It's difficult to decide on what aspect to begin with... This was absolutely my best vacation ever and I went on it solo! I wanted to get away and relax, the North Shore of Oahu is the most relaxing place in the world and Friends of Malaekahana Campground is the most relaxing place on the North Shore.

The beach and location of Malaekahana Bay are beautiful. It's great for swimming, surfing, fishing, windsurfing, kayaking, or just sitting around. It's also perfect for watching the sunrise or enjoying the stars over the Pacific at night. The town the campground is in, Kahuku, is a close to all the sightseeing around the North Shore so I didn't have to drive far for any activities off the grounds of Malaekahana.

Of course "Friends of Malaekahana" is a campground, it's not a "resort". I would strongly suggest bringing bug spray. There are supermarkets close by if you forget. I rented a "Lil' Grass Shack". All of the Lil' Grass Shacks face the beach and are roughly 10 feet from the sand. They make a perfect place to sleep and unwind. They all have a lock, but I didn't feel the need to lock my door that often. I forgot a few times and didn't have any issues with theft. If you like the sounds of the ocean you'll enjoy being so close to it. You can't escape the sound of the surf from any location in the campground.

The staff was courteous, polite, helpful, and informative. They made me feel welcome and part the great environment. They welcomed my help & enjoyed teaching me about different aspects of the Hawaiian culture & Hawaiian values. It was a learning experience I couldn't have encountered anywhere else and benefitted from every minute of it. All of the other volunteers & campers also added to my enjoyment. Everyone was so nice! It was a real "family" atmosphere even though there were different people from all over the world and all walks of life. I met some really great people and was able to enjoy my vacation more because of them.

Please keep the country country and visit Friends of Malaekahana, soak it all in and you'll realize what's so special about that place and the people there.

Camping in Oahu is hard if you don't know the parks and the permit process. We didn't and planned this to be the last of the parks we stayed... Big mistake, we should have set this one first! We would have stayed here the 2 weeks no problem, staff is friendly and want you to feel that this is the spot to be. We came from Alaska 10/18/10, and this place is beautiful!! Stayed for 2 days camping at this campsite, it was our last camping spot for the 2 week camping trip. Next time we will come straight here! Beaches are beautiful, very friendly staff that took care of a miscommunication immediately. Very safe, has gated parking and power to hook up electronics. Felt very connected with nature in such a beautiful place. There were no bugs, I think the chickens ate them all! a plus! For the ones who want camping in Hawaii it is challenging to get all the reservations and permits with the county/city, this park is private so it is open every day and couldn't ask for better. Sleeping just a few steps from the ocean is the most relaxing thing! Remember is not a luxury hotel, is mostly for camping and they have shacks and yurts with real beds too! Because it is AT the beach there is always sand and your occasional bug. They keep walkways, beach, common areas clean.

I spent a totally wonderful stay at the Friends of Malaekahana Campground just south of Kahuku Hawaii (and north of Laie), between 15 to 20 November 2010. Chris, the simply lovely gal at the front desk of this fine, privately-run campground, was very helpful - she placed me in campsite 1G during my week-long stay there (the best tent-camping section of the campground). I went there to do an unusual thing - I am a radio hobbyist and went back to Oahu, Hawaii after 19 years absence (I lived near Hilo, HI in the 1980s) to do a AM-broadcast-band listening/recording expedition - to observe global, night-time reception of AM radio-stations all across the Pacific Rim. A bit unsure of how good the campground would initially be, I went on trust - and found much to my delight it was a way-cool week there! I really appreciated that after 7 p.m., they closed the entry gate and the campground would fall into a lovely, peaceful state each night, with the sounds of the surf in the background. I loved the sounds of all the hilarious wild chickens and roosters crowing each morning, and my many walks down the gorgeous, narrow beach many times along Malaekahana Bay, toward Laie, were wonderful. When the weekend came, the campground filled-up with really nice people - locals and visitors from all over the world. The uplifting sounds of lots of keikis laughing and having a great time lulled me to sleep. A few beautiful, supposedly "feral" cats visited me frequently - since I am a cat lover, one of them let me pet him for a long while while I sat at my picnic table reading. It was a perfectly safe campground and very ecclectic, with the yurts, beach houses, lil grass shacks, etc. I loved the showers, though the hot water was a bit intermittent - no problem though, after a surge of warm water, it was still warm enough to take many pleasant showers in really soft water. I highly recommend this campground and hope to return next time I stay on Oahu - ignore the few negative reports you might hear/see - it is a FINE place - you can walk 20 minutes up the Kam. highway to Kahuku to buy groceries if you don't have a car. Mahalo Nui Loa, Friends! - Steve M.

I totally recommend this campground as a great option for those who want to travel to Oahu and see "real" Hawaii (ie. get out of Waikiki).

We went on blind faith that the internet was truthful in saying this was a safe place to camp - brought our 3 year old with us and arrived with all our camping grear on our backs with no "back-up plan". We were completely satisfied that what you see in pictures on the internet is truly what you get. We were in a tent space - I'd recommend requesting site 1E, 1H, 2D, 1A or 1B if you want some feelings of solitude or beach views.

The beach is gorgeous - nice clean sand with some waves, but not enough to make swimming dangerous. Beautiful sunrises in the morning over the ocean. Quiet and family-oriented. All campgrounds are really close to the beach - but not all are on the beach (I had had this in my mind, but it's not the case)

Flush toilets were cleaned daily, showers worked and were warm. It was a great experience to shower under the stars and blowing coconut palms at night.

Tent sites were level, clean and pretty. Neighbours were not noisy, fires are allowed and you can call for firewood delivery. We felt safe leaving our clothing etc. in our tent when we were gone for the day.

My only "gripes" would be the early gate closing (had to be back by 7 if you wanted your car nearby to your campsite), and the roosters that started at about 3:30am every morning. A slight creepy problem with insane amounts of wild cats - but you only see them at night in your headlights....this being said there wasn't a single rat around! Our daughter loved the chickens and their babys that were a permanent fixture at our site.

Wifi was nice to have - office staff seemed fine - didn't really have interactions with them.

Recommend it as an awesome way to see the North Shore (which I also recommend). Awesome snorkling, watching surfing and beautiful uncrowded beaches.