5 Bedroom Ocean View Home!

• WONDERFUL family vacation!!

  WONDERFUL family vacation!!

  • Guest Arun and Nicole
  • Date of stay 03/29/12
  • Review Submitted 04/15/12
  This was our first stay at Hale Kephart and definitely won't be our last. We are a family of six with 4 children (age 16 down to 2). Just about any amenity you can think of is provided. In addition to all the usual stuff, there is a vast collection of books and DVDs for those days when the kids (and us!) needed some relaxation time. The house is not in Kona so if you're looking for proximity to all the shops and restaurants, this may not be for you. However, for us this was a plus. The house's location is perfect for going to the beach (Hapuna Beach), travel to the north coast, and travel to the Waimea and Hamakua areas. The neighborhood is quiet, safe, and absolutely perfect for families traveling with kids. At the end of a long day of activities, it's hard to beat just sitting on the lanai watching the spectacular sunsets! The Kepharts are fabulous hosts. Without divulging any personal details, I would just like to say with their background and ours, meeting them was a perfect fit. Our long-term plan is to eventually move to the Big Island and Don was very helpful in providing information about construction on the Big Island. Last but certainly not least, I have to mention the moringa trees: These are trees next to the garage that my mother (from India) recognized as bearing vegetables perfect for making a stew called sambar. We were able to find most of the ingredients and made some from scratch! Delicious. Overall, staying at Hale Kephart was a very enjoyable experience and I would strongly recommend this place.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• GREAT place for a family vacation!!

  GREAT place for a family vacation!!

  • Guest Herb
  • Date of stay 07/24/11
  • Review Submitted 08/08/11
  We just returned from a family vacation with our daughter, 2 grand-daughters (and all their spouses) and FOUR great-grandchildren (with another one on the way), a total of 12 people. I cannot conceive of a more nearly perfect place for our group. It is just off the highway, but we could be in a world all our own for all the contacr we had with anyone besides the Kepharts. The kids even had a room all their own. Not that they were lacking for anything to do, but the Kepharts supplied a plethora of new toys and games to keep them occupied. The chest full of hardwood blocks was the hit of the week! There is a full wraparound lanai that the kids truly loved - it was pretty great for the adults too - I don't think we missed a night watching the spectacular sunsets, brilliant clear sky, and even shooting stars too numerous to count. The kids loved to do "nature walks" around the house picking up leaves, flowers, sticks, rocks and all kinds of treasures. The Kepharts supplied everything we could need of want, except of course for groceries (and they even gave us a welcome basket to get us started). Don and Kerrill are great hosts, and their house is a marvel. This is the first time we have tried renting a vacation house. We are long-time RCI members and have always used condos fo rour vacation stays. It just became too difficult to try to arrange 2 or more 2 BR condos on consecutive weeks in Hawaii, so we started looking into home rental. What a happy situation when we found Hale Kephart after looking at literally hundreds of options! I highly, highly reccommend Hale Kepart for your family or group gathering! Do not miss driving to the north end of the road to the Polulu Valley overlook. (one of Don's reccommendations.) It is beautiful from the overlook, but if you are able to make the moderately strenuous hike down (AND back up) to the black sand beach, you will be rewarded with truly spectacular views and a nearly deserted black sand beach. The black sand here is very fine (not like the coarse sand that was at Kalapana Black Sand beach before it was covered with a thick layer of lava). It is a moderately difficult hike uphill on the return, but my grand-daughter made it carrying a 4 month old baby!! This is a GREAT value and a BEAUTIFUL home in a spectacular location!! HIGHLY reccommended!!

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

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

• A great two weeks

  A great two weeks

  • Guest Don
  • Date of stay 06/26/11
  • Review Submitted 07/20/11
  Our family of ten enjoyed a fabulous two week stay in early July 2011. There was plenty of room for everybody, the games, DVDs, books were a real plus and enjoyed by all. Owner provided snorkeling equipment and other water sports equipment, beach chairs, towels, etc. The highlight was dining every day, all meals, save one (the trade winds were strong one day), on the lanai where we enjoyed the ocean breezes, the view, watched the sun set, the moon rise, and the stars come out. Great beaches are only minutes away. Highly recommend this home away from home!

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

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

• Family gathering

  Family gathering

  • Guest Grandma's gathering
  • Date of stay 01/13/11
  • Review Submitted 01/30/11
  This large house was perfect for our family gathering of 20 for 4 days. Very spacious. The kitchen and large lanaii made meals for our large group very doable. There were enough futons, couches and pads in additions to the 5 bedrooms, no one slept on the floor or outside. House is very well stocked for home or beach entertainment and is only minutes away from 3 of the best beaches on the island. I would return here for a group as small as 6 for this is a peacefull area especially so during whale watching season.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

• A wonderful way to end a year and begin another

  A wonderful way to end a year and begin another

  • Guest An Oregonian
  • Date of stay 12/20/10
  • Review Submitted 01/18/11
  We stayed at Hale Kephart for Christmas 2010 and New Years 2011. It was a wonderful experience for all of us. The Kepharts were extremely kind and hospitable (in fact, they even had a Christmas tree set up for us upon our very late arrival, much to the excitement of my young boys!) Even though they live in the house right behind the rental, they were never intrusive and always helpful with suggestions and responsive to our requests or questions. The house is also very kid-friendly. I was pleasantly surprised to find outlets and cabinets baby-proofed. There are also LOTS of toys, games, and books that kept our three sons and friends' twins happily occupied. The wraparound lanai provided lots of entertainment in terms of races around the house, and the garden with its flowers, coconuts, and limes (not to mention the very cute geckos) provided lots of entertainment. The location was also great -- 5 minutes from Spencer Beach (a very kid-friendly beach), and about 15 from Mauna Kea, Beach 69, and Hapuna. During our snorkeling adventures, we spotted puffer fish, turtles, an octopus, urchins and much more. Anuenue Shave Ice (open all year minus Ironman day) and Kohala Burger and Taco are also close by (about 5 minutes) and extremely tasty. We frequented the fish house Hale I'a (which is just across the street from the shave ice place) and gorged ourselves on fresh ahi, mahi mahi, ono, etc. We used the grill at the house, the limes from the yard, and fresh young ginger from the nearby farmers market for marinade and ate the rest as sashimi. In fact, I'm getting very nostalgic just be writing this review.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

• A Unique Gem on the Kohala Coast

  A Unique Gem on the Kohala Coast

  • Guest The Saudi Smiths
  • Date of stay 05/16/10
  • Review Submitted 08/25/10
  We live overseas and normally visit the Big Island of Hawaii a few times each year. We initially found this wonderful property in the Spring of 2007 and have stayed at this unique home several times. The owners are very thoughtful and have furnished it with virtually everything that anyone in the family (regardless of their age) might want or need to have a fantastic vacation. The five bedrooms, three full bathrooms, large open plan, full wrap-around lanai, several furnishings and hammock provide everyone with room to relax. Many varieties of plumeria and coconut trees as well as hibiscus are on the property. A commanding view of the Pacific Ocean provides breathtaking views of sunsets that occasionally result in a "green flash" immediately afterwards. During the night, you will be amazed by thousands of stars twinkling in the sky and have your wish ready to make upon seeing a shooting star, which we have personally seen. This house is truly one-of-a-kind, as there are no other properties like it and the price is very affordable, especially with all of the provisions to cook your own meals and spend excellent quality time with your family and friends. The property is very close to the world's famous Hapuna Beach and centrally located to many of the Big Island's attractions. It is also situated at an ideal elevation, which provides cool (and sometimes strong) breezes to flow through the house. In addition to being an individual family retreat (with or without grandparents), the house can accommodate larger groups as well for special occasions such as graduation events. Carpe Vacationum (Seize the Vacation) at the Hale Kephart and experience the vacation of a lifetime - Aloha!

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 7/7

• Home away from home on the Big Island

  Home away from home on the Big Island

  • Guest Juda
  • Date of stay 07/31/10
  • Review Submitted 08/20/10
  Aloha! This was our third stay at Hale Kephart and certainly not our last. We absolutely love the location of the house away from the crowds, but still close enough to our favorite beaches; and oh, what an amazing view! Things get pretty quiet early in the evening, but it’s awesome for star gazing, cocktails on the lanai, and family time. The house is great for a large family or a few couples. It is stocked with almost everything you can imagine; cooking appliances, washer & dryer, beach towels, boogie boards, coolers, books, movies and games. The Kephart's keep the property well maintained and they are very helpful if you need suggestions for activities. It’s also nice to know that they are your neighbors (literally) in case you need assistance. We can’t imagine staying anywhere else on the Big Island. Suggestions: Stop at the house before shopping and take inventory so that you don't buy duplicates. The pantry is loaded with spices, sauces and other odds and ends for your use. Have a menu plan ready for your stay then head to Costco. With a Costco membership you can get all of your food and gas at a reasonable price. Also, there is a Walmart in Kona for things that you don’t need to buy in bulk. Have a cup of Kona coffee on the lanai while enjoying the view and planning your day. There’s plenty of things to do on the Big Island. Go shopping in Kona, take a boat tour to snorkel at Captain Cook Monument, go to a luau, visit Akaka Falls and go beach hopping. Spencer Beach (one of our favorites) is only a 5 to 10 minute drive from the house. It’s great for little ones because the water is usually very calm. Hapuna Beach, often voted one of the ten most beautiful beaches, is 10 to 15 minutes from the house. Mauna Kea Beach is also very beautiful and not far from the house, but you need to get there early (around 9:00 AM) to get a public parking spot. On your way to Hilo’s Farmer’s Market or to Volcanoes National Park (a must see) don’t forget to stop at Tex’s for malasadas; they are too die for! Mahalo Don & Kerrill for providing us with a home away from home in Hawaii. With much aloha, Juda, Sean and family.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/5

• Ideal setting for a family reunion

  Ideal setting for a family reunion

  • Guest Rochelle
  • Date of stay 07/24/10
  • Review Submitted 08/02/10
  This location was perfect for our extended family of 15. The house is spacious with a huge kitchen suitable for multiple cooks to work simultaneously. The supplies are well organized and easy to find. The owners lilve in the adjacent house and are on hand to help and even to provide any item that you may have forgotten. Some of the special features of this house are: A 100 gallon hot water heater so everyone can shower Beautiful view and large lanai An extra refrigerator on the lanai Some snorkeling equipment and boogie boards Kitchen filled with supplies and staples Washer and dryer The house is surrounded by a beautiful garden filled with unusual plants. In all, this house met our needs and exceeded all our expectations. Thank you, Don and Kerrill.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/3

• Great spot!

  Great spot!

  • Guest Maura O.
  • Date of stay 03/10/00
  • Review Submitted 03/09/10
  We stayed there way back in 1997! We were 2 families, 4 adults/4 children, and it was wonderful. Plenty of room to get away for some reading or a nap on the wrap-around deck, lots of books and movies, and also space to all be together and play a game. It was nice to find it still available. We'd love to stay there again.

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

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Bring a bathing suit and shorts

  Bring a bathing suit and shorts

  • Guest Jill from Ohio
  • Date of stay 01/23/10
  • Review Submitted 02/09/10
  We just came home from two weeks in this wonderful home. The owners have a home directly behind the rental and are quickly available if you have questions or need them. With beaches nearby, and the many activities the Big Island has to offer, you can find something to interest everyone, whether it's soaking up the sun, or walking across the caldera at Volcano National Parke. We had two gourmet cooks who lacked nothing for fabulous meals, and a couple of miles away, the best shave ice on the whole island. For Mauna Pua and Spam Musubi fans, you can get your fix right next door to the shave ice place. Super fresh fish and poke from the fish house across the street, and there's a small farmer's market nearby for all the flowers and papayas you could desire. Don't miss out on the experience of a lifetime, and don't forget the evenings on the lanai, looking at the stars and listening to the mooing of the mother humpbacks and their calves. In fact, the parade of whales is so riveting, it's difficult to leave this wonderful home at all!

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

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

Normal rate is $240per night or $1600 per week, with off-season rates
of $200/night or $1250/week (Sept, Oct, Nov, May).  Please add $5 per night
for each guest beyond 8 in number.  Additional state VAT and bed tax
of 13.5%.  Three-night minimum stay.  Cleaning deposit of $200 is
fully refundable on departure if house is in good shape. We ask 25% of
the rental fee at the time of your booking to hold the reservation,
with the balance due one month before arrival.  Booking deposits will
only be refunded if we can re-rent your time slot.

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