to Manele Bay to wait for our ferry, we were sent off with a gorgeous sunset. It was the perfect end to an adventurous and memorable day. It is one of our most fond memories of that trip.
If you should consider going to Lanai you should know a few things. It's VERY dusty. If you are not into getting dirty, having your hair whipped around by 20 mph tradewinds and riding on mostly off road trails--this island is NOT for you! But if you are up for something different and a memory that will last a lifetime, strap on some hiking boots, medium colored clothing (ideally a Red Dirt shirt!) and the sunscreen and hold on for the ride of your life!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
kauaigirl
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Member: Ang
Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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