An Adventure in Paradise

Guest: Adventurer in Paradise (Wrentham, MA)
Date of Stay: 12/08/11 Review Submitted: 12/24/11

As an introduction to Hawaii, your accomodations were simply stellar. I shall forever have that fond memory of sitting on the second story veranda, morning brew in hand, facing the sea book-ended by two palm trees and listening to the soft rhythm of the breaking surf. The rooms were simply grand and luxurious in size and style; And, the feeling was of living in someone else's luxurious home.

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

Paradise Beach property

Guest: Steve (Seattle, Washington)
Date of Stay: 11/07/11 Review Submitted: 11/16/11

We found the house to be as described, very clean and extremely well maintained. The owner was quite helpfull and friendly, and offered fresh mangos from her tree as well as access to items like beach chairs, snorkel equipment, and kayaks if we wanted them. Having wireless access was a plus. Very quiet and peacefull, a great property. The ocean views from the deck are a little blocked, but sitting outside for the sunsets was still a very nice experience and there was plenty of ocean on view. The only drawback for us was that it was quite a way from Kialua and we ended up driving a lot to get to North Island activities. If peaceful quiet and being away from the crowds appeals to you, then I can highly recommend this property.

Recommended for:Age 55+, romantic getaway.

Kona Paradise Indeed!

Guest: DP (CA)
Date of Stay: 10/04/11 Review Submitted: 10/18/11

We had the pleasure of staying for a full week at Ann’s beautiful redwood house, just a short block from the black pebble beach. It is one of the few vacation rentals that is fully equipped with everything you might need, including a lime squeezer, ice-maker, French press, coffee beans and grinder, rice cooker, battery-powered candles. Everything was in perfect order, clean and well maintained. The layout of the house is very casual, airy and comfortable. We spent most of our time on one side of the lanai or the other, watching the endlessly entertaining geckos. We ate many meals at the house, but would recommend The Coffee Shack and the Coffee House for breakfast and lunch, as well as Keei Café for lunch or dinner. The use of the kayak was a real treat. We took it out at the Pebble Beach just down the road and also to a really nice (and popular) snorkeling spot across Kealakekua Bay to the Captain Cook Monument (bring water & a snack!).

Recommended for:Sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway.

Last Stop on the Big Island, but not the Least

Guest: Matt (Dallas, TX)
Date of Stay: 05/29/11 Review Submitted: 06/07/11

My wife and I stayed at Ann's property for the last 5 nights of our Big Island vacation, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. A perfect way to cap off a perfect trip! The house is well more than roomy enough for a couple on vacation. The abundance of windows, screened doors, and fans make the absence of air conditioning most mainlanders are accustomed to go by completely unnoticed. House and kitchen were well stocked for all of our needs. We didn't get to take advantage of the kayaks, but that was only because we wanted to spend all of our time down snorkeling the reefs out on the beach just down the road. We travelled to many of the popular tourist and local snorkelling spots and found that this little quiet beach provided many of the same types of coral and marine life that we observed at the other more-crowded locations (and it was right out the front door!). That being said, the house is a short drive to Kailua-Kona and everything in between. So, be sure to check out those other snorkeling sites and decide for yourself! If you have any compuctions about staying at a property with an owner onsite, cast them aside. Ann was friendly, unobtrusive, and we wished we had had more time to talk story with her since she always provided great local knowledge about driving routes, restaurants, gorcery stores, you name it. Can't wait to make a return trip!

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

Great First Impressions of the Big Island

Guest: No more Haoli (Vancouver, BC)
Date of Stay: 03/28/11 Review Submitted: 04/21/11

Four of us, two couples, spent a wonderful week at Ann's vacation home. Just a block off the beach and well off the main highway, the home is very clean, lots of room, well equiped, quiet except for the sounds of waves washing against the shore. The owner has all the equipment you will need for the beach, including chairs, umberellas and snorkeling equipment. It is also close to many tourist areas such as the Volcanoes Park to the south, and the Captain Cook memorial and other fantastic snorkeling bays, black, green and white sand beaches. As our first trip to The Big Island, we could not have asked for more.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway.

Polynesian paralysis at its best

Guest: JJ (Eugene Oregon)
Date of Stay: 01/05/11 Review Submitted: 02/03/11

For a total getaway this is the best. Ann is a superb and unobtrusive hostess. The surf sounds were just far enough away to lull you to sleep. The beach was close and sparsely occupied. There were many roadside places to eat within 5 miles and all we tried were good. The kitchen was stocked with the essentials, spices and such. As said in another review, be aware of the mosquitos. However, it was fun at night to turn on the lanai lights and watch the geckos have their feast. The governing powers have reduced the skeeter patrol from 12 to 4 persons. The only thing lacking was a WIFI internet connection. It took us both 10 days to recover from the paralysis. Jim and Peg

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

AMAZING!!!

Guest: blamont24 (Bethel, Alaska)
Date of Stay: 11/20/10 Review Submitted: 12/06/10

This house in Captain Cook was AMAZING!!! So much more beautiful than the pictures show on the listing. The property was very clean, very well maintained and just beautiful! Ann called us to make sure everything was ok upon our arrival. The location is just wonderful! Just a short little walk to the rock beach and gorgeous view!!! The house was so comfortable and had everything that we needed. We LOVED having the grill to cook outside and sitting out on the lanai every morning and evening when we got home was so relaxing! We will recommend this house to all of our friends/family who are headed down there for a little get away! What a wonderful, peaceful place to spend some time away from the hustle of life! Thank you Ann for such an amazing experience!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, romantic getaway.

Home away from Home 8/2010

Guest: red bird (nj)
Date of Stay: 08/14/10 Review Submitted: 08/27/10

This was our first time renting a home and we had several reservations concerning it. Ann has really set a very high bar for any other place we stay because everything was perfect. We stayed at Anne's place for 9 days and had a really wonderful time. She had everything we could possible need including laundry detergent, snorkel gear, ice chests, maps, spices, fresh mangos everyday, beach towels and ice maker. Anne hooked us up with a local fisherman, so we had fresh caught fish as much as we wanted, gave us great advice concerning where to eat, swim, and how to live the hawiian spirit. One thing that most impressed us was Anne's attention to details, her home is beautiful with interesting and unique decorations. The lanai is truely fantastic and became our favorte place. The view of the ocean and sun set is surrounded by the palm trees and pulmeria trees. We were able to use the kayaks and Anne helped us put the kayak on our car so we could transport it. The one disadvantage to staying here is the distance from Kona. The home is about 30 minutes from town, but most places are the same distance away, even the resorts at Waikoloa. At first this seemed extreme because we are use to driving 5 minutes for anything we need. However, on the Big Island, driving distances is part of the deal. Most of the best snokerling is between her place and Kona any way. If you want to be in the center of town this is not where you want to be. If you want the real Hawaiian experience, a beautiful, well appointed, close to a beach, home then this is the place for you. We will definitely be back.

Owner response:Thanks for being such wonderful guests! Looking forward to seeing you both again in the future! Aloha, Ann

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Lovely Home/Beautiful Beach

Guest: Sandy/Frank (Bainbridge Island, WA)
Date of Stay: 03/01/10 Review Submitted: 03/26/10

Our stay at Kona Paradise fulfilled all our expectations. Ann the owner could not have been more accommodating and fun to know. The house was super clean, well stocked, and yes, a minute walk to a private black sand beach (rocky sand...bring beach shoes) which was truly enjoyable. Although we put many miles on our car touring the BIG Island, we also enjoyed just hangin' out at "our" house, especially at the Sunset hour....the red sun was spectacular, whether seen from the lanai or the beach. Nearby lava field hikes are a most interesting, a mild workout, but do require good shoes...no flip flops. If you desire quiet, privacy in a lovely home, and a private beach, at a great price, this is a perfect choice. Hint: if mosquitos happen to love you, be sure to come armed...they're very tiny, sneaky buggers.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, age 55+, romantic getaway.

Guest: Cindy101 (Winfield, IL)
Date of Stay: 12/15/09 Review Submitted: 12/15/09

A great place! Nice and quiet after a day of hiking or driving around the island. The birds singing in the morning. All the amenities that you would need. It was great to have the grill and all of the spices and condiments. Everything we could possible need was there. Enjoyable and relaxing; I recommend it to all.

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