Kauai Treehouse is Where Paradise is Found

The experience of being in a tropical jungle with morning and evening birdsong was truly awesome. Suggestions; replace kitchen knives. They are dull and handles are broken on some. Put the name and or number of the house somewhere in plain sight. We had trouble finding it.

Amazing stay all around!!

First the positives: Nice location a few miles north of Hanalei near the Powerhouse Road. The house is located in a rain forest so be prepared for rain and cooler weather. The house is well equipped, clean and very comfortable for four people. Each bedroom has access to a bathroom and sliding door that opens to a screened porch. The roosters, bull frogs, barking dogs and rain all blend together to provide unusual background noises for sleeping. Actually, with so much nature close by, the barking dog issue was never a problem. We really enjoyed our visit here after we settled in and got familiar with the house.

The negatives: Landscaping had been neglected compared to other houses on the same road. The area under the house was muddy due to rain and poor drainage so we had to be really careful not to track mud into the house. The grill was really dirty so we decided not to use it. The house has a lot of potential but the unkept downstairs and grounds created a bad first impression. Cell service was zero (mentioned in info) and internet service is slow and erratic so this location may not work for the connected generation. The house has one entrance located about 15 feet above grade so be prepared to carry your luggage up the stairs.

We had a great time in spite of my concerns after hearing about the dogs. The place is beautiful and is in a lovely setting. I loved the river and the sounds from the river. When we first arrived the place had not been totally cleaned as the cleaning lady had her dates wrong. It was immediately rectified and we got to meet her and she filled us in on some of the local color. Nice lady. If you are the type who is easily irritated by dogs barking or roosters, then bring ear plugs and you will be fine. We thought the location was beautiful.

As other reviewers have stated this home is very comfortable and well equipped. The setting feels private, lush and remote. The beds are great. The layout is wonderful for 2 couples - we each had our own "wing" of the house. The house is well equipped with beach chairs, a beach umbrella, lots of towels and a good size cooler to take to the beach. Which is where you'll spend most of your time since there is no usable outdoor space here. The screen porch is lovely but dark and feels like an extension of the interior. ( you'll need the screens - it's buggy here in your own private jungle). The lanais are small and there are too many bugs to enjoy sitting on the lawn. No real spot to enjoy the sun.

(There were 3 boogie boards in the unit as we'll but much to our disappointment all were broken. )

We didn't go to the local beach so I can't comment on it. The stream would be wonderful if you had a kayak - but I wasn't interested in floating it.

Loved the North Shore in general but the house is at least a 10 minute drive from Hanalei. An interesting, pretty 10 minute drive - but not walkable. Very narrow twisting road that would be unsafe for pedestrians. We saw a few walkers but there are no shoulders on the road.

Don't arrive at this home after dark! It's not easy to find - even though the directions are perfect. There should really be a motion sensor light at the top of the stairs. In its absence the entry is dark and the small porch with steep stairs is almost dangerous.

Lights in general were a problem. We never figured out the light switches. In the bedrooms there are no ceiling lights - just lamps that you have to fumble for. The fans are truly great though. On the screen porch the caretaker attempted to replace a few bulbs for us but the light never worked. Just lamps.

And now for the dogs: while this is entirely outside the owner's control it is unbelievably annoying. It does not go on all day but once they start ... Multiple dogs egged on by one another barking for an hour or more. Then they stop briefly and start again. There's no predictability to the timing - but afternoon and evening seem particularly bad. Perhaps because we spent more time at the property in that interval.

Finally no review in Kauai would be complete without mentioning the roosters. They crow at all hours. This of course is NOT unique to this property. You will have rooster issues everywhere on a Kauai. Best advice - bring ear plugs!