• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Artisan Life
  • Dot Marker Pages
  • Mother’s Day Printables
  • Journals & Planners
  • Preschool + K Printables
    • Alphabet Tracing Worksheets
    • Fine Motor Practice Pages
    • Spanish Preschool Pages
    • CVC & Sight Words
    • Dot Marker Pages
    • Preschool Math
    • Kindergarten Math Worksheets
    • Cut & Paste Puzzles
  • Coloring
  • Gardening + DIY
    • Gardening
    • DIY Cleaning Products
    • DIY Skincare Products
    • Craft Tutorials
  • Shop

Visiting Byodo-In Temple, Kahaluu, Hawaii

  • Share

The Byodo-In Temple at Valley of the Temples on the Windward side of Oahu has been one of my favorite spots to visit ever since my first trip to Hawaii. It’s actually a scale replica of a nearly thousand year old temple in Japan, but it’s beautiful in its own right. I went back again this past Wednesday because I really wanted to take some better photos (now that I’m starting to have a clue about what to do with my camera!). If you’re looking for a few travel tips and advice about visiting Byodo-In, just bear with me for a second or skip down a little bit. =)

Besides actually learning about the settings on my camera, two things that have helped me most in my ongoing journey to improve my photography are shooting with intention and realizing that photos don’t have to be “photorealistic.” If you switch your camera on and just hit the button, the 1/2500 of a second snapshot of what’s before you probably doesn’t convey the same emotional response, connection, or emotion as what’s actually before your eyes. It may well be a very accurate representation of how things looked in that tiny fraction of a second, but it doesn’t convey how what the scene really is and how it feels.

Byodo-In Temple Hawaii

The picture above is a little dark when scaled down to fit my blog’s width, but it does such a better job of capturing the atmosphere than the photo below (taken in March 2014).

byodo-in temple 2014

This older picture is a pretty typical tourist shot that looks a lot like what you’ll see if you look the temple up on various review sites. It may very well be a more accurate portrayal of the temple at a specific moment, but it doesn’t carry an emotional impact.

But enough of that! Let’s move on to what to expect if you visit Byodo-In near Kaneohe. I’ve been at least four times and I’ve learned that arriving early is key if you want to get a few photos or spend a relaxing moment in contemplation. The most recent time I visited the website said the temple opened at 9 am, but then a sign at the Valley of the Temples said it opened at 8:30 that day. There is an admission charge (only $3 for adults), so bring some small bills. Especially early in the day, they don’t like taking larger bills. Because the temple is at the rear of the Valley of the Temples memorial park and there is security, your car should be much safer here than at many other spots in Hawaii. (Hawaii is, sadly, known for car break ins, which is something to keep in mind if you’re planning a vacation here!). The temple is a stop on the tour bus routes, which is why I go as close to opening as I can. By the time I left around 11 am last Wednesday, there were two buses worth of folks with selfie sticks between the path and view of the temple.

In addition to the temple, there is also a bell you can ring, a gazebo area, some really cool bamboo, a gift shop, a memorial wall, numerous statues, and several waterfalls, bridges, and other water features.

byodo-in temple waterfall

byodo-in temple waterfall 3The temple bills itself as a “non practicing Buddhist temple,” but there are people who worship here and they do ask that you remove your shoes when entering the temple. This may be something to keep in mind. There isn’t much hiking around to do (some walking, but nothing crazy and there are paths!), so you might want to choose slip on footwear so you’re not balancing on one foot and struggling with your hiking boots to take a look inside.

remove your shoes

The gift shop is nice and they frequently have ribbon leis for sale, so it’s a good place to pick up a lei souvenir that you can bring home with you! Leis are also used in commemoration, so people hang them in memorial.

memorial lei

If quiet contemplation isn’t really your thing, there is usually a peacock strutting around, and there are black swans in the ponds along with hundreds of Japanese koi carp. You can pick up some food at the gift shop and see how many coy you attract! There are also beautiful native species and plenty of flowers to look at.

pink hibiscus

When you’re planning a visit, you have to remember to be flexible and, if it’s on your must-see list, don’t put off going to Byodo-In Temple until your last day on the island. The temple is used for events (it’s a popular spot for weddings!) and they do have to perform maintenance. I’ve never seen the temple outright closed when I visited, but sometimes areas will be closed off. I’ve only experienced someone weed-eating and a volunteer clearing the grass from a rock garden, but my family found the entire pond drained and people cleaning the bottom when they visited!

cleaning the rocksAlso, bear in mind that the temple is near the mountains on the Windward side, which means it sees quite a bit of rain. Even if it’s bright and sunny in Honolulu, consider bringing an umbrella over the mountains with you! Just make sure to leave the beach balls behind – this is a place for contemplation and memorial, not running around. That being said, I’ve seen plenty of children enjoying the site. They love ringing the giant bell and feeding the fish!

memorial wall

With a low admission price, beautiful photo ops, and great spots to spend some time thinking, I think Byodo-In Temple is a “must visit” location on Oahu. I hope you have the opportunity to visit and enjoy the experience as much as I do!byodo-in temple waterfall 2

Have you visited Byodo-In Temple? Do you have a favorite place to sit and think?

 

  • Share

Buy me a coffee

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Previous Post: « Boho Cloth Bead Bracelet Tutorial (Fabric Stash Busting Project)
Next Post: Cuban-Inspired Slow Cooker Lechon Asado Plantain Nachos »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Debby Powell

    October 19, 2016 at 13:59

    Hi Natasha,

    I visited Byodo-in Temple in September and loved it. I hope to return again and bring some people with me! Unfortunately I didn’t get there at opening. I’ll do that the next time. I took a few snapshots but nothing like what you have here. What time of day did you take the first photo with the clouds over the temple? So beautiful….

    I look forward to getting your posts!

    Debby

    Reply
    • Natashalh

      October 19, 2016 at 14:03

      I took that photo just a few minutes after opening. =) It rains a lot here on Windward Oahu, so we frequently get pretty dramatic clouds! I generally find it’s better to take photos at Byodo-In in the morning, while the sunlight is hitting it instead of behind it casting shadows. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and I hope you enjoy the next time you visit the temple!

      Reply
  2. Malia

    May 31, 2015 at 20:07

    New to your blog, so you’ll probably see me commenting more than once on here! I’ve lived in Kahalu’u for over a year now and finally went to the temple this weekend. Such a beautiful and serene place, it has definitely been my new place to come visit and will return again. Your pictures are amazing!

    Reply
    • Natashalh

      June 1, 2015 at 06:27

      Thank you! There’s a not too bad hike with a view near there, too, that we didn’t do for a very long time. There are actually large portions of the island (Ko Olina, Haliewa, etc) that we’ve never been to. Submarine schedule. =)

      Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

natashalh - the artisan life

Hi, I’m Natasha! I’m so glad you’re here.

I’m a former classroom teacher with a Masters of the Arts in Teaching turned homeschooler & gardener. I share educational & planner printables and tips for making gardening with kids successful and affordable.

I also publish printed coloring & activity books. You can also find me on YouTube.

Let's be friends!

Search The Artisan Life

The Artisan Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

The Artisan Life also uses affiliate links for other sites. For a full look at my policy, please visit its page here.

Buy me a coffee

Footer

Privacy Policy | Disclosure & Disclaimer | Terms and Conditions | Contact
COPYRIGHT © 2012 – 2023 The Artisan Life · ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly here: natashalh(at)stalkingthewildsnark(dot)com. I do not accept guest posts and will not respond to unsolicited requests for guest posts or links. Stock images by Depositphotos

Copyright © 2023 The Artisan Life on the Foodie Pro Theme