Authentic Indonesian, Oceanfront , Romantic, Charming,

We just spent a week at Hale 'O Bali, and had a fabulous time. This home sits on the windward side, in an area that, in our opinion, is the most breathtakingly beautiful area of Oahu. We love renting a cottage instead of staying in a hotel, as it feels more like we are 'living' in the place, rather than visiting it. For us, Hale 'O Bali was the perfect choice. With it's unique Indonesian/island architectural character, rural setting with stunning views of both the ocean and the mountains, and awakening to roosters and birds chirping, just being in the house made us feel very connected to nature, and a real part of Hawaii.

The house was spotlessly clean, and very comfortable. The bedroom is large, and there's a ton of drawer and closet space. I wished the shower was a smidge bigger, but that's no big deal. Over all, the bathroom was very nice. Lots of towels and plenty of towel bars to let things dry in the tropical climate, and a washer and dryer. During our visit, it rained often, which is very normal for that part of Hawaii, and why it is so gloriously beautiful. Our benchmark for a great place to stay is "is it a good rainy day house" - can you be happy there if weather or other factors keep you couped up for a while. Hale 'O Bali is perfect, because even when you're at home, you are looking out through an entire wall of windows, on to beautiful mountains, lush foliage, and the ocean. Outdoor living is great with a very large deck, nicely furnished. It is ocean front, though it is not a swimming beach. We consider this a plus, as there were no beach-goers out our window. Just lovely foliage, a huge lawn leading to the water, and a half dozen swaying palms framing the view of the ocean. For your beach fix, just hop in the jeep and go up the road in either direction, and you've got beaches galore. Although the home gives you a lovely away-from-it-all feeling, it is a short (and stunningly beautiful) drive south to Kailua and Lanikai beaches, an easy, and gorgeous, jaunt to Honolulu, and right on the way to the wonderful North Shore.

All in all, we would highly recommend this house. It is a unique experience. The owner provided us with excellent service, the home and grounds are beautifully maintained, and we had everything we needed for a wonderful stay. We would stay there again, in a minute, and heartily recommend it to others traveling to Oahu.

M and J

June 2009

Relaxing, unique spot to live like a local while on vacation! We really enjoyed staying at Hale O' Bali - plenty of space, comfy bed, well stocked kitchen, outdoor grill, great sunrise views and a resident Gecko! Yes, there are wild roosters on the windward side of the island, and we did get woken up earlier than normal because of them, but it just gave us an excuse to watch the sunrise on the deck. We also thought it added to the charm of the place. There is a lovely waterfall pond and tropical plants outside the bedroom window, which helps minimize the road traffic, which starts early in the morning. My husband is a very light sleeper but he was not terribly bothered by the sounds of the roosters or road traffic. (there were complimentary ear plugs in the bathroom, but he did not use them.) The weather and terrain on this side of the island is more rainforest-like than other parts of O'ahu (more rain and clouds) but as long as you have a car, it shouldn't hamper your time here. We shopped at the Times Supermarket and bought inexpensive fresh fish (ahi, blue marlin and monchong) and cooked at the house almost every night. Visited a lovely local art gallery down the road (Sunshine Arts), met the artist whose paintings we purchased and are looking forward to hanging our Hawaii art once it arrives back home. Visited Tropical Farms Macadamia Nut Farm, Temple of the Valleys to see the Byodo-In Temple, the North Shore, Dole Pineapple Plantation, Green World Coffee Farm, walked Diamond Head and Makapu'u Trails, played in the (big) waves at Makapu'u Beach - all within an hour's (or less) beautiful drive to Hale O'Bali. The house provided beach chairs, boogie boards, beach umbrellas, a beach bag and a cooler!

If you are looking to get away from it all, and don't want to be bothered with the TONS of tourists and traffic in Waikiki, I highly recommend staying at Hale O' Bali. It is truly a unique place and the owner has put a lot of thought into making it a home away from home for those who rent it. (We went into Waikiki one day just to see what is was like and we couldn't wait to get out of there! Definitely not our idea of a place to be on vacation!)

This is a gorgeous house w/ lovely views on a beautiful piece of property at the beginning of the North Shore.

It has one large bedroom with a waterfall outside the window ( blocks any road noise) but also had some kind of bullfrog that sounded like a cow ! The other bedroom is up a ladder in the eaves ( but with plenty of ventilation) so whoever's up there needs to be nimble.

The deck is wonderful for morning coffee and we saw the moon rise between the palm trees

one night. We were there for a month which is perhaps too long given that it rained or was windy much of the time. It is a good house in that there are different areas to spread out in if you're inside for a bit. The best beach is Kualoa (3 miles down the road) which you can see to your left from the lawn. It's your Hawaiian paradise kind of beach, not crowded and perfectly lovely.

Our friends who have lived there for 40 years told us that the weather we had was most unusual for February, which they said , is usually sunny !

The owner's son was very helpful with some minor issues ( mostly internet) and Leilani was responsive to our needs also. Our only major complaint was that if the adjoining house, Java Kai is rented, you are listening to their choice of TV programs and music.

The house itself is well kept and even with the flooding and rain stayed dry. The roosters at dawn took some getting used to, but a well-aimed glass of water discouraged that !

All in all I would definitely recommend this unusual and beautiful house, hopefully your weather will be better ! Aloha....

Perfect place if you want to be away from the city! I was looking to be surrounded by mountains and ended getting that AND an ocean view which is hard to find. The bedroom was so comfortable and spacious and my sister and I enjoyed hanging out in the kitchen, tv area and the patio. Coming home at night, finding the house would’ve been tough if not for the colorful lights on the posts! Just wonderful. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a place to relax. Plus we love the “country” side of the island so staying here was perfect. Thank you Leilani! Very kind host for letting us check in early also. We will be back for sure. Mahalo!

Extremely enjoyable house as if i was in south asia or something. The surroundings were also so fantasitc: being right next to ocean and beautiful palm trees etc

The house was about 30min away from everything but we didn't mind it.

Only one difficult thing was that i could hear the next door's TV sound and music so loudly. They also talked pretty loudly..I think these houses are not made to block noises