Beautiful Out-Of-The-Way Places In Hawaii

Related Links:
How Much You Need In Your Wallet For Your Next Flight
Surf's Up In Malibu
The Best Packing Tips for Fee-Free Air Travel  

LANAI, Hawaii -- People go to Hawaii to get away, but sometimes people have to get away from Hawaii, too -- for instance, when the crowds on Waikiki Beach resemble those at Disney World.

At such moments, you can climb off the Hawaii tourist grid by heading to outlying island of Lanai: tiny, slow-moving Lanai, with barely 3,000 residents and not a single traffic light.

Or maybe to Molokai, an even more rustic island that has actually scaled back its tourist infrastructure.

Nearby Maui is the easiest jumping-off point to both isles. Maul is hardly unknown, of course, but it's rarely overrun, and some recent changes add to its already considerable allure.

Getting there is not half the fun. Travelers can reach the small airports on Lanai and Molokai from Maui or Honolulu. Both Hawaiian Airlines and Island Air fly those routes, but fares have risen since the demise of Aloha Airlines in March.

It's more interesting to go to the outlying islands by sea. The Expeditions company runs ferry boats five times a day between Lanai and the lively old Maui whaling town of Lahaina. Expeditions also operates two boats a day (except Sunday, when there's no service) to Molokai, 90 minutes away from Lahaina; round-trip tickets cost $80.

The Lanai run costs $50 round-trip and takes 45 minutes over often-choppy waters. The ride can be rough, but the payoff is hugely enjoyable: Pods of spinner dolphins cavort near the ferries, leaping out of the water in unison and darting under the boat, putting on a show all their own.