Our family of 4 spent a month at Carolyn’s home. The house is immaculate, the views breathtaking, and we would gladly go back. Below are some details and highlights that might not be as apparent from this listing:
The House - The design is brilliant. Two separate wings to the home allow for maximum privacy. Each room has outdoor access and a view of the oceans/mountains but can’t see into the other rooms in the home. Bathrooms and kitchen were spotless and are beautifully done.
The Pool - The pool isn’t huge, but it is perfect for the space. It has a solar heater that would get the pool up to around 70 degrees. It’s a refreshing temperature and our family loved the pool.
Beaches - Makaha Beach, a 5 min drive down the road is a great beach. Pretty calm in the summer although it sounds like it can get big in the winter. 10 minutes farther north and you have Makua and Yokohama Bays. These two beaches are uncrowded and definitely mostly locals. The water was pristine, scenery was amazing; there were even some turtles and good snorkeling in spots. When a bigger swell came through the waves at these beaches were too big for small kids but were really fun for adults and other strong swimmers. Pokai Bay beach is the local family beach, protected by walls, and was nice and calm. It looks quite similar to the Ko Olina lagoons near the Disney resort 30 min down the road but without the drive and amenities. There’s a nice mellow surf break within walking distance from the Pokai Bay parking lot. It’s a mostly sandy beach break with a bit of reef on one end. Uncrowded, friendly locals mostly on longboards, and a mellow right hand wave. It can apparently get big in the winter though.
Food - The Waianae Coast is less developed than other parts of the island so your food options are more limited as it’s less catered to tourists. There’s a grocery store and a few small restaurants but it’s definitely not filled with cute little beach shops etc. When you’re not relaxing at home or out at a local beach, you may likely be driving towards Ko Olina, Honolulu or the North Shore for fancier food or other outings.
One other highlight of the trip was private in-home yoga instruction provided by Paige Moon Yoga. Find her on Yelp.
All-in-all, the house and location are amazing and we would happily go back. Just be mindful of the drive times to your preferred destinations and understand the restaurant limitations and you can’t go wrong here.
Thanks again Carolyn!