Need a rental - any island OK

Help help help! Here's what I need to find: a 3 bedroom (no lofts or pull-out sofas; we NEED 3 bedrooms) condo or house on or near the water in Hawaii (any island). Must have good amenities and be well furnished, and allow small children. Pool a plus. I've looked at the archives, on the net, and thru all the Wizard Publications guidebooks (Maui Revealed, etc.), and most of the things I've found either don't have 3 bedrooms, don't allow children, or are in the ''not fancy, but clean and comfortable'' category. Does anyone know of a friend who has a nice place they rent out? I've done many a google search and my eyes are bleary! thanks! Ellen

Recommended:

Toy Rentals for Hotel Room Use?

is anyone familiar with a company in kauai that rents children's toys while you visit the island? i'm not looking for water toys, but rather everyday toys to play with while staying in hotel rooms. pamela

Hawaii with Grandma & the kids

Any recommendations for good spots in Hawaii to take a senior citizen who's always wanted to see Hawaii, but isn't very active (can't do a lot of walking)? Accomodations can't be rustic, but we're also not looking for ultra-luxury (finances are an issue). Some historical spots, some shopping would be good, but don't need a lot of either. Probably most important is that it be a beautiful setting (since she's probably got some classic Hawaiian image--crystal blue water, palm trees, sunsets, etc.--in her mind). Nice beaches are important, too, to keep the grandkids happy. Plan is to go around Thanksgiving. Thanks in advance for any recommendations. (Yes, I've looked at the Hawaii recommendations already, but nothing struck me as the perfect place to meet these needs. Hoping my request will spark a response from folks in a similar position, or who see their favorite Hawaiian spot as perfect for taking both a senior and kids...) Judy

Flying Hawaiian Air

I'm interested in hearing comments (good and bad) from people who have flown Hawaiian Air from the Bay Area to Honolulu. I've only flown with them on short inter-island flights in Hawaii. Our family is planning a trip to Hawaii. The fact that they fly out of Oakland or Sacramento instead of SFO intrigues me (I really dislike SFO). Clarisse

Have a great time. We went to Kauai when our daughter was 2 and Maui when she was 4ish. One thing I discovered both times (for different reasons) is that our family does better when the place we sleep is delightful enough to spend a good portion of the day in. We really needed a place that was exotic, Hawaii, versitile enough to be satisfying without driving. When our daughter was 2, if we spent a moderate time driving to the beautiful beach or hike (and home again), there was lots of fussing, sleeping in the car and then not at naps or nights. When our daughter was 4ish, she loved being in charge of her environment - playing games in the cabin, drawing in the cabin, exploring outside the cabin etc. Our ideas of driving to the beach or the state park were met with much protest! (I was very surprised!) Luckily, we ended up in a couple of places that satisfied her age-related needs and our needs to feel like we really were away from home. On Kauaii we stayed at Glo Manor on the north coast. We found them on the internet. We also rented a cabin at Waimea Canyon State Park. I was less content here because the ocean was not walkable. But the hiking is great. It is that tropical forest surrounding. On Maui, in Hana, we rented a cabin at the Waianapanapa State Park. Cabin are very sparsely equipped. Cabins 1-7 have nice views. Our best choice for the 4 year old was the 1st floor condo a Maalea Bay in Maui. We had a relatively calm beach, great views, lots of grandparent aged people that would chat with my daughter, some families with kids. I can get phone #'s for you if you have trouble finding them. The next place we want to try is camping on Lanai. I haven't investigated it much. It could be hard if there were no other kids there

I know there are some places you can camp, but in general, camping is prohibited (and it is strictly enforced) on the beaches. So, I have no info really except that I know people who went over thinking, "weel, I can just camp and I won;t get a ticket" and this is not the fact of the matter. They do ticket and will arrest. Good luck!

Just got back from a week on Oahu with kids age 4 and 8. It was great. We stayed at a B&B in a small beach town called Waimanalo, about a half hour from Honolulu. I would recommend the place we stayed, called "Nalo Winds" www.nalowinds.com. For $550 for 7 nights we had the "mermaid suite," a good-sized bedroom with a queen bed, a teeny bathroom (shower only--no tub), and a large lanai (screened porch) with a double futon, table and 4 chairs, and kitchenette with small fridge, 2 burner hotplate, microwave, toaster oven, coffee maker. The kitchen was stocked with coffee, tea, milk, juice, fruit, yogurt, cereal, muffins. One of the things I liked most is that the lanai opens onto a private garden with a small lawn and hammock. The rental also includes the use of a wide selection of snorkelling equipment (some kid size), adult bikes, coolers, a gas grill, washer/dryer, kiddie pool. It sort of felt like borrowing someone's slightly funky, but comfortable beach house (oh, it's half a block from the beach). There's no tv/vcr, which we didn't miss, and sound carries perfectly from the bedroom to the lanai, so it's hard for someone to take a nap in one room while others are playing in the other room.<> I wouldn't think Hawaii would be a great place to camp for a week, but maybe for part of the time. It can get really hot and also rainy. You would need to get ice daily to keep food cold. Be sure to find someplace with showers for all the sand and saltwater (some beaches have showers...)

My husband and I honeymooned on Kauai and our favorite beach on the island was Polihale State Beach. It's the most south-westerly beach on the island that's accessible by car, and a great place to watch the sun set. It's a long stretch of beach, and at one end the Na Pali coastline begins with it's dramatic lush green steep cliffs. Also there aren't many people there, since it is a bit of a drive (5 minutes off the highway on a dirt road). Would be most convenient if you are staying in Poipu or west of Poipu. Congratulations!