Heaven on Earth

The beach is a quick few minute walk down the public easement from the house. It is extremely easy to take a beach cart and chairs with you to setup for the day. Kailua town is accessible by walking (25 minutes), biking (7 minutes) or driving (4 minutes). You will want a car to get around the island. We are in an incredible location regarding ease of getting around the island. You can take the Pali Highway into Honolulu/Waikiki or the LikeLike Highway. You can also hop on route 72 and take the scenic coastal drive to Waikiki which takes you through Waimanalo, Hawaii Kai, Kaimuki.

The pillbox hike, to me, is a must do while you are staying. It has one of the most beautiful views of Kailua and Waimanalo Bay as well as an incredible view of Olomana and the vast mountain range. I would highly suggest renting a kayak or stand up paddle board with Kailua Beach Adventures and take a guided tour to The Mokes (two small isles) off Kailua Beach. The shore break at the beach at the house is fantastic for boogie boarding so make sure to take one with you when you go.

Ok, take a breath. You are on island time now. Most of the aggressive driving that I see is mostly, not all, from people who do not live here. Let people go and notice them throw you a Shaka. Enjoy it. Throw a Shaka back to the people you let go. If you visit a house, leave your shoes at the door.

Take advantage of what Oahu has to offer. Go to Ala Moana Beach Park on a Friday night and take it all in. Arrive early to catch sunset and then walk to the other side of the park and wait for dusk to watch the fireworks show every Friday night lit off from the Hilton in Waikiki. You will have a great view of the sunset and fireworks from this park. I would suggest a full day here as its a great beach and a wonderful spot for any water sport. The break makes it so that the water is flat for swimming, SUP, etc, but if you paddle out you have lots of fantastic surf spots.

Restaurants were busy before COVID, but now it really is best to always make a reservation for dinner. Helicopter tours really are the best way to see the islands so if you are going to go on one I suggest Blue Hawaiian Helicopters and book well in advance. The Ranch is a great place to go, but book ahead, particularly if you want to ATV. If you want to do anything on a boat, charter or day trip, book ahead.

Hawaii is casual. There really is no such thing as a "dress code". An "Aloha Shirt" and a sundress is about as dressy as it gets for a night out on the town. You will be surprised by how perfect the weather is, but it is a tropical island so it does rain on occasion. You need sandles (aka slippas), shorts, t-shirts, rash guard (this is good to have in the water for sun protection and jelly-fish protection), rain jacket (it does rain from time to time and occasionally on a perfectly sunny day you will get a quick rain), in the summer you won't need a sweatshirt at night, but in winter maybe

Aloha, Mahalo, Howz it?

I think it is great that everyone on this island gets their child in the water basically at birth. Take some time to get your kid a swimming lesson or a surfing lesson while you are here. It is fun for the people who teach the kids love it! There are so many great parks to take advantage of on the island. The Honolulu Zoo and Aquarium are great spots for kids as well.