Amazing house in an absolutely stunning location! If you are looking for a well appointed house that comfortably sleeps 8, set on the beautiful south shore of Kauai, then look no further. This house has it all!
The large outdoor patio is where we spent most of our time soaking in the sun and ocean breeze. There are 4 loungers, a large table with umbrella that seats 6 and a gas grill perfect for grilling dinner. There is also a smaller table and chairs under a covered area of the patio for those seeking reprieve from the sun. One of the more charming features of the house was what we referred to as “the house chickens”. There are a lot of wild chickens on the island and they love to beg for food. The house seemed to have a few resident chickens that never left and one of them is quite happy to jump on your chair or table while eating to sample your food. She is easily shooed away but is persistent in her endeavor. (They also like to use the patio as a bathroom, so a daily hose off was needed but don’t let that dissuade you. You are going to find chickens anywhere you stay on the island.) The ocean is mere feet away from the house but there is a large, landscaped drop off and no sandy beach (lots of rocks) so swimming is not a good idea. The closest beach is a quick 5 min walk down the road with a nice reef that makes for decent snorkeling.
The house is easy to reach via car from the airport (25-30 min) with a spacious driveway that can easily accommodate 2 large cars. (The driveway does have a short steep incline so we found it best to back the cars in instead of having to reverse out into the road.) The garage is large and can fit a car if needed but we chose to park in the driveway for easy in and out. The garage also housed a large, new washing machine and dryer which is great for washing towels and bathing suits after a long day exploring the beaches. There are also 6 (well loved) beach chairs, 3 umbrellas, a medium hard sided cooler and loads of beach towels to use which was amazing! Several if the chairs are missing handles but are small and light enough to easily carry. (We walked to the beach just down the street almost every day after being out and the chairs were perfect for that.)
The main living space of the house had lots of comfortable seating, large windows with beautiful views of ocean and a well appointed kitchen with everything you need. The main floor is not air conditioned so we took advantage of the windows for the ocean breeze and fans that are available throughout the house. There is a TV in the living room but I can honestly say we did not take advantage of it as the view of the water was far more enticing.
The bedrooms are large, with big comfy beds, clean linens and adequate closet/drawer space available. Every room in the house had an ocean view, including the bathroom. The upstairs bedrooms have portable AC units available that did a decent job cooling the rooms at night. All bedrooms have at least one fan available to use as well. The bathroom on the second floor is large and easily shared by 4 people. The downstairs primary bedroom has a large king sized bed, walk in closet and good size bathroom en suite. (The shower is a walk-in too which was nice for my father who has bad joints.) While there is no AC downstairs the large sliding doors in the bedroom allow the ocean breeze in (along with the fans) kept the room very comfortable at night.
The guesthouse is a cute studio apartment with small private patio and ocean views. The bed was very comfortable, bathroom generously sized and also had a small kitchen which we never took advantage of. The shower does have a pretty steep step to get into it so best for someone without joint issues. There is no AC in the guesthouse but between the ceiling fan, large sliding door with screen and some standing fans it was comfortable at night.
The location of the house is conveniently located on the beautiful south shore, making it easy to get anywhere you want to go on the island in a reasonable amount of time. The house guidebook also has great tips and recommendations for places to see, do, and eat which comes in very handy! They clearly have put a lot of effort into making sure your stay is a great one.
Overall we absolutely loved our stay at Kahalekai! The location of this home can’t be anymore perfect and is a great starting point for any adventure you choose on this beautiful island. We all said we will definitely be back and would happily stay at this tropical oasis again.