Break Free from the Dominant Paradigm, at Least for a Week!

• Soooooooo AWESOME!

  Soooooooo AWESOME!

  • Guest Lynda
  • Date of stay 03/06/13
  • Review Submitted 03/13/13
  Girls getaway!!! My three friends and I stayed in Jim and Leah's studio cabin for 3 nights and we loved, loved, loved our stay. It was raining hard when we arrived and Jim immediately greeted us with umbrellas and offered to unload our luggage. Their studio was clean, the beds were comfortable, and the location is located in a quiet neighborhood. Everything you need for cooking a meal at home is there. Our favorite part is the outdoor shower!! To quote Jim, "You have to have Aloha (kindness) to see Aloha." We felt Jim and Leah's aloha during our entire stay. We would stay here again! Lynda (from Seattle) p.s.: Be sure to schedule your stay through a Saturday so you can visit Hawi's farmers market and to eat Jim & Leah's yummy food at the Sol Kitchen. We ordered Leah's kombucha, their chicken salad and roasted pepper sandwich! Yum..yum...and good for you! So ono!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

  Owner response: Mahalo Lynda, Every once in a while we have guests who actually slow down enough on their vacation to truly see what a paradise we have here. We are glad that you were among that group of people. It's truly not the physical beauty of the place (although that is a nice plus) that make it a paradise, it's the aloha. When I said to you that "one must have aloha to see aloha" I was not using the word in one of its many narrow forms. I was using it in its broadest form: Aloha, love, affection, compassion, mercy, sympathy, kindness, sentiment, grace, charity; greeting, salutation, regards; loved one; beloved, loving, kind, compassionate, charitable, lovable; to love, be fond of; to show kindness, mercy, pity, charity, affection; to venerate; to remember with affection. MAHALO FOR SEEING! THIS IS THE PARADISE WE HOPE ALL OUR GUESTS CAN SEE!

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• A Taste of the Real Hawaii

  A Taste of the Real Hawaii

  • Guest anhume
  • Date of stay 05/17/13
  • Review Submitted 05/30/13
  Staying in Jim and Leah's cottage is a wonderful way experience the non touristy part of Hawaii. From the macadamia trees to the chickens, to the exquisite array of plants and flowers, you begin to realize what the Big Island is all about. They are excellent guides to the many beaches and hikes in the vicinity. Go to the northern tip and hike down to a lovely black sand beach and try to observe the manta rays feeding at nights under lights. These were the kinds of experiences I had never had the opportunity to do before. I hated to leave.

  Recommended for: Pet owners, adventure seekers, families with young children, sightseeing, age 55+.

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• delightful retreat !

  delightful retreat !

  • Guest Carl
  • Date of stay 01/14/13
  • Review Submitted 03/26/13
  this was such a homey quiet beautiful place to stay with lots of help from the owners - everything you need in a lovely garden setting !

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, people with disabilities, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Thanks for the memories

  Thanks for the memories

  • Guest suz
  • Date of stay 03/26/12
  • Review Submitted 03/26/13
  great hospitality, wonderful room, beautiful place and loving hosts!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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• LOVE AT FIRST SITE

  LOVE AT FIRST SITE

  • Guest sherita
  • Date of stay 01/07/13
  • Review Submitted 03/26/13
  My very first visit to Hawaii began at this amazing hidden treasure of Romantic abode, covered with lush jungle and the most exotic,outdoor, three headed shower adorned with cascading orchids. We would go on outings like dolphin swimming , Wipio Valley everyday and happily recharge at our "home" for the next adventure. Lovely little town down the road with plenty of local action . I even got to do a hula dance class....amazing!!! Everything close by like food for cooking at home. The family was family to us for duration of our stay, very loving!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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• Happy California guest

  Happy California guest

  • Guest David from the Bay Area
  • Date of stay 01/02/13
  • Review Submitted 03/26/13
  Thanks Jim and Leah for a wonderful stay! I lived in Hawaii for many years and so have a strong sense of what to expect on a 2 week vacation there. The setting is lush and well cared for, the place itself is roomy, clean and cheerful. What I feel best about is the care that you both gave us - you really know how to be sensitive to the needs of a guest whether that be suggestions, attention to any details of our stay or sometimes just giving us space. You both expressed a gentle sensitivity that for us was a part of the true spirit of Aloha we came home to the islands to experience again. Looking forward to our next stay with you and happy for the lucky people who will be with you next! Blessings to you and your family.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, people with disabilities, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+.

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• Shower in the Rain and Dark with Mosquitoe Sucking Your Blood

  Shower in the Rain and Dark with Mosquitoe Sucking Your Blood

  • Guest A Sad Lodger
  • Date of stay 03/01/13
  • Review Submitted 03/23/13
  The outdoor shower is the biggest problem. You may have to shower in the dark while it is raining and mosquitoes are buzzing around. During our stay of three nights and I have gotten 36 bloody bites during showering (I wore Insect-shield treated long sleeve shirt and pants). The property is monitored under motion-activated surveillance cameras. The previous renter complained about it but it does not bother us as much. They also mention the rusty can opener which we dislike but no one was there to help. Here is the setting of the two houses: you park your car in front of the door of the main house and walk on the lawn to your studio which is converted from a garage and does not have enough light inside--the window on the two garage door are small and other windows are blocked by plants. Lighting from recessed ceiling fixtures is harsh, fluorescent cool-white, not enough for task like cooking or reading. Lights on the night stands are too low to give adequate illumination to read in bed. The full size bed without headboard will slide away from the wall if you prop up a pillow against wall and lean back. The signal of WiFi is low and works intermittently inside the studio. We have geckos crawling in the room and sometimes made chirping noise day or night but it did not bother us. It may help the potential renter to know the paperwork needed. The agreement in five full pages specifies 19 items including items such as Notice to Owner of Repairs Needed, Double Booking and Attorney Fees. We signed it and sent out with a check for rent plus cleaning fee and another check of security deposit. Upon arrival we signed another one-full-page-long-Check-In list of 29 and in the last paragraph it stated “We are here to answer any question you have and to make recommendations to maximize your stay in Hawaii. Please don’t hesitate to ask for directions, help or support of any kind! We pride ourselves in being of service.” Sounds good but in the fact is no one there to help us during our stay. We were given another half-page list of Check-Out Procedures with deposit check. Be prepared to check out in time or $100.00 fine per hour will be imposed!

  Owner response: Again, we offer you our most sincere apology for your discomfort. We also want to apologize and acknowledge that we were not here to help you with your concerns. It is very rare that we are not here and available to support our guests. We are also sorry that you declined our offer to for a free stay on your next visit, as we would have enjoyed meeting you and sharing aloha. Yes, we do use a standard Rental Agreement form as part of our business and we do have a guest check-in sheet. These forms along with the VRBO description are in place to create clarity around the agreement. For example, the last two lines of our property description state: “Most of North Kohala is very jungle like and therefore includes all animals and critters found in such locations. If geckos, pigs, spiders, mosquitoes, wild turkeys and roosters trouble you, then North Kohala is not for you.” We have learned that being upfront, even with what some might call negative information, often prevents future discomfort. We suspect much of your inconvenience was due to what our friends told us upon returning from our family vacation. They said it had rained almost the entire time we were gone. This might explain your experience of “not enough light inside” and it most certainly would have an impact on the North Kohala mosquito population. Concerning the type of bulbs, we have already made some changes. Thank you. Yes, the Internet connection can be intermittent in stormy or windy weather. Yes, the salty air here does cause rust in as little time as one week; we now have a new stainless steel can opener. Yes, Hawaii does have geckos and they do occasionally chirp. The outdoor shower is usually cited as one of the best aspects of our rental. Guests love the 3 heads, which easily prevent any mosquitoes from landing on you. Yes, you do need to walk out to the shower so if you want a night time shower you may want a candle or small flashlight to set nearby. THERE ARE NO “motion-activated surveillance cameras” or cameras of any kind, located in, aimed at, or even near this studio. We do our best to honor and respect our guest’s privacy. The check-in sheet you mentioned even states: “Closing the gate is your way of telling us that you are using the outdoor shower and that you would like privacy.” Finally, we are genuinely sorry your stay was disappointing and we wish we had been here to be of support and service. Ho’oponopono, Jim and Leah

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• Jim and Leah studio

  Jim and Leah studio

  • Guest Anonymous
  • Date of stay 03/10/13
  • Review Submitted 03/22/13
  We want to thank Jim and Leah for their hospitality. We spent wonderful vacation staying in their studio. The place was very peaceful and relaxing, clean and comfortable. Thanks to Jim and Leah it has very good energy. Next time we are on Big Island we will certainly stay with Jim and Leah again. Sergey and Svetlana

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+.

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• Beautiful location and wonderful hosts

  Beautiful location and wonderful hosts

  • Guest Mark D.
  • Date of stay 07/12/12
  • Review Submitted 09/07/12
  I stayed here in mid July this last summer and was so very blessed by the location, amenities and graciousness of the hosts, Jim and Leah. They are located almost a mile away from the center of Hawi HAWAII, and the guest house/bungalow can comfortably sleep up to 4 guests. It is a spacious area with a nice reading library, wide screen TV, and an outside shower. The shower has orchids growing all around it and at the time of my stay, there was one single orchid that stuck through just into the shower area under the 3 shower heads. The kitchen is stocked with a nice array of implements and appliances. You have enough chopping blocks, knives, pots, pans etc to create some very nice meals. There would seem to be an endless amount of things you could do there: Hiking at Pololu Valley, snorkeling at Beach #69 or Mahukona, walking the beach to visit the sea turtles at Kiholu Bay, or just spending time at the farmer's market on a saturday in the town of Hawi. Jim and Leah are wonderful hosts. They were able to show me all of the places mentioned above, which are all freely accessible to the public. They are passionate about their property, and keep it up wonderfully. When I was there, you could smell cilantro growing in their organic garden. The meals we shared were wondrous: pumpkin lasagna, bbq'd ono with white pineapple salsa.... All served with love. This was my first trip back to Hawaii since I was a kid, but I cannot wait to go back. I'm currently planning to go next summer and stay with Jim and Leah again.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers, people with disabilities, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• The Spirit Of Aloha At Its Finest!

  The Spirit Of Aloha At Its Finest!

  • Guest Phil D.
  • Date of stay 08/20/12
  • Review Submitted 09/02/12
  Jim and Leah are perfect hosts! Their wonderful family have and share the "Aloha Spirit" in so many ways. They were very helpful in providing tips and suggestions on what to see and where to see it--as wildlife enthusiasts, we were thrilled to see a pod of spinner dolphins frollicing right at the place that Jim directed us to! The beaches they directed us to quickly became our favorite also. The house was portrayed very accurately and is clean and cozy. The Lands are honest and hardworking people as evidenced by their going the extra mile to ensure we had a great vacation.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing, age 55+.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

Additional Fees and Taxes:

All rates subject to Hawaii GE/TAT Tax plus $100 cleaning fee.