Hawaiian Island only for Natives

Hawaii's Ni'ihau Island prohibits access for guests.

There' s one island in the island of hahawaii that few people have ever entered. It is known as a'forbidden island', has no flowing waters and is taboo. THERE'S an island in the Hawaiian sea that few people have ever been to. Know as a "forbidden island", there are no cobbled streets, no electricity pipes or flowing waters and it is taboo.

Only 130 people are living on the coastline, all of whom are speaking a Hawaiian language. Situated only 27 km off the western shore of the more famous island of Kauai, it is the smallest of the populated of Hawaii. Sinclair' s grandchild Aubrey Robinson shut the island down in 1915 for most people. Families of the occupants could only come with the help of a permit.

In December 1941, during the Second World War, the island became known for the "Ni'ihau incident" when a naval plane from Japan crashes on the island and holds its inhabitants to ransom. Nowadays the island is little different from its earlier times. The inhabitants of the area are living on a minimum income, agriculture and fisheries without telephones, paving streets, electricity pipes or flowing waters.

The most important means of transport are the horse and a cargo boat provides the essential from Kauai. It is generally off-limits to all except island owners' families, US Navy staff, US civil servants and guest inviters. Ni'ihau are renowned for their shell art, which is made from the scarce mussels on their sands.

This is also an important home for high-risk wildlife such as the high-risk Hawaiian black seals, the olulu and various birds. You can only get to Ni'ihau within one of the Robinsons' half-day heli tours or full-day huntings. The Robinsons give the ill people on the island access to health care.

However, any kind of contacts between the locals and visitors is forbidden and the island usually stays a puzzle for the time being.