Lanai rewards the unhurried traveller. The island's best experiences require a little effort — a 4WD drive down a rutted dirt track, an early morning walk to catch spinner dolphins, a hike through ironwood forest into volcanic rock country — but that effort is exactly what keeps the crowds away. Most of the island's attractions are natural and require nothing more than sunscreen and curiosity.
The single town, Lanai City, is a small, quiet pleasure: wooden storefronts and plantation-era buildings arranged around a park, easy to cover on foot in an afternoon. Outside town, the island divides neatly between the lush uplands and the desert coastline, each with its own character.