Serene and beautiful

Guest: Don M.
Date of Stay: 01/15/12 Review Submitted: 02/05/12

This was my second stay at Hale Kai, and it certainly won't be my last. If you like crowds, traffic, and congestion, this house is not for you, but if you enjoy peace and quiet, privacy and relaxation, and nature's beauty, check it out, and I know you won't be disappointed. The house is literally on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and you fall asleep each night listening to the waves. On the most recent trip, we saw many whales close to shore. Nice sunsets too. The house is on the end of the road, so traffic is minimal, and privacy is ensured. The location allows access to other Big Island sites (e.g. Volcanos National Park, Waipio Valley) with reasonable-length day trips. It's also fully equipped with most anything you might ever need, and overall space is more than ample. That includes a lanai/porch around the entire house. My two trips were two of the best vacations I've ever had: Seriously. No exaggeration.

Owner response:We love having repeat guests like Don and his family come and and stay with us! We know its a good match and feel so happy when our hard work at making Hale Kai an incredible rental pays off for our guests. He loves it as much as we do!

Recommended for:

There are NO words.....

Guest: Don N Deb (Camarillo,CA)
Date of Stay: 10/18/11 Review Submitted: 10/28/11

10-18-11---10-28-11 There are NO words... Jamie,Mike & Robert, We sit here sadly with bags packed and ready to step out the door for the final time. There are no words that explain how grateful we are to you for allowing us to stay at Hale Kai. As many have said I am sure. We didnt want to leave. You may want to look around. We MAY still be in a closet or some where. : ) To walk out front while heading out and about and be met by a guy on a bycycle. Then he says my name is Robert. What a joy to meet and for him to take the time a couple days later and take us down to the village with the kayaks then take us over to Honomalino Bay & snorkeling What MORE could anyone ask for. Thank you Robert. Sorry about zipping away in the Kayak on the way back. We have GOT to get a place here before they are snatched up. What a joy Milolii Lots are to be in. Until then? We hope to be back. Either 2012 or 2013 latest. We wish you SO much Aloha and Mahalo again for allowing us into your home. Much love Don & Debbie

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

Wonderful week!

Guest: PJS927 (Phoenix, Az)
Date of Stay: 06/04/09 Review Submitted: 06/17/09

We had a great vacation at Hale Kai the week of June 4th through the 12th. There were 5 of us in our party including our 10 year old daughter. We arrived to find Robert, one of the owners, to greet us and show us around. He was very accommodating and friendly and offered his help with any problems or questions we might have about the house, area or things to do. The house is situated on a cliff above the ocean which provides for great views of the water from the balcony, we actually saw some dolphins, many fish and a shark. We spent the week experiencing the activities that were on the house "Top 10 list" and we really enjoyed all of them. We hiked to the beach closest to the house (Honomalino) which is a pretty good hike over slightly rough terrain (20 min.) but worth it as we excountered the Spinner dolphins who swam with us! We also hiked to another beach that was recommended (Makalawena) but we preferred Honomolino as it had calmer waters and a much shorter and less strenuous hike! The house is clean, well stocked and has everything you need, but be sure to buy groceries before you head out to the property because the nearest grocery is a 30-40 min. drive into Oceanside or back into Kona. We had a lovely time, felt very relaxed and appreciate the opportunity to share this home.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/01/09 Review Submitted: 04/08/09

This is the best equiped vacation house I have ever rented, right down to the spices. The beds are very comfortable. Robert and Danielle are the best features of all. So helpful and informative, and NICE.

Recommended for:

Snorkle, Kayak, Swim!

Guest: Nancy I. (Reno, NV)
Date of Stay: 09/15/08 Review Submitted: 03/11/09

While in Milolii we had some wonderful experiences. One afternoon, while some of the adults were diving from the house, the younger kids and I wandered south along the shore. We had a spectacular time as they explored the lava structures, collected coral and shells up on the cliff, and discovered huge blow holes where the ocean surges up through old lava tubes onto the cliff top. When we arrived at the beach, it was deserted. The kids played in the surf and I discovered a sea cave. All of the children were able to swim into the cave. It was wild with the surf surging in and out! At the back of the cave there was an opening to the lava surface above, so with a bit of climbing, everyone made it out through the top. Quite an adventure, without even getting into a car! For a more serious expedition we loaded up gear and children, including a 2-year-old, in sea kayaks and headed south for a two night campout on the Kona Sea. It wasn't too far to the secluded beach where we set up tents under the light of a full moon. Days were spent snorkling and discovering gorgeous ocean life, swimming through deep underwater lava tubes and arches, and even examining a shy shark hiding in an ocean cave. Most magical was the morning swim, when a pod of six dolphins appeared, swimming in large circles around us. There were 3 "teens", a mother dolphin, an auntie and a nursing baby, swimming in smaller and smaller circles until they were just skimming along beyond our fingertips. The baby leaped into the air and spun next to one of our littlest children. What a gift to have my whole family there to share in that once in a lifetime trip.

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

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Nancy I. (Reno, NV)
Date of Stay: 03/01/09 Review Submitted: 03/11/09

While in Milolii we had some wonderful experiences. One afternoon, while some of the adults were diving from the house, the younger kids and I wandered south along the shore. We had a spectacular time as they explored the lava structures, collected coral and shells up on the cliff, and discovered huge blow holes where the ocean surges up through old lava tubes onto the cliff top. When we arrived at the beach, it was deserted. The kids played in the surf and I discovered a sea cave. All of the children were able to swim into the cave. It was wild with the surf surging in and out! At the back of the cave there was an opening to the lava surface above, so with a bit of climbing, everyone made it out through the top. Quite an adventure, without even getting into a car! For a more serious expedition we loaded up gear and children, including a 2-year-old, in sea kayaks and headed south for a two night campout on the Kona Sea. It wasn't too far to the secluded beach where we set up tents under the light of a full moon. Days were spent snorkling and discovering gorgeous ocean life, swimming through deep underwater lava tubes and arches, and even examining a shy shark hiding in an ocean cave. Most magical was the morning swim, when a pod of six dolphins appeared, swimming in large circles around us. There were 3 "teens", a mother dolphin, an auntie and a nursing baby, swimming in smaller and smaller circles until they were just skimming along beyond our fingertips. The baby leaped into the air and spun next to one of our littlest children. What a gift to have my whole family there to share in that once in a lifetime trip.

Recommended for:

The perfect vacation.

Guest: Donna from Texas (Aledo, TX)
Date of Stay: 07/24/08 Review Submitted: 08/04/08

What a wonderful place to stay. This house if stocked with everything you need to make yourself at home. The wonderful view of the ocean and cliffs are an ideal way to relax. Even though it is not very close to a beach, I highly recommend this property. We swam with the dolphins at the beach just past Milolii, hiked the lava cliffs, visted the volcanos, swam with sea turtles and generally had the time of our life. Thanks for a great vacation!

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

Awesome Stay at Hale Kai

Guest: BobSue (Anchorage Ak)
Date of Stay: 06/19/08 Review Submitted: 07/03/08

Mike & Robert, Wow! THis place was beautiful. It was everything we expected and more. The housekeeper was very helpful and had the house in perfect shape. We could not have had a better couple days. I am almost afraid to tell people how wonderful it is so the price doesn’t go up or it is not always booked! After 4 days in the heat in Honolulu with more people each day than we see in Alaska in 10 years we were ready to get off by ourselves and your place was perfect. I can not image it could have been any better. Our boys loved the place from the sea kayaks to climbing on the rocks around the water. The first time we kayaked to Honomalina Beach (myself and 3 of our sons) there was only one other couple on the beach. We saw several fins in the water and decided to explore. When we got out in the bay we were surrounded by 10-12 dolphins which was incredible. We were a little nervous but my 15 year old decided to get in the water with the mask and fins and try to get a couple underwater pictures. We were blown away when he popped back out and shouted there must be 50 dolphins swimming below us. I hopped in and saw the same thing. It was probably closer to 40 but it was incredible. We were surrounded. We spend a couple hours in the water with them. Unfortunately we ran out of film in our camera in about 10 pictures. That was a highlight we will never forget. The next couple days we had a great time snorkeling and looking at the fish. Sitting on the porches and taking in the ocean was incredible as well. I wish we could have stayed longer so we could have just enjoyed hanging out a little more. My olny suggestion is to get a map outlining the beaches and places to access the water with the kayaks in the area We spent time figuring it out and were not sure where we could go. We would have felt more comfortable knowing we were in the right places. Bottom line we were a little nervous not wanting to upset any of the locals. The directions and information provided by the owners was very helpful.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

EXCELLENT

Guest: Happy 26 anniversary couple (Shelton, WA)
Date of Stay: 05/04/08 Review Submitted: 05/27/08

The house is fantastic. The location was great and the view awesome. Very comfortable house. I wish we could have stayed longer to enjoy it.

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

Hawaiian haven

Guest: MarknCarla (USA)
Date of Stay: 03/22/08 Review Submitted: 04/16/08

Robert and Mike, Thanks for building such a fabulous house and double thanks for letting us stay there. The art work, color, tile, and detail are tremendous. it is such a comfortable and beautiful Hawaiian haven. Well Done! We had a fantastic stay at Hale Kai. We're already eagerly planning our return visit! Mahalo, Mark, Carla, and the boys

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