Vacation Rentals by Owner

You really get a way here

Guest: sammy (vancouver, washington)
Date of Stay: 03/30/12 Review Submitted: 04/07/12

Home is one of the nicest in a neighborhood which is in a small valley of old LAVA rocks. First glance of the neighborhood reveals a feeling that you just landed in a little fishing village on the moon. This house is within 30 miles either north or south of very fun activities; but there is actually not much to do in the neighborhood itself other than lounge in the pool. This is a destination for Peace and Quiet lovers...unless you want to drive into town which is another world entirely.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, tourists without a car.

Quiet relaxing getaway!

Guest: Holly (Portland, Oregon)
Date of Stay: 10/18/11 Review Submitted: 10/29/11

We recently stayed at Sound of the Whale for eight days. The house is wonderful. Well appointed rooms and super comfortable beds. The Milolii area is so quiet and the stars you can see at night are amazing. The pool was divine for soaking in. We have been to the Big Island many times, but this is the first time we have stayed down south. You can get to a few beach activities form the community, snorkeling at the boat ramp, beach access at the fishing village and a short walk to the black sand beach. The drive to Volcanoes National Park is easy from here and Hilo is just past the park. I would highly recommend this house to anyone looking for a big island getaway. Stay at least two weeks there is so much to do!

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

So relaxing!

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/08/11 Review Submitted: 11/01/11

We had the privilege of staying in this beautiful home in quiet, tucked away Milolii. The house is absolutely perfect. All we needed was food and drink, everything else is provided. The ocean view and sunset were magnificent! And the pool...heavenly. Thank you so much for sharing "sound of the whales". We loved it!

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

Fantastic sunset view

Guest: VA family (Fredericksburg VA)
Date of Stay: 08/02/10 Review Submitted: 08/16/10

We just came back from this house last week. We have stayed for 10days. This house was very clean and beautiful decoration. Lanai was huge. View from lanai was fantastic. My teenager son stayed downstairs room. The owner's map was very helpful. This house has everything except foods. I recommend that this house for nature lover not city lover because there were not restaurant nor grocery store within 20 minute. The most closest store was a "Ocean view market" 20 min from this house. I highly recommend that you should get plenty of food from "Choice Market" during you drive from Kona airport. Otherwise, you should go back to get it with your tired body in first day.My family enjoyed so much because we don't like crowded artificially unnatural place.

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

Fabulous Place to Kick It on the Big Island

Guest: sowma (Brooklyn, NY)
Date of Stay: 07/25/10 Review Submitted: 08/11/10

What a nice place! A big thank you for sharing your wonderful home with us. We really appreciated all the thoughtfulness and consideration that make this such an awesome place. Top-notch snorkel gear, a really amazing pool, super views, not to mention a well equipped kitchen and closet. Also, the downstairs unit is completely separate and would be a perfect place for teenagers or young adults to stay while the parents enjoy some peace and quiet upstairs ;) Alternately, it would also work well for older travelers who don't want to negotiate stairs. This place really does have just about everything you will need to have one of the best vacations ever. We're from Brooklyn, and we really enjoyed getting away from the crowds and hustle and bustle of more touristy areas. The Desert Rose Cafe in Ocean View is wonderful. Also, Honomolino is fantastic- there were just a handful of people there on days we went- and we really liked the white sand portion. It's picture perfect with a sea cave and arches & blow holes and lots of fish to look at while snorkeling. If you are looking to get away from crowds and just want to relax with amazing views and amenities, this is the place. The neighbors were extremely friendly and helpful also. Thanks again for sharing your home with us- we hope to be able to visit again soon!

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

GREAT STAY AT SOUND OF THE WHALE

Guest: Quebec Family (Amos, Québec (Canada))
Date of Stay: 06/05/10 Review Submitted: 07/22/10

We stayed 5 nights in this peaceful place. What an unusual and spectacular scenery surrounded by lava rocks and viewing the sea!! We really enjoyed the spacious lanai and the pool. The rooms were very comfy and the kitchen well equip. Every morning we ad a bird show; a lot of birds came for their breakfast. The 20 minutes walk to the Honomolino beach park was worth it, we ad this long black and white sanded beach almost to ourselves and it was a good place to snorkel to. I highly recommend this place if you want to unwind and get away from the crowd. It was a good location to visit the volcano park and the area of Hilo.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Trip to Milolli

Guest: Hawaii Five O (USA)
Date of Stay: 05/28/10 Review Submitted: 06/08/10

We recently stayed at this house in Milolli. The house is nice and the pool is great because the nearest sandy beach includes a short car ride and a twenty minute walk. Like most houses on the Big Island this house has a sis-tern water supply. The deck on this house is one of the greatest features which is a great place to have dinner and watch the sunset. The owner and property manager are very helpful and friendly. The main thing we didn't like was two of the bedrooms don't have doors, which would have been nice.

Owner response:The upstairs master suite was purposefully designed with an open effect to maximize the breezes as well as provide personal privacy and tropical ambiance. The downstairs suite accomodates only one couple, so there is no need to close it off. This bedroom has a private bathroom with shower, a kitchenette and TV sitting area. Each master suite, upstairs and down, has a private exit to a lanai. Like nearly all rural homes in Hawaii, our house is on a water catchment system. Unlike most, our system is equipped with two separate particulate filters as well as a UV light filter, all of which purifies the water to make it perfectly safe for drinking. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions. Max & Linda Shetler

Recommended for:

What a driveway!

Guest: NWBS (Boise, ID)
Date of Stay: 05/06/10 Review Submitted: 05/20/10

We enjoyed staying at Sound of the Whale. Although not in Kona itself it made for a perfect location in between Kona and Hilo. We loved having a completely separate entrance/space that allowed for a more private sleeping area downstairs. We wre traveling with my parents and my father recently had neck/back surgery so having a lower level/ground entrance was a bonus. The neighbors across the street are delightful and worth meeting! With all the VOG coming off the volcano the sunsets are brilliant. We especially liked the decorating in the house. The owners have done a fabulous job of making the house Hawaiin yet NOT obnoxiously so. If you are looking for a place to get away from the crowds and tourist rat race then this is it!

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

So Relaxing!

Guest: Family of 3 Travelers (Wyoming)
Date of Stay: 04/01/10 Review Submitted: 04/10/10

We stayed at Sound of the Whale for a week in early April 2010. It was a wonderful, relaxing spot for our family of three. Comfortable beds, great lanai, and great kitchen. We had stayed in town for a few nights so got our "touristy" fix and then came down to Milolii. Great access to spots like Honomalino Bay, City of Refuge, etc. Great snorkeling. The ocean breezes were great -- the house is an open design, and the tropical breezes kept us so cool and comfortable. The neighbors were friendly, and my husband was able to book a fishing trip with a neighbor and had a great time. We would definitely consider booking this house again if we want to spend time in this area -- it was a delightful home and a good value.

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

Guest: Jacobsen family (Mill Creek, WA)
Date of Stay: 12/20/09 Review Submitted: 12/20/09

We had an incredible family vacation for two weeks in early December at Sound of the Whale. Altho Milolii is a rural setting and approx an hour drive from Kona and some of the more popular areas of the island, we enjoyed the solitude and quietness of the area...and appreciated the closer proximity to the volcano and Hilo. Sandy beaches are somewhat scarce in this area, but nearby Honomalino beach is as picturesque and private as any we've seen. When we weren't on the ocean, the new pool was perfect for our two young kids. The home is beautiful, clean, new, and has an amazing lanai with huge ocean views that include plenty of whale activity. In short, it was a perfect vacation and we would certainly consider staying there again.

Recommended for:

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/03/09 Review Submitted: 09/03/09

We just spent a week at Sound of the Whale and had a wonderful stay. The house is designed beautifully, has comfortable memory foam beds, great ocean view, and the kitchen is well equipped. We especially enjoyed sunrise and sunset swims in the pool. The location is perfect for peace and quiet, but if you prefer the hustle and bustle of town it may be a little far out for you. It was perfect for us and the short drive and walk to a deserted beach was great!

Recommended for:

Guest: Emily and Chad (Austin Texas)
Date of Stay: 08/06/09 Review Submitted: 08/06/09

We just spent our honeymoon here and had a fantastic time. The home is beautiful and fully equipped with everything we needed. The ocean view, new swimming pool, sunset and overall peacefullness was amazing. Linda provided maps and activity information for us which was extremely helpful. You will definitely need a rental car because this location over an hour from the airport but well worth the trip if you are looking for peace and quiet. We have recommended this rental to both friends and family.

Recommended for: