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Getting to Lanai, Plus The Lanai Culture & Heritage Center
By MountainMama | July 15, 2008
First-time visitors to Hawaii typically don’t stay on Lanai. Myself included. I vacationed on Oahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauai before setting foot on the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. But, I was fortunate enough to spend two nights on laid-back Lanai in June.
I took the 90-minute, oh-so-convenient Expeditions Ferry from Maui’s Lahaina Harbor and overnighted at the darling, 1920s, plantation-style Hotel Lanai (pictured at left). I found this B&B perfectly comfortable — and affordable, at just $179/night for my premium room with a shared porch.
The only other hotel options are pricey: the Four Seasons Manele Bay or the Lodge at Koele, also a Four Seasons property. I toured these properties, and indeed they are upscale and sophisticated and gorgeous. But rack rates would set you back about $345 (Koele) or $445 (Manele Bay) per night this summer for a standard room.
That said, if you want to sample Lanai just for a night, Expeditions offers packages that include round-trip ferry transportation, on-island shuttle transportation, and a night’s stay at one of the luxury resorts. Or you could “do it yourself” on the cheap(er), by booking the ferry, shuttle transportation and overnights at the more budget-friendly Hotel Lanai on your own.
If you do make it to Lanai, don’t miss the Lanai Culture & Heritage Center. It’s housed next door to the Hotel Lanai (in Lanai City; steps from downtown shops and restaurants) and is run by the incredible knowledgeable Executive Director Kepa Maly. He’s lived on and off on the island since the 1970s, and has seen how Lanai has transformed from an expansive pineapple plantation (owned by Dole) to the site of two major, upscale 
resort properties as well as some high-end real-estate developments. It’s a big change from the pineapple plantation days; the last pineapples were picked on the island in 1992.
I highly encourage visitors to spend some time with friendly Kepa, who staffs the center during most of its open hours, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. He knows the island’s heritage inside and out, dating back to 1,000, when native Hawaiians made their homes on the island. The center has some nifty exhibits from the ranching and Dole plantation eras, as well as artifacts dating back hundreds of years.
Update: The Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau has extended the Summer Value campaign that both Mudslide and I had written about. Deals are now available through August 31, 2008. Click here for details.
Topics: Budget Travel, Destinations |
TravelMuse
July 15th, 2008 at
Oh how I yearn to visit Lanai. The more I hear about it, the more I need to find time to get there. Thanks for sharing the experience. What else did you do on Lanai?