For those of you who don't know anything about Doris Duke, she was the only child of James Duke, tobacco scion out of North Carolina. That's right, cigarettes. Yep, Duke University. And when her father died he left millions of dollars to his then 13-year-old daughter.

How did she end up in Hawaii? Well, she came with her first husband on their honeymoon, loved what she saw, (who wouldn't) and purchased oceanfront property to build a home. During her around -the -world honeymoon, she visited the Taj Majal in India was so taken by it's beauty, enough to be inspired to design a beach house with Mogul art and architecture in mind.

An athletic woman, who surfed, swam and hung out with the Hawaiian locals, she was interested in mind-body fitness and had a new age bent before it was ever fashionable. With an Olympic size pool and playhouse in the backyard with Diamond Head crater as its backdrop, her social soirées and parties were legend with a who's who guest list.

Doris was very much hands-on during the design and construction of Shangri-La. With minute detail, she orchestrated the placement of every ceramic tile and marble column inside the home. Outside, she blasted through rock and earth to design a lagoon and jetty re-designing the island's cliffs regardless the cost.

Probably the most important aspect of Shangri-La is its splendid collection of Islamic Art that experts consider one of the greatest collections in the world.

The grounds are a botanical masterpiece with beautiful Indian inspired gardens and the interior holds antiques that Doris often out-bid Museums for. One room a Turkish bath, has a mihrab in it from the 13th century that the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York wanted for their own collection.

After loitering around soaking in the beach-y opulence, we finished our drinks and headed for the marble staircase that lead to the foyer, said our goodbyes and talked to the kamaiina as they compared today's real estate prices in Honolulu to the time when Doris paid a mere $100,000.00 for 5 acres of ocean front property on the Hawaiian islands. Talk about a wise investment.