Oahu reviews

Guest Rating:

The house has artistic architectural design, lovely landscaping, and breathtaking views of Lanikai beach and the Mokuluas from several rooms and decks. The sea breeze was refreshing day and night. One of the decks has hooks for a hammock and it would have been an added touch if one had been available. The outdoor shower head needs some work to get it to stay in place. Overall, it was a fabulous place- absolutely first class.

Douglas W., Mammoth Lakes, CA, 7.4.09

Guest Rating:

The unit is very small, but the back yard and pool totally MAKE IT!!!
It works for a couple, or, as in our case, mother and daughter who are very comfortable together.
While kitchenette lacks basic kitchen ammenities, the owners have tried to be very creative in offering work-arounds so you can make most of your meals at home... between the normal fridge-freezer, the two burners, toaster oven, microwave, and BBQ.
In the back yard, you have your own mini paradise. The pool is beautiful and immaculate. The outside shower is a treat.
The walk to the beach is easy, 10 minutes, and perfect to watch the sunrise.
Thursday farmers' markets are not to be missed.
Overall, we had a FABULOUS time and would definitely go back!

Justine R., Sea Ranch, CA, 7.4.09

Guest Rating:

I loved staying at this house. The view out the front is of the harbor and the historical haleiwa bridge is very nice to wake up to. While we were there we saw 4 marlins brought in along with lots of other large fish. The neighbors are nice. less than a minute walk to the beach, A few minute walk to kayake and stand up paddle board rentals. walking distance to all of Haleiwa shopping. about a 30 minute drive to the water slide park, and it was a great way to spend a day. We ran out of time and didnt go on the shark cage tour, but it went out multiple times daily from the harbor. I will be back and hope to say in this house again. The booking arraignment we easy, and the driving directions from the airport were easy to follow.

Richard G., San luis Obispo, Ca, 7.2.09

Guest Rating:

Audrey is amicable, welcoming and very helpful. We came in late and were very hungry and tired and she made us some beefstew and we had a wonderful conversation with her. The room was clean, comfortable and right on a huge swimming pool. The home had a great location which allowed us to visit many interesting and beautiful places. Get a GPS rent a car as it will keep your hands free from the map, take you where you want to go and tell you stories about some of the sights.

We would love to come back and stay with Audrey at the Plumeria Studio. She also has a great cat!!!!

Susan B., Chantilly, VA, 7.2.09

Guest Rating:

The unit was great as far as accomodating our needs in terms of roominess, up-to-date appliances and cleanliness, however, it does need some rust proofing and new blinds.
The best part was the privacy and the ocean right outside the garden.
Our best pictures will be of our children playing in the sand and ocean.
This is a quaint and beautiful little area and I hope it remains that way.
Performers at the PCC were fantastic, funny and so kind to us visitors.

Laura F., Champaign, IL, 7.2.09

Guest Rating:

What I liked best about Hale Kai Nani III was the easy access to all of the attractions our family enjoys.
The customer service was great, until I started getting calls from my contact in Hawaii prior to arrival. She was too chatty, called too much and came on the property unannounced several times to do "chores". It made my whole family feel uncomfortable and that our privacy was being invaded.
The best part of my trip was the comfortable atmosphere and easy access to the beach.
We shopped for food at Costco and did 99% of our own cooking. Since there were twelve of us, it was easier and more cost effective.
The best picture I took was of the whole family standing under the tree in the back yard of one of the houses and the ocean scene behind.
What I would tell my friends is that the houses are wonderful, the beach is good there, but not great. The waves and rocks made "playing and swimming" a bit of a challange. But just a short walk in either direction and you had calmer water. So it was not that big of a deal.
My advice to someone else staying in this unit would be be ready to share bathrooms as there are none that are private in the bedrooms, be ready to walk a short distance for calmer entrance to the ocean. The weather is awesome, the houses are decorated very nice and are fun to hang out at with a group.
The best part of my trip I would definitley recommend to others is go to all of the attractions. But do it every other day, allowing for rest and sun & fun at the houses. We went to the Polynesian Cultural Center, Pearl Harbor, The Dole Plantation, Chartered Scuba Diving and a private dive, The botanical Gardens, and rock diving at Waimea Bay.
The best insider tip we received was buying fresh fish from the fisherman at the dock. Fresh Ahi Tuna at BARGAIN prices!!
We stayed from Monday to the following Tuesday. We had seven full days of paying with a day to travel at the beginning and one at the end.
We have been to almost all of the islands over the last 25 years and this was one of the best trips ever.

Annie F., Yuma, Az, 7.1.09

Guest Rating:

The unit was the right size for just two adults, and having access to our own private beach (and breaks for the shade) was great. Snorkeling was good down the beach to the left.

If you are staying in this unit: take advantage of Foodland grocery store just up the road, but do not forget there is another Foodland up near Pupukea, and there is another grocery store just south of La'ie, this one open Sundays.

You can choose to dine at the Turtle Bay Resort even if you are not staying there. There are a couple of restaurants. We chose Lola's on the beach, fine dining at a table on the sand and watching the sunset. Free parking with restaurant validation. Also: if you want to spend the day at the beach at the resort, they have limited guest parking available for this specific purpose (come early in the a.m.), and there is also public beach access if you go on foot, but you need locals to give you some direction where to access if you do not plan to park at the resort.

Best part of the trip: Snorkeling at Shark's Cove; visiting the turtles at Turtle Beach in the late afternoon; Giovanni's white shrimp truck!

If you like hiking, Ray can give you some tips on nearby good hikes. We did not take advantage of this on this visit, but hope to in the future.

Best insider tip: bring your own snorkeling gear (or purchase in Haleiwa)--you can pop into the water the minute you drive past a beach that is inviting you!

Next time, if it's not so windy we hope to do some kayaking!

Susan P., Laie, HI, 7.1.09

Guest Rating:

Fabulous views, extremely comfortable house. I hope to stay again. Eleven of us stayed very comfortable - my husband & I, our 2 young kids, my sister & her husband, their 2 young kids, my in-laws and my dad. It was well stocked, and the views were truly breathtaking.

Monica D., Gaithersburg, MD, 6.30.09

Guest Rating:

The upsides are the location of the rental, it was in proximity to Waikiki and the Aloa Moana Park. The apartment was great views of the mountains and partial views of the ocean. It has very good breeze and we didn't have to start the AC. The building was old and some of the tenants from the building seem to be a little shady. The bathroom could use some cleaning and a change of shower curtains, and it has ant problems in the kitchen. If you rent a car, the garage has a very low clearance, so you may not want to rent a SUV or a jeep. With that said, the price of the rental was very reasonable given the location.

Susu W., Wilmington, MA, 6.30.09

Guest Rating:

We just finished a wonderful stay at the Hale Plumeria. We practically had the beach all to ourselves during the week. We'd head down in the morning and be the only ones there. The weekends were definitely more crowded. We felt very welcomed by Raynel and right at home. There were neighbor dogs that came by to visit that helped us get through missing our own canine crew at home. They were very friendly and one of them seemed to smell each of our meals and timed her visits perfectly every time in order to get a tidbit! We ate most of our meals at the house. We headed to Costco as soon a we left the airport and that proved to be our best move of the trip. Saved us tons of money on eating out. We did head down the coast to Giovanni's Shrimp truck and it was the best meal of the trip, that and The Big City Grill in Honolulu....YUM!! The kids loved snorkeling all week. We rented from a shop right next door to the market across from the fire station. We had some equipment issues, but they were close and it was easy to get it fixed. The best part of our trip was to be able to relax. We didn't overplan our days, were often didn't have a plan. : ) When you stay here be prepared for long days on Sunset Beach and relaxing evenings on the lanai listening to the birds. It truly was paradise... I'm already looking forward to a return trip.

Margaret A., Estacada, OR, 6.29.09