2023 Readers’ Choice Awards: Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi

Moloka‘i, the Friendly Isle, shows visitors and locals a different side of Hawai‘i—where time moves a little slower, everyone knows everyone by name and the aloha spirit is truly intact.

Molokaʻi Food & Drink

Best Restaurant

1. Paddlers Restaurant and Bar
2. Hiro’s ‘Ohana Grill
3. Kanemitsu Bakery & Coffee Shop
4. Kualapu‘u Cookhouse

Best Cheap Eats

1. Moloka‘i Burger
2. ‘Ono Fish & Shrimp Truck
3. Kanemitsu Bakery & Coffee Shop
4. Moloka‘i Pizza Café
5. Mana‘e Goods & Grindz

Molokaʻi Hotels & Resorts

Hotel Molokaʻi.
Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Molokaʻi

Best Place to Stay

1. Hotel Moloka‘i
2. Moloka‘i Shores
3. Dunbar Beachfront Cottages

Molokaʻi Outdoor Adventures

Pāpōhaku Beach on Molokaʻi.
Photo: Getty Images

Best Beach

1. Murphy’s Beach
2. Pāpōhaku Beach
3. Hālawa Beach
4. Kapukahehu Beach (aka Dixie Maru Cove)
5. Kepuhi Beach

Molokaʻi Services

Hālawa Valley Falls Cultural Hike.
Photo: David Croxford

Best Land Activity or Adventure Tour Co.

1. Hālawa Valley Falls Cultural Hike
2. Purdy’s Natural Macadamia Nut Farm

Lānaʻi.
Photo: Getty Images

Lāna‘i, the Pineapple Isle, is best traveled in a four-wheel drive vehicle, as some of its coolest attractions are off the beaten path. However, Lāna‘i City, the island’s commercial center, has seen a round of recent development in the past few years and is a great place to explore.

Lānaʻi Food & Drink

Best Cheap Eats

1. Blue Ginger Café
2. Coffee Works
3. Nō Ka ‘Oi Grindz Lāna‘i
4. Malibu Farm Restaurant & Bar

Best Plate Lunch

1. Blue Ginger Café
2. Café 565
3. Pele’s Other Garden Deli

Best Restaurant

1. Blue Ginger Café
2. Nō Ka ‘Oi Grindz Lāna‘i
3. Lāna‘i City Bar & Grille
4. Malibu Farm
5. Nobu Lāna‘i

Lānaʻi Hotels & Resorts

Sensei Lāna‘i uses science and technology to empower its guests to live healthier, more meaningful lives.
Photo: Courtesy of Sensei Lāna‘i

Best Place to Stay

1. Sensei Lāna‘i, A Four Seasons Resort
2. Hotel Lāna‘i
3. Hulopo‘e Beach Park Camping

Lānaʻi Outdoor Adventures

Koloiki Ridge Trail on Lānaʻi.
Photo: Courtesy of Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority/Tommy Lundberg

Best Beach

1. Shipwreck Beach
2. Hulopo‘e Beach
3. Polihua Beach

Best Hiking Trail

1. Koloiki Ridge Trail
2. Pu‘u Pehe (aka Sweetheart Rock)
3. Munro Trail
4. Fisherman’s Trail
5. Kapiha‘a Trail

Lānaʻi Services

Best Land Activity or Adventure Tour Co.

1. Lāna‘i Jeep Rental
2. Trilogy Excursions (Maui)
3. Paragon Sailing (Maui)