Lanai

Small and sparsely populated, Lanai appeals to those seeking seclusion. Half an hour by air from Honolulu, the 90,000-acre “Pineapple Isle” was long the domain of the Dole fruit empire, and turned to tourism with the opening of two luxury resorts, now both Four Seasons properties. 

Ninety-seven percent of the island was recently purchased by Larry Ellison, a founder of the Silicon Valley giant Oracle and the fifth-richest man in the world. Mr. Ellison's goal is to transform the island into “the first economically viable, 100 percent green community.” 

The atmosphere here remains decidedly low-key: The island has one quaint plantation town, Lanai City, and a loose network of dirt roads that lend themselves to four-wheeling. Highlights include the coral reefs of the Hulopoe Bay marine preserve, the bizarre red rock formations at the Garden of the Gods, a grounded World War II-era vessel off Shipwreck Beach and breathtaking vistas along the historic Munro Trail. The cool central highlands are home to the distinctive English manor-style Four Seasons Lodge at Koele, set amid lush formal grounds dappled with gazebos and winding creeks.