For true tranquility, head to Kahaluu on Oahu’s windward side for a quiet, calming visit to the Byodo-In temple. The only sounds you’ll hear on the temple grounds are the occasional splashes of shimmering koi or the deep timbre of a five-foot high, three-ton brass bon-sho, or sacred bell.
The Byodo-In temple, part of the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park, is a beautifully crafted, full size replica of a 900-year-old temple in Uji, Japan. In addition to the sacred bell, cast in Osaka, Japan, the 47-year-old Hawaii temple also features a nine-foot tall, gold-lacquered Buddha sitting atop a lotus. The temple and its manicured grounds offer an array of peacefully secluded areas, such as the meditation pavilion, to watch the resident peacocks and black swans, meditate or simply sit and relax. It’s impossible to leave here not feeling more peaceful.