Until recently, few visitors were likely to see more of Lanai than its mysterious volcanic silhouette framing the sunset from the mai tai lounges of West Maui resorts. Some had heard of "The Pineapple Island." Some sailed over for day trips, to enjoy a remote beach or excellent diving. But most just passed it by. Even Hawaii residents knew little about Lanai, other than its fame as the world's largest pineapple plantation and one of the state's best hunting areas.

This is a place for the people who seek the old Hawaii, where there are few buildings and fewer roads, where deer out number humans and beaches have no footprints. The pineapple plantation of yesterday has become the exclusive resort of tomorrow, at a prudent pace. Lanai is anachronistic in contemporary Hawaii, by virtue of its isolation and unusual history, and visitors should be aware of a few thing. Lanai has no high-rise hotels or office buildings, no traffic jams, no tours buses, no shopping centers, no stop lights, no all-night discos, no golden arches and no crowds. Her you enjoy life and one another. A plantation speed limit sign says: "Be Careful. Go Slow."

About the Local Residents - As a plantation population, Lanai was aging dramatically. Children reaching adulthood were encourage to leave the island and seek a better future than the inevitable pineapple fields. Now a remarkable transition has begun. Workers are leaving the fields, learning new skills and becoming employees of the resorts or other new enterprises. With more choices, some of those who left are returning home to take some of the new jobs -- and enjoy the old lifestyle.

Activities - The lifestyle is family-oriented and out-of-doors. Lanaiians have grown up enjoying the same gifts of the Island -- fishing, hunting, riding, hiking, four-wheeling, golfing, swimming, beachcombing, exploring --available to visitors. Some Lanai City houses display antler racks alongside marlin tails, attesting to the plentiful bounty to be reaped from local hunting and fishing. You can also ride trails along the mountain ridge, views of deep gorges below, challenge your golf prowess on scenic championship courses, play on the beach, sail off to snorkel or watch the whales in, or just soak up the sun.

Lanai's Two Luxury Resorts - At the new Manele Bay Hotel, on a cliff overlooking Hulopoe bay, the path to the beach leads through an ancient Hawaiian village site. Hulopoe beach, with crystalline waters and white sand shaded by palms, is shared by guests and islanders. Would-be country squires will be in their element at The Lodge at Koele, a comfortable estate-like hotel amid cool upland forests and broad green lawns. There is also the cozy Lana'i Hotel, a rustic 11 room, country inn.

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