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Shangri La

4055 Papu Circle, Honolulu, Oahu, HI 96816
808 734 1941
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Ranked #4 of 143 attractions in Honolulu
Type: Historic Sites, Architectural Buildings, Art Museums
Description: Doris Duke's home, built in 1930, is an architecturally significant home which includes a collection of Islamic artwork.
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206 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    154
    39
    7
    5
    1
Date Rating
San Diego
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
7 attraction reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
20 helpful votes 20 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed June 8, 2013

I went going in thinking "what do I care about some house from a lady of yesterday-year", but boy was I wrong. I got roped into going and I'm man enough to admit this mistaken thinking. It was fascinating, intriguing, and beautiful. Definitely recommend this place. Yes, reservations are an absolute.

Was this review helpful? Yes 4
See 9 more reviews by San-Diego-Surf-n-Sun for Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaii
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
3 attraction reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed June 7, 2013

I enjoyed the tour. It was pretty warm inside though.. only downside.. enjoyed seeing the inside of her home and all her beautiful artwork. I felt her spirit inside for sure.. a lamp even flickered so I know she was around us.. pretty cool!

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
See 4 more reviews by thestacey for Honolulu
Boston, Massachusetts
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed June 7, 2013

On arrival at Shangri La it is a simple gate, driveway and entrance. Once inside a new world opens up to Doris Duke's life from 1940's until she died in her 90's. The house looks out through a glass wall to the Pacific. A must see.

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
See 5 more reviews by gconroy for Honolulu
California
Senior Contributor
35 reviews 35 reviews
10 attraction reviews
Reviews in 18 cities Reviews in 18 cities
37 helpful votes 37 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed June 2, 2013

Where you meet is close to town. The museum doesn't open until 10. No one would tell us where the pick-up was. We walked all around looking in the heat. It would be helpful if they marked the pick-up site. ShangriLa itself is very dark and there is no breeze. The art work is magnificent, but the actual experience was... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
See 5 more reviews by bossladyCalifornia for Honolulu
Baltimore
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
20 helpful votes 20 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed June 1, 2013

The tour for Shangri La starts at Honolulu Museum of Art. From there we were taken by mini-van to Shangri La. The tour is guided and photographs are now permitted only outside. Shangri La estate in Honolulu contains Islamic art collected by Doris Duke. She bought entire houses from Damascus and then reassembled some of objects in rooms at her... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 3
See 2 more reviews by BaltimoreTraveler001 for Honolulu
Seattle, WA
Senior Contributor
39 reviews 39 reviews
Reviews in 22 cities Reviews in 22 cities
47 helpful votes 47 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 28, 2013

Interesting tour and worth the effort. We've done this tour twice and the quality depends on luck of the draw for your docent. We found the second time around we had some interest in the gardens, building design etc. and the docent was not trained to answer those types of questions. They have their set tour and are trained for... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
See 8 more reviews by SJaneSeattle_WA for Honolulu
Aiea, Hawaii
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
12 attraction reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
21 helpful votes 21 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 26, 2013

Shangri La gives we commoners a glimpse into a world that is beautiful and opulent and reflective of the contradictory mind of Doris Duke. The view of Diamond Head is worth the trip, but there are priceless objects that Ms. Duke collected on her world travels which are incredible as well. I personally love the glass wall that disappears into... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 3
See 3 more reviews by DrGinHawaii for Honolulu
northern New Jersey
Top Contributor
71 reviews 71 reviews
12 attraction reviews
Reviews in 26 cities Reviews in 26 cities
36 helpful votes 36 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 26, 2013

OK, a bit heavy on the Doris Duke worship scale, but if you can get past that, it is a wonderful facility. The woman had very particular tastes and it is evident throughout the various buildings and rooms.If you have ever been to the Breakers in Newport-it's sort of like that, with an Islamic orientation. The front lawn area is... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
See 7 more reviews by carandken for Honolulu
El Paso, Texas
Senior Contributor
36 reviews 36 reviews
14 attraction reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
18 helpful votes 18 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 20, 2013

Reading the couple of reviews rating this attraction mediocre just floors me. The bedroom is undergoing restoration, but the rest of the house is magnificent and well worth the time and the price. Seeing just one room or one outside area is amazing, so I just don't understand anyone who rates Shangri-la less than 5 stars (maybe if you had... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 2
See 11 more reviews by Transplant_Texan for Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaii
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed May 14, 2013

It's a magnificent estate by the ocean. There's a good collection of interior decors from the Middle East especially Syria. The one thing that spoiled my visit was one of the attendant. We had a special presentation at the play house by the pool area. After the presentation we wanted to take some photos. The guard told us we had... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1

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