Lana’i, which means bump in Hawaiian, gets its name from its shape. Indeed, form Maui, the island looks like a diving whale.

Located on the central plateau, Lana’i City is home to virtually the entire population, who enjoys the crisp, fresh air at 520 metres above sea level. Lanes with rows of small, colourful, and practically identical wooden houses are set up in a grid pattern in the village.

Set amongst papaya and banana trees, some homes are bedecked with trophies such as buck antlers or Japanese glass floats.

Built in the 1920s when Dole set up the base of his pineapple plantation, the houses are a stone’s throw from the headquarters of the Lanai Ranch a Koele. Intended for Filipino workers, most of the homes initially had no electricity, bathroom or kitchen.

Despite significant improvements over the years, housing remains a serious problem on Lanai, whose population has grown considerably.