Oahu’s Manoa Valley, while located just minutes from Waikiki by bus or car, is often totally overlooked by visitors. While the lack of heavy visitor traffic is surely appreciated by local residents, there is so much to appreciate in this secluded corner of Hawaii that makes it worth a visit.
University of Hawaii, Manoa Campus
Founded in 1917, the University of Hawaii at Manoa is the flagship of the University of Hawaii System, the only public university system in the state with campuses on each of the major islands. Today more than 19,800 students are enrolled in Manoa courses. Manoa offers 87 bachelor’s degrees, 87 master’s degrees, and 53 doctorates.
Manoa is the most diverse campus in the United States, with 57% of the student body of Asian or Pacific Islander descent. The University is known for its studies in Asia, the Pacific, and Hawaii, as well as its programs in tropical agriculture, tropical medicine, oceanography, astronomy, electrical engineering, volcanology, evolutionary biology, comparative philosophy, urban planning, and international trade.
The beauty of the Manoa Valley provides a backdrop for this unique but welcoming campus. Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific traditions are well represented throughout the campus. There is an authentic Japanese teahouse and garden, a replica of a Korean king’s throne room, and a Hawaiian taro patch.
Manoa Marketplace
Manoa Marketplace offers a wide variety of specialty shops, restaurants, island foods, a supermarket and a pharmacy. It is the main shopping spot for residents of the valley, many of whom gather at Café Manoa for coffee and local baked goods. It is the perfect place for a short stop before venturing into the Manoa Valley.
Manoa Chinese Cemetery
The Manoa Chinese Cemetery is the oldest and largest Chinese cemetery in Hawaii. Beginning in 1852, the Chinese community gradually began to buy the land from the former owners, which included the Bishop Estate. The current cemetery covers thirty-four acres of the Manoa Valley.
The Chinese immigrant, Lum Ching, who first identified the site in 1852, founded a society called Lin Yee Chung which means “We are buried together with pride.” The United China Society was formed in 1884 to handle the management of the cemetery.
In 1889, the land was granted in perpetuity to the society by letter from Hawaii’s Home Secretary LA Thurston. Mismanagement over the years nearly doomed the cemetery, yet it was rescued by three men, Wat Kung, Chun Hoon, and Luke Chan, who organized the plots, improved the overall condition of the cemetery, and fought a long battle with the local residents who wanted to abolish the cemetery.
Today the cemetery is operated solely by the Lin Yee Chung Association. Inside the cemetery, you will find numbered signs identifying notable areas of interest.
Arboretum of Lyon
The Lyon Arboretum was established in 1918 by the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association to demonstrate the value of watershed restoration, test tree species for reforestation, and collect economically valuable plants.
In 1953, it became part of the University of Hawaii. Today, Lyon Arboretum continues to develop its extensive collection of tropical plants that emphasizes native Hawaiian species, tropical palms, aroids, ti, taro, heliconia, and ginger.
After the University took over, the emphasis shifted from forestry to horticulture. Over the past thirty years, nearly 2,000 economically useful and ornamental plants have been introduced onto the grounds. More recently, the arboretum has been dedicated to becoming a center for the rescue and propagation of rare and endangered native Hawaiian plants.
Manoa Falls
At the end of Manoa Road there is a parking area for the hiking trail to Manoa Falls. While classified as an “easy” 8-mile, two-hour round trip, the hike is anything but easy after heavy rains or for anyone out of shape. The trail winds through a bamboo forest, rainforest, and the base of the Ko’oaus Mountains. It is very rocky in places. In other places, there are wooden or concrete steps to help you.
The road parallels the Manoa stream, whose water is heavily contaminated with the leptospirosis bacteria. Do not drink or swim in the water. There are also many mosquitoes and other biting insects, so a good application of insect repellent is a must.
At the end of the trail, you’ll find the 150-foot Manoa Falls, the flow of which ranges from spectacular after heavy rains to moderately impressive on most days. Again, don’t be tempted to swim in the water. There is a serious danger of falling rocks near the falls.
