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Lanikai Beach
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81 reviews for Lanikai Beach
One of the nice beaches I found while in Oahu!!! Definitely not an easy one to find due to its location. It's very secluded and behind private homes. You just need to find an entry to the beach in between houses.
Location on the website usually said Mokulua Drive, however, this road is a one way street, so just follow the direction to keep going up and then turn left on the first turn and just keep going probably about 5 blocks before you turn left again into a small street and then, turn left again on Mokulua Drive, just find a parking spot and an entryway to the beach.
By far, this is the softest sandy beach I found in Oahu and it would get into your bikini or speedos easily, so you better clean yourself up before entering your house, unless you don't mind the sand all over the place. Also, the water is usually calm when there's no hovering clouds, so always check the weather before leaving the house. I went on the wrong time, the water was a little choppy as the drizzling rain just passed by and the sand-bottom in the sea caused the water to be murky.
The choppy water got me into the sea further than I wanted to be and somehow one of my fin slipped off and my snorkel too, so I basically lost just 1 fin, not a pair, but ONE. Don't even want to know how it happen and no fin doesn't float, it sank to the bottom so I couldn't grab it. However, I will still visit this beach the next time I come back, not to look for my missing stuff, but when the water is clear, usually the sea turtle hang around here, plus the water isn't so deep too, I saw pics from one of the couples that I went to Shark-cage with. They lived in Lanikai and the sea turtles pics that they have was very nice!
If you're looking for a place to lay down privately and not being with a crowd, this is IT!!! One last thing, beware that since this is a private beach, there's no lifeguards, so those of you who is not comfortable in the water, maybe this is not your place to be.
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This is my favorite beach on Oahu & when I make my millions I'm so going to buy a house here! Hmmm shall I get the big white one? Or the giant brown one? Oh I can't decide so I'll just get both. One can be my walk in closet and my man slave Gerrardo can live there as well. Someone has to slather me in sun tan lotion?!
The water is pristine, the sand is perfect for sand castle construction and it's in a beautiful beach neighborhood. Unfortunately there are no bathrooms or showers so be sure you go potty beforehand!
Great for walking your dog and taking the kiddies out for a beach picnic. Lots of people rent kayaks and paddle. Beware that the paddle to the little island looks really easy but it totally sucks when you're half way there and realize how tired you are. Then you have to paddle against the current on the way back...that's sooo much fun. NOT!
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My favorite beach in Hawai'i. It's not easy to find, so let me give you an address to put into your GPS - 982 Mokulua Drive, Kailua, HI. That is the address of an actual home - do not disturb them I'm pretty sure they'd be annoyed by that. But instead, park on the street and walk to the right of the house and you'll find an alley leading to the sand.
So it's a bit vague when someone calls a beach their 'favorite'. It depends on what you're after - a beach could be a great beach for relaxing, laying out, surfing, or snorkeling. Lanikai is great for relaxing, marveling at the blue water, and swimming in what seems like a calm lagoon (but it's not a lagoon). Probably not a great place to surf (but I don't surf so I can't be sure on this one but judging by the far out break and small waves....) It doesn't have bathrooms so be prepared. And yes, it can get windy but it is the windward side of the island, after all.
My wife and I got some Mac Nut Pancakes from Boots N Kimo to go and sat on this beach grubbing on our blissful bfast (see my Boots N Kimo review). With mac nut sauce on my face, and the sound of water lapping at my feet - I nearly shed a tear of pure happiness.
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I love Hawaii. Ask anyone that knows me and they will tell you "he loves Hawaii"!!
I've been to many many beaches on each island, this is by far one of my top 5 favorites.
It is absolutely gorgeous! This beach has that dreamy, tropical look you see on postcards.
Take a look at the photos.
The water is so clear and aqua blue. Great beach for swimming as the water is calm.
The beach is lined with multimillion dollar homes. I would give my left nut to have one of them!
There are also 2 small offshore islands. One is a popular kayaking spot.
The only downside is this beach does tend to have Portuguese man-o-wars. We recently spent 4 days here and on two of them we did see man-o-wars floating by us in the water and up on the sand.
The other two days were clear.
Definitely keep an eye out because being stung is no fung!
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Could I borrow a million dollars from someone so I can live on this beach??!!
Lanikai is by far one of my favorite beaches... It's so beautiful and the sand is sooooo comfortable! I could just stand there with my feet sinking into the sand and I'll be fine. :-)
The only thing that sucks is all the portuguese man-o-wars stinging you! You totally don't see them in the water and you don't feel the sting until after they get you. But that doesn't stop you from loving this beach.
Out of all the beaches on the island, this is where you go.
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The prettiest beach in all of Oahu!
The water is picture perfect and the sand is so fine and soft.
HOWEVER. Beware of the man-o-wars!!!!!! We were swimming with our 8 month year old kid and did not see any signs for the man-o-wars. Luckily, a nice man who had JUST gotten stung saw us in the water and told us that we should take our kid out of the water. As we walked back towards the beach...we noticed TONS of small man-o-wars on the sand. Thank goodness we weren't stung! The poor guy had welts all over his arm. We read that man-o-wars come out ~10-12 days after a full moon. I checked the calendar before going and it was past 12 days....but they were still out there.
Otherwise...the prettiest beach I've ever seen in my life.
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This is ridiculous! There is no way anyone could rate this beach lower than 5 stars! Even if i got lost at sea while kayaking to one of the two islands nearby, and got attacked by a shark, I would still look back at this beach and rate it 5 stars!!
This is the most beautiful beach I have ever seen in person. The sand is a pristine white with absolutely no trash or debris in it whatsoever. The water looks like it came straight from [insert famous painter]'s paint brushes! I could stay here all day just playing in the water or running in the soft sand or watching the beautiful people getting married on the beach.
A couple years ago, on 4th of July, my family and I watched fireworks explode over the water while sitting on Lanikai beach! We also took kayaks over to the nearby islands where we climbed rocks and rummaged through bird's nests in the sand. It's the most divine and stunning beach you will ever visit!!!
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What an amazing spot! Beautiful beach with modest surf and the most unbelievable blue water. Stunning views. A must see when visiting Honolulu.
Simply stunning. I spent the shortest amount of time here and believe that this is my favorite beach thus far in life.
I only caught a glimpse because we spent most of the day in the North Shore... with 3 hours to spare before we had to return our car rental, we decided to trek to the windward side of Oahu and check it out. We parked close to the beach entrance and soft white sand was gorgeous... and water was a beautiful blue and turquoise and was so, so warm... I envy the owners of the houses that are right in front.
The water is much calmer and more ideal for Kayaking. During my hour here, I knew I was in paradise.
Thanks David B. for the tip! :)
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I feel guilty even reviewing this because for so long we had this beach to ourselves. It was our own little sanctuary where every time you went to "Walls" you were sure to find your friends there with beers just waiting to hand you one. You would rarely see tourists, and never see cops.
It was much like a 3rd world country ran by Kailua kids like The Lord of The Flies. We would run our boats, or kayaks or surfboards to the Mokulua Islands and be the only ones there.
That is all gone forever and we are now forced to share our little paradise with the world since every magazine in the world of tourism shows pictures of it and talks about its glory. Sadly, alot of Kailua and its little gems are becoming more and more populated with tourists.
I cannot be greedy but I can appreciate what we had.
This beach is beautiful, and its a place I wish to one day share with my children, god willing. It is still in alot of ways, the same place it was when I was growing up, its just more congested with tourists now. There are still a few secret places I will take with my grave on where to go for private beaches and hikes, and even waterfalls. I highly doubt some of our local boys and girls will ever name drop those.
In any case, if your planning on coming to Hawaii, or your from here and for some INSANE reason, you have not seen Lanikai. Get off your butts, and come check it out. One of the best beaches in the world.
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This beach is a definite for tourists to check out. The water is so clean and the sand is so fine that you'll be finding sand in places that you never knew you had. This place is a good place to hang out and have couple of cocktails and take in the sites ( hot people). Definite must visit on the windward side.
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Super fine sand, pristine blue waters and semi-secluded. A perfect beach to get away to, even just for a short while.
Just make sure you've changed into your bathing suits because there are no public toilets or showers. (closet one is at Kailua Beach Park, which is nearby so you can walk back).
For those taking TheBus to and from Lanikai (#70), the wait might take longer in the afternoon (30 mins to 1 hour) so make sure you've checked the bus schedules or are prepared to wait, because getting there is definitely worth it!
Yes, yes, THIS is the best beach on the Windward side. Please keep coming here, and nowhere else. It's already a circus, so why not keep it concentrated here. I mean it truly is heavenly, so why waste your time going anywhere else.
;-)
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We spent the morning at Lanikai beach on Friday July 3rd. We got here about 9AM, there weren't too many people and we got a parking spot really close to public access to the beach.
We set up our gear and enjoyed the powder-like white sand and clear pale blue water. The water was pretty calm and the temp was right on.
We stayed for about 3 hours and when we were getting ready to leave around noon the beach was getting packed. Not crazy crowded but we were glad we got there early.
Pros- beautiful beach, super soft sand, fairly calm water, pretty chilled out spot with lots of families with little ones.
Cons- no facilities, parking on street can get packed later in day, sand is so fine it sticks to everything and can be difficult to get off (but that's a normal beach "hazard")
I've been to Oahu 4 times and this was my first time ever going to Lanikai Beach and it was the most beautiful beach I have ever been to! Next time we are definitely staying on this side of the island. The water was warm and turquoise blue, the sand was very fine and almost white, and view of all the small islands in the distance was breathtaking. There are no public toilets or showers, but it makes it all the more intimate because there aren't as many people as nearby Kailua Beach Park. I will definitely make this a stop on all my future trips to Oahu!
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I can see why this beach was voted the best beach in the late 90s. This beach is 100 times better than the beaches in waikik. It only takes about 25 minutes to drive over here from waikiki, just take the H1 and go towards the signs to Kailua.
Once you drive past Kailua beach....make a left turn and then head into a residential area. Its a one way, so make a left turn about 1 mile down and find parking wherever you can. There are several beach access points.
The sand here is very soft and smooth and the water is typically very calm.
I give this beach one star because it doesn't need any more. It's won best beach of the century many times. The water is perfectly clear, calm, and warm. The view is fantastic. If there were a few trees, that would be nice. The sunburn can be rough... Still, up there with the best public beaches in the world. Beat it, jabroni!
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Turqoise water. Soft sand.
Tranquility.
The perfect beach, paradise.
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This beach is probably my all time favorite stop in all of Hawaii- it is absolutely breathtaking!
The sand is white and as soft as powdered sugar. It's on the windward side of the island, so never has the traffic of Waikiki or even Ala Moana. The water is a ridiculous shade of clear turquoise- there are times I was there when it didn't even look real. i never did this myself, but you can take kayaks out to the small islands in the distance. The water is great for snorkeling too- really calm, clear waters.
It is situated in kind of a residential area, so there's no formal parking lot. You just park on the streets in the residential neighborhood, so parking gets pretty tight later in the day- early morning parking was pretty easy, though.
One of the most amazing things I did during my few months in Hawaii was sunrise yoga at Lanikai on Saturday mornings. I can't describe to you what a calm and serene experience it was- hearing the soft movement of the water in front of you and opening your eyes and seeing the islands in the distance- absolutely amazing.
If you're on Oahu and have a car, I highly recommend making the trip to Lanikai for hanging on the beach, snorkeling, or whatever strikes you! I always tell people what a shame it is if you come to Oahu and don't leave Waikiki, and Lanikai is a perfect example of why.
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Lanikai Beach Park is right next to Kailua Beach Park so I don't know why they have separate names. I will literally copy and paste this review to the other since they're basically the same place!
The beach here though is amazing. Just as beautiful as Waikiki, without the crowd. I think we had the best pictures here and ther's plenty of parking. I saw some people on the boards with sails, whatever you call those and it looks super fun. I want to try it next time but if you have a car, definitely come here!
The beach is in a residential area, which makes it a little weird. First, you'll need to park on the street, which is not very wide. It felt a little strange to park in front of someone's house and start pulling out the beach equipement, then walk through the public access to the beach next to their house. But, I'm sure the residents are quite used to it.
The beach itself is absolute gorgeous. It has an incredible view with the Mokuluas Island jumping out of the clear, blue ocean. If you want to spend a nice, relaxing day under the sun and away from the other tourists in Waikiki, this is the place to go.
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The most beautiful beach I've ever seen in my life, hands down. Absolutely amazing.
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Great view of the water and the nearby islands. A beautiful beach that is tucked away. You can just sit there on the beach and just chill and relax. I was tempted to just swim to the nearby islands, but when I saw some of the jellyfish while swimming in the shallow part of the water, I didn't think it was a good idea--best to go their by boat.
We got a beach house on Lanikai Beach for a week and I never wanted to leave. My Dad was raised just off the beach and I am still pissed that he ever left. There are turtles surfing in the waves, a beautiful breeze, and nothing like the chaos of Waikiki. This is the best spot on the island.
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My Absolutely Fave Beach on Oahu.
I used to go there late nights on the weekends and just laid out on the sand, watching the stars, drifting off to sleep.
I can't vouch for its safety, but the beach is right in front of a row of million dollar homes...and the neighborhood is always patrolled by cops.
It's beautiful during the day; gorgeous colors (ocean, sand) and a great view of the Mooks.
*heaven*
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I've been to many beaches, but this is probably the most beautiful beach I've ever been to...light-brown sand beach with warm turquoise blue water...
I remember when this used to be a fairly secluded beach, but now more and more people are showing up...well, I guess Yelping about it doesn't help either, huh?
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Great beach that's tucked away. No parking lot, no bathroom, and no shower. Don't worry though, you can find parking in the residential area and at Kailua Beach park which is a 5-10 minute walk away from Lanikai Beach. You can also find the bathroom and shower area at Kailua Beach park.
Wow... I am surprised so many people love this beach as da best. The sand... yeah the sand is annoying. It is beautiful no doubt and a great place for the keiki.
I just find the vibe here kinda snotty... not like the regular laid back windward vibe. Do you know how much houses at Lanikai go fer? LOTS AND LOTS! So it really has changed the demographic.
My fave beach on the island is Waimanalo beach... the entrance on the street right before the McDonalds on Kalanianaole. Everytime I go there I think what it must have been like before we ruined the islands. It still has that wild rustic feel to it. Soul.
Don't mean to be all negative...Everyone has their cup o' tea, but Lanikai is kinda more the "beautiful"people's beach. Even Kailua Beach park... and especially Kailua beach is a little more down to earth.
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I was finally able to return to Lanikai Beach this month...even more beautiful than I remembered.
Calm, serene, romantic...not even some raindrops and dark clouds could ruin it for me.
And now I have even more reason to love Lanikai. With a view of the Mokulua Islands behind us, my boyfriend (ahem..fiance) asked me to marry him....
(this sounds super cheesy, I know...but if you knew that he yelled "Ronnie Lott!" and tackled me before getting on one knee, you'd realize that it's not so cheesy afterall...)
I guarantee that if you come to Lanikai, you'll fall in love. If not with a significant other (or perhaps a stranger), you'll fall in love with the beach itself...-- but, again, Waikiki Beach is so poppin', so you can just go there! (I know...I am so greedy...)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/25/2008
Any dream I've had laying on a beach must've been of Lanikai...
No crowds, no amateur boogie boarders… Read more »
This is an incredibly scenic beach on the eastern coast (windward side) of Oahu. Houses line the beach, but are well recessed behind dunes and trees. I love looking out at the Mokes through the unreal-blue ocean. Great activities too, I saw sailing, canoeing, kayaking and paddle boarding. You can also swim out a little further to get to snorkeling. The water is perfect and the sand is powdery. Just the best spot to spend time.
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The most amazing beach I've had the pleasure of visiting!
Lanikai has a straight ribbon of white sand wide in the middle but disappears at both ends. The beach slopes gently to the water. The fringing reef creates gentle waves of clear water. Offshore there are 2 picturesque islands.
Onshore there are outrigger canoes and windsurfing equipment.
To access the beach which is in a residential area use the public access right of ways, not the posted private ones. No restrooms. No showers, No lifeguards.
A great swimming beach. A beach for romantics. A beach for photos!
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Fantastic Beach, World Renowned, but WATCH OUT FOR JELLYFISH!!!
Powder White Sand and views of the Mokulua Islands just offshore. But Jellyfish abound in this tropical paradise. Keep a small container of Adolph's Meat Tenderizer nearby. Last time I was there in November 2008, got a huge stinger wrapped all around my left arm causing huge stinging and throbbing welts for the rest of the afternoon. Stinging went away after about 2 hours but the welts stayed until the next day. Very painful. I can't imagine a small child with stings like this.
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My favorite beach on the island. I don't know how you can not love this beach.
It's usually always beautiful in Lanikai, at Kailua Beach the wind can be whipping sand at you, but over in Lanikai, it's perfect, I don't know why that is, but that's what happened to us a couple of times. So we don't even bother with Kailua Beach anymore.
The sand is soft and fine, sugary really, and sure it gets into all the places you don't want it to, but I will take that rather than dirty or rough sand any day.
Recently, Lanikai has been getting more crowded with tourists though, one down side. The other downside, no public restroom...I don't even want to imagine what those bathroom needing tourists do when nature calls...
much, much more user-friendly beach than most of what you find in oahu. the beach is long. we parked on one end and it took maybe 15-20 to walk to the other end. on the one end, you can walk inland about 2 blocks and find yourself some civilization which is nice. you can rent kayaks which would have been fun had we had the time and inclination (we had neither). looks like it would have been entertaining to get yourself out to the flat island off shore a little bit. and from the looks of the fairly out-of-shape tourists that had successfully made the trip, i'd venture to guess that the rowing out and back isn't too taxing.
also 2 blocks off is a market, some food, etc... you can rent snorkeling gear which is best used where we parked - the far end of the beach. overall, good stuff. the water is very friendly with no sudden pulls and yanks out to sea.
for your time and trouble, this might be the best beach on oahu. the water is calm, it's not waikiki so it's not wall-to-wall people, civilization and even rentals are there, the scenary is amazing, and it's not even that far from honolulu, so if you're staying there, it's only 30 minutes or so away.
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With sand like flour, how can you go wrong? Sure this is the windward side which can be annoying on a cooler day... er... wait... I mean it is really awful and cold and you should never ever go here. Did I mention it is horribly crowded and uh... there are drug dealers everywhere and other seedy characters who prey on tourists.
Oh and they eat children here too.
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I've frequented Oahu many many times as a kid and teenager and only visited the touristy spots around waikiki...I never knew until recently that this place even existed on oahu...been back here 5 times now as an adult and it's a must visit spot for me..have you been to Boracay in the PI? sand feeling like baby powder with blue and clear water? If you wanna spend a relaxing day under the rustic sun with your friends or just alone time with you and your lover, this is the hot spot. My Fav. Just please be mindful of the residents, animals, and plants that live in Lanikai. They're all very friendly.=)
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Really cool beach away from a lot of people. Sure, there's a little crowd there, but not as bad as other beaches. If you don't know you're way around here, it's kind of tricky to get to it. Well worth the drive though. I enjoyed a couple of Primos in sand when we went.
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Lanikai is the beach you see on a postcard someone sends you that says "Wish you were here!" The sand is so soft and fine (which yes, can be pain because it gets into every crevice of your purse and body) and nothing can beat digging your feet into it. The water is clear blue and warm. Though it can get breezy here at times, the waters will keep you warm.
During my last trip to Oahu, we couldn't go back to my boyfriend's parent's house in K-Town (Kaneohe, not Kailua) because we were surprising them, so we came to Lanikai right before sunset and it was totally breathtaking. We sat there enjoying our vacation and I could feel myself unwinding as every minute passed. The weather was perfect and I felt like I could sit there for days. (If you guys want to see a picture of Lanikai at sunset, there's a picture in my photos!)
There aren't too many people who come here which is a nice change from Waikiki Beach. Lanikai is for relaxing since there aren't waves whereas Waikiki is more for surfing and "having fun". It may seem like there are no showers, but OH! there are! You'll just have to find them for yourselves.
The best way to top off your trip to Lanikai Beach is by stopping by Lanikai Juice for an acai bowl. It'll completely refresh you! This beach is a must for us whenever we go to Hawaii!
I've visited Lanikai Beach several times, but the most memorable time was for the sunrise. Since it's so early, the beach is mostly deserted. There's really nothing more romantic than a private walk along the beach and watching the gorgeous sunrise -- guys, I'm throwing you hints. The view painted by the waters and sky will be in your memory for a long time.
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Ugh. What a cesspool. I wouldn't take my worst enemy here. It's really the worst beach on the planet. Perhaps the universe. Save yourself the Hepetitis C and avoid at ALL COSTS.
Especially December 28th through January 3rd when I'm in town. Those are the absolute WORST days to go to this horrible beach.
Icky-poo*.
(*This review is a lie. I just hate sharing.)
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