Vacation Rentals by Owner

Thanksgiving Getaway 2011

Guest: #lifeistoshort (Gainesville, FL)
Date of Stay: 11/19/11 Review Submitted: 12/03/11

What a wonderful home! It was extremely clean and nicely decorated. It had plenty of room to handle ten of us and the kitchen was well stocked to prepare Thanksgiving dinner (with all of the fixings). I can only imagine the amount of fun that can be had in the summer months on the lake. We rented a boat nearby and got to enjoy the water and tried some fishing... We kayaked, pedal boated and pedal biked daily and enjoyed our time together. Thanks so much for opening your home and allowing us to continue our 12 year family tradition!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, pet owners.

Fall Retreat

Guest: Southernbunny (Cumming, GA)
Date of Stay: 11/04/11 Review Submitted: 11/07/11

The house was beautiful and very large. Decorated nicely and very clean. Hydrobike was lots of fun even in November's cool weather. Can't think of one bad thing to say. There were 10 of us and we had a wonderful stay at Big Kuhana. Would like to return in the summer.

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

The EXTRAs were exceptional!

Guest: Liz_P38 (Atlanta)
Date of Stay: 10/21/11 Review Submitted: 10/25/11

Thank you Lisa for sharing your incredibly beautiful home on Lake Hartwell. We enjoyed all the games and toys -- With the Hydrobike being everybodies favorite. Your home was so well stocked with utensils, china, glasses, crockpot, waffle iron, bikes, life jackets, and water toys, etc. that it was a perfect place for our family reunion of 3 generations. Sitting hours on the lake in October was so peaceful. We loved every minute.

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

Great Extended Family Retreat

Guest: The Pips (England)
Date of Stay: 08/07/11 Review Submitted: 09/14/11

This is a lovely, well appointed, large lake home. Our extended family, multi-generational group of 6 adults and 5 kids was very comfortable. The kids loved the surf-themed bunk room, the poker chips, the movies and the games. Kitchen has all you could need. Ingles was the best nearby supermarket. We didn't eat out at all, much more relaxing to eat in with the kids. We rented a hurricane deck boat from Tri-County Boat rentals -- super service. They met us with the boat at Carter's Ferry boat ramp -- about 10 minutes away by car and similar by boat. We've rented at a few lakes in SC/GA and this house has by far the best collection of water toys at the dock! Having the kayak and pedal boat available was a great bonus. The dock is away from the house, but along a fairly flat path; not steep climb or steps to deal with. We also enjoyed the swing on the dock. Great place for some to wait for returning boaters. This part of Lake Hartwell was very quiet, which was super. Lots of open area for everyone to water ski, tube and knee board. Much more crowded on the northern end of the lake. We had a couple of questions early on in our stay. The owner was very easy to reach and responded quickly with answers for us. The area around this part of the lake is very quiet, and we didn't find any on-lake restaurants. Hartwell is the nearest town and has all the basics. It's probably 20-30 minute drive to get to a slightly larger town like Anderson. This suited us perfectly, but may not be what everyone is looking for. This is a great lake property and we had a great stay.

Owner response:Thanks for the excellent review! The Swamp Guinea has a dock and is about a 20 minute boat ride from the house. It is popular with locals. Siblings started in the summer of 2011 to serve at picnic tables at Hartwell Marina..very casual. If you have a fast boat, you can be at Portman Marina in 40-50 minutes and dine at Nami. We tend to eat and cook at home as well...or pack coolers and use the pontoon as a food barge! See you at the lake!

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

Big Kahuna Fantastic Stay!

Guest: jbq (Arkansas)
Date of Stay: 07/02/11 Review Submitted: 07/21/11

Our family stay at the Big Kahuna fulfilled all our expectations! The home is beautiful and well maintained. The listing description and photos are completely accurate. Working with the owner, Lisa, was a charm. We are looking forward to returning again next year.

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

Spring Break Getaway

Guest: Jill (Illinois)
Date of Stay: 03/26/11 Review Submitted: 04/12/11

We enjoyed our stay at the Big Kahuna immensely. The house looked just as in the pictures. The house is spacious and beautiful and we recommend it highly.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

Awesome Place for a Family Get-together!!

Guest: Tina (Fort Myers, FL)
Date of Stay: 07/31/10 Review Submitted: 08/09/10

We spent a week at the Big Kahuna and loved every moment!! The house is beautiful and loaded with everything you might need. We had a great week of relaxing, playing in the lake, fishing, enjoying time together in the house at night and many other fun times. It's only a short drive to the town of Hartwell, so did our grocery shopping when we got there. We even drove to the Hartwell Dam one day, which was enjoyable. We just couldn't stop commenting about what a fabulous place and location this is. It was unanimous and we are in the process of planning our return for next year!!

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

Family get together

Guest: Lin (Apollo Beach Fl)
Date of Stay: 07/03/10 Review Submitted: 07/20/10

We had a family vacation with our 3 sons and their families July 3-10 2010 It was a great experience. The house was beautiful, clean warm and had everything you would need to make your vacation great. The water toys were fun and the owners were helpful and answered all our questions and helped with finding a boat we could ski and tube behind. There was planty of room and all the beds were comfortable and decorated beautifuly.The kitchen had everything you needed and more. You felt right at home and could relax on the deck or dock. You felt like you were in another world and could leave all your cares behind. This is the perfect house for a large family and the lake is just beautiful. We would stay there again and plan to do so, as well telling all our firends. If you want a great vacation, a great place to stay and nice people to work with that help make your vacation great than this is the place to stay.The place had so much to offer that we never left the lake. The guys did play golf, but the women just soaked up the sun and enjoyed staying cool in the water. We will be back. Linda, John and family Florida and georgia

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

Fun-filled Lakefront Rental

Guest: Cristina R. (Nashville, TN)
Date of Stay: 06/04/10 Review Submitted: 06/14/10

Our family spent five nights at this beautiful lakefront home. It is large, comfortable, and very clean. The lake is a short, shady walk from the house and the kids and adults had a fun-filled time playing on the lake with the kayak, hydrobike and pedal boat which the owners generously share with their guests. The home is lovely inside and out, and the lake is clean, clear, and quiet. We had a great time and would highly recommend it!

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

Excellent Lake House Rental

Guest: FCH Bham (Birmingham, AL )
Date of Stay: 05/28/10 Review Submitted: 06/02/10

Big Kahuna is a great choice for a lake house rental. The house is large, new, very nicely decorated and luxuriously comfortable. The property is naturally beautiful and well landscaped. More importantly the lake is clean, clear and deep at the dock and the dock is new and ample. But what really stands out about this rental is how well appointed and complete the rental is and the number of amenities and extras that are included. The list is too long but includes a kayak, pedal boat, hydrobike, tons of life jackets, floats and noodles of all shapes and sizes, air hockey, foosball, xbox, books, movies, an indispensable second refrigerator, and a suprising amount of little details. As a small example, I can't remember the last time we stayed at a rental property that had a cocktail shaker and a large variety of glasses for entertaining all of which I found in the cabinets. If it isn't there you dont need it. But if you insist stores are conveniently nearby. We found no need to leave the property and lake during our stay. In short, we would highly recommend this rental.

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

Guest: Nancy Smith4 (Folly Beach, SC)
Date of Stay: 11/30/09 Review Submitted: 11/30/09

What a wonderful Thanksgiving our 4 generations spent in your beautiful lake home, Lisa! EVERYONE, from our 84-year-old great aunt to our 18-month-old grand daughter had a terrific time together: playing games, watching football, gabbing, and, of course, eating. You saved the day and made it all possible after our last minute loss of a reservation in NC. Thank you so much for providing such a beautifully prepared, comfortable, and efficient home in which to gather and truly relax. We especially enjoyed your perfectly outfitted kitchen (made Thanksgiving away from home a breeze), the no-effort fireplace, and the fun pedal boat and game room. You've thought of everything for everyone! Hope you had a wonderful holiday. Thank you very much for making ours a very special one.

Recommended for:

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/21/09 Review Submitted: 09/21/09

Just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our weekend at Big Kahuna's. The house was beautiful and so comfortable. We were there to enjoy the lake and watch the GA football game and having two living areas with nice flat screen TVs was perfect. The kitchen was very well stocked and the lake "playtoys" at the dock were a real hit! Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate but we made the most of it. We managed to get out between rain showers and "play" on the hydrobike and kayak. What fun!! We'll definitely be back - perfect lake location!!!! Thanks so much - Francie McCormick and Friends

Recommended for:

Guest: The Mathis Family1 (-)
Date of Stay: 09/08/09 Review Submitted: 09/08/09

Our family visited Big Kahuna for the first time in Sept. 2009 for the Labor Day weekend. The home is beautifully decorated, has state-of-the-art appliances, is pristine, very warm and inviting, and stocked with every supply imaginable, and then some. While standing on the back deck, you are welcomed with a host of trees and lush leaves hanging overhead; below a pathway that leads to the lake. It is peaceful and serene. We had tons of fun swimming in the lake, riding the hydrobike, the pedal boat, and tandem kayak. The fun did not end there, as there was so much to do at the house in the game room. We vow to return again and again. It was a perfect weekend at the perfect house!! Thx so much!

Recommended for:

Guest: Tina Cousins (Alachua, FL )
Date of Stay: 08/17/09 Review Submitted: 08/17/09

The house far exceeded our expectations. It was beautifully decorated and had everything we needed and then some. There was also plenty of room for everyone to spread out and relax. The air hockey table was a hit with the kids. We went for a long weekend and wished it had been longer. We would love to go back again.

Recommended for:

Guest: Abby Kurowicki (Britton, Michigan)
Date of Stay: 08/17/09 Review Submitted: 08/17/09

In an attempt to get our mothers together for a long over due reunion, a friend ran across this house and we fell in love with it online. Spending 3 days of memories old and new and enjoying all that this home had to offer, we were enjoy and relax without ever leaving. This home's beauty goes well beyond the photos. Your visit will not be a disappointment.

Recommended for:

Guest: Suzanne T. (Mantua, New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 08/01/09 Review Submitted: 08/01/09

My first vacation here with my son. What a retreat from the everyday hustle and bustle. The house was five star rating and had every comfort imaginable. The decor was tres glam. This will be a vacation remembered forever. Thank you, Lisa

Recommended for:

Guest: Gayle8 (Rockledge,FL)
Date of Stay: 07/28/09 Review Submitted: 07/28/09

We spent our yearly two week summer vacation along with family and friends at this beautiful lake house. This is our 5th year on Lake Hartwell and this is truly the most spectacular home we have rented. It was better than what we expected! Plenty of room for everyone! The "lake toys" were a huge hit for the kids and the adults. Discovered once again how crystal clear Lake Hartwell is again! Lisa made us feel right at home. She has made her home not just a rental property, but a home! Thank you Lisa! Hope to come back next year!

Recommended for:

Guest: Frank & Eileen Hauser (Columbia,. SC)
Date of Stay: 07/03/09 Review Submitted: 07/03/09

Hi Lisa, We had a wonderful week at your lake house. The furnishings and facilities in the house were outstanding The wide path down to the spacious dock made getting to the lake a breeze. We had alot of enjoyment swimming off the dock, riding on the "Hydro Bike" and crusing around in the two person kyaak. It's a great place for a relaxing vacation.

Recommended for:

Guest: Rebecca Hybl (Athens, Georgia)
Date of Stay: 06/16/09 Review Submitted: 06/16/09

This place is unbelievable! We brought the whole family for a long weekend and had a blast. Lisa has done such a wonderful job of making her home a home away from home for everyone else!

Recommended for:

Guest: Laura Federspiel (Johns Creek, GA)
Date of Stay: 05/12/09 Review Submitted: 05/12/09

This is a lovely home with all of the amenities! Everything is modern, very clean and lots of space for your family or a group of friends. Good variety of water toys and games for the house. Would highly recommend this house above all others!

Recommended for:

Guest: Deena Hicks (Gainesville GA)
Date of Stay: 04/23/09 Review Submitted: 04/23/09

This experience was more than we ever dreamed of. Big Kahuna offered everything from peace and quiet to air hockey competitions. The dock offered fishing and solitude. The spacious kitchen brought the opportunity for all family members to cook and eat together with plenty of room to move around. The home is large enough for kids to have their own area and adults to have their own space. The deck offered many candlelit dinners watching the wild turkey run around. We had so much fun that we are checking our calendars to see when we can go back. Lisa is a wonderful host!

Recommended for:

Guest: Sarah Bridges (Columbia, SC)
Date of Stay: 01/26/09 Review Submitted: 01/26/09

The photos are nice but, do not do the house justice! It is fabulous and has tons of room.

Recommended for:

Guest: Jill & Ken (Columbia, SC)
Date of Stay: 01/26/09 Review Submitted: 01/26/09

Big Kahuna's is the perfect place for a fun family gathering!! We had a great time in this beautifully decorated, well appointed home. There was something for everyone. Its truly a gorgeous location. Lisa and Eyal are gracious hosts and have done a great job of anticipating the needs of their guests. We look forward to many wonderful family vacations at Big Kahuna's!!

Recommended for: