A visit to Honolulu and the stunning Doris Duke home: Shangri-La
“Modernisation” (i.e., the mass development of Honolulu and
its famous beach, Waikiki) has not been particularly kind to the beautiful
island of Oahu. From grinding traffic (purportedly the worst in all fifty
states) to mass over-development of high-rise hotels and condominiums, many
visitors are under-whelmed when they are greeted by Honolulu as their first
taste of Hawaii. But don’t let surface appearances fool you – Honolulu has
several gems worth visiting.
Let’s start with the reason many folks visit Oahu: the
magnificent golden strand of Waikiki. While crowded with tourists from all
corners of the globe (especially “hen & stag do’s” - revelers from Down Under celebrating
before their pending nuptials) a visit and stay in the colonial Moana Surfrider
is worth the journey. Built in 1901, it maintains the colonial grandeur of days
gone by. Reserve a room in the historic wing - floors 4, 5 and 6 with room numbers ending in 14, 16 + 18
are highly recommended. Though smaller than rooms in the new towers, these
rooms are especially lovely and one can admire the views over the beach and
Diamond Head….you will be transported back in time….or think you are on the set
of an Elvis Presley film!
After you check in at the Moana Surfrider, don’t miss a full
day visit to the USS Arizona Memorial and Pearl Harbor national park & monument. With the visitor center and special
exhibition wings recently expanded and enlarged, the
story of December 7, 1941 is a compelling one.
After a long day of history and remembrance, you will be
ready for a final gem: a visit to the Doris Duke home of Shangri-La. You will
start and end your visit at the Honolulu Museum of Art (http://honolulumuseum.org) (The museum is
well-worth a minimum of 3-4 hours - an extraordinary collecting museum in the
heart of the Pacific) as entrance to Shangri-La is by pre-booked tour only and
you are shuttled from the museum to the home. In 1935, Doris Duke and her husband, James Cromwell,
discovered the Hawaiian Islands on their round-the-world honeymoon. Doris was immediately captivated and in
1936, purchased the stunning property on the back-side of Diamond Head that
would become Shangri-La. From the moment you arrive you will be captivated! The
architecture, history and extraordinary passion of Doris Duke are evident in
every room and across the grounds. There is so much to see and learn, that the
three-hour visit allocated by the Foundation will hardly suffice.
A visit to all three of these Honolulu sites will be sure to
bring out the “Aloha” spirit in everyone!
(To whet your appetite, you can get a taste of the collection
by visiting the current tour with stops across the US mainland (including a
stop at Duke’s Nasher Museum of Art in 2013 – perhaps you were lucky to have
seen the show?)
Doris Duke’s Shangri La: Architecture, Landscape, and
Islamic Art http://www.shangrilahawaii.org/Programs/Exhibitions/)
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