Vacation Rentals by Owner

Great Vacation

Guest: JVayKay (Washington, USA)
Date of Stay: 05/12/12 Review Submitted: 05/24/12

We stayed here on our first ever trip to Hawaii, and thus didn't really know what to expect, but were looking for a quiet getaway to avoid the crowds. The house is lovely, if rather simply furnished, and we really enjoyed the large charcoal grill on the back lanai, as well as the yoga room, which was great both as a yoga space and a landing from which to view the glow of lava flows at night. The owners provided beach towels, grass mats, and snorkels (no fins), which we greatly appreciated. When the windows are open and the breeze cools the house it is really nice. The local wildlife (and domesticated life – dogs and roosters too!) make an island symphony which lulls you to sleep. It was a little remote for us first-timers though, and we found we spent a lot of time in the car in order to explore the whole island. But on the other hand, we also saw parts of the island we probably never would have ventured to if we'd stayed closer to Kona. The binder and guidebooks were helpful for choosing activities, which was important because we were scared to do much web surfing for information. The Internet, while working just fine, has data limits and the owners explicitly forbid you from doing almost all of the normal things you might do with it, including Facebook, instant messaging, games, or streaming or downloading video. If you go over the allotted data amount (and there’s no way to know how much you’ve used), they will charge you extra. It wasn't a huge hardship for us to limit our usage, but we still felt that this limitation should have been made clear prior to booking the house. But all in all, a nice tropical getaway, and we had a great vacation.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway.

Paradise Found

Guest: Dave M.
Date of Stay: 04/21/12 Review Submitted: 05/16/12

Aloha, The house is gorgeous and in a quiet private location with a beautiful view of the current lava flow. Its a great place to make a base for exploring the island and the are quite a view awsome things to see and do that are very short driving and even some within walking distance from the house. Having use of the BBQ was a big plus for me! Thank-you to Tracy and Becky. My wife and I enjoyed our stay there greatly. Mahalo

Recommended for:

Nice not to deal with crowds

Guest: Nicole
Date of Stay: 03/25/12 Review Submitted: 04/09/12

We had a lovely time at your house- it was neat to be able to explore and see the lava glow. We loved all the warm pools nearby too. The house was great- clean and well supplied. We enjoyed the fruit on arrival and appreciated the use of the snorkel gear. We walked down to the cafe nearby most mornings for coffee and out to the new black sand beach. It was nice not to have to deal with crowds!

Recommended for:

Bright, Sunny, Away from the busy part of the Island

Guest: Colleen C. (Connecticut)
Date of Stay: 03/21/12 Review Submitted: 03/27/12

We enjoyed our stay here! Quiet area, away from all the busyness of some parts of the island. Allowed us to enjoy the southeast part of the island with natural parks, tidepools, lava areas, natural hot pools, etc. From here, we were able to spend time at Hawaii Volcanos Nat'l Park and Hilo's falls, Parks, Pacific Tsunami Museum and Imiloa Planatarium. The home was very clean, neat, well equipped, spacious. The lanais were so nice and the yoga room has beautiful views of the area. Wish we had a little more time here! We'll keep it in mind for another time.

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

fabulous home away from home

Guest: Elaine
Date of Stay: 03/13/12 Review Submitted: 04/13/12

We are back in Ohio, but we continue to smile due to our wonderful experiences on the island. We loved staying at your home in Kalapana. It was a fabulous home away from home. We were particularly impressed with how well stocked the kitchen was. Whatever we were looking for, you had it! We also appreciated your sharing of other items, such as flashlights (and batteries!). The house was extremely relaxing, comfortable and clean. We appreciated the way the cross-ventilation worked so that minutes after entering the house, it was breezy and cool. The meditation room was the perfect place to start the day with some yoga - and of course, a great place to see the glow of the lava flow at night. (By the way, we would have written a note in your guest book, but the book is now filled. We enjoyed reading the suggestions of places to visit both in your owners' book and also in the guest book.

Recommended for:

A perfect place to stay on the Big Island

Guest: David E.
Date of Stay: 02/12/12 Review Submitted: 03/08/12

A great place to stay. We could see the lava flow from the deck. This house was central to many beaches and attractions. I liked the 10 minute walk to Uncle Robert's every night for music, dancing and a market on Wednesdays. This was a very safe and quiet place and I would stay here again, no question.

Recommended for:

Your own paradise in the jungle and very near sand and surf!

Guest: Becky and Gary (Procter, BC, Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/12/12 Review Submitted: 03/05/12

The listing was accurate and the property clean and well maintained. Arrangements for the reservation with the owners was easy breezy. We were greeted with a lovely fruit basket, subtle lighting turned on, quiet music playing, and the chirping of the frogs. A wonderful warm welcome! The location of this home is perfect. You are in walking distance of Kalapana Village and the quaint cafe and Uncle Roberts Kava bar which regularly hosts musicians and a lively Wednesday night market. You can also walk out on the hardened lava to a newly forming black sand beach, and if you are inclined it is a lovely 50 minute walk, or 15 minute drive, to Kahena - a beautiful black sand beach. There are many attractions within a short driving distance: Kahena; Kapoho Tide Pools and Champagne Ponds (both provide incredible snorkling and picknicking on the lava rock); Pohoiki Bay for swimming in the boat launch and watching surfers; shopping and lovely dinners out in either Pahoa or Hilo; and the best lava viewing around right from the lanai or the upper level meditation room!; and so much more. It is a 1 hour drive to the Volcano National Park. And each evening after a very pleasant day playing in surf and sun we returned to cook a lovely meal at home enjoyed by candlelight on the lanai listening to the chirping frogs, who eventually lulled us to sleep. I have been to this lovely home two years in a row and can't wait to go back again. It is comfortable and peaceful, with a feeling of your own paradise in the jungle. This visit it accommodated 7 adults very comfortably. Although the east side of the island is considered the "rainy" side we enjoyed the daily showers that cooled and refreshed the remaining sun of the day. The rain mostly occurred at night or early morning and did not interfere with our daily activities. The occasion when we did get caught in a rain it was warm and short lived, followed by sun and continued playing in the surf. In the 10 days we were there only 1 day was more persistent in rain but we still enjoyed walks on the lava beach and visits to the lava viewing area nearby, and some downtime to relax with a good book and listen to music. And that was our last day. We were more than ready for some down time :~) We also spent 7 days on the Kona side and prefer the Puna district on the east side. Puna feels like community rather than just a tourist haven. We highly recommend a vacation to Hale Ka Ikena Nani! We will be back....

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

Gorgeous house!!!

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 09/11/11 Review Submitted: 10/04/11

I stayed two nights at this rental house and had a wonderful time. The house is clean, well-decorated but not overly done, the kitchen and bathroom are amazing and stocked with dishes and plenty of linens, bath and beach towels, and even snorkeling gear was available (didn't see flippers, but I didn't have any time to snorkel- my goal was to see the volcano). The fruit basket was great too and included pineapple, passionfruit, and I believe guava. I spent time in the meditation suite and listened to the outside wildlife- very calming (were the critters crickets or some other creature?) and very relaxing. The owners were great and very easy to deal without. If I ever visit the Big Island again Im definitely renting this house again.

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

Little Piece of Heaven

Guest: Kris (Phoenix, AZ)
Date of Stay: 08/31/11 Review Submitted: 10/11/11

After spending ten days here I am really not wanting to write a review because I don't want to share this amazing place! This is a place I would prefer to keep secret so that I will always be able to come back. But, the owners of this house deserve the review. This is the greatest vacation rental I have ever stayed at. The house is charming and comfortable. If your looking for a quiet get-away then this is the place. Although there are some neighboring houses, it feels very secluded. The owners provide so much extras to make the stay more pleasant and the little things (like snorkeling equipment) help keep the costs down. I would recommend this house to anyone traveling to the Big Island as a great base for your trip. There is so much around the area to do that we never made it to the other side of the island as planned. Some suggestions - be sure to visit the kava bar and Kalapana cafe just down the road. The cafe makes the best macaroni salad!!!! Also, be sure to visit Ma's kitchen ALOT!!! You can find info for Ma's kitchen on facebook. The food here is incredible and the owners are the nicest people you'll ever meet. If you stop by there say tell the owners you were sent by the AZ girls :) Also, if you happen to get a craving for pizza - Boogie Woogie pizza in Pahoa is amazing. Great prices for a HUGE and delicious homemade pizza. One other thing, there is a little black dog that likes to visit the house. We called him Don Ho while there. He is very very sweet. Give him a big hug for me but becareful because he is a flip flop thief! If he takes your flip flops, you'll find them on the side of the house in the bushes. I am looking forward to visiting here again but will be staying much longer next time. This is a little piece of heaven that is very hard to leave.

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

Kalapana Komfort

Guest: IndieJames (Indiana)
Date of Stay: 06/21/11 Review Submitted: 06/30/11

While we were only there for a couple of days, we had a very enjoyable time at Hale Ka Ikena Nani. The house was great, just as pictured, and impeccably clean. It had everything we needed and was a great little place to relax. It was very cool to see Pu`u `? `? glowing at night from the 2nd level. Unfortunately, the lava wasn't flowing during our stay. However, we had a great time at the beautiful and secluded black sand beach in Kalapana. It was amazing! Highly recommended even if you just have a couple of hours. We also loved Hilo - farmer's market and the Japanese garden in the park with the huge banyan trees. A great place to relax. Hiked the Kïlauea Iki Trail in Volcanoes NP. How often do you get to walk across a frozen lava lake and through a rainforest? Hopefully, we can stay longer next time. Mahalo Tracey and Matt.

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

Hale Ka Ikena Nani

Guest: Rob (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada)
Date of Stay: 06/14/11 Review Submitted: 06/20/11

Really enjoyed our stay at this accommodation. Very spacious and the high ceilings were very nice. The kitchen is well equipped with anything you might need to make your own meals. Very quiet area, although the birds can get fairly loud in the mornings. One thing to note - although you are very close to the volcano, the road is actually closed and to get to the actual Volcano Park, you need to take an alternate route which takes 1 hour. It is also about a 40 minute drive to downtown Hilo, even though I think the website may say 25 minutes. All-in-all, we had a great stay at this residence and wish we had more time there.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Wonderful home for a family

Guest: Kal (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 05/28/11 Review Submitted: 06/07/11

Our family (14, 11 and 2 year old) stayed here for almost a week in May-June, and it was a great place. The house is beautiful, the sunrises are wonderful to wake up to, the meditation room offers great views and the grounds are a real blessing for kids. Especially little ones - ours loved running around in and out of the house. The only knock is the location; this is very far from Kona and not super close to the Volcano park entrance, and as of this writing the lava was not flowing. Still, you are minutes away from the current lava flows and can see the volcano glowing clearly every night. This is a great place and it's especially great if you want to get away from it all; it feels like you have all of Hawaii to yourself.

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

Volcano house

Guest: Sharyn R. (Reseda, Ca)
Date of Stay: 05/20/11 Review Submitted: 05/31/11

This was a beautiful, spacious, and clean house. When we arrived it was warm inside but cooled off immediately when we opened the windows to let the trade winds go through. The pineapple left as a welcome gift was delicious! There are 2 large and comfortable lanais with a large BBQ on the back lanai. The washer and dryer was very convenient and we were glad to have it. It's not that far from the national park and from Hilo so the location was also very conveniently located. We would return to this house again if were were to go back to the Big Island.

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

Beautiful Home in the lava

Guest: Skip (Oakland, CA)
Date of Stay: 05/06/11 Review Submitted: 05/31/11

We stayed the beginning of May for 5 nights. The home is beautiful, comfortable and in a great location, peaceful and quiet. We met some of the neighbors and they were great, the little 'bar' in Kalapana was a hoot. The lava fields are amazing and the glow of the lava at night was spectacular. All the comforts of home and the owner is a pleasure to deal with with great paypal payments available. Would definately stay here again. The direction to the house were a bit difficult at night so beware. Out of the airport take a left stay on 11 and floow to 130 drive until you see the sign that says Road Closed and take the next left to Kalapana. Pretty straight forward once you do it but hard at night.

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

Peaceful

Guest: Suzy (Gainesville, Fl)
Date of Stay: 05/01/11 Review Submitted: 05/25/11

Lovely house surrounded by nature. We enjoyed our stay at this tropical paradise. Unfortunately, the lava was not flowing during our visit. It was a great location for exploring the Pahoa area of the island. Would stay again. Thanks!

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

Serene and Scenic Vacation Getaway

Guest: Gina (Chandler, AZ)
Date of Stay: 04/21/11 Review Submitted: 05/09/11

My family stayed at Halekaikenanani for a week in April. Beautiful house! Just the vacation getaway my family needed! :-) Accommodations were very clean and having a washer/dryer was very convenient. We really enjoyed falling asleep to the sound of the peepers and rain every evening. We also loved walking down to the black sand beach at Kalapana - quite breathtaking and less than 5 minutes away! The town of Pahoa was not too far away (about a 15-20 minute drive) to enjoy a delicious lunch/dinner at Kaleo's (little bit of everything) or dinner at Paolo's Bistro (Italian). In Hilo, we had a great time at the zoo (free!), Richardson's Beach Park (family-friendly black sand beach that's also great for snorkeling), Hilo Farmer's Market (Wed./Sat.), Hawaii Botanical Garden, Akaka Falls and Volcanoes National Park. After a long day at Volcanoes National Park, I would recommend Kiawe Kitchen for a bite to eat. Excellent pizza! If venturing to Kona, would also highly recommend stopping at Punalu'u Black Sand Beach to see green sea turtles on the beach! Awesome!! So much to do, so little time...could've easily stayed two weeks. Would've liked to have gone to the Kapoho Tide Pools. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and we highly recommend to those who want to get away from it all! Will defintely be back. :-) Mahalo Tracey!!

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

Lori and family from Alberta, Canada

Guest: Lori (Alberta, Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/23/11 Review Submitted: 03/28/11

Thank you Tracey and Matt, we had a wonderful time visiting your home in Kalapana. The house was very clean, you provided everything we needed for our stay, and a great welcome of fresh fruit on the table upon arrival. The location was perfect for our travels, as well as the community of Kalapana was very quaint. Were able to buy fresh fruit from the vender close to home and food at the store - very handy. The discription of the house and the area was accurate, and the info provided at the house helped to plan our days. We will recommend it to our friends and family and if we ever get a chance to return to Hawaii we will be sure to contact you.

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

holiday with lava-viewing

Guest: renate (Austria)
Date of Stay: 10/19/10 Review Submitted: 12/05/10

We spent five nights in -"Volcanic-Escape". The house itself surpass the description in the web. All was well-maintained and very clean. We didin`t miss anything. Even a washing-machine (incl. washing powder!) and a dryer is available. Every morning we enjoyed breakfast at the biggest lanai we`ve ever seen.(sometimes with red unknown birds and hawaiin music from the neighbour). The best place for lava-trips. We can recommend the lava-tours at Uncle`s Awa Bar. It`s unforgetable. For people prefering stay in natural ambience, to get to know the pure Hawaii. We hope, coming back again sometime. Anyway we`ll recommend the "Volcanic Escape" to all austrians who are planning a trip to big island. Mahalo Renate & Gerold

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

Kalpana house

Guest: woody (Sanger, California)
Date of Stay: 09/21/10 Review Submitted: 10/13/10

House was well-furnished and very well located to explore the southeastern part of the Big Island. Nice breezes cool the place and views of the steam plume everyday were a treat. Lots to do, like walking to the lava flows at night (with a guide), and well worth it. Landscaping is new, so don't expect lush foliage around the house, but the house itself was great--comfortable and very nicely furnished--almost luxurious.

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

Aloha Paradise

Guest: Rob (St. Louis)
Date of Stay: 09/09/10 Review Submitted: 09/29/10

The house was amazing and just like the pictures and the assortment of fruits on arrival where delicious. It's set in a very quite rural area about 30 minutes south of Hilo. You are only 5 minutes from a newly formed black sand beach, 5 minutes to the current lava flow viewing area and about 15-20 minutes to several beaches and parks on the east side of the Island. The view from the top of the house is amazing at night with the glow of the lava flow in the distance. The owner was very responsive to questions and quickly responded to an issue (lost keys) while we where staying at the house. I would not hesitate to stay here again.

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

Close look at Pele

Guest: Isabel (Norway)
Date of Stay: 08/02/10 Review Submitted: 09/22/10

This was a very nice house. Very cozy and with very much light. The view from the meditation room was great as one could see the glow of the lava flowing in the sea during the nights. Also it was great to just stand on the stairs and look up to beautiful skies with rainbows during the day and countless starts during the nights. The kitchen is well equiped and the badroom is in excellent conditions. The owners are very nice to communicate with and the payment process was very easy. An advice for people renting this house is to have a car as there are no grocery shops at walking distance.

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

Great secluded house in Kapalana

Guest: Vonvon (Montreal, Canada)
Date of Stay: 06/30/10 Review Submitted: 07/28/10

We spend 4 nights at this house from June 30th to July 3rd 2010.Everyone in the family enjoy the rural settings of this house and the serenity of the neighbourhood. We did a lot of sightseeing on Big Island ( Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Athaka Falls, Hawaii Botanical Gardens, Zoo, Maunaloa Nut Factory, Lava Tree State Park,etc.) We also went to Kapaho Pools (twice) for snorkeling and it was wonderful. It was always a pleasure to get back to the house to relax and watch the starlight and the lava flowing at night. We will certainly suggest the rental of this house to anyone that want to catch the Aloha Spirit of Hawaii and the peaceful and calmness of the Puna District. Thank you Tracey.

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

Nani hale

Guest: Mills (Honolulu, HI)
Date of Stay: 06/11/10 Review Submitted: 07/29/10

Wonderful! Our experience at the 'Volcanic Escape' was amazing. House was clean and well appointed, complete with a huge welcome 'basket' of fresh fruits. Delicious! Neighborhood was quiet and relaxed. The views of Pu'u O'o from the lanai was priceless. Mere minutes from the most recent lava flow and numerous other natural attractions made this spot a family favorite! Mahalo Tracey!

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

Volcano Escape House

Guest: Volcano watcher (San Diego, CA)
Date of Stay: 05/20/10 Review Submitted: 06/01/10

I took my nephew to go see the volcano and we stayed at the volcano escape rental house. The house was a perfect place for us to stay to visit the National Park and surrounding area. The house was clean and had everything we needed to make our stay enjoyable. It was so much better than staying in a hotel. We were able to go to the lava viewing area and black sand beach nearby. As advertized, at night we could see the lava a few miles away up on the pali. The house was well stocked with beach towels, snorkling equipment etc. The trade wind breezes made the temperature very comfortable even without aircon. I would definetely recommend this property to my freinds. It was great place to stay.

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

Home in Paradise

Guest: Cherylkay (Clearwater)
Date of Stay: 05/12/10 Review Submitted: 06/14/10

Loved your beautiful home. We hope to come back and stay again, but longer. Thought it woud be a bit hot when we first arrived but after opening the windows it was actually quite cool. The welcome fruit and pitcher of cold water was very appreciated after a long flight. The wrap around porch is wonderfullly cool to have your coffee on in the morning. Followd the directions in your comment book and had a great time at the tidal pools so close by. We could not have been happier with our stay and look forward to doing so again some time soon. Thank you for sharing your home with us! The Stephens

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

I love this house!

Guest: Curlygal (Emigrant, Montana USA)
Date of Stay: 05/04/10 Review Submitted: 06/01/10

My son and I had a wonderful time on the Big Island and this house was a huge part of that positive experience. It was great to come home to after a day of activities. Matt and Tracey have created a guest book with all things to see land do locally. Being within walking distance from the ocean and the lava flow was magical. We loved the little Kalapana Cafe just down the road and of course Uncle Roberts awa bar. The house is clean and well appointed. The caretaker even brought us a blender so that we could use our "gift fruit" to make blended drinks. I have stayed in many different locations in the islands and this was by far the best. I highly recommend it and plan to return.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Welcoming House in a Fascinating Area

Guest: Marga Luise (Adelaide, South Australia)
Date of Stay: 04/09/10 Review Submitted: 04/25/10

We tremendously enjoyed our stay - from the little touches of a warm welcome, fresh fruit and a jug of cold water in the fridge and an immaculately clean house to watching the lava flow from the top meditation room. The house is well set up with a lot of additional equipment generously left by the owners for the use of guests. And the area has so much to offer. Volcano National Park is within an easy drive, and the lava flow from the Pu'u O'o vent was near Kalapana during our stay. There is snorkeling in hot pools, lush tropical forests meeting black lava cliffs at the ocean, black sand beaches and a feeling of old Hawaii, unaltered by big resorts.

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

This property is a gem!

Guest: Paula Walla (Big Lake, MN, USA)
Date of Stay: 03/14/10 Review Submitted: 05/19/10

We loved this beautifully decorated house. It was immaculate--no bugs at all, which is rare for Hawaii. We loved the large front and back lanais, the open kitchen/great room, the fruit basket provided upon arrival and cold water in the frig. The house cooled down quickly when we opened windows/screen doors after we'd been gone. The beds were comfortable! They provided so many things one would need--cooler, binoculars, snorkeling equipment, bug spray, sunscreen, umbrellas. It was in an out-of-the way area that for us was so interesting. We felt we were in Old Hawaii. There was lots to do-snorkeling, drive Red Road, eat in Pahoa that had fabulous restaurants. We ate at Kaleo's 4 times. The volcano was so close. The weather was great when we were there. We would definitely return to this house and this area of the island.

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

What you see is what you get... and it is not disappointing

Guest: WI escapee (WI)
Date of Stay: 03/01/10 Review Submitted: 03/30/10

We spent the first week of March here and it was a fantastic house. The area is off the beaten path, but offers so much to see and do. We hit the end of rainy season, but it didn't deter us too much. I would stay here again.

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

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 11/01/09 Review Submitted: 11/01/09

My son and I stayed here for just over a week at the end of Sept, into Oct and LOVED it. Beautiful new house. No a/c did not bother me. They have a fan. Rain every morning with a rainbow during breakfast. View of the flowing lava from the house. Short walk to old lava flows and lava entering the ocean at night. Close to the Volcano Park. Quiet. Fabulous full moon and waterfall photos. I'd stay here again.

Recommended for:

Exceeded our expectations

Guest: Robert and Rafa (San Francisco, CA, USA)
Date of Stay: 10/29/09 Review Submitted: 11/06/10

Hale Ka Ikena Nani is one of those homes that pictures can not adequately capture. The home is practically brand new, airy and bright. You enter from the front deck to a huge living room and kitchen with a sliding glass door at both sides and 6 additional windows and a 25 foot arched ceiling. When the windows are open the home has a wonderful breeze that runs through it keeping it cool. There are two full sized bedrooms with super comfortable queen size beds, also with sliding glass doors, high ceilings and windows that also keep the rooms airy and cool. The kitchen is fully equipped and allowed us to cook 90% of our meals and there is also a huge outdoor grill. There is an additional 12x12 foot room that is reached by going outside and upstairs, and has 7 more windows that all open and also has a queen sized futon. The home would comfortably accommodate 6 people, (2 per room) plus there is a queen sized futon in the living room that could accommodate two additional people. The views are breathtaking and the home is private and quiet. There are only three other homes on the small street, but you can barely see them through the trees. The home has satellite TV, internet access, and a stereo with ipod hookup, and was immaculately clean when we arrived. We spent many mornings having breakfast on the front or back decks and sometimes sat in the private yard in the rear to relax. We found the house very easily, as it is just off the main road. It was a 30minute drive from Hilo, and about 10 minutes from the town of Pahoa which has many restaurants and two supermarkets,a natural foods store, and cafes. We recommend buying fruits, vegetables, and flowers from the from the twice weekly Pahoa farmers market or the daily Hilo Farmers Market. This area of the Big Island is easily accessible and we found getting anywhere quite quick. Nearby are numerous swimming areas, two geothermally heated. The owners of Hale Ka Ikena Nani were a delight to deal with and were always willing to answer questions before we arrived. They have a binder in the house with detailed information on the area and with better directions than the guide books. There was also a manager who lived nearby, but we never had any reason to call them, but it was nice to know he was available if there was a problem. We highly recommend Hale Ka Ikena Nani, you will not be disappointed

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

Big Island Adventure in Kalapana

Guest: Ken&Patricia (Round Rock, TX - USA)
Date of Stay: 10/24/09 Review Submitted: 11/03/09

The internet was an issue for us - we planned on using it and brought along our netbook - thing was you needed a CDrom and we couldn't install the software. No one who signed the guestbook indicated they had been able to use the Internet. You can find WiFi at major towns - e.g. Hilo/Kona Borders Books - free of charge. Other than this glitch we loved the house and would recommend it to friends and family. We landed in Kona and after getting our rental car about 5:30 PM drove the 3 hours over to the property and found it in the rain with no problem. The house was very neat and clean and I believe very new. We loved the wide porches in both front and back. Although there are houses nearby, you feel both secluded and safe. The ocean is less than a mile away and you hear the surf at night over the peeping of the frogs which start as soon as the sun goes down. We were so close (it seemed) to the lava flow into the ocean that we decided to hike over. It is actually much farther than it looks and the lava fields get warm under the sunshine. We suggest just enjoying the black sand beach less than a mile away and forget the hike over the lava flow. Food is very expensive - even fruit (bannans were $1.79/lb), so if you see a Farmers Market - stop. There is a big market on Sunday just up the road. Forget the coffee and macadamian nut tours - they are both rip offs. The best place to buy 100% Kona coffee was the WalMart in Hilo. There is a small stip shopping just up the road with a nice grocery store and a Subway sandwich shop. Take plenty of water every time you leave the house because the sun is fierce even when the temperature stays below 85F. We looked at several properties before we selected this one. I think we made a very good choice.

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

Guest: May2 (Sugar Land,Texas)
Date of Stay: 07/19/09 Review Submitted: 07/19/09

We stayed at your beautiful home for two short nights in July,wished we stayed one more night.My kids were apprehensive about not having AC but you don't really need it.We had so much fun-watch lava flow at night, star gazing,driving to the black sand beach,driving down 137(with fantastic ocean view),driving down Pahoa/Kapoho road-one lane only towards the end,watch surfers - all free! $10 to the volcano natl park.Must stop and buy cheap/good Filipino or Samoan foods at the internt'l market at the intersection of 137 & H11(to volcano park)Be carefuk in some areas if you dont have 4wd.Your house transported me back to my lazy summer days in my grandma's comfortable house.Your house was so inviting and we found everthing we needed.If our friends ever visit the big island, we would surely recommend your home.

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