Tropical Paradise at the Oceanview Banyan House with wraparound lanais

Tucked away in nature the Banyan House is one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever been. The sounds of nature are extremely soothing from day to night. The house itself is gorgeous. From the outdoor shower and beautiful lanais to the koa slab that serves as a centerpiece for the kitchen, the home is wonderful and well thought out. I would definitely stay here again.

Four of us stayed at the Banyan House for 6 days around New Years 2018. It's exactly the remote get-away place we were looking for, and we had a great time! If the volcano figures prominently in your plans, however, you'll be doing a lot of driving (5 hours round trip, not including any driving/hiking between sites at the volcano). The house itself is beautiful and well maintained. One of us, who owned a restaurant, points out the kitchen is well stocked with pots, pans, and utensils. We all appreciated the jungle feel. You will hear the ocean, birds, and cattle as you go to sleep and wake up (a plus for us, perhaps not for you). You will find geckos and spiders going about their business on the lanai. It's a 10 minute drive into Hawi for markets and a few shops and restaurants, or the farmers market. Even though you can hear it clearly, it's a 20 minute walk from the house to a place to sit and look at the ocean (Keokea Beach Park). That is not a place you'd want to go in the water due to rocks and surf. The best swimming beaches are a 45-minute drive towards Kona.

A few words on the layout: the downstairs has a kitchen/den great room, with bar stool seating at the kitchen island. A dining table and sitting area is on the lanai that wraps around the kitchen, though we didn't eat out there due to mosquito concerns. There is also an outdoor grill. A half-bath is on this floor, as is an outdoor (but private) shower. Some of us appreciated the novelty of taking a hot shower outdoors in a rainstorm. Others were less thrilled with the novelty at night when there wasn't enough light to tell if any wildlife was in the shower with you. Upstairs are two bedrooms and a full bath, plus a screened-in part of the lanai with a futon couch (with doors providing full privacy) that can act as a third bedroom. Note that all bedrooms are on the upper floor with one bathroom. If someone sleeps in the lanai area, they have to go through the upstairs bathroom or one of the bedrooms to get into the house. There is a smaller house for rent that shares a front porch, a screened in sitting area, and a laundry room between the two houses. The two houses do not share any walls, and we never heard or saw the other guests.

Overall, this was a perfect place for several people to relax in nature and hang out, with an occasional visit to a quiet one-street town.

We had a great week -- with the extended family. Sunrise at Pololu Valley, lazy relaxing on the two lanais, drives to great beaches at Mauna Kea, Hapuna and Mile 69, helicopter trip from Hilo to the volcano, more lazy relaxing back a Banyan House watching amazing birds. Fabulous week -- thank you so much!

Great location however too dark inside, needs more lighting and prehaps walls painted light color, seating not conducive for watching movies. We liked the remote location, quiet with the birds singing in am. Not much fruit available as stated In property description.

My wife and I and our young adult son had a cozy and relaxed stay in this spacious, quiet and well built home with territorial and ocean views from the large covered decks. I enjoyed night time fresh air lounging/reading in the screened outdoor sleeping room and morning/evening meals on the decks and the outdoor shower. Practically at the end of the road, you can hike down to the beach at the end and be back before the island viewing crowds begin showing up. It's a nice family run spot and Mike the neighbor/builder and manager Erin are both friendly & helpful.

-Denny