Dreamy Rain Forest Retreat

Guest: Mature Island Girl (Marin County, California)
Date of Stay: 11/06/09 Review Submitted: 12/08/09

Loved waking up to the sun shining through the many bedroom windows. Looking out and seeing giant tree ferns... green everywhere! Wonderful songs of the birds in the rain forest. Cozy gas fireplace stoves were so convenient after a rainy day hike in Midnovember. Although I never minded any rain. It is just so gorgous here! Fantastic double sized jacuzzi bathtub in masterbath (it does takes a little while to fill it properly). Compact but complete kitchen made it possible for us to prepare most of our meals right there (restaurants are another option). Farmers markets in Volcano Village on Sunday (EARLY! Get there by 7 AM as most clear out by 9) or Wednesday and Saturdays in Hilo. The produce and other foods are scruptious and the farmers are an absolute delight (My husband and I are Marin County farmers market junkies! But the Big Island farmers rock!). If you are like me and you don't like crowds, the Lazy Lehua Cottage is perfect: serene surroundings, artistic decor abounds in this gem of a vacation place. Laying in the blue hammock chair on the front lanai you will wish your vacation would never end. And you are so close to the many destinations you most definenitely don't want to miss. P.S.: Do rent a 4-Wheel Drive (not just an All-Wheel) if you are adventurous and like to do some exploring as that is required for Waipio Valley and some other areas... P.P.S.: Good healthfood store in Hilo ("Abundant Life") -- Ideal to visit on your way from the airport to the cottage (approx. 30minutes from Volcano Village). Great healthfood store in Pahua ("Island Natural Market"), slightly different direction but also about 1/2hr distance from the cottage.

Owner response:Aloha Mature Island Girl - Mahalo Nui Loa for your beautiful review. We take delight knowing we are doing a good job making our cottage a wonderful vacation home away from home for our guests. We appreciate all your kinds words and love that you loved your stay at the Lazy Lehua Cottage. Joyce @ the Lazy Lehua Cottage.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers.

Beautiful!

Guest: FtCollinsCrew (Fort Collins, CO )
Date of Stay: 11/26/11 Review Submitted: 12/18/11

Thanks so much for our lovely stay!! This cottage has everything I would ever need! We loved the extra luxurious little touches like fresh flowers, fresh papaya with lime, and pretty cloth napkins on the table! We had a lot of rainy weather, so we got ample time to enjoy the wonderful music, game, and movie collection. The sun poked its head out on our last morning and my children built fairy homes in the dreamy front yard. Thank you for an amazing experience. We hope to come back!!!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children.

An Amazing Stay

Guest: Kevin S.
Date of Stay: 09/04/11 Review Submitted: 12/14/11

The Lazy Lehua Cottage was absolutely amazing! The cottage has everything that you could need while visiting the Volcano area. The outdoor are was very peaceful and the hammocks were nice touches. When we had a small issue, the house caretaker fixed the issue promptly. Volcano Village and the National Park are both minutes away. This is a perfect location for seeing the south / east part of the island. Highly recommended, I cannot say enough good things about our time at the cottage.

Owner response:Aloha Kevin S. Thank you so much for the excellent review. Nice to know that our guests think we're doing our job making the Lazy Lehua Cottage a perfect vacation destination in Volcano! We appreciate you taking the time to give us a review! Mahalo, Joyce

Recommended for:

Peaceful retreat in the ferns

Guest: LauraD (Bedford, TX)
Date of Stay: 10/19/11 Review Submitted: 11/04/11

Recently returned from our trip to the Big Island. We stayed 3 nights at the Lazy Lehua and wished our stay was a little longer. The cottage is well maintained and very peaceful. You can see all the love that went into the cottage. Lots of nice touches everywhere. The fern forest is very dense and you really can't see any of the neighbors although I did hear a dog barking for a little bit one morning. Nice and quiet, but has everything you might need. Bathroom stocked with all kinds of shampoos, lotions, etc. Kitchen had everything too. We prepared several meals here during our stay. Fresh fruit and flowers were left for us, which was a very nice touch! After staying in Kona, we enjoyed the peace and quiet of this area. The VNP is very close by and we made a few trips over there during our stay. Seeing the crater glowing at night was very interesting. If you happen to get a cloud free night, go outside and look up at the stars!! I was amazed at all of the stars and could clearly see the milky way!! The bed was very comfortable and piled with lots of blankets to keep you warm. The gas stoves on each level help keep the chill out once the sun goes down. The jacuzzi tub was very relaxing after a day hiking around VNP. My only wish is that we had another day to spend at the cottage being truly lazy. It's so peaceful here and with multiple lanais it's hard to decide which one was the best. The owner, Joyce, was very easy to work with. Even provided us with a muffin pan for making breakfast after my request!! We would certainly stay here again when we return to the volcano area. Mahalo Joyce for allowing us to share your treasure!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Lazy Lehua Cottage

Guest: Dory (Medford, OR)
Date of Stay: 09/29/11 Review Submitted: 10/10/11

This was the best place we stayed on the Island. It was cozy, clean and comfortable. We will definitely stay here again!

Owner response:Aloha Dory - Thank you for your awesome review! We hope to see you again for a future stay at LLC. Mahalo, Joyce

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, age 55+, sightseeing.

Absolutely amazing!

Guest: Travel Girl (southern California)
Date of Stay: 09/25/11 Review Submitted: 10/06/11

This place is one of the top 5 places I've ever stayed! I kept saying to my husband "I can't believe we have this whole beautiful house for this price!". It is VERY well-stocked (we used the kitchen every morning and night) and they have a stash of extra bathroom supplies. The place is new, clean, soooo cute, and well taken care of. Be sure to bring a jacket/sweatshirt - it's up at elevation in a cool forest. Wonderful change from hot Pahoa/Hilo area. There are fireplaces and room heaters though so you're fine inside.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing.

So many stars, beautiful morning light and everything we needed!

Guest: Anna (Albany, California)
Date of Stay: 07/21/11 Review Submitted: 08/01/11

We (family of four, boys 6 and 7) loved our time at the Lazy Lehua Cottage. We cooked in a lot and the kitchen had everything we needed. The tub was a wonderful extra...and even the basketball and hoop got good use by our crew. We loved being able to see all the stars, light pollution free from the deck and the morning light in the upstairs room was amazing. It was great to be able to explore Volcanoes National Park, come back to the cottage to clean up and eat and head back in to watch and hear Pele's night show in the crater. The Puna coast shouldn't be missed! When we return, we'll be sure to spend more time at the cottage! Three nights wasn't enough.

Owner response:Aloha Anna - We are so glad to hear you and your family enjoyed our LLC paradise. We look forward to your future return stay! Mahalo, Joyce

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

Charming home

Guest: KK (Mystic, CT)
Date of Stay: 06/05/11 Review Submitted: 06/23/11

Lazy Lehua was even more charming and artistic than advertised. The stay in the rain forest was a welcome break from the beaches. Volcano is a great little town, and access to the National Park couldn't have been easier. Our only complaint was that we didn't rent it for a longer period of time. All of the logistics went like clockwork, and we highly recommend this place.

Owner response:Aloha KK - Mahalo for your wonderful review of the Lazy Lehua Cottage. We are pleased that you enjoyed your stay, visiting our beautiful village, and your adventures at Hawaii Volcano National Park. Maybe you will just have to come back and visit us again? :) Mahalo, Joyce

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

Wonderful Stay at Lazy Lehua

Guest: AnniversaryCouple (Wisconsin)
Date of Stay: 10/13/10 Review Submitted: 10/22/10

My husband and I just returned from our 1st anniversary trip to the Big Island during which we stayed the entire time at the Lazy Lehua. The house was everything I thought it would be and more...it really exceeded our expectations! The decor was beautiful, the entire place was very clean, and the owner thought of every little detail, so we didn't find ourselves running to the store for things. Best of all, the price was incredibly reasonable considering all the perks (privacy, a full kitchen, free fruit and coffee, the jacuzzi tub, etc). We really enjoyed having coffee out on the lanai each morning. And the bed was incredibly comfy and warm! During our stay (October) the weather was very comfortable. It only rained a few times during the night and the temperature was ranged from the 70s during the day to the 50s at night. When it did get a bit chilly, the propane fireplaces warmed the whole place right up. My only suggestion would be to supply a few more towels for guests staying for an extended period. We found that things tended to stay quite damp because of the surrounding jungle (although we did utilize the drying rack and fan upstairs to speed up the drying process). As for suggestions in the area, we recommed guests drive to South Point and hike out to the Green Sand Beach. It was just beautiful and totally worth the hike! Be warned though, we definitely need 4 wheel drive to get there and plenty of water. For food in the Volcano area, we highly suggest the Kilauea Lodge for breakfast and Kiawe Kitchen for dinner. Thanks for providing such a lovely place! We hope to return one day! :-)

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, adventure seekers, age 55+.

Lazy Lehua - lovely, relaxing, comfortable, exotic spot

Guest: outdoor diva (Evergreen, Colorado)
Date of Stay: 08/10/10 Review Submitted: 09/04/10

We would highly recommend the LL - if you are traveling to the Big Island, find a way to make a visit here fit into your schedule. This was truly one of the nicest properties we have ever rented. The owners have provided every little touch that makes it a wonderful place to feel like you are at home - only better! The decor is funky, unique, and fun, but not overdone. We stayed here with our 2 daughters (12 & 14) on a 3-day visit to Volcano. We wished we had more time, so we could take a day just to relax at the cottage. I did a great training run in the early morning around the neighborhood. The kitchen is well-appointed, and we prepared several meals here; however the Thai restaurant and the little bakery in town are fantastic. The cottage is immaculate and description and photos are accurate. The owner sent us lots of information in advance to help us plan our visit. We explored HVNP and did some great hikes - do not miss the dark side of the Thurston Lava Tube (but don't forget headlamps!). On the way to Hilo, we went to the tide pools and that was amazing! Our favorite things we did on the Big Island were snorkeling on the Kona side (esp Place of Refuge and at Hapuna Beach), and our time in Volcano. We loved the Hilo farmers market and the walk down the steep road into the Waipio Valley. If you head up that way, be sure to stop in Honokaa for lunch. If you are planning on snorkeling a lot, rather than renting just go to Walmart and buy your snorkel set - then you don't have to worry about turning it in at a certain time and you can explore the beaches spontaneously. We loved the resident kitty at Lazy Lehua and called her "Mahalo"!

Owner response:Outdoor Diva :) Love your awesome reveiw. Thank you so much! So glad you and your family enjoyed the Lazy Lehua Cottage. And that little resident kitty...she belongs to a neighbor but loves any and all the attention she can get from our guests. Great idea on snorkel gear, WalMart on both Kailua-Kona and Hilo sides of the island is good for those things forgotten at home, lost in the ocean (my husbands glasses), or last minute items on the fly. Mahalo, Joyce

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