This review is for Malaekahana State Park Campground. It's quiet and feels somewhat secluded. You…read moredo need a reservation to camp overnight. Note: the gate closes at 6:45pm, so you'll need to plan accordingly. There are some spaces you may be able to park right outside the gate, but I don't think they're considered official parking spots. Double check signs! There are some large sinks throughout the campgrounds which allow for washing dishes, fruits, and vegetables. It's also a great place to freshen up for the day. The bathrooms were clean for a beach bathroom and there are some showers inside the bathroom space as well. The water is cold! The bathroom was pretty well stocked with toilet paper, though it can get low later at night. Bring extra toilet paper just in case. There was no hand soap. The beach was beautiful! It is covered in reef, so it's not a great swimming spot. Perhaps when the tide is high you may be able to go out--but be extremely careful of our precious coral reefs. Great space for lounging on the beach! As always, remember to pack out what you pack in (and grab some plastic from the beach too!).

Looking for a affordable weekend with the family? Look no further. If you are a kamaaina, you can…read morestay in the small Hale that sleeps 4 for $50 a night! It's roughing it but I survived a two night stay and so can you! The Plantation Hale comes with nothing. You basically have a place to sleep. No amenities. There is an outdoor shower (cold water only) and toilet (byoTP- toilet paper) both shared with others. Each Hale comes with a fire pit which is super cool! We like Hale 1, 2 , and 3 because it is ocean front. Bring everything you need as if you were tent camping (grill, sleeping bags, coolers, etc.). If roughing it is not your jam no worries. They have plantation suites which have indoor toilets! If you don't mind roughing it there are also tent only areas which is very affordable. The best thing about staying here is that the bay is awesome! My kids loved it so much we are going back again in a few weeks.

Whale watching tour was wonderful! The waves were a bit choppy the day I went, but the ginger ale…read moreon-board helped tons. According to staff, the waves aren't always this way. I went close to the time of the storm warning, so makes perfect sense. The customer service is exceptional. Jack was working hard to make sure everyone was taken care of in terms of food and drink. The photographers were friendly. Jim was especially informative, kind and helpful. Ron made quite an impression with his whale sounds. Ron also gave my boyfriend and I a stamp of the humpback on our arms--hot cute! Lastly, the captain (I believe his name started with a "TH," maybe Thom?) was generous and brilliant. He was gracious enough to show my boyfriend and I the pilot station. Super cool! Hannah, the bartender was amazing--taking care of every guest with care. The virgin pina colada was yummy! The prices are super affordable. My boyfriend and I didn't see the whales breach; however, we got to see two humpbacks, flying fish and white terns. The views are beautiful. I was thankful for the size of the boat because I noticed many MUCH SMALLER boats in the water--meaning, greater susceptibility to sea sickness. Majestic by Atlantis Cruises also offers deals. My boyfriend and I appreciated our Kama'aina discount! The detailed check-in and parking info provided by Majestic was very helpful as well. If you don't see any whales, you're guaranteed a free redo--how cool is that? This was a magical experience, and I had a blast!

On the final night of our dream vacation, the Atlantis Sunset Cruise was the perfect…read moreending--peaceful, breathtaking, and truly unforgettable. I'm deeply grateful to the entire Atlantis staff for their outstanding service. From the warm aloha welcome to the thoughtful drinks, snacks, and engaging stories from the Captain and crew, every moment felt personal and enriching. Though I'm not great with names, every staff member was genuinely kind, professional, and attentive--going above and beyond to make us feel comfortable. Mahalo nui loa to the entire team for helping create a memory we'll cherish forever. You made our island getaway truly special.

Bellows is such a jewel. I hadn't been there in a long time, so I decided to swing by. The…read morecampgrounds, the beaches, and the cabins looked very nice. However, I just decided to see what they had for lunch. There's a bar and a meal place in the back of turtle Cove. Turtle Cove is where you check in for the lodging, and then they also have shops and that type of thing. I wanted to see if the bar could make me a virgin Mai Tai, but they didn't open for another two hours. She said that they open at 3 PM. I'm not sure if that's every day of the week.... So instead, I went over to the snack bar, and I ordered a spam musubi, and an açai bowl. What a combination, eh? The spam musubi was very large, and it was delicious! The rice was tender, and the SPAM was done just right. It took a little bit longer to get my açai bowl, as they are made to order! When I did, I took it out back so I could eat overlooking the ocean. What a beautiful view, just so absolutely peaceful. This is just such an amazing place. The açai bowl was amazing. They were very generous with the toppings, the granola underneath the fruit was very good, and the açai itself was very slightly frozen, it melted perfectly as I went through the meal. Just a total home run. Bellows is a wonderful place for military recreation, let's hope it stays that way. Thank you for being there.

Love Bellows! A great service to the American military with a stunning beach…read more Tons of activities ranging from arcade-like games to a 9-hole disc golf course, mini-golf, paintball, basketball, beach volleyball, etc. Equipment rentals are cheap and the gift shop is actually pretty nice.

Kauai Island Car Rental was awesome! They went above and beyond to make sure we had a car ready…read morefor our 6 AM tour departure. The team delivered the car directly to our port, upgraded us without even being asked, and later gave us a ride to the airport. Their customer service is truly the best--friendly, reliable, and thoughtful. This is the kind of support you can only get from a small local business. I'd recommend them 100% and will gladly support them again!

Myself and my friend stepped out of our comfort zone and had a wonderful time. The crew was…read moreabsolutely amazing and made us feel safe and comfortable. We were 2 senior ladies from Texas. I would recommend them to all. Thanks guys for a great time.

By far the coolest experience with island water sports!!! Think scuba diving without all the…read morecertifications--you don't even need to know how to swim!!! The crew also takes wonderful photos. You get 20 min on the submarine, which i thought was plenty. We spent the rest of the time snorkeling and it was a great time. Cruising in the ocean surrounded by tropical fish was already unreal, but we got really lucky and saw a bunch of sea turtles too. Such an unforgettable experience from start to finish. The crew was amazing--friendly, knowledgeable, and made us feel safe the entire time. If you're looking for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in Hawaii, I can't recommend this enough.

Absolutely the worst experience I EVER HAD as a traveler and I grew up on this island . Not only…read moredid the so called manager Nicole not pick up her phone the entire holiday weekend but also downgraded us on thanksgiving because her cleaning lady didn't show up , no reimbursement, didn't get into our original rental till 3:30 didn't have thanksgiving dinner till 11pm .., DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY , LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY AND RESPECT NO TOILETRIES AND NO RESOONSE 3 days $3600 and you better believe they have no jacuzzi I highly recommend staying in Airbnb or just turtle bay resort itself... DIDNT GET I TO OUR PLACE TILL 4pm yesterday when we were supposed to be checked in on thanksgiving..., trash host , no shampoo, conditioner soap nothing .., rip

Want to stay on the North Shore but don't want to spend an arm and a leg at Turtle Bay Resort!?…read moreThis place is a great alternative right outside Turtle Bay's property! Each condo has different amenities and it's a bit difficult to choose one but my parents chose a fully stoked condo that had EVERYTHING you need! 2 air conditioners (one in the living room, one in the master bedroom), a GIANT sofa that literally fit 6 adults comfortably, a King sized bed in the master bedroom, a Queen size bed as well as a pull out couch in the second bedroom, a fully stoked bathroom complete with shampoo bottles, hairspray bottles, a blow dryer, even a curling iron(!), a dishwasher, tons of dishes, tons of extra blankets, pillows, and bath towels, even beach towels and beach bags! It was such a cute beach condo. Whoever owns this place seriously thought of EVERYTHING one would need to have a completely relaxing, worry-free stay! We got 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath condo with the view of pool. There were 4 of staying there and there was more than enough room for everyone. At the particular condo we were at, I loved how secure everything was. Everything was keyless! There was a key fob to get onto the property and we were able to create our own unique passcode to get in the house. There was a welcome letter explaining everything we needed to know about the condo and they even provided a binder with what to do in the area! They even provided a GIANT book of 5 minute bed time stories! How cute! There was also free wi-fi and they even attached a Maikai Card for discounts at Foodland! (For those from out of town, of course!) My dad had requested we have 3 stalls because my family all came in separate cars due to needing to transport lots of stuff for the wedding and Jean, the manager was very accommodating. We were allowed 3 parking passes and took 2 guest stalls as well as the assigned stall to our condo. Sorry for all those condos around us for taking up so many stalls! There is a walkway to Turtle Bay and the beach and it was a quick 5 minute walk away from our condo. We were able to explore the resort without paying any resort fees or high room rates. Hehe. Back on the property, the pool area was super cute with grills and a covered area to sit. We took FULL advantage of the pool and grilling area. In fact, our first night, we took over the whoooole area! We had a BBQ with 30+ people and it was a blast!! The pool does close at 9pm so we needed to be out by then but that was no problem because we started BBQ-ing early. Overall, I would definitely stay here again if I needed to stay on the North Shore! Just need to really do your research on picking a good one.. I'm not sure how my mom booked this place but it was definitely on the nicer, more modernized condos. My family was staying here for a wedding, therefore extended family rented out the 2 condos next door to the one I was staying at and theirs was nice but didn't have as much included (i.e. 2 air conditioners, a fully stoked bathroom, beach towels with beach bags, etc). Looking at other reviews, it's hit or miss at this place so ask a lot of questions and look at the pictures and read the description on the condos before committing!

Hands down the beat car rental experience EVER! I called around to many places and then I came…read moreacross them in Turo. We rented a 2019 Corvette Stingray for a day and cruised the island. Craig and John were truly a pleasure to work with and they provided the heat service. Their communication was clear, the car was clean and the ride was perfect. If you plan on visiting Honolulu then you need to hit up Craig for a nice rental!

Craig & John plus the entire team have been awesome and they have made the entire rental process…read moresmooth and easy! I rented the Jeep Gladiator 2021 and it was the best and practically brand new! My friends and I enjoyed our time with the ride and made some awesome memories. Anytime I come to Hawaii, I'm coming here for my ride! Mahalo you guys!

Beautiful hidden beach, very calm, not nearly as many tourist as you would think. Nice and waist…read moredeep at least 50 feet out. Beautiful view definitely a hidden gem.

This is one of my favorite beaches. Great wide open space of beach from end to end and bordered…read morewith an Ironwood forest treeline to escape the sun or enjoy your picnic. If your lucky like we were, you'll get treated to a short acrobatic single engine airplane that does stunts just off shore. Whoever this pilot is has got his stuff down. Even a goodbye wave with his plane when he was done. We finally got a camping permit after waiting until they complete the restroom renovation in mid August. We reserved spot #10 which is furthest to the right towards the beach. The walk from the truck to the camp spot is not that far unless your carrying the heavy stuff. When I got to the camp area I noticed the area was sunken in a little. Like it was in a bowl like area. Now I'm not new to camping and know better to pitch a tent in low lying area so I walked further up towards the tree line and found a spot that was higher ground. The beach is great. Its so huge and not overcrowded like Kailua Beach or Bellows Beach. The parking is small though but I've seen people park on the grass over the curb and nobody seems to bother. Main thing you dont block anyone in. The restroom is brand new from the ground up. Everything is clean inside. The best thing is the toilet stalls have frickin doors! I wonder how long thats going to last until you have to have someone play lookout or do a very loud cough to let someone know its occupied. Five of the six shower heads are already missing. I just hope it doesn't get any worse. If your a internet junkie, your gonna be kinda SOL. This location has 0 internet connection. Phone calls sound broken up or end up getting dropped. The last thing I could do was check in and that was it. I gave up after a while and just enjoyed the beach. I tried roaming but that was still off and on. If you like reading, this is for you. Bring a book or your Kindle. Overall great beach and definitely one of my favorite. A must see if you are visiting from the mainland. Just a fyi. This camping area is a five day camping spot. So its $52.00 no matter if your staying just the weekend its still that price. Dont forget, leave your area cleaner than when you got there :)