The island of Lanai, west of Maui and south of Molokai, has served for years as a private pineapple plantation owned by the Castle and Cooke Company.
With only a small plantation town, Lanai City, located at the center of the island, Lanai was left behind as the other Hawaiian Islands embraced tourism and abounded agriculture as their main industry.
In the 90's though, the Castle and Cooke Company, which owns 98% of the land in Lanai, opened two high-end luxury resorts on the island, one on the south shore near Hulopo'e Bay and one in the up country.
For visitors these self-contained resort destinations offering a secluded relaxing environment are the main attraction in an island that is relatively less attractive than the other Hawaiian Islands.
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