Oahu's North Shore
 

We're a family of five--mom, dad, and two little boys ages 2 and 4, and grandma (that's me). We are just about to put a deposit on an ocean front house pretty close to Turtle Bay. Has anyone out there stayed in the area? If so, what are your impressions. We'll be going in May, 2005.

The north shore has a rural feel and beautiful beaches. With little boys, be aware of the waves at the surfing beaches, they could be strong in May, but they'll love the soft sand. Next to the Turtle Bay hotel (used to be a Hilton, I don't know what it is now) there is a nice little bay and beach perfect for little kids. The snorkel area of Pupukea has a calm little cove, too, but it's rocky. Haliewa is maybe a 15 minute drive, it has all the necessaries like groceries, I think there's even a Pizza Hut there! Kua Aina burgers are the best. If it gets rainy you can head to the sun of Waikiki and hope you can find a place to park! It's very beautiful "up there", you should be quite happy.

Gigib gives great advice. North Shore beaches are the most beautiful. Stayed at the Turtle Bay Hilton a couple of years ago. We were there in March and the surf was still quite rough. There is a grocery store across the road from what I believe is Sunset Beach, so you won't have to go all the way in to Haliewa for supplies. If you want a peaceful environment away for the hectic Waikiki area, then this is the place.

Aloha Bo,

We adore the north shore O'ahu. ((R))

I have a rather lengthy trip report from March/April that will give you our impression of the area. http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34492836

Happy planning!

Don't miss Matsumoto's Shave Ice on the eastern edge of Haleiwa - watermelon with vanilla ice cream on the bottom is my favorite!

Thanks, All. We've just booked our lodgings on Hauula Bay and are looking forward to a relaxing 5 days. Then it's off to Maui. I appreciate all the good input. Anything additional from anyone else out there would also be appreciated.

We stayed in a bungalow between Pipeline and Waimea Bay. It was the most fantastic experience. The waves are fairly small in the summer, so I don't think you have much to fear. Shark's Cove is a great place for the little ones to try snorkeling. Also, since you have little boys, they probably LOVE burgers, so try Kua Aina burgers in Haleiwa. The line is long, but the food and stringy fries are GREAT! A nice family place for dinner is Jameson's, also in Haleiwa, which has wonderful seafood and tropical drinks for Mom and Dad. If the kids want something a little more kid-like, try Pizza Bob's just a little further down the road.
You'll love the North Shore. For us, it was everything Hawaii should be. It made Waikiki look like New York City. (and I love NYC, but when you go to Hawaii, you want to skip the concrete).

Thanks, Runlong--Loved your input. We're looking forward to the North Shore. Have run into an area of concern, however. We have booked a place in Hauula, but have yet to secure it with our deposit. It looks wonderful. See the VRBO website (vrbo.com), listing 13728 for the Hale Ali'i rental. I did do a Fodor's search for Hauula, and came up with a thread indicating that Hauula is in an undesirable area in general with a high crime rate. Hale Ali'i, according to the renter's website, is located in Hale Koolau, a privately owned group of ocean and beach front rental homes. I'd hate to pass up anything that looks so nice (as do the other offerings in Hale Koolau), but I am concerned about the input from the message boards. Is there anyone out there with info on the specific area of these rentals? Do we need to look elsewhere? We need to make a decision pending sending in our deposit. Thank you

There are great recommendations for this B&B, called Santa's by the Sea. Yes it has a Christmas theme. http://bestbnb.com/noshore.html#santa

There are lots of places where you will hear about a high crime rate. If you leave your car windows down, you'll probably lose something, but I wouldn't be put off by one bad review. I found the North Shore to be quite safe, and fairly rural, which is part of it's charm.
Just an aside, and I don't know if you're into going to church, but my husband and I went to mass at the most charming little church on Waimea Bay. It's a great family thing to do on a Sunday if that's your thing. If not, I highly recommend going to the Starbucks in Foodland, getting some coffee and sitting on the beach for a while watching the waves come in at Ehukai Beach Park (banzai pipeline)- definitely one of the best and most relaxing experiences.

Sorry, I have better website for it. www.santasbythesea.com

I've stayed at the Turtle Bay Resort 3 times in the past 15 years. If you're concerned about the crime in Hauula, then consider the condos at Turtle Bay. I stayed there last December with a group of 20 and they were great...reasonable price, close to the beach (as someone mentioned in a reply), there are a couple good restaurants in the hotel and another at the golf course clubhouse (all within a 5 minute walk of the condos). Check out their website at www.turtlebaycondos.com

The condos right on the beach are under construction.