My super sleuthing bf found this condo for rent when we were planning this trip to Kauai, and it ended up being awesome!
Our unit, #105, is owned and rented out by Karen Howard and Dave Arute, at Honu Nalu Vacation Rentals (reservations@honu-nalu.com or 650.622.9909). $150/night for a fully furnished, one bedroom condo right on the water was a last-minute steal!
After giving her a credit card number to secure the refundable $250 deposit, a one-time $95 cleaning fee, and the daily rate, Karen emailed us a confirmation with detailed directions to the condo, and the lock code for the keyless door.
We parked in their ample lot, and used the luggage cart in the building's lobby for our stuff. We punched in our code, opened the door, and aah...we were home!
The bedroom had a king sized bed with puffy bedspread, ceiling fan, big closet, iPod dock, flat screen TV, DVDs, books (like a Kauai travel book), clock radio, safe, dresser, wireless modem with password, bedside tables, and a cordless phone.
Another cordless phone extension was in the kitchen, and the number was in our confirmation paperwork. The sweetest touch was a bottle of chilled champagne and two flutes in the fridge for us! SO NICE!
The living and dining rooms had a wall of openable windows and a sliding glass door that opened onto our first-floor lanai. The "backyard" beyond our patio (with a table, chairs, and pool loungers) was grass, and then a 4-ish foot drop onto rocks and the gorgeous ocean! We immediately saw three BIG TURTLES swimming in the water right here!! OMG they were SO cute, and huge, and just sloshing about in the water and on the rocks.
The kitchen had an electric stove/oven with 4 burners, a fridge (with fresh ice), microwave, coffee maker, blender, dishes, glasses, utensils, cooking utensils, pots and pans, bakeware, tupperware, etc. It all proved super handy throughout our stay, especially the dishwasher! It was also helpful that they had salt, pepper, oil, rice, maple syrup, dishwashing soap cubes, a sponge, paper towels, toilet paper, candles and even Ziplocks there.
The living room had a CD player, a flat screen TV with cable, a couple of chairs with ottomans, a coffee table and a sleeper sofa. We ate at that sofa and on our lanai instead of the big dining table the whole time.
The hall closet had recreational stuff for two: a woven beach mat, fishing poles, water shoes, snorkeling gear, beach chairs and umbrellas, a boogie board and small cooler. Super handy when we went to the beach!
The linen closet had a sleeping bag, beach towels, and extra pillows, blankets and towels. The towels in the bathroom were thick and fluffy, and the bedsheets were a high thread count. There was a hair dryer in the bathroom, and even lotion and hand soap.
Since there was no air conditioning, we made use of the box fan and smaller Vornado that was there, and I appreciated the ceiling fan in the bathroom. The front door had a screened, separately locking door so that helped with air circulation too.
It was early September when we came here, so it wasn't as hot as the peak summer months. The nights were almost cool enough, but I run warm so I would have run an air conditioner - especially in the bedroom at night - if there was one. If it had been a warmer time of year, I would have defnitely needed some more cooling!
We signed our rental car license number in the book in the lobby on our first day here, and got a parking permit from the friendly maintenance guy to leave in the car.
The building is very well maintained - it has a big goldfish in an outside bowl when you're walking into the building, green plants throughout the common areas, and healthy grass bordering the lanais that are on the water.
At night, we would see the building's security guard as he triggered the motion sensor light by walking by our lanai. It made us feel super secure!
Aside from the rocky shore right outside our lanai, there was a snorkeling beach with access on the far side of our building, and a snorkel rental place next door. Coming back from that beach one day, we used our building's outdoor shower to wash off all our stuff and ourselves - so convenient!
We never had a chance to use the BBQ grill for the building, but we did use the coin operated washers and dryers ($1.50/load to each wash and dry). It was helpful that they posted the run time on those machines, and ven had a detergent vending machine. The laundry room had a sign that the electricity would be turned off at 9pm sharp, to cut back on noise. We did notice that this was a quiet building.
Nothing alleviates the pain of coming home from vacation more than a suitcase full of clean clothes! Well, except maybe going on ANOTHER vacation, lol.
This location was also perfect to get to all parts of the island - we felt central to everything.
We loved staying here, and would definitely do it again. Thank you Karen and Dave read more