Owners were away on a trip, but their lovely on-site hostess greeted us warmly on arrival to give us keys & orient us to house. We had first floor apartment which was very clean & well equipped for our two week stay while my husband was working at Tripler Medical Center. This was our first time in Ewa Beach & fifth working trip to O’ahu. I spent many pleasant hours on back porch reading-nice breeze and attractive private backyard with banana, mango, & breadfruit trees. In evening my husband & I enjoyed sitting out there with our glass of wine.
I found beach access pathway “D” was easier to walk on my arthritic ankle; and the beach was wider there at high tide than at “C” entry point. Most days I had beach all to myself with great views across the water of Diamond head and Honolulu. I found a good beach chair in the shed which hostess encouraged us to use. There was also beach umbrella & lots of other equipment available which we didn’t use.
Neighborhood was quiet. We used the AC unit at night mostly for “white noise” effect as my husband is a light sleeper, but we probably didn’t really need it. If windows left open, there’s a good breeze all the time.
Traffic in rush hour is problematic everywhere on the island. It took my husband about an hour to get to & from Tripler every day. But Ewa Beach is far preferable to Waikiki where we’ve usually stayed on previous trips. Waikiki is crowded, noisy, and it’s sometimes impossible to even get into a nice restaurant in evening. Near Ewa we found Assiago Italian Restaurant which I loved.
This trip I got to tour Shangri La which is full of Islamic and other Middle Eastern Art. The tour has to be arranged pretty far ahead via Honolulu Museum of Art, but it’s fantastic ! $25. Shangri La tour fee includes admission to the Art Museum for the day. That’s a delightful place to spend several hours.
Another “find” in Honolulu was Julia’s Cafe in the historic unusual YWCA building on Richards Street right across from Iolani Palace. I had the best lunch of poke tacos there. The building designed by famous American architect, Julia Morgan, is a prize to see in itself !