What a VIEW

Guest: sdiegorick (Vista, CA)
Date of Stay: 03/27/09 Review Submitted: 04/14/09

This place is great! The location is very convenient just south of "town" but not far from anything. The unit is very comfortable and well appointed. If you need a beach chair, it's there. Umbrella, not a problem. Snorkel and mask, yep. I could not believe the view. Every afternoon we watched sea turtles right below the window. In the morning we saw tropical fish swimming in the water from the living room window. This was my favorite trip to the Big Island. Highly recommended !!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Perfect Location

Guest: Joanie (Napa, Ca.)
Date of Stay: 01/08/12 Review Submitted: 01/17/12

The condo was everything the owner said it was - a great lanai, terrific view, close to everything we wanted to see and do, including snorkeling, dinner cruise pier, and a beach for bogeyboarding. Alii Drive is a great road for walking and jogging. There is a public beach access path next to the condo, so many locals are surfing all day right out in front. It makes for a great show. Our favorite nearby attraction is the Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm located just south of the airport near the national energy lab. We also liked driving Saddle Road over to Mauna Kea and Hilo. Plan on spending a day at the Kilauea Crater. It isn't often that you can hike on an active volcano! The owner was very helpful, and the place was clean and well maintained. We highly recommend this property.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

From Victoria BC

Guest: Leanne R. (Victoria, BC)
Date of Stay: 11/30/11 Review Submitted: 12/17/11

We had a wonderful time in this condo. The view was breath taking and the local surfers were just 200 feet away riding the great waves. The turtles came right up onto the rocks and could be seen coming up for a breath. The sunsets were fabulous with vibrant bright colors every night. Don was fantastic to work with as the toaster was broken and the frying pan worn out and he had them replaced within a couple of hours. There is no pullout couch but the 2 single beds and the queen beds were very comfortable. We enjoyed the snorkeling at kealakekua bay (Place of Refuge). Thanks so much Don!

Owner response:Thank you for staying with us so glad you enjoyed your stay!! Our mission is your comfort. A brand new sectional sofa is being delivered mid January 2012 along with new chairs for the dinette set.It will have a pullout queen bed so the queen air mattress is going into retirement. I think our challenge with cookware is the Big Island does not have natural gas so an electric stove is the only choice. I know it took me awhile to learn to cook on an electric stove so a few pans get sacrificed along the way, Aloha !

Recommended for:

Awesomeness!!!

Guest: Stone (USA)
Date of Stay: 05/23/11 Review Submitted: 06/08/11

We had a wonderful stay at Banyan Tree! The location is great; right on the ocean. We watched surfers daily out our window or just on the lanai. The only thing that I would complain about is that, since there is no air conditioning, we had the windows open and would hear the people below talking at early hours (6am and sometimes all night). There is a public park right next door to the condo and that is where the surfers congregate. Other than that, we had a blast and the condo is very nice.

Owner response:I just stayed nine days at the unit and was woke up one morning by the surfers. They are generally very quiet but their friends get excited when they ride a big wave. ( Banyan Tree Beach) is owned by the Kona Bali Kai Condos is not a public beach but can be used by the public. The Kona Bali Kai security guard is there to ask people to leave after 9PM. During the nine days I stayed ( May 29th-June 7th)nobody stayed at the beach past 8PM.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Million Dollar View

Guest: Tim (Helena, MT)
Date of Stay: 01/22/11 Review Submitted: 02/02/11

My nine year old daughter cried as we walked down the hall on our way out. As others have said, the place is as advertised. Everything was clean and worked well. Lots of extras like coolers, boogie boards, swimming noodles, towels and blankets. Many of the places I have stayed at on the islands smell musty and well used as you walk through the door. Not this place. It looks clean, smells clean and "feels" clean. I spent a lot of time searching for a place to stay in Kona from hotels, condos and VRBO's from Captain Cooke to Hawi. This seemed like the best deal available for our crew of six as I was looking. It did not disappoint. We went during whale season and saw a lot of spouting but also got to see two full breaches right out the front window. Watching the surfers also became one of our favorite activities. In fact we just missed what looked like a competition being held. The bottom line is I can't think of a better place to rest up, clean up, eat, drink, watch a sunset and recuperate from the day’s activities (Caught and released a 550 lb Marlin) on the Big Island, especially for the price. Communication with owner was good. The kids are already thinking of ways to get back to Hawaii and your property.

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

Great place to stay

Guest: UpStater (Upstate New York)
Date of Stay: 12/27/10 Review Submitted: 01/10/11

This was an awesome condo, right on the ocean. The unit was very clean and Don was very easy and nice to deal with. The pool and hot tub were very well taken care of, and most of the time we had it all to ourselves. The views from the Lani were breathtaking and it was fun to watch the surfers every day. I would reccomend this property to my friends, and if we ever visit the Big Island again, I wouldn't hesitate in staying here again. It was pretty much centered to all the activities on the island. Thanks Don for a great stay.

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

Water, water, everywhere!

Guest: Linda (New York City)
Date of Stay: 08/22/10 Review Submitted: 08/31/10

Loved it! The pictures are exactly what it looks like. My husband, son and daughter-in-law stayed here for a week. We were particularly lucky that we stayed at this location with all the air, water and sky, because my husband hurt his back and ended up spending much of the vacation lying on the deck. Don was extremely acommodating and the location was excellent. We live in New York and truthfully if we lived closer, I would hesitate to rave for fear of giving up such a find! We enjoyed Bongo Ben's restaurant in town and my son loved Jack's diving company in town. Paradiso was the taxi company we used,the one time we needed one. They seemed more reasonable. Dana, the caretaker was very helpful as was the woman across the street at the very convenient grocery store. We would definitely come back again.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, age 55+.

The best location and view

Guest: Rebecca (Joseph Utah)
Date of Stay: 06/26/09 Review Submitted: 08/06/10

My husband and I and two teenagers recently had the most spectacular stay at the Banyan Tree. When you first enter the door and turn to walk down the hall, the view of the ocean is breathtaking. Almost every morning we watched dolphins spinning out the window while we sat on the couch. From the Lanai we watched turtles in the tide pool. If you love hearing waves, feeling the cool ocean breeze, observing turtles and dolphins you will love staying in this unit. To top it off, Don was more that accomodating making sure our visit went wonderful. We extended our stay and will be back!!!

Recommended for:

Banyon Tree March 13 - March 21

Guest: SAFA (Sun Valley, Idaho)
Date of Stay: 03/13/10 Review Submitted: 03/26/10

A perfect location and size for my two grandkids ages 5 & 7, two parents and two grandparents. The condo was clean, well maintained, well stocked with all necessary kitchen necessities, towels, sheets and comfortable beds. Quiet, save the sounds of surf. A small grocery right across the street. The views from within and the deck can't be matched, any closer to the water and you would be wet. The surfers put in directly below the unit and paddle out 100-200 yards to catch the waves. Three beaches lie within walking distance of the condo. The farthest south (about two miles) has world class snorkelling 30 yards off the beach. (excellent for the two grandkids) No recommendations on restaurants as we only went to coffee shops. Costco is the at the second stop lite after leaving the airport, prices are reasonable and definitely buy gas there as it was .50 - .60 /gallon cheaper than other gas stations. There are all the other box stores closer to town, so getting supplies is easy. Wednesday - Saturday the Farmers Market is open about 1 mile North of the condo on Alii Drive. Great fresh fruit and vegetables. We visited the volcano, mountains, Hilo, circumnavigated the island, visited many beaches for snorkerlling, boogie boarding (boards and snorkelling equipment are at the condo) took some hikes, ran every morning, and generally had a great time. This is a five star recommend at a reasonable price. We would stay again tomorrow.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Dream vacation in Kailua-Kona

Guest: dieuwke (Ozarks - Pierce City, Missouri)
Date of Stay: 12/28/09 Review Submitted: 02/01/10

I had been to Kona only once before. When I applied for this Condo, and saw the pictures, I could not belief how good it looked. The pictures are real!. When we walked into the place we could not believe our eyes of the beautiful surroundings just outside your window, and the waves crashing on the rocks, Spent a lot of time on the lanai watching the surfers early in the morning before sunrise. Sunsets are beautful. While there two cruise ships passed in front of the condo when they left Kona. Will keep it on my list to visit again.

Recommended for:People with disabilities, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.