11/01/2022
Overtourism in Hawaii has been a hot button issue in recent years (even more so in 2021 after the idyllic state experienced a major boom in travelers once its borders reopened), and one that was brilliantly satirized in HBO's The White Lotus. So then, how can travelers do Hawaii with a conscience? First, don't add to the strain on Maui and head for much more remote Lanai instead. Back in 2012, Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison bought 98% of the island for $3oo million with the ambition to turn it into an exclusive destination. He then spent another $450 million on the Four Seasons Lanai, filling it with museum-quality art and outposts of Malibu Farm and Nobu, along with all the requisite amenities of a 5-star oceanfront resort. Sans kids and looking to get back in touch with mind, body, and soul? Then head inland to the Four Seasons' sister property, the Sensei Lanai, a 24-acre oasis of tropical flora and verdant hills where the wellness-focused itinerary may include horseback riding, meditation, forest bathing, a thermal body mapping and sleep analysis, and deep soaks in Japanese onsen tubs, with all food courtesy of Nobu.