First off, Kailua beach is absoluting stunning! Just for being able to find this gem of a place, the experience was worth it. The sand is fine, the waters are blue and the surrounding area is gorgeous. We will definitely be back. Couple of tips. It's not a place for surfing or snorkeling. Best for hanging out at the beach and body boarding.
On to the review...
1. our guide princess. Maybe she was having an off day because she has really great reviews otherwise. But for this trip, our family of five, booked a private tour and princess was our guide. Kids, 14, 9 and 5. She was nice to meet and gentle with our kids. However, as we went on the trip, it seemed she was more interested in looking at her own phone than trying her best to make sure our family was having a good time. Both on the way to the island and on the island, she would tell us to go on ahead and meet us somewhere while she texted on her phone. We were really excited to be there on the trip and wanted to capture our excitement in our pictures but we became more and more hesitant to ask her to take pictures because we felt it was a bother to her.
2. The store - It was a well organized place. good space to store our gear and organize.
3. Kayak - Don't know much about these but they were seemed to be of good quality. But due to city regulations, we had to carry the kayaks to the beach. They don't allow companies to store their gear on the beach. It's a bit of a haul and a long way. They do make it as easy as possible for you. They have a trolley of sorts to take the kayak but still, it takes effort and for kids or smaller adults, this can be a difficult task. I'd say maybe 300-400 yards to the bridge. you do have to cross a street. Then you have to unload it from the trolley and set it in the river to the ocean. probably another 100 yards. It's doable but it's good to know about before going in. Our kayak was a quattro (fits 4), weighing a little less than 100#. The solo kayak was less than this.
4. They do provide lunch for tours. You can pick from 3 restaurants located in the same premise. The pizza place has good size meals. The Katsu place didn't allow you to pick from the main menu. They allowed you to choose from a smaller set of 5 dishes which were smaller than the meals they normally sell. The last one is the green store, which is on the way to the beach. Meh, for the most part.
5. You are allowed to rent gear as part of the tour package. We got boogie boards and used them for about an hour. This was a blast. A nice added bonus.
6. value for the price. We spent about $800 for the trip for the 5 of us. I felt the trip didn't justify the price personally. Especially with our guide experience. However, we are thrilled to have discovered Kailua beach. We will definitely be back for sure!