When you think of romance, paradise, tropical beauty and waterfalls, Hawaii easily comes to mind. Considering it is a popular summer destination,  I was looking for a road less traveled experience to celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary. I stumbled on Lanai, one  of the smaller islands, which claims that there is not a single traffic light.   This island, once known as the Pineapple Isle, has become a unique destination for those seeking a more private paradise.   The owners, Castle & Cooke, have done a fabulous job of preserving the unspoiled island and guarding its solitude. There are only two resorts on the island operated by Four Seasons and they provide two very different environments. Using airline miles and taking advantage of a Four Seasons “buy 2 nights, get 1 free” special, I was able to procure our anniversary package at a reasonable cost. We began our trip at The Lodge at Koele nestled among a pine forest at higher elevation.  (Note-The Lodge is currently closed due to an extensive renovation and will reopen late 2016.)

July 2009-After a direct flight into Honolulu, I wanted to make the most of our four-hour layover. After reading through forums, I found a taxi cab driver that we reserved for a tour of the city. The driver had grown up on the island and even gave us a firsthand account of the Pearl Harbor bombing. He was full of personal stories, wit and wisdom and whirled us around to all the best viewing spots! We drove up Pali road to the Lookout, went to UaLaKaa State Park to overlook the city and ended at HanaUma Bay, which offered beautiful snorkeling and blowholes. We made it back in time to catch a quick twenty-minute flight to Lanai.

A driver for the Lodge at Koele met us at the airport. He loaded our luggage and narrated our ten-minute ride to the resort through the towering Cook pine trees. We were greeted with warm washcloths, leis, and fresh pineapple juice. In honor of our anniversary, they gave us the most requested room at the resort that overlooked the reflection pond and had complimentary champagne and Big Island candies in our room.

The next morning, we stepped out onto our private lanai to see a mist covered garden punctuated by a melody of birdsongs. It was truly a magical paradise. After a light breakfast of Kona coffee and muffins in the atrium, we walked the grounds and toured the gathering areas of the Lodge. There were surprises everywhere one turned: the game room inside, a local church on the grounds, the tropical fruit garden, lawn bowling, an orchid greenhouse, and a spectacular golf course and pool. They even provided hiking poles to use on the five-mile hike to view Molakai and Maui. They also offered a complimentary shuttle to the small town for some window-shopping and dinner.The next day we woke up to clear blue skies and decided to rent a jeep from Adventure Lanai EcoCentre to explore the island, which is only 18 miles in length. We brought a picnic lunch and spent two hours traversing the Munro Trail, a beautiful mist covered forest. We then headed over to the Garden of the Gods over one of the bumpiest roads! The desert-like terrain dotted with volcanic rocks seemed like a scene from Mars.   After passing through we arrived at Polihua beach made of miles of yellow sand from crushed seashells. There wasn’t another soul on the beach, but the surf was too rough to swimming.  We decided to drive over to a calmer beach past Kaiolahia (Shipwreck Beach) to Lopa Beach. Again, we were the only guests on the beach. Three-foot sea turtles swimming just a few feet from the shore greeted us. We stopped back in town for dinner before heading to our next lodging stop. Next week’s blog will feature the Four Seasons Resort at Manele Bay located directly on the beach.

“In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the strength of the hills are His also. The sea is His and He made it. His hands formed the dry land. ” Psalms 95:4-5