Four Seasons Resort Lanai has debuted the Lāna'i Observatory, which offers a new "astrotourism" experience for Resort guests, Lāna'i residents and students.
The new "Kilo Hōkū Experience" is a new cultural program from Love Lāna'i, and cultural advisors share ʻike kūpuna (Hawaiian for "ancestral knowledge") of the celestial sphere as well as guide guests on a tour of the night sky. In the Hawaiian language, Kilo may be interpreted as, "an observer," or, "to observe," and hōkū may be interpreted as, "star." Lāna'i is an ideal location to observe the stars, with low levels of atmospheric and light pollution.
For the new program, Love Lāna'i Cultural Practitioner ʻĀnela Evans researched primary ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) resources, such as newspapers and scholarly writings from the 1800s to develop program scripts and uncover star stories shared within the Hawaiian culture.
"Our Love Lāna'i team dedicated many hours of learning not only about the operations of the telescope and the skies, but importantly about the history of ancient wayfinding as well as methods of traditional, non-instrument navigation that Native Hawaiians and people of the Pacific utilize today in attempts to retrace the voyages of our past so we can reclaim ancestral knowledge," shared Four Seasons Resorts Lāna'i General Manager Alastair McAlpine. He continued, "We look forward to sharing this unique experience to explore the stars, but also discover another aspect of Hawaiian culture."
The Kilo Hōkū Experience begins by sharing how indigenous Hawaiians and people of the Pacific utilized the celestial bodies and elements of the natural environment to guide their way on the ocean. It is thought that voyages between Hawaiʻi and the South Pacific occurred as early as 400 A.D., said a resort media release.
The ability to read the night sky helped early Polynesians find their way from island to island across the Pacific, and ultimately to Hawai'i. Their knowledge of "ka lani pa'a," or the fixed celestial sphere, was critical. The early navigators utilized their knowledge of the celestial sphere to guide their voyaging canoes over thousands of kilometers of open ocean.
Following the presentation, guests are guided through a viewing experience using the 1-meter telescope. Guests can look into the night sky at various celestial bodies such as planets, star clusters, galaxies, nebulae, and the moon.
The telescope is housed in a two-story domed structure approximately 25 feet in diameter. The observatory-class telescope stands over 11 feet high and weighs approximately 3,000 pounds.
According to Four Seasons, future plans include programming such as special guest speakers and presentations with 'Imiloa, the Astronomy Centre of Hawaii as well as educational programs tailored to Lāna'i students.
Rates for the new Kilo Hōkū Experience are USD $35 per person, USD $17.50 children ages four to 12, and minors must be accompanied by an adult. Each session lasts one hour, including a safety briefing and information about lenses. Timing will change throughout the year due to the sunset and visibility of natural rotation of the sky. Those interested can visit the Resort's online activity calendar to see the schedule.
Love Lāna'i offers a number of activities, many complimentary for guests, to explore cultural places, share history and immerse themselves in the island's heritage with the Resort's Love Lanai Cultural Advisors.
Four Seasons Resort Lāna'i features 213 guest rooms in a series of low-rise buildings spread along the Pacific coastline. The Resort offers outdoor restaurants including NOBU LĀNA'I, a spa, championship golf and tennis, a kids club, beach and pool with seating areas nestled among tropical gardens, complimentary wellness classes, cultural workshops and luxury retail boutiques.
For more information on Four Seasons Resort Lāna'i, visit its web site.
