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For
nearly 70 years, Lanai dubbed the "Pineapple
Island," was operated as a pineapple plantation by
Dole Company.
Today
there are two exclusive, world-class hotels, the
Lodge at Koele and the Manele Bay Hotel. In
addition, the Experience at Koele and the Challenge
at Manele provide visitors with award winning,
world-class golf. People: Lanai is known for is
amiable residents who greet island visitors with
old-fashioned Hawaiian aloha. Some 2,800 people call
the island home, including older families of
Hawaiian, Caucasian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese,
Puerto Rican and Filipino ancestry.
Recreation: Golf,
tennis, diving, snorkeling, sailing, fishing,
hunting, ocean-rafting, kayaking, horseback riding,
hiking, mountain biking, and exploring by
four-wheel-drive vehicle are among the outdoor
activities residents and visitors enjoy on Lanai.
Restaurants: Breakfast,
lunch and dinner are served at the hotels, and all
three share the homegrown bounty of lettuce, herbs
and other produce from island gardens. The Lodge at
Koele and the Manele Bay Hotel also offer room
service and fine dining options. Lunch is offered at
the clubhouse at the Experience at Koele and the
Challenge at Manele. There are also two small cafés
in Lanai City.
Whale-watching: In
season, November to April, whale-watching abounds in
the winter breeding and calving grounds of the giant
humpback whales in the waters surrounding Lana`i.
The 40-ton mammals perform their bring ballet in
great leaps and dives. Mother and calves are often
spotted swimming together in preparation for the
migration north to the humpback's summer home,
Alaska.
Environment: This
relatively undeveloped island features wide open
spaces with only 30 miles of paved roads, one
airport, and one plantation village boldly named
Lanai City, where virtually the entire island
population lives. The primary man-made impact is
agricultural: rows of spiky green pineapple, hay
fields, macadamia nut, papaya and banana trees, herb
gardens, and penned cattle line the Palawai and
other fertile cropland. Lanai's natural and cultural
resources are fragile and vulnerable, and as the
island opens itself to guests and more residents,
protecting the resources is a major goal of the
corporate owner and populace alike.
Topography: Only one
fifth of the area of Lana`i was used for pineapple
cultivation. Today there are less that 100 acres
growing pineapple for consumption by island
residents and hotel guests. The rest of Lana`i's
ancient volcanic land mass is rolling tablelands and
steep, eroded gorges. Red lava cliffs and mesquite
bushes give way to giant stands of towering Cook
pines and green mountains at higher elevations.
Wild Game: Axis deer, a
prized game animal introduced before the turn of the
century, now outnumbers Lana`i's inhabitants. There
are also Mouflon sheep, and a plethora of game
birds--pheasant, quail, chukar partridge and wild
turkey. Hunting and resource management is under
protection of the Lana`i Company and the State of
Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Preserves: In 1991, Dole
Food Company, Inc., granted the Nature Conservancy a
permanent conservation easement over the seven
patches of 590 acres of native forest at Kanepu'u.
The Nature Conservancy receives two thirds of its
management funds through the Sate of Hawaii's
Natural Area Partnership Program. The funds are used
to protect and restore this rare forest. Kanepu'u
contains the largest remnants of olopua and lama
(native Hawaiian olive and ebony) dry land forest
left in Hawaii. This forest type once covered the
lowlands of the largest Hawaiian islands. Kanepu'u
is high in biological diversity hosting 48 species
of plants unique to Hawaii, including endangered
Hawaiian gardenia (na'u) and sandalwood ('ilihai)
trees.
The waters of Manele Bay
and Hulopo'e Bay are designated as marine preserves,
and the snorkeling and diving spots are among the
best in Hawaii.
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Munro Trail: This ridge
takes you over Lana'ihale. Four-wheel drive or
hiking only: on wet days, portions of the trail are
impassable and extreme caution should be used.
Kaiolohi'a: On the northeast shore of the
island, Kaiolohi'a is a beachcomber's and
fisherman's paradise.
Kanepu'u: Patches of native dryland forest.
Some areas contain rare species of plants and are
protected by the Nature Conservancy of Hawai'i.
Keahikawelo: The site of the historical
Kawelo Fire.
Kaunolu Bay: Once the favorite fishing spot
of Kamehameha the Great, the ruins of ancient
Kaunolu village still stand on this site.
Keomoku Village: Site of Maunalei Sugar
Company until 1901, this village became a ghost town
when growing sugar failed because sweet water turned
brackish and salty.
Lana'ihale: The highest mountain on the
island at 3,370 feet above sea level. From this
vantage point, all of Hawaii's major islands except
Kaua'i and Ni'ihau can be seen on a clear day.
Luahiwa Petroglyphs: On the slopes of the
Palawai Basin, site of an old Mormon Colony, these
petroglyphs are among the best preserved in Hawaii.
Lana'i City: A population of 2800 reside in
quaint Lana'i City. The town is centered around Dole
Square, with a handful of old-time stores.
Lopa: A summer south swell surfing area, with
a picnic site and beach area along the eastern shore
of Lana'i. This area is the location of one of four
ancient fishponds, only one of which is located
above sea level. A great beach for sunbathing.
Naha Trail: Paved by Hawaiians more than a
century ago, this trail leads to an old village
site.
Hulopo'e Bay - Tide Pools: Located in south
Lana'i is Hulopo'e Bay, which is a favorite fishing
and swimming beach. These tide pools are a wonderful
place to discover fascinating inhabitants of these
"natural aquariums."
Pu'upehe: Pu'upehe is a rock islet off the
southwest point of Manele Bay. As legend goes, a
native Lana'ian, Makakehau, hid his wife Pehe here
in a sea cave, where she later drowned. Makakehau,
with the help of the gods, was able to scale the
cliff with Pehe's body and bury her on the summit of
this sea tower. Hence, the name Pu'upehe - Pehe's
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