Vacation Rentals by Owner

No ka oi Beyond wonderful!

Guest: Kent (Eugene,Oregon)
Date of Stay: 11/15/10 Review Submitted: 12/19/10

First close your eyes, now, picture hawai'i, only better. Got it? Good, now you can understand what it is like to stay in this awesome condo. Turtles? check! Perfect lagoon? check! Secure and carefree location? Double check! Do yourself a solid, and stay in this condo for a once in a lifetime experience that will have you checking yourself to see if you are truly worthy. Try the Seaside fish house across the street, for ono,ono, and the pahoa farmers market for everything else you may need in life. Outstanding views, furnishings, kitchen, and location make this condo the no ka oi place to be!

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

I Wanna' Go Back, But it's no "Grass Shack"

Guest: Papa Bear (Tullahoma, TN)
Date of Stay: 08/28/10 Review Submitted: 09/16/10

My wife and I just returned from 11 days in Julia's condo. Words cannot tell how pleased we were with the place--the appointments, furnishings, location, view were all tremendous. Carlsmith Park is a lovely place where we met Moku, the turtle, on our first morning and where we saw him and his relatives almost daily.. We especially enjoyed seeing the park fill with families--older people coming in the morning for a swim, mothers with young children during the day, and entire multi-generational groups in the evening--- coming to enjoy each other's company and the water. On Labor Day Weekend the park was full but therre was no loud music, no rachous behavior, and no trash--on Tuesday the park was as neat as could be. . Most days we were out and about by 8:30. We hiked on three days in Volcanoes N.P., walked into Pololu Valley, visited MacKenzie and Isaac Hale Parks, hiked at the Obeservatory where we saw the rare Silversword plant and the rare Nene goose, climbed Pu'u Huluhulu, and did much else. Each day we enjoyed returning to our "home" in Hilo. We ate fruit we had never seen, saw flowers we did not know existed, met only friendly and helpful people, and consumed more food than we should. We shopped at the fabulous farmers markets in HIlo and at Maku'u. We ate at The Seaside (twice), at Pescatore, Hilo Bay Cafe, Cafe Pesto, Ken's, Ponds, and a number of charming small restaurants in downtown Hilo.. One day we drove over to Kaulua-Kona and knew immediately that we liked Hilo better.. Thank you, Julia, for making available such a wonderful place which allowed us to enjoy such a wonderful and memorable tripl.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Charlene

Guest: Char (Edmonton, Canada)
Date of Stay: 08/04/10 Review Submitted: 08/22/10

The pictures and description of this condo don't do justice for this WONDERFUL condo. We were so impressed and LOVED our stay in your condo. We loved falling asleep to the sound of waves. It really is next to the ocean. Our girls got to swim with the turtles. Even though there was no airconditioning in the condo, it stayed cool and was perfect. The cross breezes were wonderful. The unit was quiet, except for a rooster that would crow in the mornings. We learned not to keep food out on the counter as we had a gecko eating the leftover apple in the morning. We had so many of our friends not to stay in Hilo but they were all wrong. Hilo is a perfect place. It's quiet and you get the true sense of a relaxed Hawaiin life. It never rained on us, although there was rain in the area. The condo is about 40 mins from Volcano National Park. We would definitely stay here again. Thanks for allowing us to stay here. It made our stay in Hilo perfect and a great start to our vacation.

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

Beautiful Relaxing Condo in Hilo Hawaii

Guest: Leeann (Las Vegas NV.)
Date of Stay: 06/18/10 Review Submitted: 07/04/10

Great place to stay when Visiting the Big Island away from the Hotels. This condo is rated very high for just the relaxing and beautiful scenery along with the wonderful surrounding of Aloha! Great resturants near by and places to shop. Fun to tour and exploring the history of the Big island especially the town of Hilo. Need to check out the small fleamarket every Wednesdays and Saturday in down town Hilo with great items and fruits to buy. The Papayas are great too! The beach near by was awsome and the sea turtles were very friendly to swim with. My family and myself would like to send our Mahalo to Julia for the great hospitality. Aloha from the Maikai Family / Las Vegas NV.

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

I will NEVER stay in a hotel AGAIN : )

Guest: DesertRat (Nevada)
Date of Stay: 06/06/10 Review Submitted: 06/21/10

Amazing property, great location, very clean, all the amenities you could ever want or need. I was on business and came home and relaxed on the lanai, swam with the turtles in the ocean below. Fell asleep to the sound of the waves and frogs in the evening and work up to the beautiful sunshine and singing birds. Julie and Lisa are gems.

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

Maunaloa Shores

Guest: ManaK (Aiea, Hawaii)
Date of Stay: 05/14/10 Review Submitted: 05/18/10

What a deal, the price was better than staying at a hotel! What a steal...2 bedroom unit, beautiful ceiling fans kept the unit cool. Perfect setting! This unit has all the comforts of home and more. Very nicely decorated. I especially loved the furniture in the master bedroom. Clean and well kept. Beautiful ocean view from the penthouse! Assigned parking, next door to a beautiful beach with a safe swimming/picnic area! The pool was good for a quick dip. Located a couple of minutes to Hilo Town, away from traffic! A restaurant across the street (dinner only) I will definitely rent this unit the next time I go to Hilo! The owner responded quickly to our emails and very pleasant over the phone. Mahalo............

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

What a wonderful condo experience!

Guest: Greg and Lu (Vancouver Washington State)
Date of Stay: 05/05/10 Review Submitted: 05/11/10

Although I want to be selfish and not tell anyone about this BEST KEPT SECRET condo in Hilo (to save it for myself!), I won't be selfish! Our experience was wonderful! The best way to discribe it is this; When we walked in my husband and I both said at the same time, "Ahhhhhhhhhhh, this is NICE!" "It is beautiful, spacious, and clean". Then we walked out to the lanai and gasped at the breath-taking view! I would stay here again and again! This condo no ka oi! (the best!) :o)

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Loved Hilo!!

Guest: Hona Lover (Newark, DE)
Date of Stay: 04/11/10 Review Submitted: 04/18/10

We loved the condo! It was a fantastic location just minutes from the heart of Hilo and we would definitely rent it again. Julia was a pleasure to work with, always responding to my emails and calls in a timely fashion. Nice restaurants close by including the Seaside Restaurant and Cafe Pesto. The Hilo Farmer's Market was amazing! We picked up lots of good souvenirs there including honey, passion fruit butter, and macadamia nuts, of course! We also enjoyed a day at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the Volcano Winery as well as a day traveling to Kailua-Kona where we visited the Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm and the Kona Coffee Living History Farm.

Recommended for:Age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

What You See Is Truly What You Get!

Guest: Hawaiians at Heart (Minnesota)
Date of Stay: 02/19/10 Review Submitted: 04/24/10

This was our first time renting through VRBO and I cannot imagine doing it any other way. What a great experience. We felt special from the moment we walked through the door and our hats off to Julia for decorating with such a warm and inviting feel. We loved watching the spouting whales from our lanai as we sipped Mai Tais and then leaving the bedroom window open at night so we could hear the waves coming ashore. The location of the condo made it easey to spend a day at Volcano National Park; a day snorkeling off old lava flows; the Farmers Market was so much fun we had to walk through it a couple times to be sure we hadn't missed something. Everyone is so friendly we felt like locals. There is no doubt we will be back! Thank you Julia, for being so easy to work with .... we truly appreciate it.

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

Fabulous Oceanfront Penthouse Unit

Guest: Sue N (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 02/05/10 Review Submitted: 04/18/10

We had the best time ever at Julia's condo in Hilo. The accommodations and location cannot be beat. It was first class all the way. It is fully equipped with everything you could possibly need, right down to snorkel gear and beach mats. It is close the the airport, restaurants, every convenience is just a few miles away. The beach is just outside your doorstep and the turtles are as friendly as your pet at home. We saw whales, rainbows, sea turtles, steaming spouts at the volcano, visited antique stores, 2 farmers markets, waterfalls, it's all right there. It was the best Hawaiian vacation ever. I would highly recommend staying here, you can't beat the price anywhere. Sue N, Seattle

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

Great Condo!

Guest: Philip, Shelly, Jill (Alberta, Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/01/10 Review Submitted: 04/20/10

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this condo. We loved the sea turtles that are literally in your back yard. (This was the highlight of our entire trip). Our daughter had them eating out of her hand and following her around like a puppy. The rooms are beautifully furnished and comfortable. The views are incredible. We watched the whales spouting from our bedroom window each morning. The Seaside Restaurant just across the road was excellent and Ken's Pancake House down the road was also good and reasonably priced. Hilo is a very nice relaxed place to visit, with a good farmers market too. (We lucked out and didn't have rain!) We definitely will be back.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

View from deck was spectacular !!!

Guest: whitefish (Whitefish, MT )
Date of Stay: 01/15/10 Review Submitted: 04/27/10

We stayed in Julies Penthouse in Jan. for 9 days and loved the view best of all the deck was were I spent lots of time just watching the ocean!! Everything was clean and we were very comfortable. The complex was quite and the pool was nice. At first glance the complex seemed older than what I wanted but seeing her Penthouse inside all was forgotten. She has it fixed up very nice. Great Location and easy to find and close to lots of things to see. Great beaches close by and Hilo down town area. I would stay there agian, and would recommend this place to a friend or relative in a moment.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Heavenly!

Guest: RaineD (Oakland, CA)
Date of Stay: 01/03/10 Review Submitted: 04/30/10

We stayed at Julia's condo for 4 nights in January 2010. It was as incredible as it looks in the photos. We saw whales every day from the balcony, swam with turtles in the ocean below, ate fabulous seafood at the zagat rated restaurant across the street, and generally enjoyed the quiet and comfort of the condo. We'll be back if the opportunity arises, and would recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone who has the chance to visit.

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

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/25/08 Review Submitted: 07/24/08

Condo unit was very comfortable. Furnishings are beautiful. Appreciated the security to the building as well as to the unit. Would definitely stay here again.

Recommended for:

Guest: Mary Beth and Nick1 (Green Valley, AZ)
Date of Stay: 05/16/08 Review Submitted: 05/16/08

Wonderful location, convenient to downtown Hilo as well as the Volcano Park. Condo is very quiet with wonderful ocean views. Rooms are large and well equipped. We would stay here again.

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