My husband and I are headed to Lana%26#39;i for a relaxing 6-night getaway in September. This is our first visit to any of the islands. Our goal is to explore the island and relax! We hope to NOT see anything that reminds us of our busy city lives.
We will be staying at the 4SMB and renting a jeep.
A few questions came to mind as we are gearing up for our adventure:
- How many days do you recommend we rent the Jeep?
- Is it still preferred to go with Adventure Lana%26#39;i because of restrictions? Dollar claims they don%26#39;t have restrictions, but now I am hesitant to rent with them %26amp; be disappointed.
- Is there any vegetarian cuisine available at the restaurants on the island?
- Will the 4SMB allow us to take the snorkel equipment to other beaches?
- Did anyone cross paths with a tiger shark while snorkeling (love them, but not sure I want to hang out when they%26#39;re hungry)?
- What is the best time of day to see turtles %26amp; dolphins?
Thanks in advance for any hints/tips!
NatureCat
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A Call to Lana'i Experts
Aloha naturecat. Great questions!
Great choice of a place to relax and forget your busy city life.
- For 6 days probably one or 2 days with a jeep would be enough. You should be able to see most of the island in 1 day, but if you want to drive to remote places and just hang out for a while, you might need 2 days with the Jeep. Depending on how often you stop and enjoy the views, the Munro Trail drive could take you up to 1/2 day. So I guess the conclusion is that if you just like to drive to a place, see it, and then drive on, one day would be enough. If you like to spend some time exploring then you will need 2 days. When we were there in January, Dollar did not allow you to go to Polihua Beach, the Munro trail, or to Lopa beach. So if that is still true I would go with Adventure Lana%26#39;i Ecocentre, which let us go to all those places (their Jeeps are more rugged anyways).
-Not really sure on vege cuisine. At Manele and the Lodge there will be some vege items, and you should find some items in the town restaurants too (esp at Pele%26#39;s Other Garden), but I don%26#39;t think there is a place that specializes in vege food.
-I don%26#39;t think the FS would have any problem with you taking their snorkel gear elsewhere. You sign it out at the the beach hut and just have to return it by the end of the day. The problem is that I am not aware of any other good or safe snorkeling areas on Lana%26#39;i. Hulopoe beach in front of the hotel has some of the best snorkeling in Hawaii (only better I have seen is at Captain Cook on the Big Island). Although the other beaches on the island are beautiful, most have a strong undertow, and swimming is not recommended (although I have seen daring locals boggie boarding). And calmer beaches like Lopa don%26#39;t have any coral reefs. There may be some places that locals only know, but nothing that I am aware of. And I have never seen a tiger shark , but have seen manta rays at Hulopoe Beach.
I have seen dolphins any time of the day, but morning seems to be the most active. You can just watch them from your room%26#39;s lanai with binoculars, but you will see them best from the grassy bluff overlooking the beach. Also, once when we took a Trilogy raft trip out of the Manele Bay harbor, our boat was surrounded by the spinner dolphins. Turtles I have found less commonly on Lana%26#39;i, so no help there.
Have a great trip! We will be back for our 5th visit to Lana%26#39;i in January for our 25th anniversary ourselves (150 some days and counting).
A Call to Lana'i Experts
Thank you for the great information, drvalgemae!
We reserved our jeep today from Adventure Lana%26#39;i Ecocentre and were excited to find that not only will they bring the jeep to us at the FS %26amp; pick it up, but we also received a better rate than Dollar ($10 per day less).
The info on the snokeling is really helpful too. We were curious to know %26#39;the best%26#39; spots to go and it sounds like Hulopoe Beach is the place to be. I hope we get to see one of the manta rays that you mentioned. The more animals we see, the happier we will be.
Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary trip. I am glad that we all get to visit such a beautiful place, but I agree with your previous posting -- I hope Lana%26#39;i does not get too popular %26amp; crowded! Counting the days...
NatureCat
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Yes, I forgot to mention that other benifit of Adventure Lana%26#39;i. They will drive up to the front entrance of the hotel, pick you up, and park in the vistor%26#39;s parking lot where you will sign the rental agreement. Much better than being shuttled to town by the FS bus to get to Dollar rental. Then you just leave the jeep in the parking lot when you are done with it and the Adventure people will pick it up. You can%26#39;t beat the service.
One thing I like to discourage when you are out snorkeling is to try to swim with the dolphins. You will see many people trying to, and some coming back to the beach raving about the dolphins swimming all around them. But remember it is against the law to approach a dolphin, touch them, etc. Not only could you be subject to a several thousand dollar fine, but more importantly you would be disrupting their natural behavior. They come in to the bay to rest, and if aggressive humans swim up to them, they may be forced to swim back out to sea, or change their behavior in other ways that could make them vulnerable. I have seen them once by chance while swimming back from the coral reef, and I made sure to stop and let them do their thing. They stayed under me briefly and then swam away.
Once again, have a wonderful trip!
Thanks again, DrValgemae...
Do you have any tips on making the flight more enjoyable?
We are flying American to Honolulu then Island Air to Lana%26#39;i.
It will be quite a full day of travel.
- Do they usually show in-flight movies?
- Is there a meal served or available for purchase?
- Does the crew allow passengers to move around %26amp; stretch?
- How is the prop plane ride to Lana%26#39;i (30+ passenger - yikes)?
- Is the HNL airport easy to get around?
- Are there decent spots to grab a bite at the HNL airport (layover)?
- Was it easy to find the shuttle bus to the 4SMB at LNY?
Thanks,
NatureCat
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More good questions:
-Not sure on American Airlines, as we are stuck flying NWA from Minneapolis. But NWA does show some inflight entertainment. Usually one movie and a series of ';short things'; (sitcom episode, travel chanel show, Hawaii info). I would check with AA on their current offers.
-In coach NWA only offers food for purchase, even on the 8 hour Hawaii flights. The snack boxes offered by NWA are pretty small, so depending on what AA offers, you may want to by a sandwich at the airport to bring on the plane. Also having your own snacks to munch on helps pass the time. Any chance you can upgrade? Get a couple of those neck pillows, they make a big difference.
-You should have adequate time to get up and stretch, and I recommend it for such a long flight. So unless it is a very turbulent flight that should not be a problem.
-At first I was a little concerned about the smaller prop plane with Island Air, but it is an excellent plane. It is bigger than you think, has 2 by 2 seating, with leather seats, and you get nice views because it flys lower than the jets. The only problem I could forsee, is if there is a big storm at the time, but that is not likely. The carry on space is very limited on the plane. But if you have a larger carry on that you brought on the other plane they will take it from you as you walk up to the plane and put it right in the baggage hold. And then it will be waiting for you next to the plane as you step off on Lana%26#39;i. A good way to avoid bags from getting lost. Check their web site for other bag/weight limitations.
-The Honolulu Airport is a fun airport, especially for someone from Minnesota, because it is all open air in the concourses (of course with roof and enclosed air-conditioned gates). They have Wiki-Wiki (Hawaiian for Fast-Fast) buses that shuttle you between the main terminal, inter-island terminal, and the commuter terminal (where you will find Island Air). Which is an important distinction. If you were going to the inter-island terminal you can stay in the secure concourse area by taking the Wiki -Wiki from in the concourse, and not have to go through security again. But (this is important) you will have to leave the secure area and go to the front of the main terminal to catch the Wiki-Wiki bus to Island Air%26#39;s commuter terminal. You will see signs within the secure concourse directing you to the Wiki-Wiki for the inter-island terminal, but DON%26#39;T take those (we made that mistake once). You have to go back on the other side of security to the ground transportation area and wait for the Wiki-Wiki at one of their well marked stops in front of the main terminal. Just ask an airport worker if you get confused.
-Food is usual airport fare in the main terminal, nothing special. There is a bar with snacks even in the commuter terminal. You can your first tropical drink there.
-The FS is wonderful at meeting at the very small Lana%26#39;i Airport. They will find you and carry them to the shuttle once you take them from baggage claim.
We just flew AA to Hawaii and back from St. Louis. $5 sandwiches and $4 snack boxes. Drinks are still free (so far) and you can get one at anytime by going back to the attendants and asking. We took three different kinds of trail mix... sweet, salty and crunchy. Plus small bags of Ritz Bits, etc. We also ate on the way to the airport. Anything to keep from paying exorbitant prices at the airport or on the plane. Oh, yeah, if you want something to eat on the plane, get it the first time they go around, %26#39;cause they ran out later. Congratulations on having the good sense to go to Lanai(or Molokai). It%26#39;s true Hawaii.
Aloha, Rich
Thanks for the flight info, Rich!
How was your trip?
It sounds like you enjoyed Lana%26#39;i.
I would be interested in hearing about anything that might be of interest before we take our week-long journey. Even if you have an exciting story about the snorkeling or wildlife. Did you stay at the 4SMB for any of your days? Any snags during your trip that we should be forewarned about?
NatureCat
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hello everyone!
thanks for the insights on lanai...my wife and i are planning a trip to hawaii (this october) and were researching on a nice quiet place to relax and unwind from the hectic pace of life in orange county, ca.
i believe that lanai (4S manele bay) is on top of our list right now. do you have any other tips and advice to make our stay there more memorable? this is going to be our first visit...
thank you once more for the insights and pics!
dnr
Hi funnyboy --
I enjoyed going to Polihua Beach so much. Next time, I would go in the morning and bring a picnic lunch. My husband and I were the only ones on the beach. We would just walk the shoreline, explore and take in the breeze. You could probably get your feet wet and definitely sunbathe, but it was too rough to splash around in the water much. For most of your swimming, I would stick with Hulopo%26#39;e Beach.
You will %26#39;probably%26#39; see dolphins and maybe whales while you are there. There is a lawn area that is elevated overlooking the bay. Bring some binoculars! It will make it easier to spot when the dolphins are coming closer. You can go ahead and snorkel while they are out there too, but we were told not to swim towards them. If they are curious enough, they will come to you.
Make your reservations (w/ the concierge) for activities the first or second day you are there, ie: spa, horseback riding, restaurants. Even though we did not have any problems doing what we wanted, you never know when things will book up. Definitely have your jeep rental take care of before you leave home. I would highly recommend Adventure Lana%26#39;i Ecocentre.
Happy Planning...
We will be back next fall %26amp; can%26#39;t wait!
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