SUNSET BEACH, HAWAII – The Keiki Beach Bungalows on Oahu’s North
Shore are perfect enough beach cottages that they’ve hosted the
filming of several television commercials, an episode of “Baywatch
Hawaii” and, now, a major movie, “The Big Bounce,” which opened
last month.
But despite the bungalows’ history of captivating Hollywood
location scouts, this huddle of beach cottages is no luxurious
tropical outpost. No, it’s a modest collection of 1930s-era cabins
that originally were built by the military – the owners moved them
to their beachfront property, wholly built, on flatbed trucks in
1953.
Set back from the Kamehameha Highway, the main drag on the North
Shore, Keiki Beach Bungalows blend in almost imperceptibly with the
few other vacation rentals lining the road, most of which are
advertised with a homemade sign hung out on the mailbox or privacy
wall.
All the beaches on this part of Oahu are beautiful, but the Keiki
Beach Bungalows front is an especially prime span of sand. The
small beach is protected on both sides – at one end is a large
outcropping of rocks; the other end juts to a small point. Around
the point, about a 15-minute walk away, is Sunset Beach, a
world-famous surf break that draws thousands of surfers and
spectators during the winter season’s surfing contests.
But here on Keiki (pronounced “kay-kee”) Beach, it’s a crowded
day when more than a handful of people are out.
On a recent January afternoon, 6- to 8-foot waves curled into
perfect tunnels before crashing onto the beach. A toddler played in
the sand while his mother sat on a nearby towel.
In the ocean, two professional body boarders sped through the water
tubes as a photographer leaned in with his waterproof camera to
capture the shot.
“This beach is famous for body boarding,” says general manager
Greg Gerstenberger. “All the major body boarding magazines have
pictures from here every year. You can just open up any one of
them, and there’s always pictures of this place.”
The shore break’s celebrity standing has helped bookings. Two of
the bungalows are currently rented by groups of professional body
boarders from Australia and South Africa who are staying in Hawaii
for the high-surf winter months.
While the pro wave riders heighten the laid-back vibe here, the
place always has an unassuming ease that makes a stay feel more
like visiting old friends than booking a beachfront hotel.
A big part of that is the price, which tops out at $199 a night for
a two-bedroom beachfront cottage. It doesn’t get much cheaper to
sleep beachfront in Hawaii.
As the price might suggest, the cottages are simple
sleeping-and-eating quarters (they offer no high-tech gadgets or
concierge service), but there’s a prevailing – and priceless –
spirit of Aloha.
“It’s not for everybody,” says Gerstenberger. “Some people want
a resort atmosphere with all the fluff, and they want to be catered
to. But this place fills a different void.”
Neighbors here bond and make friends, he says. “You can fire up
the barbecue, fill up your cooler and invite the folks staying next
door over to watch the sunset with you.”
Even when Morgan Freeman and Owen Wilson were here filming “The
Big Bounce” last winter, the actors were friendly with guests
occupying the cottages – Owen Wilson signed a coconut for one of
them.
It was quite a perk, considering Gerstenberger didn’t charge the
guests for their stay because he felt badly about the commotion the
film created.
The film crew erected a sign changing the name to Keiki Vista, then
redecorated a couple of the bungalows to perfect the scenery. They
added thatched roofs, lava-rock fireplaces, coconut wood mantles,
weave-textured wallpaper and many retro-kitschy touches such as
1950s appliances and funky bedspreads. Gerstenberger kept some of
the stuff, but not the thatched roofs – a headache to keep in
compliance with fire codes – or the ancient appliances.
So the bungalows are back to their low-key selves. And the guest
roster is back to everyday people who come to lie in a hammock with
a beer and take in the scenery. There are always body boarders to
watch, or humpback whales breaching or spouting offshore (whales
are so common here during the winter it’s not hard to spot one from
the porch).
No one would ever suspect a place so down-to-earth could be a movie
set – it seems too simple here. Says Gerstenberger, “If there’s a
laid-back place on Oahu, man, this is it.”
Alyson Borgerding is a freelance writer who lives in Kaiula,
Hawaii.
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If you go
Getting there: From Honolulu airport, Keiki Beach Bungalows are
about an hour’s drive away on the North Shore. It’s a good idea to
rent a car, because you will want to explore the island. Take the
H-1 highway west to H-2 north. Continue on the freeway after it
ends and becomes Hawaii 99. About 6 miles later, the road becomes
Hawaii 83 (also called the Kamehameha Highway). Continue on this
road through the town of Haleiwa, past Waimea Bay Beach on the left
and past a Foodland grocery on your right. Keiki Beach Bungalows
are about 100 yards ahead on the left, at 59-679 Keiki Road, in the
town of Sunset Beach.
What to do: Manager Greg Gerstenberger says he likes to tell guests
to “do a lot of nothing.” Guests often lounge the day away on the
beach, the shady patio or in one of the hammocks strung between
palm trees. Bikes, body boards and snorkel equipment are free for
guests. In the nearby town of Haleiwa, guests can rent personal
watercraft and kayaks, go on a whale-watching boat tour in season
and take surfing lessons.
Rates: Guests can choose one of nine units. The nightly rate for a
two-bedroom, beachfront cottage (the most expensive one) is $199 in
regular season. The least-expensive unit is a streetside studio
cottage, which costs $85 a night in regular season. The bungalows
have kitchens, so guests can cook their own meals. Foodland is the
nearest supermarket, and roadside stands offer fresh produce.
More information: Call 866-638-8829 or visit the bunaglow website,
www.keikibeach.com.
