About Matt Long
Who am I? I am a typical Gen-Xer and recovering cubicle-dweller who has a passion for all things travel. My site brings a unique perspective that is hard to find online. I am not a backpacker, nor am I...
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Visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Sites
11 April 2013 11:55 PM | 14 Comments -
20 Things Every Smart Traveler Should Know
11 March 2013 11:55 PM | 33 Comments -
Five Foods You Must Eat in Europe
12 November 2012 8:10 PM | 23 Comments -
Five Reasons to Stop Dreaming and Travel Now
16 April 2012 11:55 PM | 44 Comments -
So What’s Reykjavik Really Like?
28 February 2012 11:55 PM | 30 Comments
As Seen In:
lanai Archive
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Cook Pines in Lanai City, Lanai Hawaii
Posted on December 3, 2012 | 1 Comment -
Martian Landscape of the Garden of the Gods, Lanai, Hawaii
Posted on May 8, 2012 | 3 CommentsGarden of the Gods, Lanai, Hawaii -
Four Reasons to Visit Lanai
Posted on January 9, 2012 | 4 Comments1. Luxury – With two of the three hotels on the island belonging to Four Seasons, luxury is no doubt part of the agenda on Lanai. But it’s a different kind of luxury, a more homey, enjoyable Lanai luxury that’s really hard to find. Yes,... -
2011 Favorite Travel Person of the Year
Posted on December 26, 2011 | 10 CommentsLast year I did a series of posts highlighting my favorite travel experiences, destinations, foods and people for the previous year and I decided to once again perform this bit of forced reflection. Rather than just serve as a gratuitous way to recognize people and... -
Luxury Within Reach on the Tropical Island of Lanai
Posted on November 2, 2011 | 1 CommentHawaii is a place of dreams and expectations. Most people have a mental image of Hawaii whenever the destination comes up in conversation, and for the most part these conceptions are proven true. There is one place though that lives up to the notions of... -
How to Experience the Best of Lanai in a Day
Posted on August 31, 2011 | No CommentsMost people who visit the Hawaiian island of Lanai stay for a few days or even a week or more, taking time to relax and enjoy the unique features that make this tiny island a popular vacation destination. Many more though travel to Lanai from... -
Trouble in Paradise – The Great Lanai Windmill Debate
Posted on August 10, 2011 | 3 CommentsI first noticed it on the drive from the airport into town. It was a homemade banner attached to the fence in front of a house and while simple, the message was clear. It was a photo of a windmill with a red line through... -
Shooting My Way Out of Lanai
Posted on August 1, 2011 | No CommentsI’m not a big gun person. I don’t have a problem with people owning them, well in concept, but I just don’t have a lot of experience around them. When I was younger my grandfather and I used to shoot down empty Maxwell coffee cans... -
Travel Spotlight – Koele Ranch Life, Lanai Hawaii
Posted on July 11, 2011 | No CommentsThe paniolo, or cowboy, has a long history in the Hawaiian highlands. Lanai is no stranger to this history, which is still honored today. Unlike many other Hawaiian islands, Lanai did not attract Westerners until relatively late in its modern history. The lack of a... -
Otherworldly Landscape of the Garden of the Gods in Lanai
Posted on April 24, 2011 | No CommentsWe picked up the Jeep rental early in the morning, stopped by the Blue Ginger Café for breakfast and a picnic lunch, and set out with map in hand to explore the island of Lana’i. Lana’i has a great shuttle system, but it can be... -
Hiking the Koloiki Ridge Trail in Lanai
Posted on April 7, 2011 | 7 CommentsI had several goals while visiting Lana’i as part of the Lana’i Visitor’s Bureau New Media Artist in Residence Program. One of those goals was to find corners of the island that not everyone explores and to see more of the natural beauty that defines... -
Organized Drowning – Hawaiian SNUBA Experience
Posted on March 31, 2011 | 2 CommentsA few weeks before leaving on my trip to Lana’i as a participant in the Lanaʻi Visitor’s Bureau New-Media-Artist-in-Residence Program, I was asked if I wanted to SCUBA dive while on the island. I love any water related activity, but I’m not SCUBA certified, although... -
Travel Photo – Palaoa Point Sea Cliffs, Lanai
Posted on March 29, 2011 | No Comments -
Ultimate Lanai Restaurants and Dining Guide
Posted on March 27, 2011 | 3 CommentsI am a great fan of all things Lana’i. I have been there twice, once on a personal trip and the second time at the invitation of the Lana’i Visitor’s Bureau as part of their New Media Artist in Residence Program. It may not seem... -
Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones – The Quest for the Lanai Petroglyphs
Posted on March 16, 2011 | 2 CommentsWe turned left at the sign pointing away from Kaunolu Village and towards Kaiolohia, otherwise known as Shipwreck Beach. It was the rainy season in Lana’i, and some of the roads were off limits, even though we had a Jeep. Disappointed that some of the... -
Island of Legends – Sweetheart Rock and the Tale of Pehe’s Hill
Posted on March 10, 2011 | No CommentsLocated within sight of Manele Bay on the island of Lanai, is a breathtaking sea tower known as Sweetheart Rock, or Puupehe, the Hill of Pehe. I had read about this small bit of lava that rests about 150 feet off of the highest cliff... -
Southern Exposure – Taking Things Slow on Lanai
Posted on March 8, 2011 | 4 CommentsI used to love watching the 1990′s TV show, Northern Exposure. There was just something so alluring about the small, quirky town on the edge of the known world that instantly drew me in. That’s why I was thrilled to find a real life... -
Trends in Voluntourism: The Kokua Project – Saving Animals in Hawaii
Posted on March 3, 2011 | 12 CommentsKokua While in Lana’i, as part of the Lana’i Visitor’s Bureau New Media Artist in Residence Program, I had the opportunity to meet a truly exceptional person, Kathy Carroll. I was at a small gathering of Lana’i residents when a woman approached and said... -
In Search of the Mouflon
Posted on February 28, 2011 | 11 CommentsFriday, February 18th at 8:42 AM, that’s when I first learned about the mouflon. We had just picked up our jeep for some off road adventures from the small store in Lanai City, and were heading towards the first trail of the day. As we... -
Stepping Back in Time at the Hotel Lanai
Posted on February 23, 2011 | 2 CommentsHotel Lanai If you a frequent, or even infrequent, reader of this site, then you are no doubt aware that I was recently on the island of Lana’i as part of the Lana’i Visitor’s Bureau New-Media-Artist-in-Residence Program. While there, we had the unique opportunity to... -
The Best of Visit Lanai Photo Highlights
Posted on February 23, 2011 | No Comments -
Visit Lanai Photo Highlights Day 5 – Munro Trail and the Elusive Mouflon
Posted on February 22, 2011 | 4 CommentsOur last, full day on Lana’i was bittersweet. We had a wonderful time exploring parts of the island we had never seen, but are sad to leave. All good things must come to an end though and here are the highlights from our fifth full... -
Visit Lanai Photo Highlights Days 3 & 4
Posted on February 21, 2011 | No CommentsThe third and fourth days of our Visit Lana’i trip were busy, but a lot of fun. Here are some of the highlights from the perfect Lana’i weekend. -
Visit Lanai Photo Highlights Day 2
Posted on February 19, 2011 | 1 CommentThe second day of our Lana’i adventure was a busy one! Scott went to Koele to tee off at the Experience at Koele golf course and I explored Manele Bay. Here are some of the highlights from another great day on Lana’i. ... -
Visit Lanai Photo Highlights Day 1
Posted on February 18, 2011 | 4 CommentsOn the first day of my trip to Lana’i, we rented a Jeep and went off-roading, exploring parts of the island not many people get to see. Here are some of the highlights from this great day of adventure. -
Choose Your Own Adventure – Lanai
Posted on February 8, 2011 | 3 CommentsSeveral months ago, I announced that LandLopers had been selected to participate in an innovative new program, the Lana’i Visitor’s Bureau New Media Artist-in-Residence Program. The program includes seven travel bloggers who will each visit the Hawaiian island of Lana’i at different times over a... -
Top Romantic Travel Moments – Valentine’s Day Travel Ideas
Posted on February 6, 2011 | 2 CommentsI have mixed feelings about Valentine’s Day. It has always seemed so contrived and artificial, why do we need a day to tell our significant others that we love them? On a personal level, throughout our nearly decade long relationship, my partner and I... -
Favorite 2010 Travel Photos Day 4 – Lana’i
Posted on December 30, 2010 | 3 CommentsOnce again today I have chosen two photos as my pick for favorite photos of 2010. Both were taken on the tropical island of Lana’i in Hawaii, but reveal vastly different sides to the small island. The top photo is a classic shot of... -
Lopers Award for Favorite Person of 2010
Posted on December 27, 2010 | 8 CommentsEvery day this week I will be highlighting a favorite travel experience from 2010 with something I call the Lopers Awards. Today I want to share with you my favorite person I met while traveling. It will come as no great shock to anyone that... -
Thankful Travel
Posted on November 25, 2010 | 1 CommentAs I sit here on Thanksgiving eve, watching loved ones snooze on the couch in front of a roaring fire, I find myself waxing poetic and thinking back on the past year. Thanksgiving is a great holiday not only for the opportunity to commune with... -
Budget Travel Case Study: Lana’i
Posted on November 16, 2010 | 5 CommentsLana i At first glance Lana’i may not seem like the ideal budget travel destination, but looks are absolutely deceiving in this case. I’m not going to discuss airfare since it fluctuates wildly depending on where you live. Without a doubt though, our friends... -
LandLopers Selected for Lanaʻi Visitor’s Bureau New-Media-Artist-in-Residence Program
Posted on November 7, 2010 | 14 CommentsLast week I received a rather cryptic note on my Facebook page asking me to contact the sender about a new program she was developing. Little did I realize that this innocent note would lead to my involvement in an exciting and extremely innovative... -
Hoof and a Prayer – Koele Stables Horseback Riding, Lanai
Posted on October 11, 2010 | 4 CommentsHis name was Ace and I wasn’t sure how much he liked me. We had just met, but already his attention was waning and it was a challenge to keep him from arguing with his friends. Once I got a feel for the reins... -
Lanai Chicken Katsu and Tonkatsu
Posted on September 26, 2010 | 5 CommentsIf you are looking for the movie version of Hawaii with swaying palms and fruity drinks, then Lana’i is definitely not the spot for you. The smallest island in the state, Lana’i is like no other place. Populated with axis deer and huge Cook... -
Hawaii Discovered
Posted on September 23, 2010 | 4 CommentsBefore my recent trip to Hawaii, I wrote a brief post about the importance of the trip to me personally. The trip was one that I had wanted to make for a very long time and, over the course of my lifetime, I had constructed... -
Island of Lana’i – First Impressions
Posted on September 19, 2010 | 5 CommentsWe had a very hard travel choice to make. At the conclusion of work obligations on the Island of Oahu in Hawaii, we wanted to take some time to see another part of the State and, more importantly, to relax. When one solicits travel advice... -
Travel Photo – Flying Over Lanai
Posted on September 9, 2010 | 3 Comments
