Perfect vacation

Guest: suzanne b (Houston, Texas)
Date of Stay: 10/15/09 Review Submitted: 10/29/09

Jeff and Judi were the perfect hosts to our vacation. Anything we needed was there for us...the kitchen was well stocked and i only needed to buy food(Plastic wrap, napkins, paper towels,all kinds of spices and snacks, soups, etc...) not to mention all laundry supplies and more. The pictures of the home speak for themselves, it is a beautiful setting and and right next to a beautiful park. And when we did need anything they were there in a jiffy and so gracious. Cannot say enough! Thanks to both of you.

Owner response:Thank you for the great review. I always try to clean and stock the home in a manner that I would like to find it if I were renting a home. Who wants to go out and buy toilet paper and laundry soap on your vacation!! Being the owner/manager/ housekeeper of our rental home, allows me to really keep an eye on things and make sure my guests are comfortable, and happy with the fact that they chose our home for their vacation. Thanks again for staying with us...Judi and Jeff

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 house and location.

Guest: Richard W. (Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA)
Date of Stay: 01/23/12 Review Submitted: 02/08/12

When looking for a house we read the description of this house and all the reviews. This seemed like the house for us and it was. The reviews describing the property and amenities are on target so I won't repeat them. I thought I might add a comments that could be helpful. 1. This house is located about 15 minutes to Pohoa. There is a good selection of restaurants in Pohoa and if you wish to eat out you will find something you like. That said, we ate all breakfasts and dinners in (with most lunches out). The view from the house was just to spectacular to allow us to leave for dinner. You will find everything you need to make meals in this house. There was a bread maker, rice maker and many other appliances. Doesn't mean you have to use them but illustrates how complete the kitchen is. 2. Do not miss the Pohoa Farmers markets on Sunday. There is a market in Pohoa and another just past Pohoa on the way to Hilo (hwy 130 about 3 miles outside of Pohoa). Both are worthwhile. The market outside of Pohoa is a real party. There are many food booths, music, crafts and a very good selection of fruit and vegetables. 3. Very good walks from the house. Walk out the front door, turn left, follow the road and you will be walking under a canopy of trees along the ocean. We took that walk as many mornings as we could. A great start to the day. 4. Convenient location. We thought this house was in a great location. A few miles to all the sights along red road. About an hour to the volcano national park (we went two times). Close enough to Hilo to shop and enjoy the town. It is hard to see from the pictures, but you have complete privacy but there houses across the street. You are not in a desolate area. The owners are a few blocks away. 5. The house has an elevator. That may make you think everything is so spread out that you will be running up stairs or on an elevator all the time. The elevator was convenient to load and unload our luggage on the first and last day. We didn't need it during our stay. The bedrooms are on the third floor and the kitchen/living room is on the second floor. We spent most of our time on those two floors. 6. The top floor is the roof. It has chairs and offers an excellent area to get some sun during the day. We used it to watch the stars at night. The views were outstanding from all floors, but amazing for star gazing at night. We really enjoyed our 9 night sta.y at this house.

Recommended for:

Perfection

Guest: Matt & Terry (Brookfield, WI)
Date of Stay: 01/04/12 Review Submitted: 01/24/12

Mahalo nui loa to Jeff and Judi for an excellent stay at their lovely house. The description and pictures do not do it justice. The house is well appointed - you will not need anything!! Looking forward to visiting again!!

Owner response:Thanks for enjoying my home. I do try to provide everything that's needed for a great vacation, and it is always a nice compliment to hear that my guests feel that I did. Please come again sometime. Mahalo Judi

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, people with disabilities, sightseeing, adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Christmas Holiday 2011

Guest: keegan p.
Date of Stay: 12/17/11 Review Submitted: 01/05/12

As a home away from home for the holidays, this place was just the trick for a mini-family reunion. 6 adults and one toddler were able to comfortably fit into the house. The main living room and roof deck area served as fantastic places to just hang out and enjoy the view, which cannot be overstated as "awesome". Be prepared to spend several hours each day just staring at the sea. The entire house was well equipped and there is little more you need to provide yourself with other than food and drink. All appliances and kitchen gear were in good condition if not basically new. Laundry facilities were excellent. Garage is stocked with a grill, coolers, snorkel sets, beach chairs, and umbrellas (embrace the rain folks, its Pahoa). As far as things to do, the Big Island is well.....big. There is a ton of natural beauty everywhere and this house is about centrally located to most of it; Tide pools and hot ponds near Kapoho, Lava field access down Rte 132, surfing at Spencer State Park, shopping and the "city" in Hilo, Volcano national park about 1 hr away. Biggest suggestion is to do your reading before you come and then don't be afraid to go explore. A 4x4 Jeep can really help get you to some of the more hidden gems. Jeff and Judy were great hosts and it was a pleasure to stay at this house. If you are looking for a unique vacation rental this place should be considered.

Owner response:Thanks for choosing our home, and I'm glad you guys enjoyed the home and your vacation. I love when families get a chance to all come together and spend Christmas together. Hope to see you again, Judi

Recommended for:

Breathtaking!!!

Guest: Floyd B. (sun Prairie, WI, U.S.A.)
Date of Stay: 10/25/11 Review Submitted: 11/14/11

Aloha!! In the past ten years we have rented condos many times on most of the Hawaiian Islands, but none compare to this site. The 180 degree view of the ocean is breathtaking to say the least. We enjoyed viewing the "honu" (turtles) swimming in the ocean below. The house littlerly overlooks the ocean, which presents a mesmerizing view in any direction. This unigue rental lies in a very quiet family neighborhood next to a park, which in itself is beautiful. The location is ideal for commuting to most of the island favorite tourist sites. Hilo the largest town is just a short drive away, but there are several towns, shops, stores, gas stations, farmer markets, and restaurants closer by. This rental had all of the amenities one would expect or want and in some cases even more. The owners of the property are very personable and a joy to do business. They treat you like "ohana" (family). In the event you are planning to stay on the Big Island, this is a highly recommended rental offered by great folks!!

Owner response:Thanks for the wonderful review. It was a pleasure to meet you both, and I'm glad you found our home accomodating. While our weather is usually very pleasant in our area, you guys were great sports about the big electrical storm that hit during your visit. It is pretty exciting to be right on the ocean during one of those. Hopefully you got to see both the sun and the moon rise out of the ocean from your front lanai also. It is never boring being on the oean front that is for sure. Hope you stay with us again.... Mahalo Judi

Recommended for:

Spectacular views from this home.

Guest: Rose L.
Date of Stay: 10/03/11 Review Submitted: 10/20/11

A get away that is private and beautiful we spent 2 weeks in this lovely home and the views were worth it. We enjoyed the sunrises, watching the turtles and exploring the area. The sounds of the waves and the frogs were incredible. The snorkeling on this side of the island is spectacular, like swimming in a fish tank but better. We tried snorkeling on the other side of the Island but there was more to see in the area we were in. The house provided for all our needs and was very comfortable. I can't say enough to describe the view. It was off the beaten path and a car is necessary, Pahoa has some lovely places to dine and is a quaint town to explore. We did have plenty of rain but it was only showers off and on and in no way dampened our experience. If you want to get away from the high traffic of a resort area this is a wonderful place to do it. Thank-you Jeff and Judi we truly enjoyed your beautiful home.

Owner response:Thanks for the kind review, you guys feel the same way we do about our home and the area. It always makes us happy to know that our guests enjoyed the home as well as all the great sites to explore on our side of the island. I hope you stay with us again, it was a pleasure to meet you all. Mahalo Judi

Recommended for:

Beautiful house, great location

Guest: Jay M.
Date of Stay: 09/03/11 Review Submitted: 09/12/11

This house is as beautiful as the pictures suggest. The 3rd and 4th floor terraces are great places to spend hours. The master BR is beautiful. And it's hard to beat falling asleep and waking up to the sounds of birds and the ocean crashing against the rocks. Judi was very helpful and responsive to anything we needed.

Owner response:Thanks for the kind review, I am glad that your family enjoyed the home. I hope to see you all again on the Big Island some time in the future. Mahalo Judi

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

Makes you feel like a millionaire!

Guest: Nick (League City, TX)
Date of Stay: 08/03/11 Review Submitted: 08/17/11

I don't think I have enough room to type up everything I want to say about this house. Wow! It was clean, beautiful, tastefully decorated, amazingly comfortable after a long day siteseeing (which you will spend a lot of time in the car, so plan accordingly!) The area is quiet and tranquil. Since there are no neighbors on either side, there is a little circle drive where an occasional car will drive up and the people will get out to enjoy the view. I actually felt, unintentially, a little snooty at one point as I looked down from the 4th floor lanai to the extraordinary view. To be honest, every floor has an amazing view. The sounds of the ocean while sleeping were great. There are, what I think are frogs, that you hear at night, but its a consistent sound so nothing that would keep you awake, especially if you leave the door cracked in your bedroom. It is important to keep the windows closed at night though - in the rooms you're not in, as it rained everyday. I actually woke up to a bit of spray on my face, so I simply closed the window and it was cool enough that I didn't need the window open anymore. The kitchen and living room are a great place to hang out (third floor) and are simply huge rooms. Judi lives a few streets down and we just had to swing by on our way out to say goodbye and thanks for a wonderful time. We just wish we could have stayed longer. Make sure you get up early enough to see the sunrise. Fantastic! If you can make it to the Mauna Kea observatory (or at the very least, the visitor's center, do so. It was worth the drive. We got to see Saturn, the glow of lava from Kilauea, and thousands of stars. It was SO dark up there. Amazing.

Owner response:Thanks for taking the time to review my home, I always appreciate that so much. I'm glad your family enjoyed your stay in my home. It does seem that it often rains in the late evening and the early morning, but it always clears up during the day. Blue skies, crashing surf, gorgeous views...we do have a great location. It sounds like you guys enjoyed it as much as we do. Thanks for staying with us and I hope we see you again. Mahalo Judi

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

An Oasis of Peace and Tranquility

Guest: Geoff L.
Date of Stay: 05/21/11 Review Submitted: 07/12/11

Judi and Jeff's home was absolutely fabulous! It is exactly as described, but even better in person! We were completely impressed with the location, the amenities, style, and function of the home. Judi was so kind to meet us for a very late arrival and I knew instantly we were going to love their home. I had a few questions, so I emailed them to Judi and she responded so quick. Her home telephone was supplied, but we like seclusion on our vacations and this one was the best of all time!!! Thank you for an exceptional place to stay! It was our own oasis of peace and tranquility! While on the Big Island, we went down the government road, red road, helicopter tour, Akaka falls, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens and many other places. Favorite place to eat out was Kaleo's in Pahoa. Ning's Thai House was also fantastic! Grocery and other shopping is easy at Malama market in Pahoa. The weather was fantastic and the people we met were kind.

Owner response:Thank you for your persistence in the review process. I know that you had difficulties with the web site initially, but your review finally came through. I am so happy that you guys loved the home. As I have said many times in the past, it is always so gratifying to find out that our guests love the home as much as we do. It really is a very unique home and location, and I have never seen anything quite like it in my 43 years of living in Hawaii. It sounds like you visited all my favorite places, so I know you experienced some great adventures during your stay. Thank you again for the wonderful review. Mahalo Judi

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

January 2011 stay

Guest: Brad (Illinois)
Date of Stay: 01/25/11 Review Submitted: 06/20/11

My family and I stayed in this home for the second time in January. Jeff and Judi are great hosts. The home is bueatiful and right on the ocean !! We have seen whales and turtles right off of the balcony of the house. The ocean is mesmorizing !! At times we spent quite a while just sitting on the balcony and watching and listening to the ocean. The home is a little rural but well worth the drive for such a beautiful place. We highly recommend a stay here. Everything you need(except for food) is in the house. Many sites of the east side of the big island are just a short drive from the house. This is a must stay property. Mahalo Jeff and Judi !! You have a real gem here !

Owner response:Aloha Brad, it was a real pleasure to have your family stay with us a second time. You guys are very adventuresome travelers, considering your first visit a year before was during a tsunami scare. But we made the most of an inconvenient time, and had a nice visit at my house waiting for the all clear. I'm glad that didn't deter you from coming back and staying with us again. Thanks for the great review, and hope to see you all again. Mahalo Judi

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