olivia

My husband and I just returned from 8 glorious days on Oahu and Maui. We stayed at Ke Iki Beach Bungalows on the North Shore of Oahu, and even though it may look a little primative and simple, it was perfect. It was like a one bedroom apartment right on the beach in a fairly secluded part of the island. We got to see some excellent big wave surfing (my hubby's an enthusiast) and the sunsets were amazing. We spent some time at Waimea Falls Park and watched the cliff divers and explored the flora. We spent four days in the north shore laying on the beach and shopping and eating in Haleiwa. We even went to mass in the Catholic church of Sts. Peter and Paul on Waimea Bay.

Then we took Island Air to Maui and stayed at the Lahaina Inn. Do NOT stay there. Not only was it old and the rooms were WAY to small, we had no hot water for a day and a half. When I called to complain, the only response was, "this is an old house and sometimes the hot water runs out and someone gets a cold shower." I think for a place of business, that was hardly an excuse. We knew going in that it was older and smaller, but we could not even manuever in our room, there was no closet and no television. Nevertheless we enjoyed Maui very much. We rented a convertible and took at charter boat to Molokini where were snorkeled, and amazingly, a humpback whale eased by our boat about 20 feet from the bow. It was a sight to behold! We also drove the road to Hana. Personally, I would have preferred to drive to a few waterfalls, then turn around and come back. I know a lot of people like Hana, but we thought it was a let down. The journey is more important than the destination I suppose, and the journey was excellent. If anyone has any questions, I'll answer as best I can!

cusack

Olivia, my family and I are planning on going to the Ke Iki Beach Bungalows in August and would love to hear more about them. We have a two bedroom on the beach. Is the beach out front nice? Do they have barbecues? How far is the nearest grocery store? We have five people, so one is planning on sleeping in the living room or on a cot in the bedroom, do you think there is enough room for this? Any information you can give would be great. We are not expecting anything fancy and it sounds perfect for us. Thanks.

olivia

The beach out front is very rocky, so it's not really a beach to "lay out" on, in my opinion. But Waimea Bay is a beautiful beach about a half mile south. You'll love it, it's great for kids, and the shorebreak will be calm in the summer. Since you have a beachfront bungalow, you'll have a barbeque, and hammocks with picnic tables to watch the sunset (don't ever miss a sunset). The manager's home is directly to the left when you come in the gates and he lives there will his family (great guy). It is a beautiful getaway. The nearest grocery store is Foodland. You'll see it coming it. It is the most expensive grocery store in America in my opinion. Try $7.50 for a box of cereal. Go to Haleiwa, about 10 minutes away for your groceries. Trust me on that. I've never seen prices like this. Foodland has a monopoly on the north shore, but they do have a great Starbucks!

cusack

Thank you so much! i have heard about the high prices for food so I'll try in Haleiwa. I am really looking forward to our trip now!

kahplayground

Olivia, What bungalow did you stay in? My husband and I are considering it in May.

olivia

We stayed in the Plumeria Bungalow. It wasn't beachfront. We tried to get one, but they were booked. It was a lot roomier than we thought it would be. We knew it would be more "rustic" than we're used to, but it made for a great experience. The only thing that surprised me was that the mattress and box springs are on the floor. No big deal to us, but I thought you might want to know that. I don't know if that's true for the other bungalows.