Lanai - Hawaii with Kids - page 330

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Lanai

L anai (pronounced “lah- nigh -ee”) is
not an easy place to reach. There are
no direct flights from the mainland.
This quiet, gentle oasis is a place
where families come looking for dra-
matic beauty, quiet, solitude, and an
experience with nature. There is a
wealth of activities for you and your
kids: snorkeling and swimming in the
marine preserve known as Hulopoe

Bay; hiking on 100 miles of remote
trails; talking story with the friendly
locals; and beachcombing and whale-
watching along stretches of otherwise
deserted sand. For the adventurous,
there's horseback riding in the forest,
scuba diving in caves, or renting a
four-wheel-drive vehicle for the day
and discovering wild plains where
spotted deer run free.

1 Orientation
ARRIVING
BY PLANE No matter where you're coming from, you'll have to make a con-
nection in Honolulu, where you can easily catch a small plane for the 25-minute
flight to Lanai's airport. Island Air ( & 800/652-6541 or 808/565-6744; www.
islandair.com) offers seven flights a day from Honolulu. You'll touch down in
Puuwai Basin, once the world's largest pineapple plantation. It's about 10 min-
utes by car to Lanai City and 25 minutes to Manele Bay.
BY BOAT A round-trip journey on Expeditions Lahaina/Lanai Passenger
Ferry ( & 808/661-3756 ) takes you between Maui and Lanai for $50 per per-
son. The ferry service runs five times a day, 365 days a year, between Lahaina and
Lanai's Manele Bay harbor. The ferry leaves Lahaina at 6:45 and 9:15am, and
12:45, 3:15, and 5:45pm; the return ferry from Lanai's Manele Bay Harbor leaves
at 8 and 10:30am, and 2, 4:30, and 6:45pm. The 9-mile channel crossing takes
45 minutes to an hour, depending on sea conditions. Reservations are strongly
recommended. Baggage is limited to two checked bags and one carry-on.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Both Destination Lanai ( & 800/947-4774 or 808/565-7600; fax 808/565-
9316; www.visitlanai.net) and the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau
( & 800/GO-HAWAII or 808/923-1811; www.gohawaii.com) will provide
brochures, maps, and island guides.

LANAI IN BRIEF
Inhabited Lanai is divided into three parts—Lanai City, Koele, and Manele—and two distinct
climate zones: hot and dry, and cool and misty.
Lanai City (pop. 3,000) sits at the
heart of the island at 1,645 feet
above sea level. It's the only place on
the island where you'll find services,

and if you're on a budget, this is
where you should stay. Built in
1924, this plantation village is a tidy
grid of quaint, tin-roofed cottages in