Foster Botanical Garden is a beautiful oasis in the heart of Chinatown in Honolulu, Hawaii. We…read morealways enjoy visiting and getting a chance to reconnect with nature while we're in Honolulu. The garden features a wonderful variety of flora and wildlife, making it a great destination for nature lovers and bird watchers alike. There are several benches throughout the grounds where you can sit, relax, and take in the surroundings, along with a small greenhouse to explore. There's a minimal admission fee, and the garden also has a private parking lot, which is a definite plus in this part of Honolulu. A peaceful little escape from the city and definitely worth a visit if you enjoy plants, wildlife, and simply spending some time outdoors.

Loved this place. Great place to just decompress and walk around for a good 45 mins. or so. The…read morebotanical garden is basically right in the middle of HNL. Check this place out. The collection of plants and trees are remarkable.

Do yourself a favor and visit this place that doesn't make all the insta photos. Out guide Mike was…read moresuper knowledgeable and informative, and I am so glad we stopped by this incredible piece of history on Oahu. Street parking right outside, lovely gift shop and clean well maintained bathroom facilities.

Admittedly, over the past 20 years, we've visited these historic structures at least once a year…read moreduring Kawaiaha'o Church's annual pre-Christmas craft fair. As there are only 3 historic structures on this property, this museum is small but worth seeing if you're interested in learning about the impact of these missionaries on the native Hawaiian culture during the reign of King Kamehameha II, Kamehameha III and Queen Kaahumanu in the 19th Century. We were walking in the area when we noticed the banner which announced a Family Day Open House (FREE admission, tours and activities) this past Saturday so we made it a point to check it out. The Hawaiian Mission Houses Historical Site and Archives (HMHHSA) is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00AM to 4:00PM. General admission is $10 with discounts for Military, Seniors and Students. Tours are guided with very knowledgeable docents or you can take a self-guided tour. So, what are the Hawaiian Mission Houses? Basically there are 3 main, restored, structures dating back to the early 19th Century. But, there's MORE to just looking at these structures. In 1819, the "First Company" of missionaries (7 couples and 5 children plus 4 native Hawaiian boys) set sail from Boston to the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) and were given direction to "raise the native peoples to an elevated state of Christian civilization" which included the teachings of the Bible and abilities to literacy. They were NOT to meddle in political affairs or other secular matters that were not directly related to religion. This direction was a mixed message and until today, the roles of the missionaries are regarded as somewhat controversial. -1821 Mission House (Ka Hale Lāau) The First Company came with pre-cut lumber and Western living essentials and erected the structure. It was built in typical New England-style, housed the missionaries and became a site where the exchange between Native Hawaiian culture and language and Western cultures and language "began". Native Hawaiians were taught the English language and became literate while the missionaries learned the Hawaiian language and culture. The American missionaries introduced Western medicine, agriculture, laws and democracy and reinforced political and economic ties with the United States. This house originally housed the 7 members of the Daniel Chamberlain family, 5 other missionary families and occasionally ailing sailors and orphans. -1831 The Chamberlain House was built using local coral blocks, lumber from salvaged ships and locally procured supplies. This larger, 2-story structure served as home, gathering place and supply center. It had an attic and cellar like most New England homes have but if you live in or have visited Hawaiian homes built in the late 19th C and 20th C, youd rarely find these features. -1841 Printing House (Ka Hale Pai) Built next to the Mission House out of coral blocks and now adapting to the local climate, the missionaries added this structure originally as an extra bedroom or living quarters. It was soon converted into housing the first printing press which was originally set up in a grass house. The Mission's Print House produced the first materials printed in the Hawaiian language and showed how the native Hawaiians and missionaries worked together. While strolling the grounds of these mission houses and Kawaiaha'o Church, I could feel history come alive and see how much life has changed in Hawaii.

We are regulars at this wonderful gem out in Kahului. It…read moreonce was owned by artist, Hiroshi Tagami. Who passed away. I'm not sure who runs the gallery now, but you will still see his seascapes and mountainous oils. This place is so quiet and lush green. They once had lemurs, monkeys, and exotic birds. I could sit there forever...great place to meditate with art mixed in throughout the property...so aesthetic. No picture taking allowed of the art work. The garden has pottery pieces throughout which are art. Bonsai trees are blended in and art in itself. We try to make events of new upcoming island artists. We were greeted and asked to show our vaccination cards. Remember, it's up to a private business whether they want full COVID19 practice including mask wearing. They did have snacks and drinks and sat under one of the umbrella tables to take everything in...so worth it! Ciao!

An afternoon of art and calm meant for the soul. The hosts Joel and Ailene are as beautiful as the…read moregardens and welcome everyone with a smile and invitation to relax and enjoy, and I did for the longest time.

It's basically by Manoa Falls hike and it's in a jungle. Like basically we in the jungle…read more Surrounded by plants it definitely feels like you have escaped into a different world. I appreciate the fact that they hold plant sales here twice a year because usually this place is blocked off from the public until they open it up just for this.

Truly in awe of how lush and gorgeous this arboretum is. It doesn't look like much from the…read moreoutside, but once you make it inside, it's like a whole different world. The Lyon Arboretum has the most vibrant plants and some of the most fabulous views that I've seen within Hawaii. My friend and I visited the arboretum after hiking nearby Manoa Falls. The arboretum is actually located within Manoa Falls Park, and the entrance is located just before the beginning of the Manoa Falls hike. We hadn't planned on visiting, but we decided to check it out since it was so close. Best decision that we could have made! While we really enjoyed the hike to Manoa Falls, we both enjoyed the hike through the arboretum so much more. Entrance into the arboretum is free with a reservation, but it's just a nominal fee of $5 if you stop by same day. We paid the fee at the visitor's center and were given trail maps to follow along our journey through the greenery. The visitor's center also has other maps and souvenirs for purchase. There are actually quite a few trails that run through here. We started our hike off without looking at the maps but then realized that we kind of needed them. That's when we realized that we couldn't find them. It's not a huge arboretum, but it is easy to get lost depending on how and how deep that you decide to go in. Would highly recommend that you use the trail map if you're planning a longer hike. We ended up hiking up to Aihualama Falls which weren't as grand as Manoa Falls, but it was still really beautiful and secluded. The hike to Aihualama Falls was also extremely gorgeous! We were practically surrounded by beautiful flowers during most of our hike. We literally stopped just to smell and admire them. We found the most vibrant orchids, roses, tropical wildflowers, succulents, and so much more. The gardens are so amazing here. The great lawn is so impressive! I was actually kind of bummed that I didn't bring my lunch because the lawn is the PERFECT place to sit out and have a picnic! We saw a few people relaxing out on the lawn and enjoying themselves, but it was so empty and secluded. Plus, the view of the mountains from the lawn is ridiculous! A spot that I could definitely see myself chillin' at all damn day. It was so lovely. We hadn't planned on doing any long or strenuous hikes here, so we just went with the flow. I will say that you can really get your hike on here. I think we ended up doing 3 or 4 miles from, but we weren't really prepared for the inclines through the forest since we had originally planned to only hike Manoa Falls. Make sure to bring plenty of water, snacks, sunscreen and bug spray. We were there in the early afternoon but it was already super warm, and many parts of the arboretum are exposed. Also, the bugs can be quite aggressive in certain areas. Nothing that a little bug spray can't handle though. All in all, I'm extremely impressed. I would definitely come back to this arboretum to partake in a more extensive hike and for a picnic.

Hidden gem! The second floor is an incredible showcase of a collection from across the world, and…read moredon't miss the full jade Buddha on the first floor. I did significant damage purchasing pearl and angel skin coral jewelry from Flora and they are now some of my favorite pieces in my rotation (and I'm normally a Cartier girl!). Really interesting that they do school field trips here to have students familiarize themselves with all different types of rocks, minerals, and other similar material. Highly recommend for folks stopping by in Waikiki, not a tourist trap for sure!!!!

What a great cause from this small family run business. No admission price. Kids from schools are…read morebrought to see up close gems, stones, corals from all over the world to see and touch first hand. Large intricate sculpted figures on display. There is a wide variety of quality jewelry for purchase. Better priced than many other establishments I've went to. Such as 3 for $20 or 2 for $30 for bracelets, earnings and necklaces. Much better quality too. Very nice people. Parking can be tricky. If you luck out on street parking I suggest Target/international market place perhaps?

This was one of the stop on our tour In Honolulu , we were here for about 45mins…read more Liliokalani Botanical Garden is a very beautiful it is free to enter also free parking as well, there are some benches along the grass and paved paths, lots of trees and flowers,a water stream, a bridge. I saw a family fishing in one of the ponds, she stated to that there are fish in that dirty pond, I wish that there signs leading you to the waterfall. The highlight for me here was getting some sample from a live paper tree.

One flower. That was it. Jamie W and I saw just one flower in the entire botanical garden (Photo…read more3). Even though we saw a sign identifying this place in front of the parking lot, we really couldn't tell where the garden began. By the time we saw Waikahalulu Falls (Photo 10), we finally realized we were in the middle of it. Even though there was an abundance of native plants, none of them were identified as such, so we frankly didn't learn anything. We just made our way to the picnic grounds next to the waterfall and then exited. To be honest, we only stopped here strolling from the original Liliha Bakery in Kalihi to Chinatown, so we didn't have any expectations coming here. Inconveniently, the public restrooms were boarded up. Admission is free. RELATED - Exploring Hawaii? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/wLtaaLUEVq

We took a fabulous tour of the Honolulu Fire Department Museum. The tour was free but we had to…read moreorder tickets in advance and tickets are limited. The tour lasts about an hour. Four different active firefighters served as outstanding docents for the tour. We toured and learned about the Honolulu Headquarters. The fire department was started by King Kamehameha III in 1851 and is the only US fire department started by a King. We saw several memorials that honor fallen firefighters. In the museum, we saw early fire trucks and other interesting early fire fighting artifacts. We learned about the amazing roll of the firefighters during the attack on Pearl Harbor. I appreciated the educational segment about fire safety in the home and the proper use and care of smoke detectors. My granddaughter enjoyed seeing the trucks up close. There is free on site parking behind the building. Restroom facilities are available during the tour. I highly recommend the tour and visit to the Museum for history buffs or fire safety enthusiasts. The program is suitable for all ages.

The tour here was so great! They put tickets out a month in advance and it is totally free! The…read morefirefighters are so knowledgeable and friendly. My two keiki had the best time I would definitely recommend checking it out.

Take a breath…read more.. Take in the view that's right here in UH...this tiny garden tucked right behind East-West Center where it must be such a calming vibe to overhear the Manoa Stream flow which is what you can hear as soon as you approach the walkway there you see a sign to bring awareness of their rules. The Garden is open daily from 7am to 6pm though do recommend coming on Sunday to find parking and of course being less crowded though be mindful that it's not a place to have your party or picnic and pets aren't allowed as well. There is a koi pond as well which sadly is quite green and not the pleasant sight to see but did appreciate the area that's open to the public to stroll but there are mosquitoes...and I got bitten quite often so be careful. I did enjoy the garden regardless though parking is the most difficult but see many folks do come on campus to stroll and see why they do so as it's just stunning and a nice view without going far...pics are some items given to me that I just had to share and I'm so grateful for wonderful friends that have been so kind to me...reflections! Thank you!

A beautiful small Japanese Garden on the campus of East West Center. The garden is seeped in…read moresymbolism and it is wise to visit the website to get the historical significance. The whole campus is beautiful, almost makes me want to go back to college just to spend time here. Take your time, listen to the water and feel the peace that emanates here.