Kaua'i's Hindu Monastery

Lonely Planet review

On an island virtually devoid of Hinduism, the splendid Kaua'i Aadheenam, commonly called simply Kaua'i's Hindu Monastery, is both serious monastery and growing tourist attraction. Located on 458 acres of lush rainforest above Wailua River, the traditional South Indian Saivite (Shiva-worshipping) monastery is a sprawling garden oasis, with a meditation hall and Ganesha statues sitting amid wildly tropical landscaping.

Access is limited to tours three or four times a month, which are well worth the time. Check the website for tour dates.

In Kadavul Temple, guests can see the world's largest single-pointed quartz crystal, a 50-million-year-old, six-sided wonder that weighs 700lb and stands over 3ft tall. In the temple, meditating monks have been rotating in three-hour vigils round the clock since the temple was established in 1973.

The highlight of the tour is the Chola-style Iraivan Temple, a monumental work-in-progress that is being entirely hand-carved from white granite by a village of artisans founded in Bangalore, India, specifically for this project.