We love Don's house in Kailua. We have little kids so it was wonderful to be close to a gorgeous beach that is also super safe for the littles to play and swim in. We visited in the winter so the waves were spectacular but quite rough. Kailua beach is just a 7 min drive away, and Lanikai Beach is just another 10 min walk from there. Both beaches have very calm surfs. My husband was obsessed with seeing a Moorish Idol while in Hawaii, and we drove all over to several top snorkeling places and saw many beautiful reef fish but not this particular one. Well, after a heavy rain, we were walking along Lanikai beach and lo-- there were 2 Moorish Idol swimming around in a tidal pool right at our feet!
The house is on a busy street but it is behind another building so it feels really private and tucked away. There is a nice fenced yard. There is a bus stop just a few steps away. You can go anywhere on the island riding TheBus and it was great for the baby to ride on my lap and meet locals.