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Adventures in an All Terrain Paradise
Some of the most popular activities on Lanai are outdoor pursuits
such as scuba diving, snorkling, hiking, mountain biking,
horseback riding, archery, swimming, fishing, and golfing.
"Dolphin!" The cry is heard frequently on Lanai, from its shoreline,
boats, kayaks, cars, bicycles and hotel rooms.Like their mammal cousins
the humpback whales, spinner dolphins love the warm waters of Lanai
and consider them their personal playground.And what a playground it is:
the best snorkeling and scuba diving in Hawai‘i, miles of deserted
coastline, reefs full of fish and landmarks rich with legend.
Lanai’s 80,000 acres of countryside invite hiking, mountain biking and
sightseeing.From its highest point you can see up to five neighbor
islands across the channels and steep gorges below.Fishing, sailing,
swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving and world-class golf in mountain
and oceanfront settings - these are the adventures that await you on
Hawai‘i’s most exclusive island.
By land, sea, and everything in between, Lanai strikes the perfect
balance of wildness and accessibility.It is rugged but approachable,
isolated but generously comfortable.Since 1990, when the island’s
first luxury hotel opened in the hills of Ko‘ele, the curtains have
been parted on the island’s hidden wonders.With only 30 miles of
paved road on Lanai’s 141 square miles, its life off the beaten
track brims with rich rewards.
The two luxury hotels, The Lodge at Ko‘ele and The Manele Bay Hotel,
and the 11-room Hotel Lanai are ideal base camps for exploring the
far flung corners of the island.A four-wheel-drive vehicle, rented
from Lanai City Service, and a map, available from the hotels,
are the basics for a self guided excursion.Although hikers need
no more than a sturdy pair of hiking shoes and a well honed
mental compass, there are several operations that offer the full
range of Lanai based activities and authentic island experiences.
Snorkeling, Scuba, Sailing and Charter Tours
Scuba divers the world over know that Cathedrals is one of the premier
dive spots in the world.And it’s in Lanai waters, just off the
southern shore where underwater caverns and clear waters are a scuba
diver’s delight.Skin Diver magazine has rated Lanai one of the top
10 snorkel and scuba sites in the world.
Lanai’s ocean activities companies have experienced skippers and dive
instructors who can spot a dolphin from a distance, identify rare
tropical fish in the waters of Kaunolu, and coax an octopus off
its rock so you can see it up close.They will teach you to snorkel
and lead you on ocean rafting expeditions.Departing from the south
shore, Trilogy Lanai Ocean Sports operates the full range of water
craft: Zodiacs, kayaks, and custom-made sailing catamarans 54-,
55- and 64-feet long.The catamarans come with all the amenities
and equipment for snorkel, sail and scuba tours to Cathedrals
and other sites.Lava tubes, sea cliffs 1,000 feet high, and
staggering underwater lava tubes are among the adventurer’s rewards.
On the opposite side of the island, Adventure Lanai Eco-Centre
(with an office in Lanai City) offers kayak and snorkeling tours
along an 8-mile stretch of shoreline named Kaiolohia, also known
as Shipwreck.Southeast at a beach named Lopa, they also offer
surf lessons when conditions allow during summer.
Fishing
With plentiful reefs and 47 miles of shoreline, fishing is a major
part of the Lanai lifestyle and a source of recreation.Lanai
residents are expert fishermen, and Jeff and Sherry Menze show you
why.The half-day and custom fishing tours of their Spinning Dolphin
Fishing Charters explore the joys of angling from a 28-foot sport
fisher.They provide the gear and take you sport fishing, light tackle
fishing, and bottom fishing in Lanai waters.Anglers aim for ono
(wahoo), mahimahi, and marlin, and, where the seabirds are circling
and diving, schools ofaku (skipjack tuna) and ‘ahi (yellowfin tuna).
Swimming
A fishing village dating back to 900 A.D., the marine preserve
called Hulopo’e Bay is the center of Lanai’s beach activities.
The wide, white-sand crescent, lined at each end with dramatic
lava outcroppings, invites swimming, snorkeling and tide pool
exploration.As habitués love the beach, so do the schools of
spinner dolphins that leap and dive in the bay.From November
through April they are joined by their gregarious relatives,
the leaping, breaching humpback whales.At Hulopo’e there are
barbecue grills, restrooms, picnic tables, camping
facilities - and showers with water warmed by the sun.
Located around the corner from Hulopo’e, Manele Bay is also a
marine preserve with the only public boat harbor on the island.
All south shore ocean tours originate at Manele Harbor:
fishing boats, yachts, the Expeditions ferry, whale-watching,
snorkel sails, scuba diving and ocean rafting.
Hiking
The Munro Trail is one of Lanai’s terrestrial highlights, a
trail for advanced hikers that traverses the 3,370-foot Lanaihale.
The trail is a challenge, continuing for 16 miles roundtrip and
accessible by foot, bicycle and 4-wheel drive.Astounding views
unfold of steep gulches below and at least three, and sometimes
five, of the neighboring islands: Maui, Moloka‘i, Kaho‘olawe,
Hawai‘i and O‘ahu.Named after George Munro, a botanist and ranch
manager from New Zealand, the trail is lined with sky high Cook
pines and eucalyptus stands that flourish among native plants.
Munro planted the trees in the 1930s as part of a reforestation
effort, to draw moisture from the clouds and create a watershed.
Today Munro Trail is the greenest part of Lanai, winding above
Ko‘ele through mountain grasslands and forests of bamboo and koa
where ancient taro terraces lie hidden.
For hiking along the beach, the northern and eastern shoreline
is a beachcomber’s paradise.You can walk the wild, windswept
strand for miles and look for abandoned boats and the wreckage
of the World War II ship that gave the beach its nickname:
Shipwreck.It is actually Kaiolohia, meaning "choppy or changing
sea". The wild, windswept coastline stretches for miles along
the Kalohi Channel between Maui and Lanai.On some of the inland
rocks, petroglyphs carved by Hawaiians tell their stories in
stone.Eight miles north is the beach called Polihua, favored
by nesting turtles.Near the island’s easternmost point, an
old wooden church recalls the days when Keomuku was a sugar
settlement and, years later, the headquarters for a sheep and
cattle ranch.Along the shoreline, turtles frequent the inshore
reefs, and monk seal like the beach for napping.
You can also explore the island in the customized Jeep Cherokee
and Suburban tours of Rabaca Limousine Service,in Trilogy’s land
tours in Wrangler Jeeps, and in Adventure Lanai Eco-Centre’s 4x4
land tours.
Mountain biking
The 6.5-mile downhill slope from Ko‘ele to Kaiolohia is paradise
for mountain bikers.Adventure Lanai Eco-Centre’s downhill bike
tours take you from central Lanai to the northeastern coast,
with views of Maui and Moloka’i all the way.Or, rent a bicycle
for a leisurely ride around Lanai City’s Dole Park - it’s small,
shady and charming, with a restaurant or shop every few feet.
Golf
You don’t have to choose between the mountains and the seashore.
Savvy golfers often choose both.The Experience at Ko‘ele is a
spectacular 18-hole championship course spread high over a plateau
and the rolling hills of central Lanai.Designed by Greg Norman
and Ted Robinson, the 7,017-yard, par-72 course is set nearly
2,000 feet above sea level, with views of Maui and Moloka’i
directly across the channel.
At sea level, The Challenge of Manele is built on hundreds of
acres of lava fields and dry, desert-like terrain that present
their ultimate challenge at the ocean: three holes built on the
bluffs of Hulopo’e Bay, where the Pacific Ocean is the world’s
largest water hazard.The 7,039-yard, par-72 course was designed
by Jack Nicklaus and features panoramic ocean views from all
18 holes.
Horseback Riding
Directly across from The Lodge at Ko‘ele at the 1,700-foot
elevation, The Stables at Ko‘ele is the equestrian center of
the island, offering an alternative way to explore the wooded
valleys and trails of the extraordinary upland terrain.Ride
along open pasture lands to a plateau in the Mahana area, or
in the central ridgelines of Lanai along a section of the
Munro Trail.Maui and Moloka‘i scroll into view across the
‘Au‘au Channel.
Lanai Sporting Clays and Archery
One of the fastest growing sports in the country has found its
perfect setting: the northwestern hills of Lanai, two miles from
Ko‘ele.The 15-acre Lanai Sporting Clays offers four target
shooting disciplines with a bonus: views of Maui and Moloka‘i
across the channel.Masterful instruction and top-quality equipment
are presented for shooters of all levels, whether they choose trap,
skeet, compact sporting, or sporting clays.The 14-station sporting
clay course meanders through old ironwood forests and groves of
Australian eucalyptus trees, presenting challenges of varying
terrains and targets.The clay targets, mimicking traditional game
such as flushed pheasants and rabbits, are launched in random
patterns.Certified instructors are available for all levels of skill.
For a soundless kind of target practice, aim for the pineapple
bull’s eye in the archery range next to the sporting clay course.
Instructors teach all ages and levels on first-rate equipment:
15-pound bows for children and 20- and 25-pound bows for adults,
for both right- and left-handed archers.Even beginners discover
that the bull’s eye - 5, 10, 15, and 20 yards away - is not so
far after all.
Article courtesy of the Lanai Visitors Association
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