For avid travelers who like to cross places off lists, Niihau is a big deal. It is nearly impossible to reach and it has a fascinating story involving a contemporary feudal society, the cause of Japanese internment, and a lot of garbage.
Hawaii, a tourist mecca, has seven inhabited islands. Niihau, off the coast of Kauai, is closed off from the rest of the world. It has no hotels, no paved roads, not even an ATM. Having visited six of the seven islands already, I plotted for years to reach Niihau. I succeeded last year.
