Oahu villas - need help on locations!

Old Aug 9th, 2007, 02:40 PM
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Oahu villas - need help on locations!

I found a number of gorgeous large houses on VRBO for Oahu, but since I've only been to Honolulu (usually stay on the Big Island), the areas listed are totally unfamiliar to me. For instance, what is Haleiwa like? Or Laie? Or Malaekahana? Does anyone know about these spots? They all sound wonderful! Here's what we're planning: renting a large house or several cottages for my husband and me, my elderly mother, my sister, and her son's family of 4, including 2 small children. We want to be on a beach, near a town (or at least a grocery store), and my husband is an avid sea kayaker, so would like a place that's conducive for renting and launching a kayak nearby.

Does anyone have some advice? We want to stay on Oahu to minimize inter-island travel after flying from Portland, but will rent a van, I guess, to get us to our rental.

Thanks.
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Old Aug 9th, 2007, 04:00 PM
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Sounds like a fun family trip you are planning! What time of year will you do this?--surf conditions will vary seasonally.
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Old Aug 9th, 2007, 04:23 PM
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Oahu is not that big so you can get around the island from almost anywhere.

Laie is nice. Polynesian Cultural Center is there. They do have a Foodland grocery store there. It is only a few miles from the north shore. There are some nice beaches in and near Laie.

Malaekahana State Recreation Area is about 1/2 mile or so from Laie.

Punaluu has a lot of decent beach houses. It is near Laie.

North Shore has a lot of beach houses. But, I don't think I would stay there in the winter with a couple of small kids.

Haleiwa is also a nice town. It is on the North Shore.

All of them are 50-70 minutes from Honolulu/Waikiki. So if you plan to go into Honolulu often, you might consider something closer.

Kailua area is nice. There are a lot of places to rent there. Kailua Beach has kayak rentals.

Kaneohe has a lot of rentals & is a decent town.

There are Foodland stores all over the island, so you will never be far from a grocery store.

Lots of Oahu info:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...1&tid=34812564
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Old Aug 9th, 2007, 07:43 PM
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We/re going a year from now, in July, to celebrate my mother's 90th birthday!

We don't plan on going to Honolulu at all, since all of us but one have been there many times before. This will be a quiet, stay and enjoy the house and togetherness type of vacation, with excursions to nearby sites for variety.

Thanks for the responses so far!
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Old Aug 9th, 2007, 09:00 PM
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We just returned from a trip that included a week in a house on the North Shore at Rocky Point, which is next to Sunset beach. We really enjoyed staying in this area. Swimming and snorkeling were good at Rocky Point/Sunset and at Waimea and Shark's Cove. The only negative I can think of about the beach in the area is that it is not a great area for long walks on the beach, unless you really want a workout, because in the coarse sand your feet sink about three inches on every step . Our house was a short distance from the beach. It was also only a short distance from the main road and there was constant traffic noise. We found it on VRBO but it is managed by Sterman Realty. This house is smaller than you need so I can't help you with an exact recommendation. There is a Foodland at Pupukea, and 1 or 2 grocery stores in Haleiwa.

While researching our trip I found this site http://www.surfline.com/reports/repo...te.cfm?id=4748 where you can see satellite images of beaches.

I would look for a house that has air conditioning because it can get pretty hot--it was 88-90 when we were there. The house we rented had separate controls in each room so everyone did not have to agree on the use of the a/c.

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Old Aug 9th, 2007, 09:01 PM
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We just returned from a trip that included a week in a house on the North Shore at Rocky Point, which is next to Sunset beach. We really enjoyed staying in this area. Swimming and snorkeling were good at Rocky Point/Sunset and at Waimea and Shark's Cove. The only negative I can think of about the beach in the area is that it is not a great area for long walks on the beach, unless you really want a workout, because in the coarse sand your feet sink about three inches on every step . Our house was a short distance from the beach. It was also only a short distance from the main road and there was constant traffic noise. We found it on VRBO but it is managed by Sterman Realty. This house is smaller than you need so I can't help you with an exact recommendation. There is a Foodland at Pupukea, and 1 or 2 grocery stores in Haleiwa.

While researching our trip I found this site http://www.surfline.com/reports/repo...te.cfm?id=4748 where you can see satellite images of beaches.

I would look for a house that has air conditioning because it can get pretty hot--it was 88-90 when we were there. The house we rented had separate controls in each room so everyone did not have to agree on the use of the a/c.

Congratulations on celebrating your mom's 90th--that will be a great trip for you all!
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Old Aug 9th, 2007, 09:04 PM
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Sorry for the double post, I was hoping I could add that last sentence to the first post :-<
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