Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture and Design

Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture and Design at 4055 Papu Circle in Black Point, Honolulu, Hawaii, is the oceanfront estate built in the 1930s by heiress and collector Doris Duke. The house blends Hawaiian tropical setting with Islamic architecture and design, and holds one of the finest collections of Islamic art in the United States. Rooms feature tile panels from Iran, Syria and Morocco, carved ceilings, painted woodwork, textiles, ceramics and metalwork, and the Mughal-inspired garden terraces drop to the Pacific. Highlights include the Playhouse with its pierced screens and ocean views, the Damascus Room with its painted wood, and the Mughal Garden with channels and a pavilion. Access is by guided tour only, and visitors are not allowed to drive to the property. A shuttle departs from the Honolulu Museum of Art on Thursday and Friday, and from Bishop Museum on Saturday, and the whole outing takes about two and a half hours including transit. Tours run several times in the morning and afternoon, and the property is closed all of September. Photography is limited in some interior rooms, so visitors should follow the guide's instructions. Tickets are $45 per person, with a $20 rate for Hawaii residents on Thursday and Friday, and they are released on the first Thursday of each month at 10:00 AM Hawaii time, selling out quickly. Groups are small, so crowds are never an issue, but availability is. Comfortable shoes are advised for the garden paths and stairs, and visitors should check in about ten minutes before departure.