Review: Oahu’s Turtle Bay Resort

Listening to the pounding surf and waves crashing sounds like a cliché or like a sound machine designed to make you sleep, but at Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu, Hawaii’s fabled North Shore, it’s just a Tuesday night.

With rolling waves designed for surfing, the resort is situated on a picturesque bay with a secluded calm beach and two pools – one with a deep end for adults and another with waterfall and slide for the kids.

We spent three nights at Turtle Bay in January and it was the perfect escape. Because Turtle Bay was our first stop, I didn’t know at the time of the hustle and bustle I was escaping in Waikiki. But after experiencing both, I’d pick Turtle Bay every time.

The resort, scheduled for a large scale renovation and expansion this year, has good sized rooms with large closets and an area with a mini fridge, perfect for traveling with kids.

But we really didn’t spend much time in the room. After a sumptuous breakfast overlooking the ocean, we spent all of our time either at the beach or the pool. Although one afternoon we did take a walk to see the horse stables and another stretch of beach that had another stunning view.

We tried our hand on the tennis courts, which were in nice shape and home to many lessons for guests. We didn’t get a chance but the resort also rents bicycles and snorkel equipment, of which we saw a lot of in the swimming beach. We also saw ukulele lessons in the lobby, and the resort provided a daily list of activities and excursions.

Each Sunday night, the poolside beach area is home to the fire sword show, with entertainers in native garb performing fiery feats for the audience.

Just down the street, we took a tour of Kahuku Farms and had a meal at one of the many shrimp trucks. Just a bit further is the Polynesian Cultural Center, a top tourist spot on Oahu.

It may be out of the way from the tall towers in Waikiki but that’s how we like it – a place to retreat and relax and have a true vacation.

Disclosure: My husband and our family received accommodations as part of his business travel. This review was not part of the stay and the opinions are my own.