As a part of my Hawaii bucket list, I wanted to visit the Byodo-In Temple and Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden. Memorial Day Weekend seemed like the perfect time to see both as the two are located only about 10 minutes from each other on the east side of the island.
The Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden
Logistically, it made more sense to visit the botanical garden first. Located in Kaneohe, the Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden is nestled in the Koolau Mountain Range, and it has some of the most beautiful scenery on the entire island (which is saying something). The best part of this attraction was no entrance fee. On principle, I won’t pay to enter a botanical garden because I feel like cities use those fees to gatekeep nature.
Is that silly of me? Maybe. Are there plenty of people willing to pay it? Absolutely. Personally, however, it’s not my thing. If a botanical garden is free, I’m happy to visit. But as soon as you slap a $20 price tag on there, I’ll happily pass and not feel like I’m missing anything.
The Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden is open every single day (except Christmas and New Year’s Day) from 9 AM to 4 PM, so this is an awesome activity whether you live on Oahu or you’re visiting. You can visit the gardens to explore nature, hike, feed the ducks, fish, picnic, or go camping. Some activities require planning in advance, so be sure to do your research!
We just decided to take a walk and snap some pictures in the gorgeous background.
My favorite picture of Dan in the Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden
The Byodo-in Temple
The Byodo-in Temple is also located in Kaneohe in the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park. Byodo-in Temple translates to “Temple of Equality,” and it was dedicated in 1968 as a centennial commemoration of the first Japanese immigrants in Hawaii.
The temple is a scale replica of a temple in Uji Japan. The building itself is made without nails. It’s customary for visitors to ring the sacred brass bell, which is five feet tall and three tons, before entering the temple. This is said to give them “happiness and longevity.” Surrounding the temple is a pond filled with koi. The Japanese see koi as a symbol of love and friendship.
There’s nowhere else in Hawaii where you can go experiencing an authentic Japanese temple. While the temple grounds themselves aren’t huge, Dan and I enjoyed meandering through the paths and looking up at the gorgeous temple. Everything was neat and well-cared-for.
The temple is open every day from 8:30 AM to 5 PM. The entrance fee is $5.
Me posing in front of the Byodo-in Temple
Final Thoughts
In the time since my initial visit, I’ve actually returned to the Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden, and I think I’d like to go back at least once more before my year on Oahu is up to get some more pictures. While I don’t think I’ll head back to the Byodo-in Temple, it was a great one-time stop. I’d absolutely recommend both of these activities to anyone who is looking for things to do while visiting or living in the area.