In December of 2109, Mr and Mrs My Vacation Lady vacationed in Maui and Kauai.  This was our 9th vacation to the Hawaiian Islands and we try to do different activities every time we go.

This time, our contact at the Maui Visitors Bureau took us on one of her favorite excursions- Trilogy Discover Lanai and we are so glad that we did.

 

 

According to the Trilogy website:

Started 45 years ago, our flagship Discover Lanai tour is sure to become your favorite day of vacation! Trilogy has exclusive permission to escort guests to Hulopo’e Marine Preserve (Lana’i), where you can swim, snorkel, play volleyball, hike or enjoy a historic island tour. Post activities, gather at the beautiful Hale o Manele, and enjoy a full plantation BBQ lunch, complete with our famous Kiawe-grilled chicken. On the return sail enjoy a cold drink, premium bar beverages, and ice cream sundaes to complete a truly memorable day.

Very few things will get me up at 5am to go anywhere but when my contact suggested the 6:30am tour, I’m glad we did.  The water can be a bit rougher in the afternoon and it was December after all.

We started with coffee, juices and a very generous breakfast of croissant sandwiches, cinnamon rolls and fresh fruit as we saw the sunrise over Maui.  As we sailed to Lanai, the sunrise views over Maui were sensational.

Once we got to Lanai, we had beach time.  You could snorkel (equipment and lessons included).  OR you could upgrade to SNUBA, as a couple of our group did.  We opted to take on a short scenic hike to the infamous Pu’u Pehe (Sweetheart) Rock since the water was a bit rough.  It was December after all.   There were some large tide pools that others had climbed down to swim.  The views from the over look were fabulous.   There are, of course, stories of the Sweetheart Rock and cliffs because it is after all, Hawaii and they love telling story.

We took the van tour of Lanai rather than staying on the beach and got some great views and stories about the island of Lanai.  Once a major producer of pineapples, Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, bought the entire island and unfortunately the pineapple fields lay fallow.  We drove through the small town and visited one of the couple of general stores before heading to our BBQ lunch.

On our return, we lucked out with a rare treat in the sea off Maui in early December— WHALES AND DOLPHINS.  We saw humpback whales, false killer whales and spinner dolphins.  Thanks to H. Bernstein for his great pictures of the whales and dolphins shared here.

We thoroughly enjoyed our day on the Trilogy IV.  The staff was amazing.  The food was over flowing and we literally, rolled off the boat.

My Vacation Lady is a Hawaii destination specialist and can help plan an amazing Hawaii vacation or honeymoon for you.  We plan your vacations to be experiential and one to make lasting memories.