Vacation Rentals by Owner

This Little Piece of Heaven

Guest: The Vandewel Family
Date of Stay: 01/03/12 Review Submitted: 01/13/12

It's been a great 2-1/2 weeks on this little piece of heaven. Thank you for letting us rent your house. We pretty much saw and drove the entire island, snorkeled anywhere we could and came to the conclusion that Lawai Beach is the best!!! We will miss this place, the house was just right for us. Greetings and blessings from Alberta, CA.

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wonderful place

Guest: Siepie (Bow Island Alberta Canada)
Date of Stay: 12/17/11 Review Submitted: 02/21/12

We stayed here over the Christmas break and absolutely loved the place. The layout of the house is effecient and roomy,there was the 6 of us. I liked having the living quarters upstairs,the views from the balcony are amazing.In the garage we found all sorts of snorkel gear and boogie boards, a coolbox and beachchairs,there were also lots of beach towels to use.The downstairs is for sleepng and loundry,great set up with private bathrooms for the 2 King bedrooms. The fact that it took just 4 minutes to walk to Lawai beach was ideal,we love to snorkel and justabout everyday we walked over there ,we checked out all the other places as wel but this was our favorite place.Baby beach is just like the name says for babies and ideal for small children,we liked Brennecke beach the best for boogie boarding and swimming.We would without hessitation recomend this house to anyone. The location is wonderful,close to grocery stores ect and quite often the weather was better in the south.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

It is truly a paradise here

Guest: The Helgeson and LaFramboise Families
Date of Stay: 12/14/11 Review Submitted: 01/13/12

We enjoyed the house, location, amenities and the island's mellow beat. The house suited all of our dual family needs. Having the house "stocked" was very helpful!! We are sad to return to our Canadian climate!! It is truly a paradise here! Mahalo!

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Baby Beach is so Close!

Guest: The Shekel Family
Date of Stay: 12/06/11 Review Submitted: 01/13/12

Thank you for building such a wonderful home stocked with all the amenities and for keeping the home so clean! We enjoyed our stay here so much! It was great that Baby Beach is so close; our 2 and 3 year olds wanted to be there all the time! We loved the kitchen being fully stocked so we could cook meals, but also enjoyed some local spots too! We hope to be able to come back to this wonderful home and island soon! Thank you again so very much!

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The Most Perfect Location

Guest: The Burke Family
Date of Stay: 11/10/11 Review Submitted: 01/13/12

We are so grateful to have found this wonderful place. It was in the most perfect location. Our family, especially our 17 month old, loved going to Baby Beach everyday to play in the sand and splash around in the water. We will definitely be back!

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We Just Love Kauai

Guest: The Fullington Family
Date of Stay: 10/15/11 Review Submitted: 01/13/12

Thank you for sharing your home with my family. We had a wonderful time. We were to the beach every day. We just love Kauai. We'll be back next year. Thank you so very much.

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The Perfect Location

Guest: The Guy Family
Date of Stay: 10/05/11 Review Submitted: 01/13/12

Thank you very much for letting us enjoy your home. The weather was fabulous! We will be coming here for future e will definitely recommend this home to our friends. Your home is in the perfect location!

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Relaxing Beach Hideaway

Guest: The Norton Family
Date of Stay: 09/18/11 Review Submitted: 01/13/12

Thank you for a relaxing, beautiful beach hideaway during our Kauai vacation. We appreciated all of the amenities! The Baby Beach is a wonderful walkable spot as is snorkeling in front of the Beach House. We really enjoyed our stay at your well furnished, well equipped and family friendly home. Not to mention, well located on this beautiful island!

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Stay Here!! for Aloha!! A+++

Guest: donofish (So. Cal.)
Date of Stay: 09/11/11 Review Submitted: 09/28/11

Beautiful property, everything you will need and more is provided in this 5 star house!! The hose is stocked like a Costco.... Just stop at Costco on the way and fill the frige and you will be set, Beautiful Baby beach around the corner, fantastic sunsets from the beach, shot with Palm trees in the forground... Will definatly recomend to freinds and family!! Aloha, Donovan and Gretchen

Owner response:Hi Donovan, Thank you so much for the kind words and we are so happy you had a great vacation! The Wisdas

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Great home!

Guest: Two families, California
Date of Stay: 08/06/11 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

Thank you for the wonderful upkeep of your island home. The surf came up, so that mad 1/2 our group pleased. Nice golf courses and super specials (just have to ask). Ate in mostly.

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Kansas, Nebraska and Cleveland Families

Guest: Three families.
Date of Stay: 07/30/11 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

We have spent two wonderful weeks in your lovely home and on this beautiful island of Kauai. It was a great family time with anniversary & birthday celebrations. Enjoying this lanai mornings and evenings, the beautiful weather, oceand & mountain views, listening to the rain---so very relaxing. And yes, we did plenty of eating, thanks to our good chef, also some wonderful dining at restaurants.

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Truly a paradise on earth!

Guest: The N. Family, Beavercreek, OR
Date of Stay: 06/19/11 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

Truly a paradise on earth! Thank you for opening your home so that others can enjoy this beautiful creation. Your gift of this home to your children has also been a gift to our family. Our three dauthers & son-in-law thoroughly enjoyed exploring, hiking, boogie boarding and snorkling with us during this week. Your home has been extremely comfortable, well equipped and furnished. We are hooked on Kauai--hope to come back.

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What a gorgeous place!

Guest: Three couples, Bay Area, CA
Date of Stay: 05/29/11 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

What a gorgeous place! We loved walking to Keiki Beach every day with our 14 month old daughter! She loved the water! Only one crazy thunderstorm but otherwise beautiful weather! The internet connection was handy too, to look up info! We went to Waimea Canyon, Wailua River and NaPali! Thanks! We hope to come back!

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Great House

Guest: C. Geren, Little Rock, Arkansas and Steve D.
Date of Stay: 04/30/11 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

Great house & beautiful island. So much to do and see. Thank you very much! Ps. The fish love green peas while you are snorkeling! Turned 40 and had a great time. The house is great. All good. Thank you.

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What a beautiful home

Guest: The P Family, Menlo Park, CA
Date of Stay: 04/25/11 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

What a beautiful home--we enjoyed it. Just the right space for kids, parents & grandparents! We'd love to come back sometime to further explore the wonder of Kauai!

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What a beautiful home!!

Guest: V Family, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Date of Stay: 04/02/11 Review Submitted: 08/28/11

What a beautiful home!! Our family had a sonderful sunny week playing in the surf and enjoying relaxing BBQ's. Thantk you so very much for a lovely, relaxing week. We love Poipu!!

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Guest: Palo Alto, CA
Date of Stay: 02/26/11 Review Submitted: 03/26/11

Great Stay! Beautiful place & furnishings. Wake up to the tropical jungle sound of birds! Very conveniently located & equipped. Sorry to leave!

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Guest: Victoria, BC
Date of Stay: 02/12/11 Review Submitted: 03/26/11

The house is lovely and very well equipped. Perfect for two families! The location is ideal. The boat trip up the Napali Cost was super with whales, dolphins, turtles & fabulous scenery. The weather was great! The Beach House restaurant is a must! Spouting Horn was interesting and the botanical gardens were worthwhile. Lots of great shopping too! We would definitely visit again!

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Guest: Bill, Melanie, Lynn, Linda, Cliff & Nancy-CO&CA
Date of Stay: 01/29/11 Review Submitted: 03/26/11

We've had a wonderful vacation in this beautiful location. The house is so well equipped and comfortable for our party of three couples who have known each other for over 50 years. We enjoyed kayaking on the Wailua River, snorkeling at Poipu & zodiacing around the island. Diner at the Beach House was special & Joe's on the Green was nice for pupus & entertainment. The weather was absolutely perfect, especially for the two of us from Colorado. We hope to return soon & often.

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Guest: David, Laura and Family
Date of Stay: 01/19/11 Review Submitted: 03/26/11

Altogether a wonderful time. We left a brochure for geologist-led hikes in the white binder. A couple of us went on the Waimea Canyon hike & learned a lot. Also loved the lithified cliffs walk nearby.

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Guest: Lee Family, New York, New Jersey & Colorado
Date of Stay: 11/27/10 Review Submitted: 12/05/10

It is a beautiful home with everything. Nice view, & beachwalk. We enjoyed it very much. It is sad to have to leave!

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Guest: Evan & Jamie
Date of Stay: 10/04/10 Review Submitted: 12/05/10

Beautiful home! Thanks for the memories! Thank you also for having all of the beach toys/gear. We all enjoyed using it. The Poke Bento box at the Koloa Fish Market was by far the best. The house was perfect for our family! We would definitely come back!

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Guest: Jim and Wendie, Redondo Beach
Date of Stay: 08/11/10 Review Submitted: 12/05/10

Hello and thank you again for a great place to stay on Kauai. We've been here several times and our vacation is always wonderful. Our favorite things to do here are going the Sheraton Beach, Baby Beach, Smith's Luau, ziplining and horse back riding at Princeville Ranch. Our favorite restaurans are the Beach House, Brennecke's, Keoki's and the Shrimp Station..and of course, Lappert's Ice Cream. We've found the Spouting Horn shopping area has some greal deals, and for you floraphiles don't miss the guided tour of the Allerton Gardens through the National Tropical Botanical Gardens! Be sure to buy the Poke at Big Save! Jim & Wendie & Alisha & Ericka

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Guest: The Olsons
Date of Stay: 07/05/10 Review Submitted: 07/28/10

We loved staying in this lovely home. The weather was fabulous and the ocean was beautiful as ever. We loved body surfing at Brennecke's Beach and Captain Andy's sailing adventure (if you go, definitely lay on the front tarps. Thanks for the amazing memories.

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Guest: The Starkeys
Date of Stay: 06/27/10 Review Submitted: 07/28/10

We had a wonderful time at Akala Pua! Thank you for sharing your lovely home with us. Kauai is a beautiful island and we enjoyed all the activities, especialy Poipu Beach Park and ziplining! Can't wait to come back. Aloha!

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Guest: Dave, Susie, Jake & Kate
Date of Stay: 06/19/10 Review Submitted: 07/28/10

Mahalo for ! We folled your recommendation & took Capt. Andy's tour of Napali coast -- beautiful. Excellent dinner at Keoki's Paradise and Josselyns for tapas/sangria. Snorkeling next to Beach House was the best -- loved the waves at Brennecke's and in front of Sheraton. We ill return & rental all three of your houses to bring the whole family!

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Guest: The Kents & Kaekowski's
Date of Stay: 06/06/10 Review Submitted: 07/28/10

Aloha! And thank you for the perfect family vacation home. Our family had the best time here in Kauai. We loved all the turtles in the bay & going to baby beach with our little 8-month old, Eva Jean. A few of us were more brave & took a helicopter tour! (yikes!). We loved cooking home cooked meals of fresh fish & papayas. Waimea Canyon, Napali Coast, Hanalei Bay, Dinner at the Beach House for Dad's birthday, hiking the Napali Trail, Brennecke's, walks, Lappert's amazing ice cream & Ahe Poke! (just to name a few of our fave). We hope to come back soon! Mahalo!

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Guest: Amy, Matt, Kai, Chrisiti, & Jim
Date of Stay: 04/24/10 Review Submitted: 07/28/10

Thanks for a great vacation! We loved spending our days at the beach, snorkeling, or kayaking and our evenings grilling gresh fish, blending tasty drink concoctions, & relaxing at this beautiful home. We hope we can return soon to this amazing island!

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Guest: Allan, Karen, Hanna, Oliver, Clara & Alister
Date of Stay: 03/24/10 Review Submitted: 07/28/10

Thanks for a wonderful stay at Akala Pua. We had a very special family vacation with a comfortable bed for all. Also, a close walk to Baby Beach. Many memories. We love Kauai.

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Guest: Jenny, Dan, Max & Jack, Denver, CO
Date of Stay: 02/19/10 Review Submitted: 07/28/10

What a great place to relax with the whole family! You've thought of everything. Kauai is such a special place.

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Guest: Travis & Annie, Portland, OR
Date of Stay: 02/19/10 Review Submitted: 07/28/10

Ooma-ma, Ops, Mama, Papa, Auntie & Uncle accompanied Max (2) and Jack (7 mos) on their first Hawaiian vacation. We all had an amazing time enjoying all the diverse adventures that the island offered. Some of us dove with the sea turtles, hiked the Kalalau trail and boogie boarded while others hunted for crabs, sea cucumbers, and shell necklaces from Niihau. We were all so happy to escape from the snow of Denver and Livingston, MT and the cold rain of Portland. The temperature stayed in the high 60's and 70's for us to enjoy the multiple beaches of the south shore, Waimea Canyon & the Napali coast. Thanks for opening up your home for our family to enjoy.

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Guest: Becky & Kent
Date of Stay: 02/19/10 Review Submitted: 07/28/10

A perfect house and location for our family. My grandsons enjoyed the backyard and beach toys. We enjoyed the openess of the upstairs and the private spaces downstairs. Planning on coming back!!

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Guest: Malgorata and Bogdan, Edmonton, CA
Date of Stay: 12/31/09 Review Submitted: 07/28/10

It has been wonderful two weeks in Kauai. we were here with our friends. The house is super comfortable, well designed. We absolutely loved the idea of identical bedrooms, none of the families had the advantage of having better place than the other. We appreciated little details like light switches marked, pens and pads, so many other things that we have found useful. The setting of the house was ideal, great views from the lanai, lush gardens and the ocean. Best lilikoi pie in Hamuras in Lihue, Smith's Family Luau was great. Thank you so much for sharing your home with us.

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Guest: Three generations of Brennans
Date of Stay: 11/30/09 Review Submitted: 11/29/09

A wonderful first visit to this beautiful dramatic Garden Island. The sights were amazing and the activities fun. Our three-year old and one-year old had a terrific time both at Baby Beach and Poipu Beach. The sunsets were beautiful and the turkey dinner we cooked complete with all the trimmings came out just fine.

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Guest: Jim Wisda, Owner
Date of Stay: 11/30/09 Review Submitted: 11/29/09

THIS ONLINE GUESTBOOK CONTAINS ALL THE UNEDITED COMMENTS IN THE AKALA PUA IN-HOUSE GUESTBOOKS SINCE THE HOUSE WAS CONSTRUCTED IN FEBRUARY 2005. The first page of the in-house guestbook was written by my wife, Valorie, and expresses our joy in sharing our homes with you: "Welcome to Akala Pua. We hope you enjoy the quality and comfort of this home and have a great vacation. We built this home for our children. Please enjoy it as if it were your own second home and come back often. Mahalo and Ke Aloha."

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Guest: MI
Date of Stay: 11/11/09 Review Submitted: 11/10/09

What a wonderful pre-winter holiday! Kauai was blissful and we look forward to many returns. Akala Pua was the perfect launching pad for daily beach trips and site seeing. We truly loved staying here.

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Guest: PF
Date of Stay: 08/16/09 Review Submitted: 08/15/09

How nice it is to be of a certain age when your kids make vacation plans and we just tag along. The plans worked out perfectly. Excellent accommodations, great location and every amity provided! Enjoyed every minute of this two-week stay.

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Guest: SD
Date of Stay: 08/02/09 Review Submitted: 08/01/09

We have had an amazing 12 days here on Kauai and in this comfortable home. You have thought of everything and more. This vacation meant a lot to our family. Three generations creating lifelong memories. Thank you!

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Guest: JE
Date of Stay: 07/09/09 Review Submitted: 07/08/09

Thank you for a holiday in a lovely house. Just what we all needed after spending 10 days in a DAMP house near Captain Cook on the Big Island. Love this island--it's what I expected a Hawaiian island to look like. Off to north shore Oahu--will take a lot to match this. Hope to come back some day--waited 30 years for this. Thanks, Love,

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Guest: JS
Date of Stay: 06/20/09 Review Submitted: 06/19/09

We shall never forget the Garden Isle and Akala Pua. What a gorgeous home with all the amenities. Baby Beach was a delight as was Poipu. Shout outs to Captain Chris and Angus of Napali Riders. The zodiac boat can be a tad bumpy but the caves, spinning dolphins and snorkeling more than make up for it. We also had a great kayak adventure on the Wailua River. We made it to the rope swing with our 3-1/2 year old and had PB&J sandwiches on the rocks. A real treat!

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Guest: GA
Date of Stay: 04/25/09 Review Submitted: 04/24/09

Thank you for your hospitality! We enjoyed our respective rooms and the time together upstairs. Lovely home, lovely furnishings, lovely time. We especially enjoyed the rooster alarm clocks :-) Mahalo.

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Guest: MS
Date of Stay: 04/09/09 Review Submitted: 04/08/09

We loved your home--thanks for sharing it with our family! Emma loved "her" bedroom with her patio & Kipa loved hers with the king-sized bed. Rained most of the time but it didn't stop us from having fun--Sunsets on the beach--Kayaking and hiking to the falls--1st time surf lessons for my daughter & I--amazing meals--check out Casablanca for dinner! Thanks again--we'll be back!

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Guest: Jim Wisda - Owner
Date of Stay: 04/03/09 Review Submitted: 04/02/09

Hi! This is Jim Wisda, the owner, with an update on the construction in Poipu. There is some construction about one-half mile West of this house. Kukuiula is building a new shopping center next to the roundabout. Koloa Landing condominium is also under construction a little farther West. We are generally downwind so there is distant construction noise. The shopping center is nearly finished but condominium will probably take another year. As you can see from the comments, no one has mentioned it in the guestbook during the last fifteen months.

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Guest: L & J
Date of Stay: 03/30/09 Review Submitted: 03/29/09

We arrived here to this beautiful home. We are both so excited to be here together on this island and have enjoyed every minute so far. This is day ! of our vacation and looking forward to every minute of each day to explore Kauai and each other! Mahalo!!! 3/27/09--L & J drove to Princeville and around the island. Had an awesome time! 3/29/09--A & M think your home is beautiful and supplied awesome. Everything you want is here! It is so comfortable here. It feels like home. Thank you! 3/30/09--Thank you very much for this beautiful home. We had a wonderful time. This was truly paradise. Thanks.

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Guest: TF & TG
Date of Stay: 03/17/09 Review Submitted: 03/16/09

We are just ending a wonderful vacation and it is so hard to leave this house! It worked out perfectly for two young families. We enjoyed the open living area and left a gate to keep our littlest off the stairs. Worked out GREAT!! Thank you Jim and Valorie for letting us enjoy your PARADISE!

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Guest: TS
Date of Stay: 02/27/09 Review Submitted: 02/26/09

The six of us have had a wonderful time on this island, and this house that is so beautiful and so carefully and completely supplied contributed to our days of paradise.

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Guest: SM & JR
Date of Stay: 01/22/09 Review Submitted: 01/21/09

Wonderful stay -- although very colde the first night (low 50's!). Loved the house, thanks for internet!! We had incredible weather and few geckos in the house so we think we were incredibly lucky!

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Guest: TC
Date of Stay: 01/01/09 Review Submitted: 12/31/08

Great house! Thanks for everything! Na Pali coast with Capt Andy was fantastic.

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Guest: TK
Date of Stay: 12/18/08 Review Submitted: 12/17/08

We arrived on the 11th with son and his grandparents in tow and had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Thank you for sharing your home and equipping us with everything we needed. Luckily, beyond towels, lawn chairs, shovels and buckets for our toddler, we didn't need much else. Despite two days of unbelievable rain, we enjoyed Kauai for all its lush vegetation and character, and we're sure to return.

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Guest: TB, TM, TV
Date of Stay: 11/29/08 Review Submitted: 11/28/08

What a lovely and gracious home for our newlywed couple, first grandchild, parents and adventure seeking grandparents. We simply had a ball every day and night. Gourmet meals on the lanai, star gazing in the backyard, mornings at Baby Beach, hiking the Na Pali coast, surfing, driving Waimea Canyon, hiking in the fabulous botanical garden. What a wonderful place you have created for your children. Thank you for sharing it with ours. We'll be back. Thank you.

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