Discover the Manoa Valley when you visit Waioli
Although we are just minutes away from Waikiki, our secluded valley is a world apart, Manoa means thick and vast in the Hawaiian language and this magical valley boasts a blend of ancient and modern, natural and manmade. Manoa is the site of the first sugarcane and coffee plantations in the Hawaiian Islands. Today we invite you to discover our vibrant small town-community with parks and tree-lined residential streets as well as a performing arts theater, Chinese cemetery, heritage center, world-class arboretum, hiking trails and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the flagship campus of the University of Hawaii System.
Lyon Arboretum
The Harold L. Lyon Arboretum is nestled in 193.5 acres of tropical rain forest at the top of the Manoa Valley watershed. Lyon Arboretum serves as a cultural and scientific resource to urban Oahu’s diverse communities. With over 5,000 taxa of tropical and sub-tropical plants to be found throughout the grounds, over seven miles of hiking trails, and an elevation gradient that starts at 450 feet and rises to 1850 feet above sea level, the Lyon Arboretum has much to offer to all.
Celebrating its 100th anniversary, the Lyon Arboretum was established in 1918 by the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association. Now part of the University of Hawaii, its mission is to inspire and cultivate the conservation of tropical plant biodiversity and connect it to Hawaii’s culture through education and research.
3660 Manoa Rd, (808) 988-0456, hawaii.edu/lyonarboretum
Manoa Heritage Center
Manoa Heritage Center is 3.5-acre living classroom dedicated to promoting an understanding of the cultural and natural heritage of Hawaii. Founded in 1996 by Sam and Mary Cooke, Manoa Heritage Center is a non-profit organization that reflects the Cooke family legacy of stewardship and preservation and is guided by a shared vision of inspiring people to be thoughtful stewards of their communities.
Manoa Heritage Center features Kūka‘ō‘ō Heiau, the last intact heiau (ancient temple) in the greater ahupuaʻa (land division) of Waikiki, Native Hawaiian gardens and Kūali‘i, the Cookeʻs 1911 Tudor-style home. Kūaliʻi is presently the Cooke family private residence and will open to the public in the future. Both Kūkaʻōʻō Heiau and Kūaliʻi are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Adult tours are by reservation only Monday – Friday, by reservation only contact@manoaheritagecenter.org
2856 O‘ahu Avenue, (808) 988-1287, manoaheritagecenter.org
Manoa Falls and Hiking in the Manoa Valley
The most popular hike in the valley is the scenic .8-mile trail to the Manoa Falls. Just down the street from us, at the end of Manoa Road is a parking area for the hiking trail to Manoa Falls. The trail passes through rain forests and bamboo groves. There are canopies of guava, eucalyptus, and banyan trees and patches of ginger. The path parallels the Manoa Stream leading to the base of the 150-foot waterfall deep in the valley.
In addition to the hike to the falls, there are other hiking trails through the valley’s forests and along the mountain ridges. It is the Koolau mountain range that provides the dramatic backdrop for the entire Manoa Valley. The clouds that surround the peaks provide almost daily showers that keep the valley its lush green color and make rainbows a common occurrence.
Manoa Chinese Cemetery
Founded in 1852, Lin Yee Chung (a.k.a Manoa Chinese) Cemetery is the oldest and largest Chinese cemetery on the Hawaiian Islands. It is thirty-four acres in size and has the design elements of a “classic” Chinese cemetery. Each year in April, the Three Presentations Ceremony, a traditional graveyard ritual, is performed during Ching Ming, the Chinese memorial season.
3225 Pakanu St, Honolulu, HI 96822 (808) 293-8345