Susan and her son, Paulo, may have the nicest place on Oahu, and it would be difficult to find better accommodations for your trip. My wife and I consider ourselves lucky for having recently stayed five nights here. This why people love AirBnB.

The beautiful pictures barely do the place justice. Everything you see in them is open for your use and enjoyment. In addition to the pool and hot tub, they have beach umbrellas, towels, chairs, snorkelling gear, bikes, boogie boards, and more that you can use. Inside the room, you'll be sleeping on a bed likely more comfortable than your own, under incredibly soft sheets, and without any concern for the heat or humidity thanks to the dedicated (and mercilessly quiet) air conditioner. We ate breakfast in the room each morning, and everything is there for you if you wanted to eat lunch and dinner there as well. We really liked the attention to detail and quality of furnishings throughout.

A nice touch is the book you'll find in the room that Susan has recently put together for guests. It is illustrated with amazing photos of the area taken by past lodgers, and includes recommendations for local restaurants and other services; the ones we tried were excellent.

And that is the other part of the story -- the location. Avoid Waikiki, its packed beaches, and tourist trappings. Stay in Kailua with Susan and other locals instead. Kailua beach is literally steps out your front door. I went for runs and my wife did Yoga there in the morning while the sun rose. It was named best beach in America a few years ago. Lanikai beach, also a past winner, is next door, and next to that is this year's winner, Waimanalo Beach.

Walk to rent kayaks for a guided tour of the Moku Islands instead of being bused there from a hotel in Waikiki (as everyone else in our group had been). For a better view, take the Lanikai Pillbox trail up the mountains overlooking the town and the coast. Or head into the forest on the outskirts of town to Maunawili falls, then jump off the rock cliff into the water below. Or see other types of tropical forest species in the nearby Ho`omaluhia botanical gardens. We managed all of these things from Susan's place and never had to drive more than 20 minutes.

And if you must, Waikiki and Honolulu are only a 25 minute drive. We went there a few times for dinner, fireworks, and the Aloha Festival. But the other nights we were just as happy with the restaurants and shops in Kailua, less than 5 minutes away. There's also a Whole Foods, Target, and Safeway for essentials.

Stay here, and you'll find Susan and Paulo to be warm and welcoming, familiar without being intrusive, and friendly and helpful without being overbearing. As an introvert, this was an enormous relief to me, and and for my wife the extrovert, a great joy.