Snorkeling With Turtles Out the Back Door...
LVL
Seattle, Washington, US
Review Submitted: April 15, 2008
Date of Stay: April 2008
We've rented vacation homes several times before for our family vacations and this Windward Oahu beach house was one of the most fun. Conducive to a relaxing, slow-paced Hawaiian vacation away from crowded beaches, noise, and busloads of tourists while still close enough to truly wonderful beaches, nice towns with great shopping & restaurants.
The Mill House on the Windward side of Oahu was terrific for us. The property manager was onsite but not obtrusive, helpful and ensured the house was spotless and well-stocked for our arrival. The description and photos provided were accurate and we were even provided updates as our vacation date approached.
The house sits directly on a nice little beach, with an offshore reef protecting the near waters from the bigger waves. The morning after flying in from rainy, cold Seattle, we were kayaking along the calm turquoise water outside the house, watching sea turtles calmly munching below. The owner thoughtfully provides kayaks in which you can not only paddle up and down the shore, but venture out to the nearby island.
The house has the beach on one side and on the other, (across the street) the vast Kualoa Ranch, (well, the old Mill ruin is across the street along with acres of forest, grassland, and a tremendous mountain - the restaurant and ranch is up the road a bit) and the few neighboring homes are largely invisible or absent.
A mile or two up the road is Uncle Bobo's in Kaaawa for great barbecue and smoked meat lunches or a short drive in the opposite direction is the town of Kailua for something a bit snazzier. All the attractions on the North Shore are easily reached as are Honolulu / Pearl Harbor / Waikiki. Both are about 45 - 60 minutes away.
The owner of the property is very pleasant, generous and efficient. He makes the rental process a breeze.
The house itself is very comfortably furnished inside, has all necessary appliances, big and little, (wound up bringing WAY too many clothes as we were able to do frequent laundry), but most evenings we'd sit out on the large covered rear deck, listening to the surf while eating dinner under hurricane lamps. Gorgeous and soooo relaxing after a hard day surfing, fishing, wandering, piloting gliders, shopping, and of course, playing in the waves.
A wonderful time in a great beach house!
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Helpful votes: 5/5