First off, about the host: LaRona. She is super sweet, responds SO fast to any inquiries/text/messages, and was accommodating and very hospitable. I am so glad I got to meet her. She’s a busy woman, but will make time to stop by to check up on anything you need help with. Probably one of the best, if not the best Airbnb host/property manager I’ve met.
Now, regarding the property itself. It was perfect for our family of 3 (almost 2-yr old toddler, husband, and me). And we had two friends visit on consecutive weeks - they used the 2nd bedroom. Here are my thoughts:
-re: no A/C - it was actually/surprisingly very manageable. The ocean is across the street/highway, and with windows/doors open on both sides of the house, it creates a natural fan. That, along with all of the fans provided + living room ceiling fan, the temperature never got too uncomfortable. Only two times in the mid-day, it got hot in the bedroom, so we had our son nap in the living room instead.
-re: bugs. Sure, there are bugs, as one would expect in tropical areas, but luckily, they are neither the type that bite (e.g., mosquitoes), nor the scary type (e.g., centipede or big spiders). There are some ants, and some smallish flying bugs - nothing that bothered us. We were just thankful to not see any centipede or cockroach. Most bugs you’ll find will be dead - I recommend vacuuming every 1-2 days, if you wanna stay comfortable and not walk on dead bugs or gecko droppings.
-re: geckos. They are indeed all over the house. I did not mind them one bit. I saw three different types (bright green, brownish, and very light tan) and even a super tiny baby. They do leave droppings all over the place - on our bed, pillows, even on my head once! Just pick them up or wipe them, and you’ll be fine. They make a cute little chirping sound - we thought it was birds when we first got there! More geckos = less bugs.
-Do you need a screen over the bed? I’d say no. There were no crawling bugs on us, flies, or anything that bothered us. I did get a screen in which to put my son’s pack n play, so I wouldn’t have to look for and clean gecko droppings on his bed, etc, and to give me peace of mind for him. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NJGZQZM?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details
-pack n play was provided! It looked brand new, so it was very comforting to have. We bought and brought a mattress from Amazon for it, since we were staying for a month and I didn’t want my son sleeping on that padded cardboard mat that comes with it. Bring a vacuum bag to bring it back, so it takes less room in your luggage. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GBJPBSN?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details
-re: bathroom. It was clean and the shower was surprisingly large! About 4x3.5 ft or so, maybe even larger. We were able to easily fit my son’s inflatable tub for his baths in there. Also big plus to have a handle for the shower to rinse him off from the bath. Bring your own toiletries - we did a Target pick up on our way to the house.
-re: laundry. Good washer and dryer. We used them a lot bc we under packed, and also to wash sheets/towels that geckos pooped on. Buy your own detergent. BTW very nice and large/luxurious beach towels were provided!
-re: kitchen essentials. We got a set of BRAND NEW pots and pans! That’s SO rare for airbnbs! Bc we have dealt with really badly scratched or old pots/pans before, we now usually bring one of our own pans, when we go to an airbnb for an extended period of time - totally unnecessary here. Other than that, you’ll want to buy oil, vinegar, salt/pepper, etc. There was a new microwave, toaster, and coffee machine, and blender (we didn’t use them).
-re: beach toys/supplies. There are mats that were super useful. We bought and left our really nice Tommy Bahama umbrella. We also left a nice set of sand toys (bucket, shovels, etc).
-location: it is a bit remote and further out, but I don’t love the other touristy areas (we typically stay in Kaneohe). You’re about 15-20 mins from the Polynesian Center, which has good food/entertainment, and not far from baby-friendly beaches like turtle Bay Area, etc. Good carry-out foods in Kaneohe and also even 5-10 mins away.
-Wi-fi: super! I work from home and am on video calls all day, and using 100 tabs literally at the same time. We never had any issues with internet!
I highly recommend visiting the Kualoa ranch, especially if you have kids. There are horses, huge turtles you can pet, etc. it’s a nice area, and I wish we had made reservations early for one of their tours.
I loved this place and will definitely return!