I had many months to search for the perfect place to stay & after sifting through many possibilities, I felt my heart tugging towards Ema's place. It wasn't until after I booked it that I read some reviews that seemed concerning. I reached out to Ema right away & she addressed my concern immediately. Just an fyi, I stayed at Turtle Bay resort condos for several nights before staying at Ema's.
First of all, Ema was extremely accommodating and importantly, when I so happened to meet her, she greeted us with her smile & warmth. When I walked in, her place had this wonderful island scent which lasted throughout our stay & the fresh flowers were a sweet touch.
As far as cockroaches and insects that others complained about..... well we had NO encounter with any of that. Look, it's an island folks, there will be little creatures and such running around but if you're a clean guest who puts trash where it belongs, keep food sealed & in the refrigerator, wash your dishes & not leave food out, you SHOULD NOT have a problem. We had NO PROBLEM at all. Makes me wonder about the cleanliness of some her previous guests....
With that being said, we certainly had the experience of an island stay. Her place is in a neighborhood among locals & it was really nice to be so close to the lush green mountains which you can go for a nice sunrise hike to the top. The location is PERFECT being close to the beaches, local markets such as Longs Drugs & Foodland. Not to mention, walking distance to Papa Ole's for Authentic island food & Tamura's market for award winning Poke! It's only minutes away from the Polynesian Cultural Center too!
If you ask me if I have the choice between myTurtle Bay stay or Ema's, I'd pick Ema's in a heartbeat especially if you're looking for that AUTHENTIC Island vacation, you can't go wrong choosing her place.
She was an amazing host, so warm and inviting. Ema really gave us the feeling of "Ohana" love. Mahalo Ema! 🌺