You go to Lanai for only one reason: to escape. There are no shopping malls or traffic lights, no big-box retailers or fast-food chains. Even the main city itself — the quaint Lanai City — isn’t really a city, per se, but a tiny, old plantation town nestled among Norfolk pines at a cool elevation of 1,700 feet. Once the center of Dole’s worldwide pineapple production, Lanai has long been a privately owned island that was recently snapped up by Oracle founder Larry Ellison, who reportedly has plans to invest in the island’s tourism infrastructure. There are less than 3,200 residents on the island, making Lanai a quiet retreat for visitors looking to escape the tourist traps and congested streets of Honolulu — all just a quick plane ride away.
