The Perfect Island Beach 'Cabana' at Makaha Beach Cabanas

Our third time staying here. Hope to come back soon!!

Our second time at Makaha Beach Cabanas, first time in this unit. Great little spot, most amazing sunsets, nothing better than falling asleep to the sound of the waves (lanai facing the beach is right off the bedroom). The host, Kriss, was great, super communicative and easy to coordinate with. Bed was comfortable, large tv (with cable) great, Wi-Fi worked well (network info kind of hidden, found under cabinet under the tv), full size fridge/freezer/microwave and kitchen with everything you will need, beach gear (chairs, umbrellas, snorkel stuff, towels), 2 fans (no a/c but between the breeze and the fans you'll be set), etc. We stayed for a week and didn't want to leave! 10/10 would stay again!

Really nice place for our family of four. The two teens slept on the couch and chair which convert into beds.

The positives:

The beach is a really nice attraction. Sunset every night and starry skies to enjoy. We have some friends who live nearby and this is a common beach for them to visit. It doesn't get crowds of people nor vagrant beach dwellers. On calm days the snorkeling was good near the rocks on the left side of the beach. At least two sea turtles live there. A decent amount of fish live among the rocks. If the waves are calm, the water gets clear enough to snorkel enjoyably. On days with high surf we enjoyed the right side of the beach where the waves were really strong. The condo itself is clean and stocked with linens and dishes. Wifi worked well. Less expensive than Honolulu. The owner takes care of the place. Security guards are on duty. Laundry worked well. Families who live here are friendly. It was really nice to sleep with the wind and waves just outside the door.

Other nearby beaches are good too. The popular snorkeling at the electric power plant is 15 minutes away. Plenty of fish, some turtles and dolphins off shore. The far western end of the island has some isolated beaches near the mountains which are uncrowded. If you want to try some extreme hiking with 2000 foot to 5000 foot steep elevation gain, there are some trails that lead up to the mountain ridges. Be prepared for a hot hike though.

Negatives:

Distance. Be aware that you are going to drive 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 min to see things on the North Shore, Windward side or Honolulu. Stay on this side if you want to hang out on the beach.

Local neighborhood conditions. Some people might be shocked to see that Hawaii has poor neighborhoods something like the poor trailer court in your town. People have too many dogs, chickens, abandoned cars, overgrown weeds, fences that are falling down, discarded mattresses, furniture and refrigerators. Some stores are empty. It looks like several hundred homeless people have setup an invasion village of tarps and tents on the beach about a half mile from the condo. It's not the tourist brochure photos.

It will likely be hot and humid (July). Afternoon temps sometime reach 90 degrees. Mornings are comfortable with shade on the beach until 11:00 a.m. From 2 pm to 5 pm either go inside or get in the water.

Conclusion: We would go here again. Nice trip.

My girlfriend and I went out there for a week and stayed here and had an amazing time!

The beach is right there! The condo is on the second floor and to get to the beach you just need to take a short walk and elevator/stairs down one flight... Don't hang things over the edge of the balcony, they do not appreciate it! Haha, the staff there was really nice about it and overall nice people.

The owner Kriss was incredibly nice and helpful, he lent us his snorkeling gear to use for the week. Not only that but the condo came stocked with beach/camping chairs, swim noodles (amazing for snorkeling), a boogie board, pots, pans, spices, a HUGE TV, microwave, tea pot, and various other things. The coffee maker did not work right but putting in a filter with coffee and heating up the water in the tea pot served the purpose.

We went out there with some friends and the highlight of the trip was coming over to our place to play at the beach, it's one of the nicest ones on the island.

Traffic does suck and getting anywhere takes a while, expect to drive at least an hour to get to other parts of the island but it is gorgeous.

Definitely recommend this place! We had an awesome experience here.

Cheers,

+Spencer

I can't tell you how wonderful our stay was at your cabana! When we first got there we were surprised to find no air conditioning. But when we opened the windows and realized what a fabulous breeze we had through the cabana, we were delighted! Not only were we very comfortable, but we slept enjoying the sound of the waves just steps from our bedroom! We liked being out of the city - much more quiet but easily accessible with our rental car. So we enjoyed the sunsets out our balcony and the lovely rugged mountains out our living room windows. What beautiful sights! Thanks, again for a fabulous visit!

Susan