We are a family of four who stayed here the week before Christmas and we definitely would come back. We loved it. We wanted a quiet, low-key holiday in a lovely location and we found it in Punalu’u at this condo (penthouse 4A).

If you want bars, high-end shopping, restaurants, and lots of people then this area is not for you. If you instead seek a peaceful vacation, slower pace, small-town Hawaii with beautiful nature all around and friendly locals, then you should consider it.

The condo is as it appears in the pictures and Paul, the manager, was professional and helpful. At first, I was a bit concerned about sending the payment by cheque but it was fine. When we arrived, we called Paul on our cell and he arrived promptly to greet us. We had one small issue during our stay and he was prompt in coming to address it.

As described by others, the building is older and the condo is clean but not pristine. In terms of cons, the closeness to the road means that you hear a constant dull roar of traffic on that side of the condo such as in the kitchen and the back lanai. As well, the next condo juts out so it blocks the sun a bit and you can see into it a bit as well. The weather is also more variable on this side of the island but we found that clouds or showers change quickly. Lastly, you need a car as Punalu’u is located in between larger towns but groceries, drug store, etc., are all nearby.

In terms of pros, there are many. The two-story penthouse has the bedrooms on the second floor which works well. The bedrooms are separated and both have their own bathrooms and lanais so everyone had enough space. The view from the condo is wonderful and the constant sound of the waves lulled us to sleep and you could not hear the traffic on the waterside of the condo. Having so many lanais was a key benefit for us. We had many hours of reading, eating, just chatting with each other on the lanais, enjoying the views and the waves.

More benefits include the beach in front of the condo. It was fairly wide, clean beige sand and the water is swimmable, even during winter wave season due to a reef in front that shelters the area. There are many lounge chairs near the water and they are not busy. It is quiet, relaxing, low key. We spent many hours reading books on the chairs, looking out over the water.

Overall, it was perfect for us and I am glad that we didn’t stay in a busier place and were able to enjoy the country side of Oahu.