Makaha Beach Cabanas

Best place I ever lived so happy of our decision on living here such a clean, organize unit. the sound of the ocean & wing able to see it daily is amazing. Turtles, Dolphins, whales, fishes best sunset and the cleanest beach. hiking spot just right there at the Lahi Lahi point. What can I say but I love this place I call home

We love this beach, it has great waves, awesome snorkeling and is never crowded. Our family stays out here when they come to visit for extended stays. There is a mix of vacationers and locals every time we come out to the beach. The best time of day here is always right before the sun goes down.

We just came home from a 4 nights stay at Makaha Beach Cabana. We stayed at the second floor, so everything and anything that goes on around the beach and surrounding neighbors, we can hear and smell as if they were inside our unit. Here are the rundown of the pros and cons of Makaha Beach Cabana —
Cons–
1. The crashing wave is not soothing day or night. The waves are very rough around this area.
2. The beach is not private. Meaning the locals can camp out on the beach any day and night of the week. We had some locals camping out on the beach about 30ft from our unit and they were talking through out the night and smoking pot. They also had a dog that barked constantly throughout the night.
3. No air conditioning. It gets hot on West side of Oahu and there was no AC in the building and the tradewind does not help because it is no fun having hot wind blowing on you when it’s already hot hot hot.
4. Walls are thin. You can hear your neighbor’s conversation and TV. Bring ear plugs if you decide to stay here.
5. Tiny bugs through out the unit. We’re not sure if it’s ants, but they had antennas on their head.
6. Young college kids partying into the night on the beach cursing, boozing and smoking. Not a great place with young children.
7. The sand is burning hot during the day. OMG, do not wear your flip flops or your feet will burn.
8. If you are into shopping, Waikiki nightlife and children’t activities, then Waianae is not the area for you. Very run down and rural. Garbage on the streets, run down homes and barely any good restaurants.
Pros–
1. Hawaii sunset from your balcony.
2. W/​D in the building.
3. Building is well maintained even though it’s secured in chain linked fence.
4. Gated parking lot.
lf you are planning to stay in Wainane, I suggest that you take a drive out to the area first, test out the open beaches and look for any restaurants that might interest you. Don’t want you ended up driving back to North Shore, Waikiki area to eat, shop and have fun.

I’m so glad that I took a risk to book at this location on
! It was perfect in so many ways! Only a few people were on the beach on a given day, a grocery store is right down the street, and you can BBQ your food by the grills, all without paying the high fees that stereotype Honolulu.
Sunsets on the balcony are superb. We even saw whales, dolphins, and sea turtles. In fact, if you snorkel in the water as much as me, you will likely see plenty of sea turtles and fish.
The apartment came furnished, with wi-​fi, TV, and a full kitchen (with amenities). The only reason why I cannot give this place 5 stars is that when we stayed, the waves crashed so hard that they made it hard to sleep. The windows facing the ocean did not seal out the sound. No, it wasn’t a peaceful sound– more like continuous tsunami’s rolling in (the area is enclosed and it amplifies the sound). All in all, the one downfall was worth overlooking for a great experience.

We actually did not stay here. We booked through VRBO, but when we arrived my wife was not comfortable with the chain linked fence enclosure and the homeless encampments near the entrance.

First off, these are not cabanas in any sense of the word. This is a condo building several stories tall. The unit we stayed in was arranged through Air Bnb and was a great deal and experience. This review is purely of the building and surrounding facility.
The best aspects of this place is the it’s proximity to an excellent beach. It is located on the beach, you literally walk out of the building into the sand (and there’s a convenient foot bath as you come back in from the beach to wash the sand away). There is a secured parking lot with an attendant watching the lot. The building manager is very helpful and has a library of books to take onto the beach if you so desire.
The beach is relatively empty on the week days. Weekends there were more people but not so many that it was inconvenient.
The best part of everything is the snorkeling right outside your condo. The reef and fish, sea turtles and eels in the area are beautiful. There’s also a wicked tide in sunset hours with fun waves for boogie boarding. This is a great, budget destination away from tourist locations. You are with the locals on this side of the island and it’s fun!

The Makaha Cabanas were perfect for our family of three. Although the surrounding area is run down the beach directly in front of the condo was stunningly beautiful. Our condo was updated and the amenities were unbelievable. I have never stayed in a condo that came with so much stuff. As other reviews have stated this condo is perfect for those who are wishing to just relax on the beach and only venture out occasionally. Driving anywhere from here is a pain and you’ll spend a lot of time in traffic. There are no restaurants of quality nearby which was fine with us. A couple of premade pizza from Costco and my boys are happy. We came in december knowing that the sea would be rough but we are all strong swimmers and had no problem with this beach. Having said that, this is not a place for little kids or those unfamiliar with the ocean specially during the winter months. The waves will pound you into the shore and I’m still trying to get the water and sand out of my ears
My suggestions for things to do if you’re staying on the Westside is Yokohama Bay Beach, Makaha Beach, The Ko’olina Lagoons, Kahe Point Beach Park (great snorkeling), and hiking Kaena Point