A WEEK ON THE NORTH COAST

It’s Tuesday and we’re now on the north coast in a rental home at Anini Beach.



Anini is located halfway between Princeville, a resort area, and Kiluea, the location of a picturesque lighthouse. The difference between the north coast and the south coast is very much like the difference between the west side of the Cascade Mountains and the east side. The north coast is lush, wetter and cooler. The south coast is sunnier, but definitely has more arid vegetation.

The north side, in my opinion, is prettier due to the wetter climate. Mountains are more dramatically carved by erosion, the jungle is more dense, and the agriculture is more varied. Hanalei is the site of a famously beautiful valley full of taro.



Geologically, the north coast has far more coral reefs off the shore, creating calmer waters for swimming and other fun. When we went for our first swim last night, Jill commented that Anini is like a giant swimming pool because there really were no waves. Gabriel loved it.

AVOID KOLOA LANDING COTTAGES

I seriously doubt anyone looking for accommodation on the south coast will bump into this website when they Google “Koloa Landing Cottages.” But just in case they do, they should read the following review I submitted to Fodors.com (and I'm not alone):

It was the filthiest, noisiest and most regrettable $150 per night we've ever spent anywhere (Sept. 2005).
The establishment has new owners that are not the same as the ones that get rave reviews elsewhere on the web - including Fodor's. The current owners are unresponsive and irresponsible in our finding.
The unit was FILTHY. Huge stains on the floor. Screens, shades and fans completely dirty. My wife had allergy issues while we were there as a result - with trade winds blowing through window screens it was still that bad. Hair left in the shower/bathroom. Mosquitos/blood killed and smeared on the walls at our arrival. Ants and cockroaches everywhere at night or day. Our second rental elsewhere at same price has been spotless.
The stove/range was completely inoperable and it took them until our third night to get a two-burner hot plate in the kitchen.
Pots and pans that were in terrible state and not safe to cook with. I won't even go into the grime and cockroach dust/filth I saw when standing on a chair cleaning up an ant trail on the wall.
Full payment is made upon arrival, so no recourse. We didn't see the female owner until we checked out. At check out, she asked what would be a fair discount/refund. She ignored the cost of having to eat out all the time and offered us minimal refund.
Having no recourse, we had to take it. She then had the gall to say that they would be buying a new stove AFTER we left (!) and then intimated that we just didn't do as good a job as she does of living cheaply as her. Traveling with a small child and at such short notice, finding an immediate alternate rental was not an option.
Until ownership again changes hands, I cannot more strongly recommend that people AVOID Koloa Landing Cottages at all costs. I have never felt more cheated by a lodging establishment than I do about this dump.

SECOND RENTAL INCREDIBLE

Our arrival at our second rental proved to be shocking: it is far cleaner and more beautiful than we could have hoped, particularly after the preceding week's accommodation.

Don't get me wrong: we had much fun on the south side swimming at Poipu beach and Baby beach, hiking, going to the market, sightseeing and enjoying the National Tropical Botanical Gardnens - Allerton and McBryde. In fact, we managed to go on a second hike, the Kukui Trail, that took us down a mile into the canyon for some unbelievable views. Gabriel had a great time going down, but coming back up he was a bit fussy if he couldn't see his Mama.

Despite all the fun, our expectations for our second rental were quite low. Well, we have been shocked ("This whole thing is ours?") It's been quite a treat the night we've been here so far and we look forward to having this as a home base for a week. Anini Beach is literally across the street. Gabriel could walk there himself, but he'd have to cross a semi-busy street. It's fantastic.

And speaking of Gabriel, he's up from his nap and we're off to the beach!