I am going to Oahu in Nov and am planning on renting a house near Kailua Beach. Has anyone stayed near here? I was curious as to beach there and if there is good snorkeling. I know it is a bedroom community, but I wanted to stay away from the hustle/crowds at Waikiki.

The beach and the surrounding area are both gorgeous (don't know about the snorkeling, though)! If you have second thoughts about the house, you might consider staying at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel, a definite 5-star hotel in a very quiet, beautiful and secluded area about 15 minutes from Waikiki. You also won't be too far from the TOP snorkeling area on Oahu, Hanauma Bay, which isn't far from the Kahala or the Kailua area. But be sure to go early because, unfortunately, it DOES get crowded!

Hello! My mom used to live in Kailua so I spent a lot of time at the beach there. It's a gorgeous beach with nice sand, gentle rolling waves and for most of it, few rocks or seaweed in the water. Given the latter, it's not a good place to snorkel because there's nothing to see! But it is a great place to walk on the beach and play in the water. For snorkeling, drive along the coast towards Hanauma Bay and there are several places that might be better. Like Mike said, Hanauma is THE place to snorkel. It's a protected reserve so there are lots of critters. And he's right, it does get very crowded. I think they only let in so many people a day or at a time or something.
If you have a car, drive up the coast from Kailua to the north shore. It's a beautiful drive and there are good places to stop and snorkel along the way.
For a cool hike, drive north from Kailua past Kaneohe to a park called Sacred Falls. You walk a mile or so on flat land and then up the hill, following a stream. At the end of the trail is a waterfall and the pool it dumps into which you can swim in. If the signs say not to go because of flash flood danger, don't go. Occassionally people get washed away when they don't heed the warning. Have fun!!

Hi Joanne:

Kailua Beach Park has been recently upgraded and has nice bike paths. It is a great beach, and a wonderful place to watch the day and winsurfers go by.

I'm attaching a link to other state parks on 'Oahu.

http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dsp/oahu.html
Sacred Falls has not re-opened since the tragic landslide in May 1999.

There are many snorkeling sites on the North Shore, but I would only recommend those to people with a lot of ocean experience. Hanauma has great marine life and is very safe.
Have a good trip!
k

Hey Everyone!

Thanks for the awesome information. It will save a lot of research time. I just rented the house today-beautiful on the ocean 5 minutes from the main beach.
Now I only have to count the days till I go!

You will NEVER want to come home! Kindly post a trip report upon your return! (P.S. -- I HATE you!!)

Hi Joanne. Could you name the firm you are renting the house from? Is it allerstorfer.com ?

Thanks.