The Hotel Lanai is a cozily romantic spot to stay in Lanai City. (Photo: Courtesy of Hawaii CVB)Lanai City, Lanai, Hawaii
For Old Hawaii away from the crowds
Sure Hawaii equals romance. And this tiny island of Lanai, recently purchased by Larry Ellison, takes you right to the romantic Hawaii of times past. This former Dole Pineapple company town (it isn’t remotely a city), is still home to a one-cell jail and to colorful wood-frame buildings that once housed field workers. It is a place where you can load up on superb Hawaiian coffee at the grocery store, and dine inexpensively at places like the Blue Ginger Café, which serves great Fried Saimin (okay it involves Spam, which isn’t that romantic.) Stay at the cozy 11-room Hotel Lanai, with its bright Hawaiian quilts, comfy wicker chairs, and gently whirring ceiling fans (rooms start at $99). Rent a Hummer or Jeep and drive the 12.8-mile Munro Trail, with its Norfolk pines, and views all the way to Maui and Molokai. Head to pretty Shipwreck Beach—you may be the only folks there—to look for the ancient petroglyphs and to watch turtles play. Explore the pretty Garden of the Gods, with its dramatic rock formations. (Note: If you start to crave high style, there are two Four Seasons hotels on Lanai, but that isn’t what the island is about.) Lanai is 45 minutes from Maui by boat.
