Niihau: The Forbidden Isle

According to geological history, the birth of the islands of Ni’ihau and Kauai date back 5 million years. And like Kauai, Ni’ihau maintains its original natural beauty. Much of this can be attributed to the reason why the isle earned it’s name The Forbidden Isle — since 1864 it’s been privately owned by the Robinson family.

Access to Ni’ihau is for relatives of the island owners, although they’ve extended open invitations to U.S. Navy personnel and other government officials. Supervised diving, hiking, and hunting expeditions are offered to tourists but still the frequency is limited throughout the year.

Gina Mangieri, local television journalist recently wrapped an exclusive special mini-series for KHON2 on the past, present, and future of Ni’ihau. She interviews the islands owners and some of the 130 residents who still live today much like that have since the 1800′s.

Have you had the honoro of visiting Ni’ihau?

Photo credit: Lenneth.net