Lanai is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is also known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation. The only town is Lana'i City, a small settlement. The island is somewhat comma-shaped, with a width of 18 miles in the longest direction. Many of the island's landmarks and sites are located off dirt roads where four-wheel drive is required.

Tourism on Lana'i started more recently as the pineapple industry was phased out in the islands. In Lanai City, there are no traffic lights, no shopping malls, and no public transportation. Most of the attractions on the island outside of the hotels and town can be visited only via dirt roads that require a four-wheel drive vehicle.