Snorkeling, Sun, and Rejuvenation - Kapoho Kaiyo Ocean Retreat

• Great place to relax and location to explore the east side of the Big Island

  Great place to relax and location to explore the east side of the Big Island

  • Guest Ike
  • Date of stay 04/26/13
  • Review Submitted 05/08/13
  For me going to HI means an opportunity to enjoy fresh fish, great fruit, and a relaxing place to enjoy these. I also look forward to exploring the area and finding unique places to eat, hike, and enjoy the sea. I found Kapoho Kayio to be a great place to relax and from which to explore. Nearby in Pahoa I found a place to buy fresh fish located next to the grocery store. I enjoyed grilling the fish on the patio for dinner. One evening I was delighted when the clouds lifted and from the patio I could see the observatories on top of Mauna Kea. This view inspired me to rent a 4x4 vehicle from Harpers in Hilo and drive up to the summit for sunset. There are extensive farmer's markets in Hilo (Saturday and Wednesday) and near Pahoa on Sunday. These are easy to reach from Kapoho Kayio which has a blender and ice maker so I could have fruit smoothies for breakfast. The tide pools are a 10 minute walk from the house. These pools are located in the volcanic rock and many are large and deep enough to snorkel. The house has a toy box (really a closet) that contains snorkel gear as well as a selection of reef shoes for walking on the volcanic rock surrounding the tide pools. I walked around the tide pools in the morning and evening when the wind was calm. The water was so clear and pools contained so many different fish that I felt like I was viewing a natural aquarium. From this location it is a short drive to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. I wanted to see molten lava entering the sea. This is possible with a 14 mile round trip hike in the Park. But this hike was more than I wanted to undertake. So I went on a guided hike from Kalapana which is only a few miles from the house. The company I used is Kalapana Culture Tours. Our hike was about 5 miles round trip. Our guide found a safe place for us to view molten lava from about 30 feet and we had a great view lava flowing into the sea close enough for great images. While I liked preparing my own meals in the well equipped kitchen and on the grill, I did regret not spending more time sampling the dining in options in nearby Pahoa. There is a wide variety of options ranging from ethnic to gourmet, most featuring local fruit and fish. Oh well, I just have to stay longer next time. I would chose Kapoha Kayio again as a place to relax and enjoy the delights of the area.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, families with young children.

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• Group of friends looking to relax

  Group of friends looking to relax

  • Guest Jen
  • Date of stay 03/26/13
  • Review Submitted 04/02/13
  This was a great house for a group of friends to spend some time together. We had 8 of us that just wanted to relax and spend time in the tidal pools. The layout of the house was perfect with the great kitchen, eating areas and the deck with the grill. The house is in great striking distance to HILO and to see the Volcano. I would recommend this to friends and consider coming back again!!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

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• Great location for Hilo side

  Great location for Hilo side

  • Guest Elizabeth
  • Date of stay 01/01/13
  • Review Submitted 01/12/13
  Our family of seven spent 4 days here and had a great time. The property was clean, well-kept and in a nice neighborhood. The kitchen was well-stocked, the patio was a nice area for grilling/eating, and the living area was very comfortable. The beds were comfortable, and the bathrooms were clean and large enough to accommodate our group well. The futon and extra mattress weren't very comfortable, but our boys adapted quickly. The property is well out of Hilo, and fairly remote. That was a good thing for us! We loved the quiet setting, far away from most tourists. The tide pools offered some of the best snorkeling we've ever done, and we loved viewing the lava flows and hanging out at the black sand beach. Kona is 2 1/2 hours away, but we did spend one day there, and thought the drive was beautiful and worth the excursion. If you have a clear day, take the road along the shore in the morning, and the saddle road back at night, stopping to view the sunset and stars from Mauna Kea. We loved our stay here, and would definitely come back!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children.

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• Great house, great location

  Great house, great location

  • Guest Patrick
  • Date of stay 12/23/12
  • Review Submitted 01/04/13
  Seven of my family spent christmas at the house this year, and had a great time. We found lots of space for all of us, and lots to keep us busy for 4 days. The snorkeling is great, really different, and really close by. The house had lots of gear in case you don't bring your own, and is well set up in the kitchen too. All together no complaints at all - wonderful place and well worth the visit.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children.

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• Perfect location to explore the eastern side of the Big Island

  Perfect location to explore the eastern side of the Big Island

  • Guest Edamame
  • Date of stay 11/29/12
  • Review Submitted 12/16/12
  The Kapoho Kaiyo Ocean Retreat was just as described. We enjoyed the deck, the lanai, and having morning coffee on the terrace. With the location central to the eastern half of the Island we explored the tide pools just two blocks away with snorkel and fins. Do go about three miles further down HWY 137 and try the thermal hot spring mixed with tide water at Ahalanui Park. For super clear water also try the Champagne Pond, The kitchen here is very well suited to gourmet cooking, although we usually choose to sample the food in Hilo, Pahoa and Volcano - because, well, it was my vacation too.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, people with disabilities, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway.

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• A month in Hawaii

  A month in Hawaii

  • Guest Anner
  • Date of stay 07/10/12
  • Review Submitted 11/17/12
  We rented Kapaho Kaiyo Ocean Retreat for a month this past summer. The house is clean and in a quiet and safe neighborhood. We enjoyed being able to walk to the Kapoho tide pools for some wonderful snorkeling in warm waters. Champagne pond was a long walk but we did it several times with three kids. Snorkeling at Champagne pond is not nearly as interesting as Kapoho! We did everything...the volcano (twice), stargazing at Mauna Kea, boogie boarding at beautiful Honoli'i Beach Park, swimming with the turtles at Richardson State Park, shopping in Hilo (cheapest place on the islands). We took an overnight trip to Kona and enjoyed our time there too. We even made it to the "ecstatic dancing" at nearby Kehena beach (it took us three attempts to find the path down). Overall, we would definitely stay at Kapoho Kaiyo again. Our only issue was that the internet was spotty at times which made getting work done occasionally challenging. Overall the internet connection was acceptable. The neighbors were friendly and treated us like locals! A fantastic trip with many great memories!

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

  Owner response: Internet: I called Aloha Broadband and double checked about the internet service to Kapoho Kaiyo (which only became available recently - we were on the edge of "connectivity"). They report that service has been generally uninterrupted except for a couple instances of system mainenance. If there ever is a problem, the guest can contact Aloha Broadband.

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• Relax a lot and work a little

  Relax a lot and work a little

  • Guest Steve and Diane
  • Date of stay 08/11/12
  • Review Submitted 08/28/12
  The house is awesome and a great place to relax a lot and work a little. It also made a great jumping off point to explore from. The volcano fields and black sand beaches were beautifully interesting as were the tide pools. The heated pool [ETA: Ahalanui Park tide pool] was a welcome additionand the proximity to Volcano and Hilo was fantastic. Thank you all for the accoutrements, which made our time perfect.

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• Short Walk to the Tide Pools

  Short Walk to the Tide Pools

  • Guest Andrea and Jimmy
  • Date of stay 06/03/12
  • Review Submitted 08/28/12
  We had a great time at this beautiful home. The house is beautifully deocrated and so spacious. Thanks for providing the "Big Island Revealed" book - we forgot ours at home in California but we were happy there was one here. We enjoyed waking up to all the island birds. The tide pools were awesome and a short walk from the house. Thanks for letting us use this wonderful house.

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• Return visit to Kapoho Kaiyo

  Return visit to Kapoho Kaiyo

  • Guest Anonymous
  • Date of stay 04/11/12
  • Review Submitted 06/03/12
  Recently returned from another great visit to Kapoho Kaiyo, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Living in Alaska, it's always great to escape to a warm, tropical getaway, and the Big Island is one of my favorite destinations. Always enjoy the 'slow pace' of life on the Hilo side of the island, and especially the Puna district. Have stayed at Kapoho Kaiyo on previous trips and always have a relaxiing, re-invigorating experience. The weathers great; lots of lush, tropical vegetation; warm, safe tidepools for swimming/snorkeling; minimal traffic; and easy drive to the volcano. The house and grounds continues to be maintained in excellent condition. Very clean, well equipped property and lots of great tropical colors throughout the house. Having a friendly resident manager living just down the street, provides a wealth of local knowledge for exploring the region. Pahoa is still a great daytrip. Lots of small eateries. Looking forward to another visit next spring.

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, families with young children, girls getaway.

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• Snorkeler's paradise and a great base for the rest of the island

  Snorkeler's paradise and a great base for the rest of the island

  • Guest Chris
  • Date of stay 09/01/11
  • Review Submitted 05/24/12
  Spotlessly clean house, well equipped kitchen, lovely laid back locale. Never ran out of hot water or ice! Sunny Kapoho lived up to its name, with rain only at night. Our daily snorkels varied from very good to outstanding, and my husband loved being able to get out of the water and amble back to the house, leaving us girls to snorkel as long as we wanted. Friendly, conscientious manager, and the lady who cleans the house also volunteers at the Waiopae Tide Pools. Everybody makes you feel like this is your vacation home. Make your shopping list in advance and hit Costco in Kona, then the Foodland and the farmer's market in Kea'au --ahi poke, POG mai tais, something for the very nice grill, a salad, fruit for breakfast and you'll be set.. Only thing that could be improved on is the lanais --the week we were there was sunny and hot, and it would have been nice to have roll down shades or an extra umbrella or two to shade the main windows, particularly since the neighboring lot had just been cleared. If you like to snorkel, or just want to see the Big Island from a far less touristy locale this is for you!

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway.

  Owner response: There are 3 lanais to choose from, a sun deck, a covered deck, and a screened-in dining deck. At least one lanai is always in the shade. A new larger umbrella and a roll-down shade have been added since this guest visited. The backyard's mysterious jungle was cleared by new neighbors. In addition to the tropical plantings that already existed, a new 'zen' garden has been planted across the whole backyard, including a row of plants along the lot line which will grow up quickly, creating a screen, and once again provide a visual backdrop of greenery as well as privacy from the neighbors.

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3-nite minimum stay: Mar 16-June 14 & Oct 1-Dec 9 .. $100/night, double occupancy/
Jun 15-Sep 30 .. $115/nite, dbl ocpy // Dec 10-Mar 15 ..$125/nite,dbl/ocpy
Add'l persons:$10/night; Children under 1 year of age - no charge
Cleaning fee $80; 13.41% Hawaii tax; plus refundable damage deposit. 
Ask manager for discount if stay is 13 nights or more.
Kama'aina?: call for specials    [HI Tax ID #  W48435491-01]
Cancellation policy: more than 45 days, full refund - $75 process fee;
        45 days or less, monies refunded only if home is rebooked.

Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.