All this talk about Hawaii has got me itching to plan another trip. We've stayed at a beautiful house on Lanikai Beach on Oahu many times, but always with other extended family. The house is a bit too big and pricey for our family of four. Does anyone have any other suggestions? We are open to any of the islands, but here are the requirements:

A house, not a condo or highrise resort
Walk out the door and be on a beautiful sandy beach that's safe for kids
Less than $500 per night!
Big enough for two adults and two kids

I have looked at vrbo.com and there are some possibilities there but I'd really like a first-hand recommendation.

Mahalo in advance for all your ideas and suggestions.

look at the big island or Molokai (later I am guessing ) for those kind of prices. This is a web quesion. Look at Vacationspot.com.
$500 will be difficult I think but try your luck.

If you are willing to go to Kauai, try kauai vacation rentals at kauaivacationrental.com. They have wonderful homes, and if $500/nite is your top dollar, you can do VERY well indeed.

found this on a links page from loveshawaii post http://www.deephawaii.com/vacation_rental_links.htm

Thanks for the links, folks. Also I'm interested in any personal experiences with these houses.

Loveshawaii, that link only has one house on it. Have you stayed there? It looks like a great location right on Hanalei Bay but there is no picture of how close it is to the beach. I'd love more info if you have it.

Mahalo again and please keep it coming!

Have you looked at this place?

http://www.kahanakai.com

Probably about $400/night for four.

As always, my recommendation is this one:
http://www.bnb-hawaii.com/

They have beachside rentals starting at $350/night. 3 BR, 2 baths.

what do you mean as always Melissa I don't recall this suggestion. Thanks

Melissa do you have any suggestions for Molokai or would you not reccommend Molokai altogether.

http://www.grantham-resorts.com/homes/index.html

http://www.gloriasvacationrentals.com/

a few houses to look at

good luck.

Spike/Susan: Kauai Vacaiton Rentals has 100's of listings. Do you mean that there is only one home remaining on the North Shore that meets your criteria? Or did you not locate the correct website?

Try this:kauaivacationrentals.com (sorry, I can't figure out how to paste the link in here). All of their agents are very good. If there is nothing available right now, they may be able to put you on a wait list. Good luck. The North Shore is wonderful--try to get a place right on Haena/Tunnels Beach.

Loveshawaii, what a difference an 's' makes. The previous url you listed didn't have the 's' on the end, now I see what you are talking about. I'm having a look around and I see quite a few places. Do you have any personal experience with a particular house? Does the beach on Haena Bay have calm waves safe for kids? I like the fact that it's out of the main resort areas in Poipu.

DB, Kahana Kai looks lovely, but I can't tell if there is a beach with sand in front of the house. Have you stayed there? Do they rent out different parts of the house to different parties?

Melissa, quite a few of these houses are "only steps to the beach." Any experience with them? I am very familiar with Kailua and Lanikai beaches on Oahu, excellent places for kids.

Thanks everyone, I'm chewing on all of this. Please keep suggestions coming.

Susan, be very careful about rentals that say they are on Tunnels Beach. You will find many, many homes listed as being on Tunnels, but here's the issue: some are actually around the bend, closer to the YMCA/Hanalei/Princeville. You do not want a rental there, because the beach is not swimable. It's rough and windy. Make certain that the home is on that curve of the beach where you can actually see the Bali Hai mountain (the real name is Makua mountain). That part of Tunnels Beach is closer to Haena State Beach, and that's where you want to be.

There are many homes for rent on this preferred part of the beach. If Kauai Vacation Rentals doesn't have one, try Hanalei North Shore Properties (search the web under that name for their site) or Anini Beach Rentals, specifically their listings on Haena.

Another source is one I don't have first hand eperience with, but check it out: www.kauai-beachrental.com. It looks beautiful.

The tranquility of this location is unsurpassed. It's what keeps us going back, year after year.

loveshawaii are you saying Hanalei beach is not swimmable? I think that might be true for winter but I swim there every summer it is very calm

Hanalei North Shore properities is another good link. I like staying in Hanalei close to restaurants and walking distance if you are not directly on the beach.

Hanalei Beach is indeed swimable, but not during the winter months, of course. Rentals in Hanalei are another good alternative, and both of the rentals agencies I mentioned can help you there. You want something on Weke Road, but again be careful: some of the rentals are next to the beach parking lots, and that creates a lot of noise and gas exhaust. Being in Hanalei is wonderful, close to the shops and restaurants, you can walk or bike everywhere. It's a completely different feel, though, than staying further up the road, past all those one-way bridges, and closer to paradise.

What I was trying to say is that tunnels beach is a long beach, and that the southern end is not as desirable a location at the northern end.

Susan I see that you are concerned about kids and swimming. I took a 10,7, 13 year old to Tunnels first stop last August. The 10 year old was completely freaked out by the rocks. He was actually crying. You have to snorkel very carefully probably about 12 inches above them in some stretches not a big deal at all after a few days of snorkeling but to a newbe it might be intimidating. This kid has not snorkeled in tropical waters.

Our guide book Kauai the Ultimate guide told us to do our first snorkle days at places like lydgate. I ignored it and I am not their mother I should say. The kids loved lydgate and I think that they would have done well at tunnels after a few days.

They liked Hanalei but it is not a good snorkel spot. They also loved hikeaways beach in P'ville, kokey (sp) beach. I don't think you need to spend all of your time at lydgate we only stayed a day or a portion of a day. Hanalei is very calm and your kids will not have to walk by busy roads to go home. If you want to walk into town for dinner or groceries that is good also.

something else to remember North Shore waters calm in summer, south shore waters a bit rougher in Summer but winter they are calm.

I stayed in Aloha Unit here last summer. I loved this place but I think it is going for $950 this season. I would suggest an early as possible booking for Hanalei. Really enjoyed our time here and felt that it was good value for the location and what it offered to us.
http://www.hanaleihouse-kauai.com/information.html

The previous poster is correct about the rocks at Tunnels Beach. However, there are spots, very obvious before you put in, where the rocks are not so shallow. If you continue to walk closer to the end of the beach, where Haena Beach Park is located, the swimming, boogy boarding, body surfing are all unbeatable.

Acutally, the very best beach for snorkling on Kauai is less than a mile from Tunnels, Ke'e Beach. The water is clearer and the fish more colorful and plentiful. A good beach for smimming (no rentals here) is Lumahai Beach. The guilde book referred to above is a wonderful resource for hidden beaches. We use it all the time, keep a copy in the car.

The best part about staying at this end of the island is the incredible range of choices of beaches that you have. The drive to any of them from the north shore is so pleasant that you forget that you are in a car. So, while staying on a swimmable beach is a real attraction, don't eliminate visiting the other beaches.

while you're driving around, stop on your way home and get fish to barbeque at the hanalei dophin. there is a fish shop at the back of the restaurant.

Forgot to mention that I have two boys, and have been bringing them to Haena/Tunnels beach since they were 6 and 10 (now 10 and 14) respectively. They have always loved it there.

Just came back from a trip in December, staying in Poipu: so congested and crowded. I was heart sick for the north shore the entire time.