Serious pilgrims and curious sightseers are welcome at this Hindu monastery, set in 363 acres of verdant forest above the Wailua River. Amid bountiful gardens, the Kadavul Temple, Ganesha and Nandi statues and other structures are all devoted to the god Shiva. While visitors can access a limited area on their own daily, free guided tours are offered once a week – call or check the website for details. Modest dress required: no shorts, T-shirts, tank tops or short dresses.
The Kadavul Temple contains a rare single-pointed quartz crystal, a 50-million-year-old, six-sided shivalingam (representation of the god Shiva) that weighs 700lb and stands over 3ft tall. In the temple (which visitors may not enter except to attend a 9am daily worship service), monks have performed a puja (prayer ritual) every three hours around the clock since the temple was established in 1973.
If you're not dressed properly, you can borrow sarongs to cover up with at the entrance.
