Honolulu is a wonderful city. Mountains. Shopping. Waikiki. Chinatown. Ala Moana Center. If you’re looking for something special. Something you won’t find “in town”.

Load up the car and head to the Windward side and view the Koolau Mountains from a whole new perspective.

It’s true. It’s amazing. It’s a fact. The mountains you see on the back side of Honolulu have another site. The mountain range is called Koolau; one of two mountain ridges that form Oahu.

The Koolaus are the towering mountains that create the photographic backdrop of Honolulu and Waikiki.

What’s on the other side?

If you’re looking for the most unusual spot on the entire island, this is it. A quick trip over the Pali Highway into Kailua or Kaneohe (take your pick; both are quaint, comfortable, slow, and humid) gets you another view of the Koolau Mountain Range.

A view of the Koolau Mountains from the Windward side displays sheer, lush green which dominates the sky. They hide the setting sun and catch clouds and rain.

When it rains you’ll see cascading waterfalls which tumble hundreds of feet to the valley below.

At the foot of the mountains, at Haiku (on the mountainside of Kaneohe town) sits a red, orange, and green temple. An enormous bronze bell rings against the Koolau cliffs.

You will not find a more peaceful setting on the island. Nestled among the lush tropical vegetation is the Byodo-In, a replica of the temple in Uji, Japan. Nearby are small streams, a deathly quiet pond, and ancient wooden bridges.

They’re probably not really “ancient”, but they look such.

It’s reported that over 10,000 prized golden koi swim in the temple ponds and streams. Peacocks strut about the area like Naomi Campbell on a runway. Even the NBC peacock is envious.

It doesn’t take long to walk through the temple and temple grounds. Children can ring the bell and scare away evil spirits. Mother-in-laws not included.

The Windward side of the Koolau Mountains. Byodo-In Temple at Haiku. Easily the most unusual setting in tropical Hawaii.

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