Vacation Rentals by Owner

A Great Find!

Guest: Ken M. (Lancaster, PA)
Date of Stay: 03/12/12 Review Submitted: 03/21/12

Hale Kai is a spacious clean well-stuctured house on the edge of the town of Milolii. There is a fishing point right outside of the house and every bedroom has an ocean view. Also, the house is well-designed: the bedrooms afforded us privacy, but the living room was a great gathering place for socializing. We are happy that we stopped at a supermarket before arrival because the nearest store is miles away. We found everything we needed at Hale Kai. We had a sense of privacy, yet never felt too isolated. The scenery around the house is amazing. The house is surrounded by lava, and we enjoyed looking at the sunset from the lanai every evening. We will definitely be back!

Owner response:We feel the same way whenever we get to go over and enjoy Hale Kai. It makes us happy that folks enjoy the magic of being that close to the ocean. It truly is an amazing place! -Mike

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A Great Find!

Guest: Ken M. (Lancaster, PA)
Date of Stay: 03/12/12 Review Submitted: 03/21/12

Hale Kai is a spacious clean well-stuctured house on the edge of the town of Milolii. There is a fishing point right outside of the house and every bedroom has an ocean view. Also, the house is well-designed: the bedrooms afforded us privacy, but the living room was a great gathering place for socializing. We are happy that we stopped at a supermarket before arrival because the nearest store is miles away. We found everything we needed at Hale Kai. We had a sense of privacy, yet never felt too isolated. The scenery around the house is amazing. The house is surrounded by lava, and we enjoyed looking at the sunset from the lanai every evening. We will definitely be back!

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

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!

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

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:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/01/09 Review Submitted: 04/07/09

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.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Nancy I. (Reno, NV)
Date of Stay: 03/01/09 Review Submitted: 03/10/09

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.

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

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

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:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

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

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

Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/01/07 Review Submitted: 10/13/07

Hale Kai is quite simply amazing. Between the luxurious house and the ocean front location, the week we spent on the Big Island was the perfect vacation. Every morning I would start my day kayaking or snorkeling right in front of the house. The house rental includes 3 kayaks and snorkeling gear for 6. This saved a lot of money on renting or buying equipment. The house itself has everything you could ever want (satellite radio + t.v., grill, coolers, full kitchen, washer + dryer, garage) and falling asleep to the sound of ocean waves every night is worth the cost. This was a once in a lifetime experience. Feel free to contact me if you want any more info.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/01/07 Review Submitted: 10/04/07

We recently spent almost two weeks at "Hale Kai." We wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, demanding jobs and just enjoying being together without any outside distractions. We didn't know until we got to the house just how perfect it would be for us. There are very few people and hardly any traffic. Just peace and quiet. All the amenities you could want are included. The ocean is literally 20 feet from the edge of the house and the "sandy beach," complete with palm trees and an outdoor shower is perfect for sunbathing, drinking pina colodas and watching the sun go down. The wraparound deck has a great view from every side. We really felt relaxed, rejuvenated and look forward to our next visit. Thank you for everything.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/01/07 Review Submitted: 08/24/07

We stayed at this beautiful house in August 07. Everything was over the top. The great view and sunsets, the comfort of the memory foam beds, the cool breezes, the great sleeping with the waves crashing on the lava below,the extremely well equipped kitchen with all of the basic condiments, great tv and sound system, we didn't use the kayaks, but we will next time. We really didn't want to leave. We will be back. Thanks also for your suggestions on shopping and fishing charter. That turned out great also. We baked the ono we caught as Captain Ray suggested , it was delicous. We really enjoyed the house, it was exactly as pictured and described. Thanks Byron and Flo

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 03/01/07 Review Submitted: 03/22/07

We've just returned from spending a month at Hale Kai. The setting is breathtaking. Being so close to the breaking waves is awe-inspiring. The house is very well designed and comfortable!! The owners have furnished it beautifully, including lots of Hawaiian artwork. We found many, many activities to engage in - never a dull moment, including sitting on the lanai watching the ocean and looking for passing whales. We were sad to leave and hope to return soon!!

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 01/01/07 Review Submitted: 01/30/07

Christmas at Hale Kai is an indelible and cherished memory that our entire family will never forget. The spaciousness, decor, and comfort of this beautiful home well accommodates the diverse interests and needs of a multi generational family. Leisurely meals on the lanai, whale watching, snorkeling, and kayaking are but a few of the highlights that marked our stay. The hospitality and responsiveness of Hale Kai's talented owner were delightful. Being lulled to sleep by the nearby surf was a perfect way to end each day. We truly were very relaxed and peaceful at this outstanding 'Home by the Sea'. Ray and Lynn Biggs

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 12/01/06 Review Submitted: 12/17/06

Absolutely the best vacation house and location I have ever stayed. I felt like I was on the bow of a ship over the ocean for days on end....without the seasickness. I literally felt like I could of jumped off the deck (during one of the many spectacular sunset barbeques we had) on to a passing hump back whale. THEY WERE THAT CLOSE. From each room you actually look down on the water as the warm tropic breeze blows thru the open windows all night with only the sound of ocean waves on the shore. The brand new house is beautifully decorated and furnished with everything you could ever need.

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Guest: Johnathon and Jeanne Truwitt
Date of Stay: 07/26/06 Review Submitted: 07/25/06

Hot Kona Coffee on the deck overlooking the lava cliff with the sound of turquoise waves...now that's peace and tranquility! Thank you for hosting us at your beautiful home, offering both great local fun and convience to Hawaiian Volcanos National Park and Kona. Try to be home for sunset, wine, cheese and bread while the tranquility returns and the breeze refreshes.

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Guest: James Gamelli and Family
Date of Stay: 07/12/06 Review Submitted: 07/11/06

Beautiful House!! Sleeping and waking up with the ocean lapping against the rocks. The balcony is a wonderful place to watch the sunset. The beach sand is great. It is a very comfortable, tastfully decorated home...Thank you. We'd recommend vacationing at this house to anyone. The hammock is delightful. Take the walk to Honomolino Beach...it is worth it and the Volcanos is definitely a must! We saw dolphins and a turtles swim right by the house!

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