Getting to Lanai, Plus The Lanai Culture & Heritage Center

First-time visitors to Hawaii typically don’t stay on Lānaʻi. 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 Lānaʻiin June, courtesy of the Hawaii Convention & Visitors Bureau.

I took the 90-minute, oh-so-convenient Expeditions Ferry from Maui’s Lahaina Harbor and overnighted at the darling, 1920s, plantation-style Hotel Lānaʻi (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 Lānaʻi 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 Lānaʻi, don’t miss the Lānaʻi Culture & Heritage Center. It’s housed next door to the Hotel Lānaʻi (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 Lānaʻi 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.