travelmom13

Sarah- Thanks for looking at the pictures. The address is right on Kalanianaole Hwy (#5549 to be percise) What do you or anybody know about the beaches over there?The house is beachfront, but what "beach" are they talking about?I have asked the realtor but have not heard back.

Also, what is the traffic like between Kahala and Hawaii Kai? My dad stayed in a house near this area 20 years ago and rememebered it being congested....but that was also 20 years ago.

I have been looking for alternatives in Kailua etc. Any suggestions of places people have stayed and liked it?

PakePorkChop- you rest. suggestions have been AWESOME! Thanks for contributing. We are coming from the San Francisco Bay Area and the other part of our group is coming from the Orange County area in So. Cal. So we have had some good experiences with Chinese. We love chinese/Japanese, seafood, kalua pork (my favorite!!)...pretty easy to please. We will probably go otuy for some nice dinners, but try and keep thsoe limited. Where are some good plate lunches I always hear about? What are some other less expensive but good places near our new spot and outward?

Patty/Sarah- Thanks for the reassurance! You guys are great!

travelmom13

MelissaHI- I remember you saying that you are a runner... right? I am planning on running in the Ford Island Bridge 10K in April. Have you ever run in that race? Have you heard anything about it?

Sarah

TM13 Kahala and Hawaii Kai are right next to each other. I can't ever recall getting stuck in traffic over there, once? I would suspect around normal morning and evening rush hours you might have some jam. You are from CA though???I can't imagine it is anything like what you experience at home.

Beaches I like "sandy beach" in summer. You need to be careful there most days but it is always great to stop and watch the buggy boarders. When I say careful I mean that the waves are a bit choppy here.

Have you checked out VBRO.com? I Know you had a scare with the Wainae rental but my experience in renting in Hawaii is that you usually get what people are selling you. People always tell me if there are pitfalls, noise etc... I always ask too. Is the beach in front of the house a swimming beach?

Snorkeling, I think Hanama bay will be very close for you. Just want to get there by 9am closer for more privacy. I would also strongly suggest a hike along the paved path to the lighthouse at makapu beach (short drive from Hawaii Kai) on an overcast day. Hikes are always cooler on an over cast day. Lovely views here. Makapu beach can be fun in summer also. I can remember jumping with the waves and feeling like they were lifting me 5 feet off the ground. We all embelish,ok. It is a boogy board spot often mentioned in surf magazines. The Hawaiians can come on later to confirm this but you are going to be fairly close to Kailua, a 20 minute drive? ...maybe less???? If you don't see a comparable house you might fair just as well in Hawaii Kai.

Sarah

PS travelmom

Why not look up photos of your beaches or locations here. This is a website where people post vacation photos. I often use it to check out trails but you could use if for almost anything.

You might get lucky, see a lot.

http://community.webshots.com/

Sarah

PS I think this is the hwy you are talking about,

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...09789828AKFkIi

travelmom13

Sarah- you are the best! If you ever come out to the Bay Area or So. Cal...I'll give you as many tips as I know.

I checked our vrbo.com and there wasn't anything that fit our group. However i did go to sandsea.com and found a place in Waimanalo right on the beach. the web address is:
http://www.sandsea.com/laumilo/laumilo.htm
It seems nice...but again, don't know a ton about that area specifically. Any tips??

Sarah

Bellows beach use to be my favorite beach on Oahu that is right in Waimanalo. House looks great. I am a skeptic though, $450 for 8 people? I would want to know why so low. Maybe they are renting for the first time??? Ask agent. Don't be shy you can ask the agent why the price is so low...Ask others here, try posting location as a heading. ...shhh you don't need to tell everyone about the price

If you do like the rental I want to hear about it. I have never seen those kind of pictures for that price.

Sarah

duurrr nightly rate.
I think I would go for it but ask others about location. I LOVE WAIMANLO but there are some local areas where I don't think tourist would be welcome. Not in the same way as wainai (sp), my friend from BI living on Oahu has told me this. Think this area is more towards the mountains though. I highly doubt that is your location but just double check. Why not post a header, anyone familiar with this location in Waimanlo? Anyone stayed here?
Is that a swimming beach in front of the Unit.

When the military opens Bellows on Saturday you really want to be there. Trees against the beach, mountains in the backdrop. AWWWWWHHH!!! It does not get much better than this on Oahu imho!!
Ps I was there pre 911 check if there is still public access on Saturdays.

Did you go to webshot.community.com yet.
look up Byodo temple when you get there. You are a stone throw in Waimanalo, ditto for everything in Hawaii kai, Lanikai, Koneohe (sp). I think that would be a beautiful break.

Still want to hear your report this is my favorite side of the island but I have never stayed there, only visited. Good good memories in this area, certainly all your dreams of Hawaii to be had here. Let me know if you book. I think I will book that house some time in future if it works out for you. Lovely area of the island.

aloha

Travelmom, We stayed in Waimanalo in 2000. It is a much more "local" area than the Diamond Head area or Kailua, but it is not as rough an area as Waianae. One member of our party, a man in his mid 40s, was yelled at by some younger guys offering to fight, while walking alone through the neighborhood during the day. Otherwise we had absolutely no problems, felt safe. The beach there is very pretty and generally very good for playing in the waves and boogie boarding. The website of the house you are considering sure looks great.

travelmom13

Sarah-
The house is beachfront and "on the best part of the beach" says the guys who rents the house out. I will ask him the questions you suggested. I did go to the webshot site and the pictures are beautiful! Thanks for the tip.

**Oahu residents: if any of you happen to be in Waimanalo in the near future and want to check this propety out, let me know what you think***

Sarah

aloha why not tell travelmom where you were exactly. Travelemom you look up her location with yours on map quest. I suspect she was in the residential community back towards the moutain.

Kal

sarah, how do YOU know about Sgt Shultz?
I know...You Googled him....#39;(

I better not quote Plato or you'd think I'm older than dirt!

MelsHI- "We'll always have New Orleans".

aloha

We were half a block from the beach, not up toward the mountains.

Sarah

Kal I am 43. I have a funny story of that show. I was in Ireland once and I meant a young German guy who grew up in the U.S. That show was pretty painful for him. Kids at school use to imitate the characters in his face. I am usually so sensitive in that type of situation. It was really hard to keep a straight face though. Still remember him recounting how people would tease him with. Well maybe you had to be there.

Sarah

Aloha where you back behind the highway?

aloha

Hi Sarah. We were about 4 houses from the beach , between the highway and the ocean. I dont think i still have the exact address.

islandmom

I think I know that exact house. I spent several days right there last week. Looks like they are building new homes in that area. I would suggest it for friends, I would just tell them to stay out town at night. They had a whale wash up there this week and closed the beach due to sharks. But, it is one of the safest spots to swim. And if I get in there you know it's usually safe. The only hazard is 10 days after the full moon there are man of war. I got stung before. We love that area though.

Sarah

island mom I got stung there on last trip also. forgot about it...so cool you can predict this with the moon.

Aloha thanks that will help travelmom.

I think I will start calling myself Hawaiimom.....now for the kids? where to get them?????

travelmom13

Thanks Aloha, Sarah and Islandmom for the house update. We are planning to hang at the beach at night and go to dinner outside of Waimanalo. My dad lived in Hawaii 20 years ago and is VERY excited to show us the restaurants that he loved...hopefully there are still there and are as good as he remembers them to be????
I was trying to figure out what phases the moon will be in when we are there. So far I can only get moon info until mid-March. I guess I'll have to wait. Are there any grocery stores nearby? Any Costco's????

travelmom13

Also- Islandmom you may be able to answer this- in my hiking guide book it said to (obviously) empty my car of valuables, but it also said to leave my car UNLOCKED. Is that true? I've had my car broken into in Maui on the road to Hanna, so I'd like to do what it takes to TRY to not have it happen again. Suggestions???