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Munro Trail
Approximate driving time from Lana‘i City: 2-3 hours R/T
Your way to the best views on the island
Turn right as you leave our parking lot. Drive past the Lodge at Koele and turn right on Cemetery Road. Follow any directional signs and you are on your way to the best views on the island. The city will be to the far right. Try to spot the top of Pu‘upehe Rock by Manele Bay. Do not drive on any roads that lead off the main trail. These roads are less traveled and the conditions will be extremely unpredictable. You might be lucky and spot some axis deer. We have approximately 6,000 of these "Bambi" deer on Lana‘i. Weather permitting, you may get a view of O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, the West Maui Mountains and Haleakala (a dormant volcano) on Maui, Kaho‘olawe and the top of the Big Island of Hawai‘i straight behind Kaho‘olawe. Kaho‘olawe was used as a bombing range for the Navy until recently. In 1990 it was returned to the State of Hawai‘i. The Navy is in the process of cleaning the unexploded ordinances. The island is scheduled to be open for visitors in the year 2005.
If it is very cloudy along the entire length of the ridge, this may be a good time to reconsider your options and opt for a different Safari. Although the trail may be passable, the views will be obscured by the clouds.
As you are descending on the south end of the Munro Trail you will come to a plateau area (known locally as the last mountain bench field). Turn left here and drive west staying on the main road, keeping the hill on your left. When the main road forks, turn right. You should immediately cross an old cattle grate. Follow this dirt road until you encounter pavement At the pavement turn left for the Manele Bay Hotel or right for Lana‘i City and the Lodge at Koele.
Once the world's largest pineapple plantation
If turning toward the city, you'll pass through the Palawai Basin, once the world's largest pineapple plantation. Production was stopped in October 1994 due to rising labor and shipping costs. Other nations such as Thailand and the Philippines are able to offer pineapple at much lower prices. Lana‘i was known, however, to have the best and the sweetest pineapple!
Please remember that this is a one lane mountain road and that it is not uncommon to encounter horses, bicycles, motorcycles, hikers and wildlife on this trail. Caution is advised. Estimated travel time is 2-3 hours.