2012 Guest Comments
December
Mahalo Nui Loa! This place has it all. So nice to open everything up and feel the breeze. Everything is here that you need. The gifts were so thoughtful. We moved two chairs and little round table onto the lanai so we could sit outside when it rained – which was quite a bit :) Saw many rainbows, flying fish, surfers & shooting stars from the yard. Pipeline Masters was fun to watch. Traffic in front of the house was not as bad as I thought it would be...easy to turn left out of the house. Sad to leave it :(
-- Susan & Peter (25th Wedding Anniversary) - Maple Ridge, BC, Canada
What does this make it? Six, seven stays? Hale Moana is as magic as it was that first time and as magic as it will be when we return... Nothing equals the North Shore...and nothing is more comfortable or homey than Hale Moana. Thanks for all the great stays in your great house. Aloha
-- Richard, Vivid, Dylan and Erin - Abu Dhabi UAE, Florida, Los Angeles CA
November
Thanks again for a great stay, everything was perfect! We're looking forward to spending next Thanksgiving at Hale Moana.
-- Regan, Karl and Chris - Huntington Beach, CA
My family and I enjoyed our stay so very much! What a wonderful ringside view of the world famous winter North Shore waves. We loved being right "on" the sea, hearing the waves and watching the sunset (not to mention the very impressive surfers!) You've thought of everything for your guests, from an abundance of clothes hangers to the BBQ setup. Only thing missing is a real live Golden Retriever : ) Thank you - Mahalo!
-- Kit, Nancy, Lorraine, Marvin - Seattle, WA
I can't think of a more perfect setting to enjoy the North Shore. Beautiful home and we had everything we needed. The sound of the surf as we slept was soothing and heavenly. Wonderful.
-- Wayne, Jennifer, Lva and Linda - Hudson, FL
October
We just love your oceanfront home - so comfortable and cozy. Thank you for welcoming us and allowing us to stay somewhere so special. We will be back... Mahalo
-- Keith, Michelle, Ethan, Owen, Alivia and Ashton - Calgary, Alberta, Canada
I loved the geckos
-- Alivia (age 3)
We have had a lovely week in your house enjoying the sights, sounds and especially the waves of the North Shore. Thank you for sharing this very special place with us. Mahalo
-- Diana, Peter & Benn - Burleigh Heads, Australia
September
We had a fantastic time here... The view here is magnificent & hearing the waves crash while the cool winds blew made our time here especially memorable! We look forward to coming back again!
-- Jason and Iris - Singapore
We had a wonderful time on the beautiful North Shore. We loved watching the surfers and looking at all the turtles. And the sunsets were absolutely gorgeous.
-- Vicki, Kenneth & Dorothy - Littleton, Colorado
Everyone enjoyed their time here, an excellent location for a retreat - we barbecued and swam and weaved lauhala mats - our meeting time went so smoothly. I know this calm, restful place made our “working time” easier. I kept getting hugged and thanked over and over for bringing them here to Hale Moana. Much Aloha for this place and your malama in providing such a rejuvenating “hale” for this hardworking group of women.
A’hui hou Kakou (until we meet again).
-- Nalani and friends - Wai’anae, HI
Turtles everywhere! Great! Thanks for the wine and coffee. Enjoyed our stay immensely!
-- Toby, Bill, Kendra, Wesley and Joyce, Boring, OR
August
We had a grand time here in your home, Sandi, with all your thoughtful touches - comfy chairs, coffee, wine, books - but it’s the view and the sea that tops everything. The jade green and blue, the sounds, the tang of salt - recipes for serenity. Thank you
-- Rosemarie
Spending time and celebrating with my sister Sandi, Glenn and Rosemarie made my 60th birthday a lot less traumatic. I enjoyed the peacefulness of this beachside home. Thank you for this memorable event in my life. I am going home re-energized and filled with inspiration for the life to come. Love
-- Patti - Clipper Mills, CA
Our second time back to Hale Moana and it’s as wonderful as the first. Your home is so comfortable and the perfect place/location to all the north shore fun – Waimea, Happy Trails for horseback riding, Haleiwa and the Shrimp Trucks in Kahuku too!! We enjoyed the green sea turtles, snorkeling and shell hunts right on this fabulous beach too, but the view from the home is the best part. Thank you
-- Kevin, Trish, Chloe and Abby - San Francisco, CA
July
We had a wonderful time here! The huge amount of turtles at lost beach were fabulous to snorkel with! We loved shark’s cove! Haleiwa was great for food, shopping & shave ice at Matsumoto’s! Loved this view and hunting sea glass everyday! :)
-- Stephani, Eric, Chase, Jordan, and Kate - Mill Creek, WA
The highlights of our trip were seeing over 50 sea turtles at Police Beach where they filmed “Lost”. We also enjoyed hours of fun playing cards while staring at the ocean. Almost for anyone visiting the North Shore a trip to Ted’s Bakery to get the Macadamia Nut Cream Pie.
-- George, Gina, George (6), Christina (9). - Fair Haven, NJ
As soon as we opened the front door to your home, we were welcomed with a stunning oceanfront view! We have seen gorgeous bright colored rainbows, a few dolphin, and lots of tropical birds! You home is very inviting and we couldn’t help but be relaxed staying here! Thank you for sharing your home with us :)
-- Chas, Andrea, Josh & John - Glendale, CA
June
Yay! We are back! Thank you again! Here is what we did...
Day 1: We got here at two, searched for lizards and we weren’t disappointed because they are everywhere! Then my mom went and got sunscreen so we could snorkel. Then for dinner we had spaghetti. Day 2: We woke up, went for a run, met some people who have lived here for 50-60 years! And then went snorkeling, swimming, and boogie boarding the whole afternoon! Then we had Cholo’s for dinner. Yum! Day 3: The whole family worked out and then we went to Shark’s Cove... The days went by so fast and I wish I could stay here longer! It’s wonderful! Thank You!
-- Ruby, Sam, Alicia, Ruby & Lily - Manhattan Beach, CA
Too short a time to write about all the wonderful things, but this is an amazing location!!!! Falling asleep to and waking up to the waves was great. A good tip to anyone out there, check out Ted’s Bakery for some amazing Chocolate Haupia Pie!! Can’t wait to come back one day!
-- Adam and Sarah, Phoenix, AZ
Simply wonderful, home, location, experience... Hard to find words to truly convey our thoughts. Mahalo for having us here. Suffice to say a better form of “stress management” is not possible. Actually hope to return again and again, perhaps longer next time. A tip for some great food we found in Hauula - Papa Ole’s. Superb, authentic island food where the locals eat. You won’t be disappointed (taste, portion, price and service...awesome). Warm regards
-- Mark, Karen, Jesse, Josh, Kristen and Holden, Great Falls, MT
May
Sandra, we fell in love with Hale Moana and had the most wonderful time. Although we found much to do – the hike at Pupukea, visiting (every day) the turtles at Laniakea, massages from Julie at North Shore Massage (lomi lomi) and Stand Up Paddle (SUP) lessons (Charles) – our favorite activity involved the two lawn chairs right outside the door : ) and a book from your great library. We can't thank you enough. Those will be treasured memories.
-- Sarah and Charles - Laramie, WY
We wanted to thank you for such a wonderful time! A special thank you for the wedding album, wine and coffee! The house was beyond what we could of ever expected, and the panoramic view you can't even put into words! Our very first day there we saw a whale, and the sea turtles, and dolphins. The sea turtles came everyday and we even saw them while snorkeling. We loved the town, went to the art gallery a few times (and had some small things shipped home) we loved the coffee at the Coffee Gallery. Best of all everything for our wedding was completely perfect! We even had a rainbow, and the whale made a brief appearance! I can't wait to see our pictures! The house truly is amazing we could not have gotten a better place to stay for our first time to Hawaii, we definitively will be back! Thank you so so much!
-- Andrea and Ed - Winston Salem, NC
This was our 3rd stay on the North Shore and surely the most relaxing. The location & accommodations were superb. We may be coming back for a wedding next year (our youngest daughter who has lived here for 7 yrs) and will be in touch with you if all goes well. Thanks for the welcome goodies and we wish you Good Health and Happiness. Aloha, Mahalo
-- George & Becky - Ormond Beach, FL
April
We had a wonderful stay at your lovely home. It was just perfect! We will be back –
-- Debbie, Gary, Ryan & Caitlin - Orange, CA
Thank you so much for sharing your home with us! This was our first trip to Oahu and we are so thankful we lucked out on our 1st try in finding your place! It’s a great home base to do many things. Some of our favorites were surfing lessons with Uncle Bryan, shark dive, shark’s cove, turtle beach - but we didn’t realize then that turtles also came to this beach! Kids - 4 adults too - LOVED the Polynesian Cultural Center - Never seen fire dancers like THAT! Huge highlight! But mostly loved coming back here after a big - or short - excursion to rest, play on private beach. It was truly a vacation! Could hardly read my book as the “show” outside, so mesmerizing! - Oh, we did enjoy beautiful windward side beaches, but stayed there 1st half of vacation. Loved this house for last part and experienced a whole new Oahu over here. Thanks, thanks, thanks! Love
-- Dave & Jan & 4 kids from Salt Lake City, UT
March
Above all, your HALE MOANA and the 180° ocean view with the waves is fantastic!!! We enjoy it every day. Your house and garden have every thing we need. Many of your books and guides are very useful. We enjoyed every day at this wonderful place of the earth; waking up with ocean-view and the variety of the north shore. The “Hale Moana” has everything we needed. There is only one “disadvantage” - it is so far from Germany. Thank you for everything ~
-- Hans and Antje - Ludwigsfelde, Germany
February
Thanks so much Sandi for sharing your little piece of paradise. The view is so breathtaking ~ loved sitting outside watching the sunset. Hale Moana had everything we needed as our base for exploring the North Shore ~ we were treated to 20 foot waves at Waimea Bay and enjoyed the competition at Pipeline. Isaac was so helpful - thanks! We don’t want to leave and hope to be back. Aloha, Mahalo
-- Jacqui, Don, Kiah, Jed and Flynn - Newcastle, Australia
January
We had a wonderful time enjoying this beautiful spot on the North Shore. The boys were in the water all day long. We explored different beaches every day. We managed to see most of the Island. Thanks again for all the extra little touches to make this truly feel like a home away from home. We will miss it.
-- Allen, Trudy, Nickolos, Sebastian & Simon - B.C. Canada
Simply stunning! We have enjoyed this wonderful house in this amazing location so much. Sandi you have thought of everything. It must be the first time ever we have looked forward to climbing into bed with the wonderful sound of rolling waves. The weather was perfect with many surfers right out our windows and whales that came in close on Sunday. We would certainly love to come back.
-- Gabe & Sandy - Christchurch, New Zealand
Thank you for the lovely stay at Hale Moana. We are leaving tomorrow morning. It was fantastic hearing the sea crashing on the shore... We saw whales and a turtle swimming.... It is an amazing house with everything you would need for a comfortable stay. From staying at Hale Moana we have decided to come to Hawaii every New Year.
-- Ulla, Ella, Taylor, Dallas, Drew - Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand
It is difficult to express how absolutely perfect our week here has been and we will cherish our family time spent at the North Shore for years to come. Thank you for the wine and coffee (enjoyed by all) and allowing us to spend time here at Hale Moana. Mahalo
-- Lynn, Siena, Tessa, Coke, Trahan and JP - Yakima, WA