Lanikai reviews

Guest Rating:

I would highly recommend the Lanikai Beach Bungalow. The location was awesome. The pictures don't do it justice. The ocean is steps away. The house was very clean and comfortable. The house is on the windward side of the island, so you will get wind and rain. We were there the end of June and it was a little cool to sit outside on the back deck in the evening. The house has separate AC units in the bedrooms, but they are not in the best location (noisy). I would recommend that the house be stocked with portable fans. There are ceiling fans in the rooms, but unless you had the sliding doors open the family room was a bit stuffy. I loved that the house was in a neighborhood, it really made us feel like we were living like the locals. This is not a touristy area. The locals were very friendly and helpful. I would get recommendations for restaurants, beaches and points of interest from the locals. There are not many good restaurants in Kailua, locals talk about Buzz's, but we were not impressed. Best recommendation is to stop at Costco when you leave airport and stock up on food, Safeway grocery store has a full bakery and deli. Prices seem to be 20% more than mainland. We BBQ'ed alot and enjoyed the outdoors. We absolutely enjoyed our stay. There were six of us. Our three daughters (11-17), one boy (18) and my husband and I. Plenty of room in the house and three bathrroms were helpful. The house comes with beach towels, two boogie boards, two beach chairs and umbrellas. We purchased snorkeling gear at Don Quiotis. Loved that the house had a washer and dryer. I would highly recommend the house and the area (very nice and clean). Lanikai beach is a beautiful beach. We watched turtles right off the house. If you want to swim with the turtles, we found a beach just north of Waimea Bay, not well marked, but about 4 turnouts up the road. Best diving/snorkeling was at Sharks Cove. Hanauma Bay is beautiful, but there are so many people. Very touristy. Best little town with authentic Hawaiian atmosphere is on the north shore Haleiwa. (Shaved ice, unique little shops and restaurants). Don't miss the Shrimp trucks on the way to north shore. The trucks don't seem very appealing to eat off of, but the food was good and it was fun to do it. Best bet is to get a book called Ohau Revealed (can be found at Barnes & Noble, etc.) this guy's perspective is not only amusing but pretty accurate. We called it the "Bible" and took it everywhere with us. It has maps and every point of interest imaginable. I would recommend having a daily itenary. Hit all the points of interest in each area, then you can always go back to your favorites if you have time. Hope your trip will be as enjoyable as ours.

Robin R., El Cajon, CA, 7.5.07

Guest Rating:

the setting of Ocean Treehouse is exceptional. the view to the Mokes, the abundant trees and flowers. The home is in great shape. Love the deck, the kitchen, the master suite, the open design. We did the pill box hike again which is so worthwhile. Great views of course. I like to shop in Kailua...Macys, Under a hula moon, etc. I also discovered this time Elwin's Bakery and the toy store next door, across from Macy's. We always hit Island Snow and the plate lunch place. Oiwi is great for "rash guards". In town we love Leonard's for Malasada's and we think Costco in Hawaii Kai is always good to go to. Can't wait to be back.

Susan S., Avon, CO, 6.30.07

Guest Rating:

We enjoyed staying at the Ocean House. I would recommend that you tell people that beach towels are included. We liked the fact that the house was large enough that our whole family could stay together. The manger was very responsive to our needs and very friendly. Staying on the beach was great.

Phyllis P., Williamsburg, VA, 6.25.07

Guest Rating:

Outstanding. Chad & Eleen were great host. Thank you!

William W., Green Cove Springs, Florida, 6.19.07

Guest Rating:

Great Location, cool pool and place to hang out. Buzz's has some great seafood specials and the soup and salad bar is a great value. You will love it if you stay here, brought me back to hanging out in the beach cottages of my family as a kid.

Edward E., Austin, TX, 6.18.07

Guest Rating:

CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN! Residence was exactly as described and photographed. We arrived to a beautiful welcome basket: fresh pineapple, hawaiian coffee and papaya. View from all windows, priceless.

Karen K., Duvall, Washington, 6.18.07

Guest Rating:

We truly enjoyed our stay at the Lanikai Beach Bungalow. The view is just perfect. Having lived in Lanikai before, it is the ideal place to vacation. Kua Aina sandwich shop on the North Shore is a must, they DO have the best burgers on the island. This trip we took the Explorers Tour of the Mighty MO and that was extremely educational and was great for the kids to take in a history lesson. We hiked to the top of Diamond Head, as well as to the "Pill Boxes" in Lanikia. Both offer awesome views of the island. We had breakfast at the house every morning, slicing up fresh pinapple and other fruits...then we would plan our day. We tried to do the "busy" or "tourist" thngs at the beginning of our stay and tended to relax around the house the last couple days, that worked out great and made the trip end on a relaxing note. Ovarall, we loved the beach bungalow and would definitely stay here on our next trip.

Bret B., Raleigh, NC, 6.18.07

Guest Rating:

I loved my stay at Lanikai Tradewinds. The unit housed 5 comfortably and was conveniently located to the nicest part of Lanikai Beach. Probably the nicest view of the Mokulua Islands. Everything we needed from BBQ, to Coolers, to Boogeyboards, to Beach Towels, were included. Beautifully landscaped. For the price, it was a great value. Friends stayed in more modern, "nicer" homes, but I guarantee they didn't have as much fun as we did. This was the fun rental. I will probably try to go back in the future! Best vacation ever!!!

Scott S., Hoboken, NJ, 6.17.07

Guest Rating:

The bookshelves had lots of interesting things to read, and included several dictionaries and a world atlas as well as little books describing local birds, flowers, and trees. We appreciated having nice dishes and mugs and flatware to use. It was great to have a washer-dryer in the apartment, with soap provided. Lovely artwork on the walls and shelves. The whole place was extremely clean and we didn't see a single cockroach. The hillside location with its lovely view was excellent; the sun came in through the windows in the early morning, but for the rest of the day there was no direct sun inside, so with the ceiling fans it was always a nice temperature. We had a great time.

Philip P., Berkeley, CA, 6.17.07

Guest Rating:

We were 2 adults and a 2 year old. This was a good setup for us, but if there are additional people it would get tight. Nice neighborhood, friendly and safe. Lots of joggers out, great place to run. Kailua beach park is a short drive and is a perfect family beach. The slope is flatter than most and the sand is very soft. There are virtually no rocks, coral or other hazzards in the shallow water. The waves break much further out so it is almost like lake action at the beach which is ideal for small children or those who are not regular swimmers. Safeway is not far away and a good source for familiar foods at only slightly above familiar prices. Dukes steakhouse is close, across from Kailua Beach Park but in the $25-$40 per person range, cash only and a bit spendy for what you get. Try the Shack for burgers and local beer across from Safeway or Los Garcias Mexican food next to the Shell station. Beach towels and some toiletries were provided along with some sunscreen and lotions. There is a small television with a DVD/VCR combo machine attached. We brought movies and this was great for our daughter. The refrigerator is the mini size like you would have at a college dorm room. There is a microwave and a portable 2 burner electric unit that has less heating power than your normal range. Plates, pots, pans, dishes etc are all provided. Cooking in is a great way to stay on budget. The shower is of the ultra low flow variety, but the head unscrews easily and then you can have a reasonable stream of water. Wireless internet is available and I used it daily, however the unit is far enough away from the transmitter that the connection is weak and the speed pretty slow. Cell coverage with Sprint in the unit varied and sometimes we would get dropped calls, but it worked better outside on the lawn. There is a very pretty orchid tree in the front yard and lots of lizards running around. Our daughter enjoyed picking both up. Many tropical birds in the neighborhood provide the tropical soundtrack you cannot get in the Waikiki hotel area. We did not hear any crazy keg parties, gun fire, thumping bass music, or the associated police sirens and helicopter flyovers you may find in some areas. If you are going to Pearl, go early! Be there by 0700 unless you want to wait a long time. Try to take in the Missouri, Bowfin and Pacific Aviation Museum too. If you are doing the luau thing, skip the hotel and time share offerings and go to the Polynesian Cultural Center up at the North Shore in Laie. If you have the budget, the upgraded packages offering group or private tours are a nice touch. We did the Super Ambassador at $200/person but made up for it by cooking mac and cheese 3 nights. We rented a Mustang Convertible from Hertz. Hawaii is ideal for convertibles with its low speed driving. On some previous trips I have opted to save a few bucks and go with a Taurus/Camry/Grand Prix type car, but would see so many Mustang convertibles that I always felt reminded of how nice it would be. If not interested in a convertible, I would look at getting the smallest car possible that allows for your group's comfort. Trying to park a large car at this property and in most parking lots would be challenging. Gas was about 10 cents higher than it is in Denver, so not really an issue.

Joseph J., Highlands ranch, Co, 6.14.07