Wow, such an amazing, wonderful, peaceful and beautiful place to visit in Lana'i, and you will feel…read morelike you are on some kind of martian land. Keahiakawelo (Garden of the Gods) is literally a big rock garden with red dirt and boulders of various sizes. Plus, you can see Moloka'i and Maui in the distance. There is no particular walking path but don't be disrespectful and move rocks around or pile them on top of each other because it is a sacred place. Don't know what happened to the original "Garden of the Gods" stone at the entrance that I have seen on videos and other users' images in the past, but it seems to me that it has since been replaced with a smaller metal sign. Garden of the Gods and all the other attractions along this rocky dirt road are only accessible with a 4-wheel drive (Jeep). I would love to come back to see this incredible location in the near future.

Keahiakawelo, on the island of Lanai, is also known as the Garden of the Gods…read more The beautiful area reminds me of what it must be like to be on Mars. You drive on some serious 4x4 rugged dirt roads to reach it and when you do it's like being transported to another planet. There is red dirt and random boulders everywhere! The area is easily accessible, and there is no climbing or difficult paths. Anyone can go experience the beauty! You get amazing views of several other Hawaiian islands such as Maui and Molokai. You can see the beauty of the Pacific Ocean all around you. The boulders gleam in the morning and evening sunlight and you get some beautiful different iridescent colors. We used a private guide to get there and we were glad we did. Our hotel arranged it for us and we spent a short but perfect amount of time at the Garden of the Gods. I appreciated how the area was so clean and pristine. You can keep traveling farther on the same road and I'm not sure where that leads. When we were there, there was a lot of Vog (volcanic smog) coming from the big island. Because of the vog, we weren't able to see as far as others may be able to on a clear day. We could still see two of the islands. Our guide said on a really clear day you can see Oahu. One Island legend tells us that the rocks and boulders were dropped from the sky by the gods tending their gardens. Another ancient tale explains that the rocks house the spirits of ancient Hawaiian warriors. And still another legend says that the gods enjoyed creating art, and this spot on the island is where they made their favorite sculptures. They created powerful winds to literally sculpt each rock formation (perhaps explaining why there is no vegetation in the Garden of the Gods). This site is located about 7 miles outside of Lanai City. The dirt road is well marked but only a 4-wheel drive vehicle can manage the rutted and rugged trail. If there has been any recent rains, the road if may be closed and unsafe for driving. This road leads all the way to Ka'ena Point and Polihua Beach.

Absolutely loved the Koloiki Ridge Trail! You can start from the Sensei Lanai (A Four Seasons…read moreResort) or park your Jeep at the trailhead next to the Lana'i Veterans Cemetery and hike the Munro Trail that connects and merges with Koloiki Ridge Trail. Took about 2-1/2 hours altogether but totally worth the spectacular views of Moloka'i and Maui along with the canyon. You go through a rain forest, a pine tree forest, a lava field, and red soil, and eventually you arrive at Maunalei Valley, the largest and deepest valley on Lana'i. Make sure you have good hiking shoes, water, sunscreen, hat, and of course a camera to capture the views! Simply follow the signs to Koloiki Ridge.

Great hike...simple stroll up from Koele (now Sansei) Hotel. Path is wide open and well taken care…read moreof. You get a beautiful view once you get to the top. Look into the canyon...take in the view of the ocean. All about a hour half hike up the hill. Round trip was a little over 2.5 hours for us.

There's a very safe walking trail from the Four Seasons Lana'i resort, and you'll find lovely…read moremanicured landscaping and happy grounds maintenance personnel. On an early morning walk from our ocean view room, it was a quick and easy path to watch the sun rise. Did I already say safe? Truly, there was nothing to worry about on this beautiful and peaceful walk. The sand is clean and soft. This is great for walking barefoot and feeling the sea shore. There's zero sign of litter, thankfully beach goers here are responsible for what they bring. The ocean itself is rough at this beach. The waves were crashing on near-shore reefs. Perhaps the early morning, but no one was in the ocean nor on the beach. In a convenient location nearby, an outdoor shower is available to rinse off. To the Beach Park personnel, big Mahalo for all you do to keep this clean and safe. It made a memorable morning even more serene :)

When we arrived at Lanai today, we went straight to this beach for some lounging and snorkeling…read more Lots of fish if you swim out beyond the waves. Similar fish to the ones we saw at Molokini but the water here is not as clear as that of Molokini. Picnic tables around, a public bathroom and bbq pits available too. Overall clean and enough shade under some large trees. You can also see the Four Seasons off in the near distance.

Shipwreck beach is a must stop to see the massive fuel tanker that got shipwrecked on the coast of…read morelanai in the 1950's. There is off-roading to get to this location so be sure to rent a car that allows for that if you are visiting the island - the road is bumpy! The beach itself would not be the best for swimming, but you could. Bring good shoes and plan to walk a story trail or there is a rocky shoreline.

Shipwreck Beach is a great secluded beach on the north coast of Lana'i, and it does require a 4x4…read morevehicle (Jeep) to get to the parking area. Lovely views of Molokai and Maui when going through the narrow paved road. Yes, you do have to do a bit of hiking and rock-climbing to get to the main part of the beach itself, but you will see the YOGN-42, a ferro-cement navy fuel barge lodged on Kaiolohia Bay's coral reef within sight of the beach. Not a good beach to swim or snorkel at because of the rough currents and waves. You can also see the Poaiwa Petroglyphs along the way.

Upon arrival to the dock, our catamaran swung by this rock and we caught a glimpse of it for some…read morephotos. Intriguing. No need to hike to it if you can see it from the ocean right? Haha

Sweetheart Rock. One of my favorite things on the entire trip to Hawaii was this hike in Lana'i at…read moresunset solo. It was a very easy hike from the hotel - I simply walked down the hill to the beach, kept going through the park, and followed the road/trail up to the rocks. The trail was easy to see from there and I followed it all the way to the top where you have a nearly parallel view to Puu Pehe. I saw it the night before from the water on a sunset cruise so it was nice to do the hike and see it from a different vantage point. Highly recommend this is something you do at sunset or sunrise as it is simply beautiful with the waves crashing in around it and you can spend some serene time watching the beauty of Hawaii. Easy hike - not difficult at all - from the trail it's probably 15 minutes to the top with a moderate pace. From the hotel (Four Seasons) it was probably a half an hour total from my room.

Went to Lanai today on an excursion through Trilogy. Catamaran docked at the harbor and we went to…read morethe beach for some snorkeling. Saw a bunch of fish but waters were choppy with medium size waves. Now we can say we've been on the 5th island of Hawaii! Woohoo.

Lana'i: Quiet and Laidback…read more We stayed in Maui and planned a long enough vacation that we were able to squeeze in a day trip to Lanai and it was, without a doubt, worth it. We went online and booked a ferry ride to take us to Lanai. After a quick 45-minute ferry ride, we found ourselves landing on a different island! Lanai is located just nine miles from the west side of Maui and is one of three populated islands that make up the County of Maui: Lanai, Molokai, and Maui. When we docked at the Manele Harbor we got in one of the shuttles that took us to Downtown. The shuttle requires guests to make advance reservations. Yikes! The cost of a rental car can be over $200 per day. We used the shuttle system. It costs $10 per person for the shuttle. Tips are appreciated. $1-2 should be good. It's basically a ride sharing service so it won't just be your private group in the car, you will likely be riding with someone else. The shuttle will basically go anywhere there's a paved road... just so you know many of the sights are on unpaved roads and required some hiking so be prepared. Downtown Lanai is very small. We found shops, art galleries, restaurants, grocery markets and other businesses here (gym, laundromat, movie theater). The size of some of the business structures are no bigger than an average-sized house. The movie theater only showed two films. Currently, Spider-Man and Top Gun: Maverick were showing. Dole Park is in the center of these businesses. Locals here are friendly... we met one guy at Dole Park, Filipino, came to the islands when he was 3. Chatted with us while he ate his lunch. I almost picked up on his Pidgin English. He spoke of changes in the island and said "change is good, eh" referring to the growing tourist business. Originally an island-wide pineapple plantation (nicknamed "The Pineapple Isle") Lanai now is known for its quiet beauty and luxurious five-star resorts. And Oracle co-founder, Larry Ellison doesn't just own a home in Hawaii -- he owns an entire island. In 2012, Ellison bought 98% of the island of Lanai. Happy travels! That's all. Review #2687

The Hulopo'e - Huawai Fisherman's Trail starts right at the west end of Hulopo'e Beach Park in…read morefront of the Four Seasons Lana'i. It's rocky at times but the trail is well marked and it's a very nice scenic hike overall. You will pass through Huawai Bay, some blowholes, and a historic site. At some points, you can even get a distant view of Pu'u Pehe (Sweetheart Rock). It's about 2 miles in each direction and the end takes you to one of the local golf courses and parking areas. I did not retrace my steps on the same trail, but ended up walking on Hulopo'e Road which runs parallel to the trail and coast. Best to wear closed-toe hiking shoes because of the aforementioned rough conditions of the trail.

Fisherman's Trail/Kapihaa Trail Hike (Hulopoe - Huawai Fisherman's Trail):…read more Trail begins west of the Four Seasons Manele Bay, passed oceanfront massage cabanas. You go through cool blowholes and historical sites. I like this trail but no shades. We did this twice while we stayed on the island. We did not go all the way due to overheat.

I was super impressed by this tour!! Firstly, it's a great deal - we had compared this offer with…read moreseveral other hiking packages and this tour seemed to offer at least the same amenities if not more (warm jackets, backpacks, breakfast, lunch, small group, water, snacks) for a lower cost. I was a little nervous because it seemed to be a newer company and I couldn't find reviews, but leading up to the day the tour operator (Steven) was super responsive and proactive via text and email, asking and confirming that we were aware of the high altitude of the hike and could do that. The hike itself was amazing - easily my favorite thing I did on my Maui trip. We hit three hikes throughout the day and I can't say enough about Steven's guidance. He was incredibly knowledgeable and shared so so much about the landscape, nature, history, cultural tidbits, and other stories of the area/what we were seeing. I was super grateful for that because it felt like a thoughtful experience, rather than a generic overdone tour. He was also very good about managing everyone's different hiking skill levels/paces so that folks were comfortable and could go at whatever pace they wanted. It wasn't strict or boring at all. Oh also Steven was so kind in taking pics for people/stopping when there was a good shot. If you're wondering about whether to do this one, definitely go for it! I had an incredible time and while the landscape was absolutely surreal, it wouldn't have been the same experience without this tour. Thanks so much, Steven!!

Steven was our guide for the Hike Haleakala tour. Picked me…read moreup at my condo in Kihei. Super knowledgeable and very nice guy. We had a beautiful day and we had three hikes with a total of about five to six miles. Nothing strenuous but amazing views. Had a wonderful lunch in a picnic area in a grove of massive trees. Steven sliced up a fresh pineapple for treats. Best day away from the water on Maui.