We stayed at the Chinaman’s House in Kaneohe, HI for the first 3 weeks of May 2022. We were three of us, my husband, my sister and I on this trip. It was our first Airbnb rental and it was absolutely great. Nina was the prefect host and by the end of the trip, she became a good friend to us. She was always responsive and diligent in taking care of all our needs. The house itself is spotlessly clean and well decorated. There are a lot of supplies, whether it is in the kitchen (spices, tea, coffee, etc.), bathrooms (soap, shampoo, conditioner, etc.) bedrooms (linens, blankets, pillows, etc.) or outside on the beach or water (kayaks, shoes, umbrella, floats, etc.). The view of the ocean from the huge picture windows in the living and dining room take your breath away. The lanai is perfect for entertaining or just sitting quietly at sunrise or sunset, watching the local fisherman get their catch for the day, or children playing in the beautiful regional park next to the house. My husband went for a long walk early every morning in this park. On weekends, large families of Hawaiian descent have picnics in the park and sing Hawaiian songs which are beautiful to hear. There are lovely beaches in this park where you can swim and fish. You can also swim at high tide near the house and the water is like silk. Sometimes, when there is bad weather, the ocean is a sight to see, with angry waves breaking on the rocks close to the house. There is a convenient gas grill on the lanai and it is such a pleasure to barbecue all kinds of fish, meat and vegetables every so often and eat it outdoors. The house is surrounded by a beautiful garden with all sorts of exotic plants and sweet smelling flowers.
There is a very well stocked Safeway just 20 mins away by car in Kaneohe and all the big chain stores (Costco, Walmart, Whole Foods, etc.) are in Honolulu, which is a beautiful 30 min drive away from the house. The famous Kualoa Ranch is across the road in front of the house and has a beautiful mountain range and horses and cows that roam free on the ranch. There is a produce shop that sells wonderful vegetables, flowers, fish and meat that is grown on the ranch. There are local places nearby where you can buy delicious Hawaiian food, such as huli-huli chicken, pork lau-lau, kalua pig, and all different kinds of poke. We always bought fresh fruit (papayas, mangoes, pineapple, etc.) from the local fruit stands and sampling the different kinds of shaved ice is an absolute must. The Chinaman’s House is located far away from the hustle and bustle of a big city and is close to the beautiful Hawaiian culture and people, who are the most welcoming, gentle and helpful people we have ever encountered.
It is such a magical place to be in and we were all sad to leave the house and Nina. But, we hope to be back in the very near future.