Kaaawa holiday house

I had chosen the Mokolii House based on its location, the pictures and the reviews it got. Well, the location could not have been more perfect, the reality is even better than what you see in the pictures and everything I had read in the reviews was true. After a very long and complicated journey to get to Oahu by plane, we forgot all our frustrations when we arrived at the Mokolii House. We simply could not believe our eyes: the beach, the mountains, the ocean! And Debi's (the manager) smile and warm welcome was wonderful after two days spent in airports! The house is appointed with absolutely everything you need, plus so many extras: kayak, boogie boards, snorkeling gear, coolers, beach towels and mats, beach chairs, etc. Kaaawa is a very small and quiet little town on the North-East Shore of Oahu, far from the bustling beaches of Honolulu and Waikiki. We truly appreciated the fact that we were basically living more among the people of Hawaii than among tourists. Sasha, the owner, was really nice and helpful throughout the rental process. When we go back to Oahu, the Mokolii House will definitely be our first choice! The location is great because it allowed us to explore the island. Everything was no more than a 2-hour drive. Here are a few suggestions: 1) The drive from Kailua to Hanauma Bay is a must: it offers amazing views and beautiful beaches. 2) Go to the Bishop Museum. Its main building has just reopened and the collections are wonderful. We learned a lot about Hawaiian culture and history, which helped us appreciate the islands even more. 3) Pearl Harbor is very interesting but you should try to visit on a sunny day. We went there on a rainy day and didn't see much on the Arizona Memorial. 4) The Byodo-in Temple is only a 15-min drive from the house and it is absolutely beautiful. It is a short visit, but it makes for amazing pictures! 5) I expected the Polynesian Cultural Center to be rather "commercial" and in a way it is, but it's also very entertaining. My teenagers loved it. 6) The North Shore is magnificient and very quiet...in the summer! Our kids took surfing lessons from the Surrat Surf School at Waimea Beach (they have a small kiosk directly on the beach, just off the road) and the instructors were excellent. Our kids had a great (and safe!) time taking one wave after the other. There are so many things to do on Oahu. A week is simply not enough...we'll definitely have to go back!

Our family of four enjoyed a wonderful week at the Mokolii house. After spending a "hard" day sightseeing, it was a pleasure returning to "our" quiet beach house. The house is situated on the east side of Oahu, well away from all the noise and traffic of Honolulu. We had beautiful views of both the mountains and the ocean. The beach was just steps from the house. Our sons enjoyed swimming and snorkeling off "our" beach, and my husband kayaked out to Mokolii Island. (And yes, we saw the giant turtles swimming off our beach!) I was content sitting on the lanai enjoying the ocean breeze and peacefulness.

Sasha, the owner, was very easy to work with, and the caretaker, Debi, was helpful and friendly. We appreciated their kindness, and attention to detail. The house was clean, and stocked wonderfully - from spices in the kitchen to shampoo in the bathroom. They also provided plenty of regular towels and beach towels - a must when you're hitting the beach every day. All we needed to do was buy a few food items and we were in business. The house was better stocked than most hotel rooms. It's also roomy. We had two adults and two teenage boys easily sharing the space. Mahalo, Sasha and Debi.

The house is right across the street from Kualoa Ranch, and just a few miles from the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC). The PCC was a well spent afternoon, and a must-do. Also a few miles down the road, we found good restaurants and grocery shopping. Try Uncle Bobo's for excellent hamburgers and fries, and Tropical Farms for free samples of macadamia nuts and Kona coffee. Tropical Farms also had nice souvenirs for a good price. Both are just a few minutes from the beach house.

We will definitely recommend the Mokolii house to our family and friends!

I'm finally doing something I should have done a year ago! My family of 4 stayed at the beach house in Feb. of 08 & had the absolute time of our lives! I have two boys who absolutely loved snorkeling & swimming out front, playing football on the beach...and for some reason that outdoor hot shower was the biggest hit yet!

Sasha & Debbie were great to work with & the house had everything we needed. This was our first trip to Oahu, so I was really kind of worried about how things would go. Thanks to the beach house, it was great!! We saw a monk seal on the beach, turtles, octopus, eels, beautiful fish & a huge slipper lobster (which we ate for dinner!). Great island for kids, as they also loved the huge water park! They swam with dolphins & sting rays at the aquarium & love Haunama Bay.

You will NOT be disappointed with the Beach House!

Thanks again Debbie & Sasha. We will never forget the beach house & hope to come back again in 2010 (for an even longer stay!).