2nd. time better than the first

Guest: Fred from Ontario (Ontario, Canada)
Date of Stay: 03/06/09 Review Submitted: 01/05/10

2 Adults & 2 Teens made this great value rental our home for the 2nd. time. We love the North Shore. It is so laid back compared to Honolulu. Our kids are big fans of LOST, we visited the beach set for LOST, along with the "OTHERS" camp, which are all nearby. My wife and daughter even ran into John Locke (Terry ODonell) at the local Starbucks one morning. There are so many beaches to choose from on the North Shore, some almost deserted. The rental was perfect for us. everything that you would expect to be supplied is there and even some extras, such as coffee beans from John's coffe shop in Haleiwa. We went on many day trips, and took in many of the sights and activities available on the Island. We had to make daily visits for shaved ice in Haleiwa! Can't wait till our next visit to Oahu!

Owner response:Wow! Thank you for the great comment. North Shore is a very special place.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Great location and nice place to stay

Guest: Traveler from Boulder (Colorado)
Date of Stay: 08/29/11 Review Submitted: 09/05/11

My husband, baby (15 months) and I stayed here for one week during early September 2011 and we really enjoyed the house. The kitchen had everything that we needed and combined with the grill on the lanai, we ended up cooking at the house every night. We walked to Waimea Bay every time, since the parking lot was always full. However, it wasn't ideal walking with an infant on such a busy highway. But, luckily the walk was short, and it would not be a big deal at all with adults walking to the beach. The only complaint I have was that during part of our stay, the upstairs house had about six people staying there and we could hear everything. From people walking, so talking, to the music playing. It sounded like people were stomping upstairs every time they walked! Since we had our baby taking naps and going to sleep pretty early, we had the fan blasting in his room to cancel out some of the noise upstairs. But even so, it was a little annoying that we could hear so much above us. Overall though, this place was a great place to stay for one week. If we come back, I think we'll try to rent the house upstairs instead!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, age 55+, families with teenagers.

A few days on the North Shore

Guest: John M.
Date of Stay: 07/05/11 Review Submitted: 07/13/11

Nice rental, exactly as described and pictured. Comfortable beds and plenty of room for 4 people. Kitchen has everything you might need. The washing machine and dryer are in a small structure on the backside of the building and are shared with anyone else who might be renting the top half. We used the washer and dryer a few times and had absolutely no problems. No air conditioning, not a problem. We were out doing activities during the day and at night slept with the windows open and fans on and we were all comfortable (stayed in early July). DO NOT MISS - Breakers restaurant, Pizza Bob's, & Haleiwa Joes all in Haleiwa. Giovanni's shrimp truck, Haleiwa or Kahuku. Try a half order of scampi and a half order of Hot-n-Spicy, Eat here daily. Man Its Good!! Kahuku super sweet corn on the cob from one of the vendors along the North Shore or buy some fresh, soak in water for 20 minutes still in the husks, cook on the grill and enjoy! Matsumoto's and Aoki's shave ice in Haleiwa, both delicious. Be sure to get with ice cream in the bottom, you won't regret it. For best results, be sure to eat at least 1 shave ice per day, you'll thank me later. Hawaii Shark Encounters- Unique activity, friendly staff and an awesome time! Kualoa Ranch 2 hour ATV ride. Not an extreme adventure but tons of fun, unforgettable experience & one of the most beautiful places on earth. John M., Rogers Ar.

Owner response:Thanks John for the great review! Sounds like you all had a wonderful time. Makes me want to go have a shave ice immediately. Glad you all lived it up and enjoyed the North Shore. Aloha!

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

The Best 2 Weeks on the North Shore EVER!!

Guest: Bruceo (Victoria, BC, Canada)
Date of Stay: 12/18/10 Review Submitted: 01/19/11

My wife, 15 year old son and I spent two weeks in Carolyne's house over Christmas/ New Years 2010/11 and we had an absolutely wonderful stay! It rained a fair bit this year, but there was also lots of sun and I can't think of a better place to have spent our time. The house is great - clean, well appointed and as close to home as anyone could ask for. There are lots of good books, games and the bikes/beach toys made our daily trips to Waimea Beach (5 minute walk) a major fun experience! This property is DEFINITELY THE BEST VALUE ON THE NORTH SHORE for a family experience that you will ever find. If you're going to go book soon, there's a lot of demand for this property.

Owner response:Aloha Bruce! Thank you very much for your great comments! It is encouraging to know we are doing a good job and offer comfort and value for our guests. Mahalo, Carolyne

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, people with disabilities, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Guest: Kara Hebb (-)
Date of Stay: 01/20/10 Review Submitted: 01/20/10

We LOVED this property! Steps away from Waimea Bay, it's perfectly located to enjoy the North Shore with a breathtaking commute to the city. Thank you for the helpful tips and for making it so easy to call this space our home for a week!

Owner response:Thank you for you response. We are really glad you enjoyed your stay and took such great care of our place. See you next time. Much Aloha!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 02/01/09 Review Submitted: 02/15/09

The beauty of Waimea Valley, seven miles of North Shore beaches and a beautiful setting make Iliohu our home away from home. Three trips in 12 months and we are working on the next trip already. John, upstairs, is always a gracious host and has become a family friend. I highly recommend this rental. For a vacation in Hawaii, this is The Place. Mahalo and Shaka for a great trip. See y'all this summer.

Owner response:It is good to know our home is your home. Thank you for the great comment.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/01/09 Review Submitted: 01/10/09

Our flight got delayed, we got stuck in Chicago, showed up 4 days late for a 10 day vacation and... we would do it again in a heartbeat. Our family of 5 stayed comfortably in this wonderful home. The gentlemen upstairs were extremely helpful (they also happen to own the best coffee place in Haleiwa), and we had a blast. This area is surprisingly quiet considering how close it is to highly sought after surf beaches. They even had a pack n play for our infant. The kitchen was stocked allowing us to save some money by making a trip to the nearby grocery store. Our kids were too young to surf, but boogie boards were available, and we even grilled some steaks on the gas grill. We will be back again, and we will definitely stay at this wonderful house again. Thanks for everything and Aloha.

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Beauty, waves, sunsets

Guest: Woolly (Pontypridd, Wales)
Date of Stay: 10/13/08 Review Submitted: 10/23/08

We stayed for 4 days in the middle of October 2008. This is autumn before the winter waves and whales but the Hawaii weather was comparatively inclement and we had several hours of rain and cloud over the 4 days. This proved to be great news for us however as we had 2 days of huge waves in Waimea Bay. The sea temperature was around 80F and these waves are tremendous fun even if like me you don’t surf. The description of the accommodation is accurate and very clean with a large fully functional kitchen, comfortable beds, cable TV, music centre, iron. The bathroom is fine with an excellent shower; you will need your own shampoo etc. There’s no air conditioning but there is a ceiling fan which keeps you cool enough without any problems. John upstairs was helpful without being in anyway obtrusive and supplied us with coffee beans from his store. The walk to Waimea bay is possible along the front (with a bit of cliff climbing) or along the road (no pavement so not the safest). The car park at the bay is nearly always full. We went shark diving (7 miles), sky diving and acrobatic gliding (12 miles) so there’s plenty of adventure out there. We ate in the house each evening so I cannot comment on restaurants or nightlife but my impression is that this is not the place for a stag weekend!! I would recommend this accommodation to anyone and would love to come back one day.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/01/08 Review Submitted: 10/03/08

Another great stay on the North Shore. This was our second time to stay at the vacation rental. Everything was great! The two bedrooms provide plenty of room and the large lanai was great! Take a walk across the street and down the trail for a great view of Waimea Bay from the rock cliffs to the south. We are planning another trip next spring and we hope to stay at Iliohu.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/01/08 Review Submitted: 07/25/08

Date of stay: March 2008. We loved this place. Great location, and awesome scenery. Found the beach set for lost (kids loved that). Everything in the unit was as stated. No problems with anything. We will be back in 2009!

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