I had Kauai Island Experience set me up with a north shore beach villa and all the activities for…read moremy family and I. We ended up saving hundreds of dollars as the staff has connections to some of the best properties on the island. We also ended up going stand-up paddling up rivers and liked it so much we had private surf lessons for the whole family. The best part is that the staff knows the island, they're safe/professional and they don't overcharge. Kauai Island Experience was able to hook us up with adventures not in any guide book. We referred our friends as well and they felt the same. Mike and the highly trained professionals will surely make your trip unforgettable. I'd also recommend going out on a fishing trip. I caught my first marlin and it was incredible. The best part was that their chefs cooked up the catch island style and we ate like kings for the rest of the trip. Can't wait to go back to my friends at Kauai Island Experience next year~ Mahalo!!

Mike is wonderful. He is maybe the kindest, warmest guy on the island…read more We did a canoe sail to scatter my Mother's ashes in Hanalei Bay and he could not have been more understanding, appropriately compassionate, fun (he even made it fun at times!), he did a great job taking social cues and gave my siblings and I just the experience we wanted. Del (I think) his shipmate was also lovely. We wanted to use them again for other activities that he offers but ran out of time, we were there for a wedding, turns out those things are kind of consuming. I would use him again for lessons, tours or anything of that nature when we come back. Thank you, Mike for giving us a little history, making us laugh and giving us such a wonderful goodbye to our Mother...bless you.

The Hanalei Surfboard house is a gem! The location is perfection. The garden is a dream. The rooms…read moreand patios are exactly what you need with a little kitsch. Simon and his house manager Jackie were hospitable and lovely. Boca the house cat is a delight. It instantly felt like home. I'm already looking at dates to come back again.

The best place we've ever stayed in Kauai & one of our most…read morefavorites ! This was almost 10 years ago . This place is absolutely pristine & clean ! Simon the owner of this Amazing Airbnb is simply a gracious host & everything you need for your stay is available. The grounds are kept & very well maintained. We loved all the retro & eclectic decor surround the outdoors & the inside of our Cowgirl suite was eco& retro as well ! We genuinely loved our stay here & were well taken care of by Simon . We did arrive there when there was a tsunami on the way but it was all good & we didn't get hit by the tropical storm fortunately. Simon also offered his upstairs home in case we had to move to higher ground . Simon was Mr. Hospitality ! I know sometime in the near future we will be back again more than likely on our anniversary. Simon also recommended some great places to eat & venture out too . This place is phenomenal so check it out you won't regret! It's own little paradise.

My husband and I had a great vacation at Paradise At The Plantation. Alanna our host made our stay…read morevery easy from the second I talked to her I knew this would be the perfect spot for us. There are so many wonderful things I loved about this property 1. The Master Bathroom has a soaker tub. His and her vanities and a shower. It also has an extra large walk-in closet. 2. Garage to park in. 3. Large lanai loved eating our meals out there. Great quality barbecue. 4. Pool and gym. We were able to work out each morning. 5. The area had great hiking. 6. Alanna is an amazing host. Her condo is immaculately clean. Aloha. I shall be back.

Staying here was a top-notch experience! My family came to Kauai to celebrate my dad's full…read morerecovery after a nasty fall from a ladder + major surgery (on his 65th birthday!). Paradise at the Plantation was exactly the right choice for our trip. Alanna (the owner) was helpful, communicative, and extremely detail-oriented. My parents say the bed in the master bedroom is one of the most comfortable they've ever slept in. Loved having morning coffee on the lanai overlooking the pool, and jogging around the resort grounds, including some jogs to Wylie and Sea Lodge beaches (it's a steep climb but worth it!). Paradise at the Plantation was ideally located for exploring the North Shore, Hanalei, and beyond. I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again if I'm ever lucky enough to get to go back to Kauai!

Had the most amazing stay at Fern Grotto Inn. It's a very cozy property with different sized guest…read morehouses and cottages. I stayed in CANAL A (Perfect for one person or 2 max). I was welcomed / greeted with a beautiful tropical floral arrangement. There were hibiscus flowers all over the room. The provided me a fresh lei on one of the towel arrangements, that I got to wear around my 1st day there. The place was so immaculate and clean! It was cleaner than my own house! It made me feel so good! Housekeeping prepared a welcome card and note with phone #'s for calls and txts. There was a kauai guidebook on the coffee table. They also had a binder with alot of tips, local recommendations and guides. The mattress is nice and firm, pillows are of a good quality. You will get wonderful sleep there. The plumbing worked well. The hot hot showers were amazing. It is on a removable shower head (just like I have at home) that is so convenient. You do have to take out your own trash, but they provide the trash liners under the bathroom sink. Paul and housekeeping happened to be on site when I arrived. They greeted me so warmly. I was having pain in my knees, and needed help with my luggage. Paul was so kind and helped me out. Cottage A was a charming studio. With a queen sized bed. There is absolutely everything you could need. Paul even prepared 2 beers, 2 water bottles and a box of chocolate in the fridge. It has both a fan and A/C wall unit that works very well! The kitchenette is stocked with everything you could need in terms of appliances, cookware, utensils, houswares, and even tupperware and ziploc bags. The cottage was well stocked with towels, bug spray, sunblock, extra blankets, etc. It was so thoughtful. Oh and the property has free laundry for the guests. They even provide laundry soap. It was outstanding. Such a huge blessing. They even have equipment: kayaking, SUP, ice boxes, beach chairs, beach umbrellas, water shoes, snorkeling equipment, etc. The freezer even has an ice tray and blue ice things to use for your daily picnics on the beach! I property has gorgeous flowers that bloom every day. You will be greeted daily with new orchids, ginger plants, ti leaves, etc. There is even a star fruit tree. Paul showed me how to pick when it's ripe (yellow color). I didn't have to buy fruit, I had so much organic star fruit, it was great! I had an amazing 7 night, 8 day stay. It was so quiet and serene. It's right on the river. Other guests were very nice to me. Every one is pretty quiet and keeps to themselves. It is well located 12 min from the airport. It is on the east side of the island, so you are pretty central to the north and south portions of the island. Nearby is a nice beach within 2 minutes - Lydgate Park. There are chickens everywhere on Kauai. But Paul thought of it all, the room comes with ear plugs. I enjoyed the roosters - it was a pleasant change from city life. I would like to return and stay at the larger cottage - the Ohana house next time! I would recommend this place to anybody looking for a safe, quiet, serene place to enjoy Kauai.

Best place to stay if you want to be centrally located. They provide a home away from home for you…read morewith everything you need. You can even kayak or paddle board right from your backyard on the Wailua River. They have a special personalized touch with all the fine details specific to your stay. Very clean, efficient, and warm home feeling.

I had a very unprofessional experience with Lauren after she canceled my booking in a home in…read moreHanalei. I was very understanding when the owners needed the home during the dates that I booked and asked if Lauren could offer another place in Hanalei. I booked in November for July dates and she canceled my res in February. She didn't have any other homes in Hanalei but offered me a new listing in Princeville. I asked if we could negotiate a lower rate to compensate the fact that Princeville is a different area than Hanalei and we weren't going to get the experience in the area that we had hoped for. Apparently I offended her when asking about negotiating the price because she rescinded the offer and has left us without a booking 5 months out with no other home rental options in Hanalei in our price range. This review and my experience could have been avoided if she would have help us find a solution even if she couldn't negotiate a lower rate. I was willing to work with her on price but she wasn't. BEWARE when booking through any VRBO with associated INSIDE KAUAI listings that you may lose your booking and finding a replacement will be difficult.

Lauren is phenomenal! I have now been working with her for 2 years as I've been planning my wedding…read morein Kauai, and she has helped me with all of the subsequent reschedules due to COVID. She had been instrumental in finding homes for myself and my family so that we will all be close together after not seeing one another for 2 years. All of the homes she manages are incredibly well vetted, taken care of, and you can be assured you are going to stay in a clean and beautiful home. This is priceless after traveling a long way to paradise. Thank you Lauren for helping to make our dream wedding happen with all of our close friends and family nearby, we can't wait! Mahalo!

Just enjoyed a wonderful week at the 2 bedroom condo in Poipu Kapili! The condo was spacious and…read moreclean, large kitchen which we enjoyed cooking in, multiple bathrooms and air conditioning. The condo was perfectly located with two different shopping areas less than a 10 minute walk away, and easy walking access to the beautiful Poipu beaches. I appreciated the little extras that Paul offered, including beach towels and chairs, and scales in the bathroom. We ate breakfast outside each morning with views of the pool, gardens and the ocean, we even saw dolphins one morning! Paul was also very helpful and responsive, and I appreciated all the local recommendations!

We absolutely loved our stay at Paul's condo in Poipu (Poipu Kapili). The unit was as advertised…read more(clean, beautiful, had everything we needed) and Paul was incredibly easy to work with on the logistics. Highly recommended if you are looking for a Kauai vacation rental. We'll definitely be coming back!

This cottage is a perfect vacation rental if you like to feel the unique qualities of the community…read moreyou're visiting. HMBC's openness lets you enjoy the warmth, the wetness, and the beauty of Hanalei Bay in a low-key way that lets you feel like you really live there. Maybe I am reacting to our trip to the Princeville St. Regis hotel for sunset cocktails. That beautiful resort felt like placeless luxury. The views were Hawaiian, but the grand style of the rooms, plentiful central air conditioning, upper-class airs, and property layout were suitable for anywhere from the Caribbean to Mexico to wherever... My preference is to stay where the local touch is celebrated. So..., HMBC is not endlessly elegant, it's a beach cottage. But, it is definitely my type of place! HMBC's front lawn leads directly to a very swimmable, less crowded area of Hanalei Bay. We walked 4 miles roundtrip on the Bay every morning, crossing the two local rivers coming into the sea at different places each day as the sands shifted. We took our first swim of the day on our pre-brekfast treks, and decided that the placement of the cottage was enough to ensure a wonderful vacation. The building is smartly designed with a large picture window in the living room. You can sit on the couch or one of the two reclining chairs, and watch the water, surfers, and swimmers go by. Moreover, the furniture and decorations feel well-designed, thought-out, sturdy and in excellent shape. Nothing is beachy, sticky, or falling apart. Suzanne, the owner, knows how to add touches to the property let us feel even more comfortable and able to relax. The building is well maintained and clean, which is not unique but noteworthy because those basic qualities are not universal in Hanalei! There are also nice, if somewhat common extras like a reasonable selection of pots and pans, microwave, toaster-oven, a charcoal BBQ, wide-screen TVs, full-size new refrigerator, comfortable chairs, washing soap, beach towels, extra towels of all types, and other reassuring amenities. We also liked the lock-box on the porch. That arrangement was new to us, but it let us lock up, swim, and not worry about losing the key on the beach. The books, games, and beach-gazing telescope in the living room were truly above-and-beyond treats. So was assortment of beach toys and mats and chairs that were in excellent shape and felt clean. We even appreciated the unique photographs on the walls and the other artwork that was unique and felt just right. We traveled with friends who rented a cottage across the grass from us. Their place is owned by a different member of the extended family that owns 5 adjacent waterfront units (and more elsewhere in the country). We felt lucky to have chosen HMBC because our owners seemed to understand what boosts a vacation. Our cottage had a gas stove, which I much prefer over the electric one our friends had. Adding gas must be costly, but it let us enjoy cooking more. Plus, there is a washing machine and gas clothes drier at the cottage which was both handy and free ... our friends had to pay several dollars to dry their clothes at an underpowered electric drier. (Come on owners of the other cottages... you're charging $400+ a night and then you make your guests put in quarters to wash and dry their clothes?? I am sure glad HMBC's washing and drying were not nickel and dime annoying extras. I mean, do you want to carry a bag full of quarters from the mainland in case you need to do laundry? Geeze!) Another special at HMBC is its lovely, hot-water plumbed, outdoor shower. We also appreciated that our kitchen was stocked with matches (our friends had none) and lighter fluid (again, they had none). Our friends even had to ask the housekeepers cleaning other cottages for more toilet paper. You're given the owner's telephone number is case of any problems. We had an incident: the clothes drier started smoking with an electrical smell as soon as we turned it on one morning. Suzanne had someone check the problem that afternoon and, when it turned out the motor had burned out, had a new drier installed the next morning. She was very, very responsive, came out herself to make sure we were okay, and ensured that the minor problem was solved. That visit, by the way, is when we discovered how delightful and friendly Suzanne is! Overall, in our opinion HMBC is excellently laid out, well taken care of, and, well..., as good as it gets.

Fall asleep to the sound of waves crashing out in Hanalei Bay? Walk to town for coffee and…read morebreakfast (or drinks and dinner at night; no need for a designated driver here!)? Views of Bali Hai from your front lawn? If you want the quintessential Hawaii experience, then stay here! The Moon Beach cottage is on the rustic side (think gecko visitors)--but that's part of its charm. Do yourself a favor and use the outside shower as your primary one (it's amazing to look up at Bali Hai as you lather up). The bed is a lot more comfortable than it looks, which is a big plus in my book. One night it got a bit noisy as some kids were partying on the beach--but everyone else we ran into was nice and respectful (and quiet). Sitting in the living room on the rattan furniture with the windows open and watching the surfers and the waves is pure heaven! It's one of the lesser-expensive places in Hanalei, but at $1,950 for the week it might be above some people's price range. But you are right on Weke road (multi-million-dollar real estate)--in walking distance to town and with direct ocean views. Also, the house sits on a big lot. There's even a neighborhood cat and dog who come by from time to time to say hello--just welcoming you to the neighborhood with that ol' Aloha spirit. Skip Poipu. Stay here. (You can thank me later...)

Renting a Princeville condo managed by Na Pali. Arrived to a clean, well equipped 2 bedroom unit…read more Furnished nicely. All appliances are in good condition. Only critique is that 2 overhead light bulbs were burned out. I found new bulbs in the supply closet and replaced them. Condo is located on the Makai golf course. Pretty view looks out towards the ocean. Quiet and peaceful complex. The pool is clean. The hot tub is out of service with no repair date predicted. Despite these shortcomings I plan to return next year.

I recently used this realty agency for a 2 week vacation home rental for the second time. It…read moreappears that the first time, "we just lucked out" because the home we rented had been newly renovated. We were very excited to have the experience again and paid 2,600/week for a wonderful looking rental next to the beach. The price of this property was in line given location and size relative to the others listed on their website. NOT. We arrived at a house which was much older than appeared in the pictures on the website (scary flashback to online dating experience right now). It was a 2 bedroom with an additional master suite loft; we quickly discovered that one of the bedrooms was filled with mold as one of our party cannot tolerate it and couldn't go into that room. The floor in that room was not redone like the rest of the house; it was faded linoleum with what looked like cigarette burns all over it. Upon moving one of the beds to another room so that it could be used, there was a hole about the size of a golf ball that led directly under the house. Now in Kauia in this kind of house that actually means it leads outside, as there is no built basement AT ALL. Within three days, one of the burners on the electric (eek) stove had burnt out, the ballasts on the fluorescent lights in the bathroom and kitchen were fried (they're old, just fiddle with it a bit to turn it on said the realty - ??! huh?? I don't want to do that on vacation) and the dryer blew out. The worse is in this tropical paradise, we discovered many of the screens in the door and skylights had holes in them, so mosquitoes were streaming in day and night. The house had no broadband and promised a BBQ, which turned out to be an old portable hibachi that had rusted out, under the house. We had to call the realty to bring us another one. When asked why they would rent a house in such disrepair for this amount of money, they said, they do not really manage this house, they merely handle the bookings. What I ask is the point in renting a house all the way from New York City with an agency which can't quality control the condition of a property???