Kai Nalu


Rates: $1029 / night (avg.)
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 4
Bed types: TKQQ (sleeps 8)
Reviews: 4.80 (from 62 reviews)
Kai Nalu, which means "Ocean Wave" in Hawaiian, is right on the beach in Waimea, between the river and the historic Waimea Pier. Located on the sunny West side of Kauai, this spacious home provides a perfect setting for your holiday in paradise.

Enjoy spectacular ocean views (enhanced by a fabulous view of Ni'ihau -- the Forbidden Island) and watch the sun set into the sea every evening from a nearly endless stretch of charcoal sand beach. We recommend going to a life guarded beach for swimming. Take a stroll down the beach at your leisure and if you happen to see green sparkles in the sand here, they are mineral crystals called olivine. Gem-quality olivine is known as peridot, the birthstone for August.

Two expansive lanais overlook views of Ni'ihau sunsets and are a great place from which to enjoy a morning cup of coffee or cool beverage along with the fabulous vista.

The living room is bright and comfortable with wonderful ocean views. The huge master bedroom suite has a sitting area and equally fabulous views. The master bath has marble floors, an oversized glass block shower and jacuzzi tub with an ocean view. The gourmet kitchen has a gas island cooktop, tile counters and all appliances.

Earth friendly home utilizes green technology to provide solar hot water and electricity.

*** Cancellation Policy *** Cancellations require at least a 30 day written or email notice prior to your check-in date for a full refund of your deposit. Notice at least 14 days prior to check in will receive a 50% refund. If less than 14 day notice, the rent, excise tax and reservation processing fee are forfeited. ***

Solar Powered Chiltrix Air Conditioning System

No Smoking

TVNC# 4228 ... 24/7 On-Island contact: Kauai Vacation Rentals
Property located in Tsunami Evacuation Zone
TA-157-486-8992-01 Registration Number: GE-157-486-8992-01, TA-157-486-8992-01, 160060060000

Kai Nalu Reviews



Timothy D.
July 2024
House was great, neighbors were awesome. It’s not in your typical tourist zone and there is a shortage of good restaurants in the area. We stopped at Costco on our way in and picked up groceries, we cooked at the house several nights, the kitchen is well equipped and we fed 8 adults no problem. Only complaint the ice chest had no lid otherwise everything was as advertised.


Luann R.
July 2024
Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: The home was beautiful, well kept, and in a quiet location. The home had plenty of appliances and equipment to stay for a week or more.


John T.
February 2024
Very clean, spacious, with all the amenities. Beautiful beach. Close to town. We enjoyed our stay, very much.


Jeanne M.
February 2024
Love the location, loved the space of the house, loved the access to the beach, loved the neighbors!


Brooke S.
January 2024
This home is so much better in real life. We loved having beachfront access, and being able to hear the waves. The beds are all very comfortable. We loved our stay and would book this house again.


Brandy S.
January 2024
Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Kai Nalu is wonderful! The house is in a great location. You can walk to several places in Waimea safely and easily. The views are beautiful from the lanai. You can see the islands of Ni'ihau and Lehua in the distance, boats, and ocean wildlife. The sound of the ocean waves is relaxing and the sunsets are amazing. If your agenda includes activities on the south end of Kauai, this home is for you!


dale w.
November 2023
We had a great time staying at this beachfront property. The house was very nicely stocked with everything we needed for our week long stay. AC worked very nicely as it was pretty warm during our stay. It was very nice to walk out the back door and take morning walks on the beach. The property is located at the mouth of a river so the water is not as blue as other beaches. That area is also not good for swimming but the strolls on the beach were perfect or just hanging by the water listening to the waves crash, unbeatable. Every morning for breakfast we sat outside under the covered patio and enjoyed the view and sounds of the ocean. I personally love the west coast. It is not as touristy as the Princeville area and easy to get to beautiful beaches that are not at all crowded. The property management team was awesome too. Very responsive to all our needs. Will stay here again! Thank you!!


Elizabeth M.
October 2023
Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was more than happy with the location. I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Great home, great experience! The home was perfect for our family vacation. The beds were confortable; plenty of bathrooms; the kitchen has all the comforts of home; great outdoor space. The home is in needs of some updates, butoverall our experience was good. If geography and important and wanting to be in close proximity of activies, probably not the home for you.


Guy T.
September 2023
Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was very clean. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: The home is very well appointed with anything our family needed. Plenty of cook ware, plates, knives, appliances, etc. Also the owners saw to it there were plenty of towls and toilet paper. The kitchen had plenty of incidentals as well such as spices and sauces in the cubbard. We left all of our unused non perishables for the next guests as well. The master suite is very large with a fireplace, large bath and walk in closet, and the bedroom and bathroom all walk out onto the deck overlooking the beach. The other bedrooms are smaller but each has access to its own bath. The family room which is open to the kitchen is very comfortable and looks out onto the nicely kept lawn that ends on the beach. The beach is beautiful but not the best for swimming due to the fresh water river that comes in about 300 meters down from the house so the water is brackish. It's not bad but just not as clear as some of the nearby beaches like salt pond or Poipu. All in all it is a very nice property on a beautiful beach in paradise. If you are looking for a nice quiet place close to the locals for you and your family. I don't think you could do better than this. We would walk into town about 3 blocks and get shaved ice at Jojo's or eat at one of the restaurants and shop. Also there were many other items at the home that made our stay such as beach chairs, umbrellas, snorkel equipment, coolers, boogie boards, lounge chairs, a barbque grill with plenty of propane which was great because there were local fishermen selling their catch in town. Finally, the ladies at Kauai vacation rental are very helpful and honest. We received much more than we expected. For us this place was perfect and we intend on going back to Kauai and this is where we will stay.


Leslie G.
September 2023
The property was well kept, very clean, quiet, beautiful beach to walk on, had everything we needed. Waimea is a nice quiet town with everything you need, grocery store, restaurants, shopping.


Ron E.
August 2023
House is great. Location is good if you want a less touristy area. Beach is not useable. High surf area with churning water 24/7. Can’t get in it at all. Also no shaded area to enjoy it. Would have liked more transparency in the beach description for this VRBO. May have impacted my choice. Home was great!


Reyke S.
July 2023
Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was more than happy with the location. I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Great accommodation. Much better than expected and than shown in the pictures. Kitchen very well equipped and overall very clean. Very professional handling.


Karen H.
July 2023
This house was perfect for us. We had plenty of room and our host thought of everything to make the stay a pleasant one. Many items were provided for us and we had all the tools needed to cook, grill, enjoy the beach, and just hang out on the back yard. Stores in the town were an easy walk away. Loved our visit.


Amanda B.
May 2023
Away from the tourist rush, but close enough to join any excursions you want to do. Lots of room on the lanai for group meals and games.


Paulette M.
April 2023
Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: My husband and I and 4 Adult children had a wonderful time- no need for ac during early April - the neighbor jack was invited as family he’s a wonderful person.I highly suggest this home


Rene P.
January 2023
Perfect quiet location especially watching the sun going down over the water after a busy day snorkelling and sightseeing.


Alan L.
November 2022
good location, good communication. AC needs to be fixed.


Julie H.
October 2022
Rating Details: The property manager was more than helpful. The vacation rental was very dirty. I was happy with the location. I was very dissatisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: We had searched long & hard to find the perfect house to celebrate our 60th birthdays for four friends that have been great friends since the 4th grade. We made our reservation 4/10/22. On 9/30/22 less than 48 hours prior to arrival, we were informed that the A/C did not work and extra fans would be in place. This would have helped if all of the doors had screen doors... This was a major reason why we chose this house. With no other options, we were refunded 30%. Upon arrival, the house had mold, doors falling off, dryer lint never cleaned, VERY DIRTY. We felt uncomfortable with the cleanliness the entire stay. This was NEVER resolved except for the bleach spray around one bedroom window, & Lucy left me a message stating that someone came back to clean, we noticed minimal change and would have not noticed it at all unless she called. Happy to send photos of our stay. We were given notice that our cleaning fee would be refunded. When was the last time ANYONE inspected this house? Lucy tried her best to accommodate our issues. It was not her fault. We remain EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED and as questioning if we would use VRBO again, as there does not seem to be any checks and balances in place.


Karen S.
October 2022
Beach location was very nice. House is spacious with a lovely deck and patio. They provide lots of beach chairs and toys, a couple boogie boards and coolers which was wonderful! The property is in need of some upkeep/repair. The lawn needed mowing the day we arrived and was never mowed during our 8 day stay, there are a couple broken chairs, the master toilet runs between flushing and the A/C didn’t work the entire time we were there. It took 3 days to get a repair person to come look at it and then it needed a part. The management tried their best with limited resources but it definitely affected our trip. This is the dry, hot side of the island and while we knew that when we booked, we were expecting a functioning A/C. Thank goodness for ocean breezes!


Mary & Jeff N.
September 2022
Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was very clean. I was very happy with the location. I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: We had a wonderful time at Kai’nalu. The house was perfect for our party of 7 - 6 adults and a little one. Each couple had their own room & bathroom and there was extra space for the little. The beach is steps away and so relaxing to just sit and watch. There were some minor things in the house that needed attention, and we left a list for the management company hoping that they’ll follow through fixing-they’d been very helpful with questions and assistance since we made our reservation.


Jill B.
August 2022
Loved the house and it's location near "downtown" Waimea. Good communication with rental company.


LoRanee B.
August 2022
When I awoke, I saw my brother sitting under the trees in the back yard while reading his book on the beach. I stood on the beach watching my sons boogie board on the waves. I walked into town with my husband for groceries and takeout- everything is walking distance. We drove to popular tourist attractions, but returned home every evening to our private paradise. If I ever return to Kauai, I’m staying in this house.


Catherine M.
July 2022
Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: We really enjoyed our stay at this beautiful home on the beach. The property description was spot on. The home was very cozy and had plenty of room for our whole family of 7. We only had one issue with the AC not working properly in the upstairs twin bedroom but the rest of the home was very pleasant especially since the temp can reach up to 88 degrees during the day. The views from the upstairs porch as spectacular. Our evening dinners on the outside porch were amazing. the grounds were well manicured and the chairs on the beach were comfortable. We would love to come again one day! Thank you


Joan H.
June 2022
Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Hawaiian vacation was relaxing Three generations were in this home and is was perfect


Leslie C.
May 2022
Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: This home is perfect! Great location and great amenities. There were 7 of us and it was perfect. The views from the lanai are special.


Jeff W.
May 2022
Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Our family of seven adults vacationed together in this home for a week. It was the perfect setting. The house was very comfortable and well-equipped from the kitchen to the beach chairs. The outside table was the perfect place to eat and play cards. And most of all, the lovely beach just beyond our backyard created time for conversation, relaxation and great walks with relative privacy. One surprise for us was how much we enjoyed the location in Waimea. It is more residential than touristy, and residents were very kind and welcoming. The location was so walkable -- just a few blocks from small grocery stores, good meals with delightful service at Wrangler's Steakhouse and of course Jo Jo's shaved ice, all just blocks away. We were also surprised to find that a place called "Chicken in a Barrel" was a great place to drink beer. The rental company was fully informative and easy to work with. As others have noted, it's not a swimming beach (though one is just a few miles away), and do beware the noisy roosters. Still, we had a wonderful vacation and we highly recommend this home.


Margaret C.
May 2022
Rating Details: The property manager was more than helpful. The vacation rental was very clean. I was more than happy with the location. I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: The location within walking distance to Waimea is nice and it’s lovely to watch sunsets on the beach. The house is large and comfortable and the lanai is lovely. The only downsides were the beach isn’t a swimming beach, the neighbor’s dogs bark frequently, and she leaves the lights on her palm trees on all night—including the flashing ones. Not what I expected in Kauai! I also would have appreciated being informed when the workman who came to fix the A/C half way through our visit was going to be in the house.


Carmen D.
May 2022
Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: We enjoyed our Kai Nalu stay very much . The neighbors were friendly and the house very spacious. There was a drainage issue in the main floor front en suite bath when the washer was going. And the downstairs hall bath toilet did not flush fully. Needs attention but no t a huge problem. The living room sofas were not comfortable and need updating, especially in light of the nightly rental fee. The location was wonderful and convenient and the weather on that side of the island is definitely the nicest. Overall a great trip and we would stay there again.


Jane W.
March 2022
Staying in Waimea is like being in a real small town, not one that is “touristed up”. Kia Nalu House was very relaxing. Beach is not for swimming, but great for sunsets.


Torri B.
December 2021
We had a wonderful time at the property, enjoying the ocean views and sunsets nightly. The house was perfect for our group of seven, with plenty of space for gathering inside and out. The location was good exploring the island and there were lots of places to ealk nearby.


Susan M.
September 2021
My family, including adult children, 6 & 15 yr old grandchildren, had a wonderful vacation. Close to the beaches & hikes- locals told us about some fantastic beaches. Walking distance to groceries & restaurants. Great view of the black sand beach and wonderful sunsets to remember forever. I would highly recommend the property. Would definitely come again!


Teresa F.
July 2021
We had the vacation of a lifetime with our kids and granddaughters. This house is so nice and right on the beach. Check in was easy and very efficient! We spent every night watching the sunset while sitting on the beach, and would turn our chairs around and and watch the moon rise on the other side. The house is well stocked, clean and very comfortable. Plenty of lawn chairs , beach umbrellas and a cooler were supplied for enjoying time on the beach. This was so much better than staying at a big resort. This house will be our first choice if we are fortunate enough to come back to the beautiful island of Kauai!


Grace M.
June 2021
There were 6 of us that rented this beautiful house. The town of Waimea definitely has a local feel to it which is something we loved about it. A wonderful grocery store is a short walk away from the house as well as easy access to the town. We found the local businesses to be very friendly and the food available at the local restaurants very good. We also found Waimea to be a great central hub to many wonderful beaches to visit nearby as well as being close to breathtaking Waimea canyon. We all agreed that we would love to stay again at this location. The rental agency was helpful and easy to work with. And that side of Kauai is now our preferred place to visit again!


Rob K.
April 2018
We really enjoyed our stay at Kai Nalu in February 2018. The house is spacious and comfortable. We ate many meals out on the patio and enjoyed watching sunsets from the front yard, which fronts on a beautiful beach. There were seven of us, and we found the kitchen to be well equipped to prepare food for that number of people. The beds were very comfortable. The palatial master bedroom with the large veranda just outside the doors was particularly comfortable and spacious. If there was any downside to this rental, it is that the beach in front of the house is not really swimmable. The surf is fairly constantly high and the Waimea River, which empties into the ocean about 300 feet down the shore, keeps the ocean water here rather muddy. However, that constant breaking surf does put you to sleep at night. There are also several good swimming beaches nearby either at Salt Pond State Park or Poipu. Whichever beach you are at, make sure you are careful about currents, as this is the open Pacific Ocean. At both Saltpond and Poipu Beaches, the giant sea tortoises and monk seals come right up onto the beach and sun themselves in amongst all the tourists. The lifeguards make sure people don't get too close, but is still a great sight. Overall, we loved Kauai and we loved this house. The house is two blocks from two large grocery stores and the downtown part of Waimea. There is good parking in the driveway and on the street. There are several good restaurants nearby, including a good steak house, and the people were very friendly. We would recommend this place to any party requiring four bedrooms and a comfortable, spacious house.


Andrew H.
January 2018
positives: 1. Four bedrooms each with own bathroom- nice privacy (master suite very nice), large living area, kitchen and nice lanais. Was clean when we arrived. Kitchen had everything we needed and beach towels , chairs and the like. It was set up well for when we arrived. 2. 2 groceries within a block, with great delies (poke at ishihara was the best),eateries well within walking distance 3. Backyard right on beach great for evening hangout to look at sunset, stars or bbq (various neighbors had beach fires with driftwood, which were nice to watch, unsure if they had permits though) - fishing pier is easy to walk to 4. Positioned excellent and close for Waimea canyon, we did several hikes and visits there 5. Rental agency who handled was attentive- high marks for them Other comments: 1. Waimea has a much more local character and certainly no resort feel - some people like us like that others may not; 2. Lucy wright park which is about 4 houses down is a bit questionable in that it seems to have various quasi permanent local residents that have tents or tarps set up, however, locals seems not bothered and had family get togethers occasionally in that pavilion and they didn’t seem bothered, and outrigger-canoes practice in river mouth. 2. Definitely want good rental vehicle to get to various swimming beaches and other towns 3. Beach is non-swimming, blackish reddish greenish sand, and a bit dusty. Water is not clear and contains sediment from Waimea canyon river and driftwood is scattered along. We knew that and rental agency also called us to advise which appreciated. So consider the beach useable for other activities as noted above.


Sue E.
December 2017
We rented this house for our visit to Kauai this time. With the exception of food, it had everything we needed to make our 8 day vacation a wonderful experience. Went to sleep every night listening to the ocean crashing on the beach just a few yards from the house. We would definitely look into renting this property again if we return to Kauai again.


William B.
September 2017
We were very happy with our stay at this lovely home in Waimea. Being right on the beach, and a short walk to restaurants and shopping is ideal; the neighborhood is quiet and friendly, and this location was ideal for close access to hiking in the mountains and exploring the west coast of Kauai , while accommodating those who just wanted to relax on the beach and stay close to home. Thank you for a wonderful experience.


Amy M.
August 2017
This house was perfect for our group of all ages! Waimea is a sleepy little town close to majestic waimea canyon and tranquil salt pond beach. The house was well stocked with everything we needed. Shopping was close by. Ample bathrooms and bedrooms. The large outdoor dining area worked well too.


Mary T.
May 2017
Needs to be advertised as being on a NON-SWIMMING beach...We were disappointed with that. Otherwise, a bathroom for each bedroom was fabulous. Backyard with beach view and sounds of ocean was really great. Location was little far away from things. Staff at rental office very friendly and easy to deal with.


Mike C.
April 2014
My wife and I traveled to Kauai to be married on Thanksgiving day, 2012. We had booked another "cottage" but the owner changed dates on us and we were not flexible. We contacted the owner of Kai Nalu and booked here instead and are so glad we did. The house is fantastic and its ON the beach! You look outside from the kitchen, or have breakfast on the patio and right in front of you is the ocean. You hang out on the upper lanai, just off the master bedroom and right in front of you, is the ocean. We spent several mornings searching the sands for peridots and just sitting in lounge chairs and having the waves wash over our feet. The sounds lulled us to sleep and we even slept outside on the upper lanai our last night there. The house was very clean and had every thing we needed for an enjoyable stay. It far exceeded our expectations and we would recommend this house to any one, and have done so. We did end up going to the "cottage" we originally had reserved in August 2013, to use up our credit, and the promised "Shangrila" was not even close. We were spoiled by Kai Nalu. We had hoped to go back for 2014, but our dates are not available, but we will go back there, maybe with our kids, if we want to share in paradise...but maybe not! :) One piece of useful information.... there is a town in Waimea. We did not even know about it until our 3 or 4th day when we decided to go to Polihale Beach. We wish we had known about it or found it sooner, as there are some very nice things within a 3 minute walk from the house, including a fantastic steakhouse with very reasonable prices. Stay at Kai Nalu, you won't regret it.

Note: Vacancy calendar is approximate. Visit the owner/manager's reservation site to verify your dates.

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