Old School Hawai'i Lives: The Relaxed Pace of Molokai and Lana'i

Two great islands with widely divergent styles. But both offering a quiet, remarkable Hawaiian holiday away from the crowds.

The islands of Lana’i and Molokai are wonderful places for advisors to send clients looking for a taste of the quiet side of Hawai’i. Here’s a look at hotel options, dining spots and things to do on both islands.

LANA’I

Staying on Lana’i

The Four Seasons Lana’i is a wondrous property on a small hill overlooking one of the best beaches in the state, Hulopo’e. The hotel was fully renovated a few years ago and now has a lush, South Seas feel, with dark pools surrounded by brilliant bougainvillea and flaming red ginger. The rooms are super-quiet and decorated with high-end furnishings and Hawaiian-influenced design everywhere you look. I had a marvellous meal at One Forty restaurant, including fresh ahi poke, a marvellous salad with local greens and perfectly seared Hawaiian sea bass. Their Bircher Muesli with tropical fruits at breakfast is to die for. One of the great things about the Four Seasons Lana’i are their cultural offerings. You can gaze at ancient petroglyphs, tour remote, abandoned villages and check out the work that the group Pulama Lana’i (a group that’s run by Larry Ellison of Oracle, who owns 98% of the island) is doing to restore an ancient fish pond on the nearly deserted east coast. Other options include a morning hike to stunning Pu’u Pehe Rock (Sweetheart Rock in English) or an ocean cruise on a spiffy catamaran. Guests of the hotel (and pretty much only guests) have access to the fabulous Manele Golf Course, which rises and falls over beautiful fairways that line the south side of the island. Bill Gates a few years ago got married on one of the oceanfront holes.

Hotel Lana'i is an 11-room property that was recently renovated. Rooms are now ultra-modern and filled with high-tech gadgets, and the walls are done in beautifully polished wood that gives the place a bit of a Scandinavian feel. Joel Harrington, the chef at the hotel restaurant, Lana’i City Grille, is showcasing local food, which means not only fresh fish from the ocean but fresh venison from the oversupply of deer that roam the island(and harm the natural environment). Harrington and his team make remarkable dishes, including venison with Vietnamese spices, pickled ginger and Asian pear, as well as a great dish of ahi tuna with pop rocks candy on top and ponzu.

They’re keeping a tight lip on things, but officials told me the new Four Seasons Lana'i at Koele (formerly the Lodge at Koele) could open by the end of his year after a massive, five-year renovation. It’s being transformed into a spa/wellness centre. I’m told there also will be a killer zipline that will traverse part of the old Koele golf course, which has closed. There also are reports of a giant swing and a ropes course.

Dining on Lana’i

The two hotels have the best restaurants, but you can get great, casual meals at other places in Lana’i City. Blue Ginger Café is great for huge omelettes and breakfast burritos. It’s also perfect for simple Asian/Hawaiian specialties such as teriyaki chicken. Pele’s Other Garden is great for sandwiches, salads, pizza and other simple fare.

Improving Lana’i

Pulama Lana’i, the group set up by Larry Ellison, is performing vital work all around the island, including restoring thousands of acres of land that have been damaged by imported deer and constructing a series of ten huge buildings that will hold hydroponic gardens that will allow the island to grow more of its own food. With Ellison’s assistance, the town of Lana’i City boasts a restored, state-of-the-art movie theatre, a brilliant new swimming pool and a fancy, new basketball court at the island’s only school. All in all, it’s a remarkable story of generosity and philanthropy.

Activities on Lana’i

The main town of Lana’i City has delightful shops and galleries, including the Mike Carroll Gallery for tremendous works of art and the Hula Hut for fun, casual gifts. The Local Gentry has lovely clothes, jewelry and more. One of the most popular activities is hiking or driving (in a four-wheel drive vehicle for sure) the Munro Trail, which traverses the line of small mountains on the east side of the island. You can rent a car while you’re here and do the trail, which is quite bumpy and steep in parts but offers magnificent views of Maui and other islands. The path is easier if you want to visit Keahiakawelo, an area with an amazing set of exposed rock formations that is sometimes (erroneously) known as Garden of the Gods. There’s also a cat sanctuary on the island that you can tour. Located at Manele Bay, Hulopo’e Beach is one of Hawai’i’s best, with great snorkelling and usually gentle waves.

Getting to Lana’i

There are several ferries a day that cross over to Lanai from Maui. You also can fly in from Maui and Oahu with Hawaiian Airlines or Mokulele Airlines.

MOLOKAI

If your Hawaii-loving clients are looking for glitz and four-star hotels, you might want to steer them to another island. If they want quiet and a taste of old-school Hawaiian culture and casual restaurants and a family-run hotel on the water, this is exactly the place you should recommend.

Staying on Molokai

There used to be a fancy resort at Kaluako’i on the west side, but it closed years ago following a series of land and water disputes. Hotel Molokai is now the only hotel on the island, which has a little less than 8,000 residents. You’ll find a series of small buildings surrounded by lovely landscaping about 4 km’s from the main town of Kaunakakai. There’s also a small pool and several shady hammocks, and the front desk can arrange tours and activities for you. The newly renovated room above the restaurant, Hiro’s Ohana Grill, has a lovely boutique feel. Other units are nice but fairly simple. While the Kaluako’i resort is closed, you can still rent condo units in the area, which has several exceptional beaches. On the east end, Wavecrest Resort has some lovely condo units with great views of the ocean and nearby Maui. The landscaping is first rate, and there’s also a pool and new barbeques, which makes it great for families.

Dining on Molokai

The food is very good at Hiro’s Ohana Grill at Hotel Molokai, which has live music most nights and is just a meter or so from the ocean. You’ll also find tasty, simple meals and plenty of live entertainment – not to mention a dance floor - at Paddler’s Restaurant, located in Kaunakakai. Kanemitsu’s Bakery and Restaurant is great for breakfast. It’s also a go-to spot at night, when they sell fresh, hot bread out of a window in a back alley. Folks line up for fresh loaves, then slather them with butter and jam and have dinner on the spot.

Activities on Molokai

Halawa Valley Hikes: Greg Solatorio and his father, Anakala Pilipo Solatorio, run a fabulous tour in the remote Halawa Valley on the east side of the island. They’ll lead you on a hike to a beautiful waterfall and tell you amazing facts about the history of the valley, which was once home to thousands of Hawaiians but is now a place where perhaps a dozen people live. They’re experts on local culture so you’ll also learn a lot about the life of everyday Hawaiians. The Solatarios also can tell you about the two tsunamis that hit here in the last century, which is why there’s hardly anyone left. The drive to the Halawa Valley is a quiet, beautiful one that takes you past old wooden churches, small, rocky coves and several pretty beaches. There are great views of the Halawa Valley from above, as well as great views of Maui.

A Sad Chapter: The Kalauapapa peninsula, which juts out into the Pacific on the north side of Molokai, is infamous as the place where leprosy victims from Hawaii and other parts of the world were exiled for decades. A cure was discovered years ago and only a few recovered patients still live on this isolated, beautiful spot of land, which is now a national park. The story of the people who came here and the people who helped them is one of great sadness, but also filled with tremendous spirit. The walking (and mule) trail that leads from the “topside” of Molokai down to the peninsula is closed due to land slides. Which means you’ll have to take a plane. Both Mokulele and Makani Kai Air fly to Kalauapapa, either from Molokai Airport (it’s a seven-minute flight) or Oahu (roughly a half-hour away). You need a permit to visit, so check the official government website for information.

Golf: The Kaluako’i resort course closed years ago, leaving the nine-hole Ironwoods course as your only golf option. There’s not a lot of green grass, at least not in summer, but it has several challenging holes and some nice views of the island. It’s also dirt cheap. I paid $31 USD for nine holes of golf, a pull cart and well-used rental clubs.

Local flavour: Tuddie Purdy is an engaging character who’s happy to show visitors how he grows macadamia nuts at Purdy's Natural Macadamia Nut Farm. You’ll also get to crack some yourself and snack on them on the spot. There’s no charge for a visit and a look-around, but he’s happy if you buy some nuts (he uses only sea salt; no preservatives) or some macadamia nut tree honey. You’ll find the farm in Ho’olehua, a short drive from the airport.

Shopping: Kaunakakai has a few nice stores, including a fun place called Kalele Bookstore and Divine Expressions, where you can find everything from jewelry to toys to books. I also love the little gift shop at Hotel Molokai. Up towards the airport, Beach Break might be the spiffiest shop on the island. The Molokai Arts Center in Kualapu’u is a great place to check out homemade pottery and other art work. Stop for a coffee next door at Coffees of Hawai'i, which also has a lovely gift shop.

Beaches: There are several small beaches on the east side of the island, which tends to get more rain than the west side. But not too much. The west end is home to several terrific stretches of sand. Papohaku Beach goes on for about five kilometers and is often deserted. Next door, Kepuhi Beach has lovely sand and is probably safer for kids. But keep an eye out for big waves especially in winter. There are a few small, pretty beaches north of Kepuhi that you can reach via an easy walk.

Improving Molokai

They have just a handful of staff, but the folks at the Molokai Land Trust are doing marvellous and important work to restore as much of the island’s natural environment as they can. You can take a trip and see how they’re doing it or even lend a hand. They could also use donations.

Getting to Molokai

The ferry that used to run from Maui is no more, which means you’ll either have to take a private boat, a cruise (see below) or a plane to get here. There are several flights a day from both Honolulu on Oahu and from Maui. Airlines include Hawaiian, Mokulele and Makani Kai.

AND A CRUISING OPTION

Uncruise offers Hawaii cruises that visit Hawaii Big Island, Maui, Molokai and Lana’i. The ships are nicely outfitted, and everything is included, including activities, all your meals and top-shelf wines and liquor. You can extend your stay on either Hawaii Big Island or Molokai.

MORE INFORMATION

https://www.gohawaii.com/ca