Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Step away from the high-rise hotels and condos in Honolulu and Waikiki and you’ll find a different Oahu. On the island’s windward and north shores, it is still possible to find quiet properties within steps of the beach. Stay in a cozy studio cottage or an elegant beachfront home.
Waimanalo moves at a slower pace than most places on Oahu and features a 3-mile beach, the longest strip of sand on Oahu. Beach House Hawaii is a local firm that includes beach cottages in their rental pool. They offer moderately priced units such as a beachfront studio filled with bold Hawaiian colors and rattan furnishings and a five-bedroom beachfront home in a gated estate. Waimanalo Beach Cottages has nine units ranging from studios to a three-bedroom home. The cottages are clustered together in the same complex. Each unit is individually owned so furnishings vary. All have patios, barbeques and cable TV. A pathway leads to the beach.
Kailua Beach Park is the main gathering area in Kailua, with 35 acres of lawns, trees and picnic areas fronting a 2.5-mile long white-sand beach. LaniKailua Beach Rentals has properties ranging from studios to five-bedroom villas. Some of the more elaborate properties are beachfront estates, complete with swimming pools and gourmet kitchens. Oahu Beach Rentals rents luxury beachfront bungalows and estates, most on the beach or right across the street.
The North Shore is where die-hard surfers come to challenge the skyscraper waves of the Banzai Pipeline and Sunset Beach each winter. Cottages and homes on this part of the island are usually rented out by the owners or by rental outfits. Examples include Hawaii Beach Homes that specializes in beachfront properties of various sizes. Many of their properties have swimming pools, hot tubs and gourmet kitchens. HomeAway offers condos, cottages and beachfront estates in Haleiwa and Laniakea, two prime beach towns. You’ll find beachfront properties with swimming pools, ocean views and the surf breaking a few feet from the lanais.
Turtle Bay Resort is a deluxe hotel property on the North Shore. In addition to hotel rooms and suites, Turtle Bay has a collection of luxury beach cottages within steps of the sand. Each cottage has its own private lanai, marble bathroom and high-end furnishings. Cottages are either beachfront or ocean front and all connected to the beach via private pathways. There are no kitchens in these units, but you do have the services of the hotel and a cottage concierge.