TRUE BEACH-FRONT HOUSE ON KAUAI'S SUNNY WESTSIDE, IN HISTORIC WAIMEA

We just returned from a week long stay at this rental. We had never been to Kauai before and relied on VRBO reviews to guide us in where to stay - we were truly happy with this rental and being able to be on the ocean was truly the highlight of our trip. The other reviews are accurate and I would HIGHLY recommend this vacation home to others, particularly families with children. We traveled with my parents (both retired) and our two year old son. The rental was plenty large enough for all of us to have room to spend time together, and to have quiet time alone. We enjoyed nightly meals and breakfast every day on the lanai - it was such a treat to fall asleep to the sound of the waves and walk out to the beach to see the stars at night. We've stayed at several other VRBOs in the past, and this was more well stocked than most - we found lots of condiments, sand toys, sun screen, etc, all of which we appreciated given the high cost of items on the Island. For us, Waimea was a perfect location. We wanted to be away from the crowds (we went during high season) and stay someplace that would allow us to experience small town Kauai - this fit the bill. We also wanted to be close to hiking, and were able to do several dayhikes in nearby Waimea Canyon. Finally, we wanted to be guaranteed sun as we were coming from the northwest in the winter - we had sun every day in Waimea, even when it was raining on the rest of the Island. While the beach in front of the condo was not safe for swimming, our son enjoyed playing in the sand and we could watch whales and boats in the distance - not bad! We went to Salt Pond Beach Park, which is the closest swimmable beach for children, and it was only 10 minutes away. Aside from Salt Pond, you are close to Polihale, Hanapepe (a great art town) and Port Allen (where Napali cruises leave from).
This house truly felt like a home away from home - just what you want when traveling with family! We hope to return on our next visit to Kauai. Mahalo!

My family and I stayed at Hale Lokahi for 2 weeks this past August. What an amazing experience! We were looking for an off-resort-non-touristy place to stay that was still in a good location. Hale Lokahi met our criteria perfectly and exceeded our expectations.

First, let me say that the property manager, Chad, was extremely pleasant, professional, and quick to respond to all of our inquiries. Renting with him was simple and stress-free! It was a pleasure working with him and we would do it again in a heart beat.

The house itself is the best-stocked rental we’ve ever stayed in. We didn’t have to find too much on our own. For those items we did need to purchase (i.e. – groceries), Ishihara was right around the corner and had friendly staff and unique local foods. We HIGHLY recommend getting the lau lau on Fridays. Other delicious food options that were down the street are Island Taco and The Shrimp Station. Fine dining was within a reasonable driving distance. We particularly enjoyed Merriman’s and The Beach House both in Koloa.

Beach-wise, there were many options. Of course Hale Lokahi is situated right on the beach. We spent lots of time out on the lanai watching the sun sets over dinner. The most beautiful beach we found was Polihale. The best snorkeling beach for us was Tunnels.

As for activities our favorite tour was with the Napali Riders who are conveniently located 2 minutes down the street. They run a zodiac tour of the north shore.

Finally, since we were more or less across the way from the entrance to Waimea Canyon we were easily able to do a few drives and hikes. The views were amazing! However, if we had to choose a favorite hike it would be the Kalalau trail starting on the northeast side of the island. It had beautiful views and the waterfall was well worth the effort to get there.

Overall, we had a fantastic time and can’t wait to do it again!

I took a chance booking a place to stay via the internet and not a travel agent. Well - GREAT results !! This vacation home was exactly what we were looking for and then some. 6 adults - plenty of room, MANY evenings on the lanai just relaxing together. We toured the majority of the island easily and then came "home" each evening to just de-stress from hectic lives. There's so much we didn't have time to actually do, but some of the things we did: Waimea Canyon, Salt Pond Beach, Pouipu Beach, Spouting Horn, Kauai Coffee Plantation, Outfitters Zipline Adventure, Shopping at Kapaa, Lydegate beach (where we had a picnic) and so much more. I'll be looking for other properties on other islands for future vacations.