Vacation Rentals by Owner

Amazing Cottage

Guest: Cristina (Richmond, CA)
Date of Stay: 03/18/11 Review Submitted: 03/26/11

We truly enjoyed our stay at this cottage; it was very hard to leave it at the end of the trip! The owner is very friendly and accomodating, and even provides a detailed "things to do" book for the guests. The setting was perfect--quiet, calm, and cozy--and having our own jacuzzi tub was awesome. It's a perfect romantic getaway for a couple...especially when you've just gotten engaged!

Owner response:Thanks for telling me about your special I DO Moment... What a romantic guy you have there Cristina... hang on to him... he is full of laughter and it is all because of you. Dawn

Recommended for:Age 55+, romantic getaway.

Highly recommended

Guest: kootenaisam (Montana)
Date of Stay: 03/10/11 Review Submitted: 03/18/11

It is a perfect place for those who like to getaway from the typical resort scene. Although it is in the middle of a residential area it has a secluded feel due to the trees and landscaping surrounding it.The location in Lihue is ideal for visiting both sides of the island. The kayak rental is a great deal, the snorkel equipment, and boogie boards, are an added bonus. Dawn is pleasant to visit with, and will provide a wealth of information on things to see, and do on the island.

Owner response:I look forward to hearing from you again ... I'm sure the snow will chase you our way again :) Dawn

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Trip of a Lifetime

Guest: Julie & Buck (Northern VA)
Date of Stay: 06/20/10 Review Submitted: 08/01/10

We had a truly wonderful experience at Dawn's cottage. It was everything we expected and more. Dawn was extremely helpful and shared her knowledge of the island and helped us plan our time there. We especially enjoyed picking fresh mangoes and avocados right there in the yard. We rented a jeep so we could explore the island, and found the location of the cottage excellent for just about any location we wanted to visit. We enjoyed having our private hot tub that we used daily, and we cooked fresh fish on the grill several nights, which we enjoyed with fresh vegetables from the farmer's market. Mahalo, Dawn, for everything. This was the best vacation we have ever had.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Amazing Getaway

Guest: J.Flew (Red Deer, AB)
Date of Stay: 04/28/10 Review Submitted: 05/04/10

The location is perfect, in the middle of the island in a charming neighborhood right by the beach and some nice restaurants. The Jacuzzi is so nice to come home to and Dawn is the nicest.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Craig35 (Davis, CA)
Date of Stay: 03/14/10 Review Submitted: 03/14/10

Aloha Dawn, I suppose it would have been timelier earlier but, we made it home safely. We really enjoyed the island and your cottage. It suited our needs just fine and coming home to the hot tub and watching the Olympics on TV was a great way to end each day. We hope to be back in a few years. Mahalo, Craig and Perla

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Very Private Studio

Guest: Larry & Barbara (Clio, Michigan)
Date of Stay: 02/01/10 Review Submitted: 03/27/10

This was a very quiet secluded place. The plant life all around was astounding. We were very close to the airport and many other attraction. Dawn went way beyond when asked a question to insure we had the information we needed. The shower is small but the rest of the place is very roomy & comfortable. Very few steps made for easy entry and exits. We also really like the morning sunshine streaming in the dinning room windows. We would tell our friends about this place if they were going to visit Kauai. Mahalo Dawn

Owner response:Aloha Larry & Barbara. I enjoyed meeting you and thank you so much for the review. Hope to see you again. Dawn

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: David and Janine (Grants Pass OR)
Date of Stay: 12/12/09 Review Submitted: 12/12/09

The KauaiDawn cottage is the perfect place to stay on a visit to Kauai. You are literally 5 minutes from the airport, the 2 bigger towns on the island and within walking distance to the beach. It has a beautiful view of the sunrise and cruise ships coming in to port. Both Dawn and her daughter, Sam are friendly and more than willing to share their knowledge of the island and things to do there. The only negative part of our entire stay was that we had to leave too soon. We will be back next summer- For Sure! Mahalo Dawn! Give Makoa and hug for me Sam!

Owner response:Janine & David did the most amazing thing! They redid our counter top on their last day in paradise. Can you believe that? They tiled, reset a new sink, fixed the faucet, redid the design to hold the microwave, and added some shelves. Definitely, you two are workaholics but most of all you had to have loved us to do this for us. We love you two too. Makoa loves you even more. You two are amazing! Visitors…Please take a look at the home page… under NEWS for photos. You two are the BEST and we can’t wait to see you again. I know you like diving… but I’d love to take you on a great adventure when you come back next time… then, you’ll know you have to come back and stay. Your talent is much needed on this island. Dawn, Sam & Makoa

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/24/09 Review Submitted: 10/24/09

Great little vacation retreat! Perfect for a couple wanting to get away and do their own thing. Lots of privacy, with a super hot tub for relaxing after a day at the beach or a long hike. For an added treat, ripe avocados were falling on the deck. Try the rental kayak for a fun day on the river. Perfect central location for exploring the island. We miss our secluded bungalow and Dawn a most gracious host.

Owner response:Thank you so much (mahalo nui loa)... loved getting to know you two also. Dawn

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Guest: Dave & Kari (Cedar City, Utah)
Date of Stay: 08/17/09 Review Submitted: 08/17/09

We had a great time in Kauai and the cottage was the perfect home base for all our adventures. The place was very clean and the jacuzzi was a great perk. Being able to cook for ourselves saved a lot of money. We also ended up eating losts of fresh fruit from Dawn's yard and some we gathered on our adventures. We highly recomend the cottage for its price, location and amenities. Mahalo!

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Overdue Praise!

Guest: jessie_from_sf (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 05/28/09 Review Submitted: 04/20/10

I meant to write this review right after our visit, but only now after returning to Kauai with a much larger group was I reminded I owed some praise to this lovely spot! This is a very sweet private spot in a quiet residential part of Lihue just minutes from the airport. We were actually picked up by the owner's daughter who was really helpful and knowledgeable about the coolest things to do on the island (some of which, like night diving at Maha'ulepo we were too scared to do!) We loved the convenience of renting the car with the studio also. We found the location great for exploring the entire island, Lihue is a nice mid-way point if you intend to cover all the highlights, from Waimea canyon all the way around to Ke'e beach. Dawn was a gracious and well informed host - we loved hearing about the movies filmed on the island and LOVED watching South Pacific and other Kauai films in the extensive collection - especially after a full day of beaching and driving and waterfall jumping. This is a great spot if you want something cooler than a hotel room, with the ability to make some of your own meals and avoid the scene at the big resorts. Highly recommend it!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Trish & Chuck (Stromsburg, NE)
Date of Stay: 03/19/09 Review Submitted: 03/19/09

This place is fun! Who would've thought a jacuzzi in Hawaii would be so perfect, but after our days of hiking and kayaking, we loved coming back to it--and renting Dawn's kayak was such an adventure! A lovely little tropical yard to enjoy.

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Guest: Shawn & Jowita (New Jersey, US)
Date of Stay: 03/17/09 Review Submitted: 03/16/09

We had a great stay, really enjoyed our time here! Loved the grill, jacuzzi, cool slate tiling and the relaxing outdoor dining area. Dawn is a wealth of knowledge on things to do and local advice. A great place to come back to after a day of hiking. Thanks a lot Dawn!

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Guest: Elena & Grant (Germany)
Date of Stay: 01/07/09 Review Submitted: 01/07/09

Dear Dawn, thank you for our great stay at your wonderful and homely cottage. We enjoyed getting to know you and we are very thankful for your great advice. We are definitly missing your superb grill-station where we made all our delicious meals. After taking out that great kayak of yours it was heaven on earth coming back and relaxing in that awesome jacuzzi - that was already hot and waiting for us - gazing at the stars and drinking our cool white wine was unbeatable. We can only advice anybody to stay there because it is a very special place. It provides everything you can think of and with you Dawn it is perfect. Elena & Grant

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Guest: Ruben & Donna (Corpus Christi, TX)
Date of Stay: 12/09/08 Review Submitted: 12/09/08

Perfect honeymoon nest! Awoke to beautiful songbirds each day! No phone was a great advantage of the "get away from it all" privacy. (Yes, our cellphones worked fine--when we FELT like turning them on!) Surrounded by lush, flowering foliage, adding even more intimacy. This was the optimum distance away from any noisy highway, in spite of being about 5 minutes from the airport car rental places. No noisy kids or drunk hotel guests stomping outside your doors or guests competing against you to use the hot-tub. All in all, a VERY private hill-side hide-away to rest in after taking in Kauai sights. We highly recommend it, especially if you're tired of the regular hotels!

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Guest: Amy Brown (Layton, UT)
Date of Stay: 11/22/08 Review Submitted: 11/22/08

Dawn, Mahalo!!!! Michael and I had a wonderful time. The rental was totally amazing. I loved the decor and the bed was extremely comfortable. The mini kitchen w/the barbeque gas grill cooked some delicious meals. The baked sweet potatoes w/brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter cooked quickly on the grill and tasted scrumptious. Even though it rained 4 of the 8 days we were here, we still found many magnificent opportunities. Poipu beach was the ever faithful back up for rainy days. I loved seeing the sea turtles at Anini beach, Poipu Beach, and the Spouting Horn. The rainbows at Waimea Canyon were truly spectacular. This is the greatest vacation Michael and I have had in many years. Thanks for all the wonderful tour guide advice it truly helped make our trip the fabulous experience it was. We would definitely recommend coming here to all our friends and have plans to come back again. M ahalo!!! Amy & Michael Brown Layton, UT

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Guest: Bill & Claudia Gant (Scottsdale, AZ)
Date of Stay: 11/08/08 Review Submitted: 11/08/08

Our stay at the cottage was over and beyond all expectations...We were very comfortable and were provided with all we needed for a great visit to Kauai!! The October breezes and quiet solitude made our stay both relaxing and romantic. We'll definitely be back!!

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Guest: Shelley14 (Canada)
Date of Stay: 03/09/08 Review Submitted: 03/09/08

We stayed in this cottage for two weeks over the new year in 2008. The amenities were just right for two people. There were some really nice perks like the jacuzzi and the outdoor grill. We always felt like our privacy was respected and when we had questions regarding the island, Dawn was very knowledgeable about the geography and the culture. The location was very convenient to access most of the island within an hour's drive. We spent many evenings watching the sunset down the road at Kalepaki Bay which was a wonderful way to cap off our adventure filled days. We had a great time.

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Guest: Will and Kim1 (Marina del Rey, CA)
Date of Stay: 02/28/08 Review Submitted: 02/28/08

My wife and I stayed at this excellent cottage for the last 4 nights of our Honeymoon in February 2008. The cottage was well maintained and it was very comfortable. Dawn was very helpful, friendly and if we decide to rent a cottage the next time we come to Kaui'i we will stay at her Lihue cottage again. Highly recommended Mahalo, Will and Kim Romano

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