On this, our third trip to Oahu, we were so glad to find a condo right on the water and away from the crowds. Punalu'u Beach #401 is in on the northeast shore of Oahu, technically the North Shore, but situated between the surfing meccas of Sunset Beach/Ehukai Park/Waimea Bay to the north and the fantastic Kailua and beaches to the Southeast.
If you like the excitement of Waikiki or amenities of Honolulu, this would not be for you. We love peace and quiet, idyllic shady beaches and drop-dead scenery, and this place was perfect for us. The property has a lovely beach with a grassy lawn, shade, chairs, a swimming pool, and very basic gym. The grounds are clean and well-kept with security, which is unfortunately necessary pretty much everywhere on Oahu. Use basic common sense and awareness for security.
The unit itself is very basic. The living room offers very modest furniture, the high point being the daybed/sofa and trundle. The kitchen is well-stocked with dishes and all manner of cooking and storage supplies. The bedroom is really just an alcove with a comfortable queen bed, and the bathroom is quite sufficient. Having a washer/dryer in the unit is terrific.
The high point, for which I would return again and again, is the wrap-around lanai in this corner unit. Four stories up is just enough to be able to see over the cottages below, and the ocean seems to just be a part of the living room. We ate all our meals overlooking the ocean, slept with the sliding doors open and the sea breeze blowing gently over us. There are several beach chairs available, towels, a cooler, hair dryer- pretty much everything we needed.
Like many rental units in Hawaii, there is no air-conditioning. In April, this was fine. There are two good fans. I'm not sure I would book this in the heat of summer, just because I'm afraid I wouldn't cope well without the A/C, especially back in the bedroom. But the living room with its trundle bed always has breeze blowing through it, and the bedroom does have one window and fan.
There are stores close by. Laie is a small town about four miles away and has a Foodland- there's also Long's Drug even closer, and several small local stores in the vicinity. Just know that the town of Laie seems to be owned by the LDS church and everything, even the supermarket, is closed on Sunday.
Speaking of the LDS church, their Polynesian Cultural Center is also in Laie and is truly a wonderful, day-long experience. The food isn't great but the entertainment is amazing.
Before traveling to any Hawaiian island, be sure to order the what everyone calls "the blue book." For Oahu, it's "Oahu Revealed"- just order get one for whichever island before you go. Even though we have visited Hawaii many times, we wouldn't consider going back to any of the islands without it.
Being in unit 401 is like camping on the beach, because with all the sliding doors open, it's really like being outside. However, it's like camping with screens to keep out the bugs, a decent kitchen, comfy beds, a washer/dryer. I'd return in a heartbeat.
Toutes les réservations sont effectuées directement auprès du propriétaire 