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Oceanfront Cottage in Scenic 'Old Hawaii' - Off-Grid, solar-powered property.

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View from Front Porch. Amazing view of the ocean. No other rentals compare.
View of front of Cottage, Porch.
Front porch.
View from front porch.
Front Porch

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 4

Popular amenities

  • Onsite parking available
  • Kitchen
  • Deck or patio
  • Balcony or patio
  • Living area
  • Refrigerator

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only · Outdoor shower

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Outdoor shower
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Oceanfront Cottage in Scenic 'Old Hawaii' - Off-Grid, solar-powered property.

The Original Rainbow Dreams Cottage - with a spectacular oceanfront view - is the only vacation rental so close to the ocean on the scenic Old Red Road (Rural Route 137) in the small village of Opihikao. The cottage is Off-Grid with limited (ATT & Cricket) only cell service.

Situated on the beautiful Puna Coast of the Big Island amidst a majestic 'king's-grove' of coconut palms, the cottage faces directly on the Pacific Ocean with stunning, 180-degree views framed thru palms and native, mahogany trees. Set within a tropical garden planted with over 100 coconut palms, exotic fruits and the fragrance of tropical flowers, this cottage is simply the best rental in the area.

Inside this private home is a new kitchen and bathroom with tropical decor and vintage koa wood, mahogany and bamboo furnishings. The cottage is set up with everything you need - a well-appointed kitchen, one full bath, an extra outside shower for washing off after the beach, and two bedrooms with queen beds and plenty of closet space. All rooms have windows to let the natural trade-winds in, and there is a front porch and a screened lanai on the side to enjoy the balmy air.

Rainbow Dreams Cottage is the perfect eco-retreat, where you can really get away from it all. We are entirely solar-powered, so alternative energy serves your needs with a few limitations to this rental. Because we are off the grid, there is limited cell service (2 bars) and no WiFi - just the beauty and the power of nature, and the sights and sounds of the ocean. Also, we have catchment water from the rain, so we advise using bottled water, or free Pahoa town water available at roadside taps, for cooking and drinking. Full-grid services are just minutes away, up the road or in the nearby town of Pahoa.

With a direct view of the ocean, you may spend your whole vacation simply gazing at the waves, yet the cottage is the perfect base for exploring the unique nature and culture of the Big Island. All along the coast in the Puna District, you will discover special places to explore, from scenic parks to sheltered coves. Three miles from the cottage is exotic Kehena Black Sand Beach, and two miles in the other direction is MacKenzie State Park, where steep lava cliffs form a rugged shore.

Hilo is the largest town on the Big Island with a quaint Old Town that features historic architecture, specialty shops, many restaurants, and nearby attractions, including Rainbow Falls, Banyan Drive, Lili'uokalani Gardens, and the "singing bridge' across the Wailuku River, to name a few.

Volcanoes National Park, is a major attraction, and the improved Saddle Road in between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea Mountains is both scenic and convenient, connecting between our cottage and the Kona side of the island in a 2.5-hour drive.
Our prices include all fees. No hidden fees.

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About the area

Pahoa

Located in Pahoa, this cottage is on the waterfront. Mackenzie State Park and Pohoiki reflect the area's natural beauty and area attractions include SPACE Seaview Performing Arts Center and Hobby Garden Hawaii. Hiʻiaka's Healing Hawaiian Herb Garden and Fuku-Bonsai Cultural Center are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with kayaking and scuba diving nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with horse riding and cave exploring.
Map
Pahoa, HI

What's nearby

  • Mackenzie State Park - 2 min drive - 2.7 km
  • Kehena Beach - 7 min drive - 7.6 km
  • SPACE Seaview Performing Arts Center - 7 min drive - 7.2 km
  • Isaac Hale Beach Park - 10 min drive - 6.5 km
  • Pohoiki Beach - 10 min drive - 6.5 km

Getting around

  • Hilo, HI (ITO-Hilo Intl.) - 60 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪The Jokers Hideout - ‬31 min drive
  • Uncle Dexter's Margaritaville
  • ‪On The Go Food Truck - ‬28 min drive
  • ‪paradise - ‬24 min drive
  • ‪Luquin's - ‬31 min drive

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 162 out of 175 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 11 out of 175 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 175 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 175 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 175 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Amenities

10/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Bruce S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
great place across from the ocean
Stayed 8 nights in Apr 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Lisa B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Wonderful place!
Stayed 9 nights in Apr 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jimmy H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy
Disliked: Location
The place was amazing,the view was amazing,needs more towels for guests that stay more than 1 or 2 daysI would definitely recommend the place thoughIt’s a perfect place to unwind and just watch the waves
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Susan S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy
This is our fourth stay in this ohana and it has been a uniformly wonderful experience.
Stayed 10 nights in Feb 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Steven K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This is a beautiful one of a kind Hawaiian off-grid property experience, with breathtaking views of the sea! We enjoyed our stay, thank you. Steven and Mary King
Stayed 9 nights in Mar 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Barbara B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Location is perfect. Host is friendly and helpful but not intrusive. House is tastefully decorated and supplied with everything you might need. Perfect off grid location for a relaxing Puna vacation. We will return and recommend this house to others
Sunrise
View of the cottage from the historic Red Road
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

William G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Rainbow dreams is a wonderful cottage. It is the place where you can genuinely feel aloha.The cottage is pretty and well equipped.The setting can’t be beat. You can go across the road and sit by the shore and see all kinds of wildlife or you can sit up in a screened in porch and just relax the day away.
Stayed 10 nights in Feb 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Phillip P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
A very unique and wonderful location.
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

John H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
It was amazing, everything we expected and more. Was very peaceful. We cant wait to stay again.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Alan H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Such an amazing, relaxing place. Still just as charming as our first visit. We’ll be back soon!
The sunrise from the front porch.
Stayed 5 nights in Nov 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Richard T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
It was beautiful and quiet. Having no WiFi was a plus. We saw turtles and dolphins while sitting on the beach across the quiet street. The location was amazing - loved it.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

Terry W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Lovely location! The cottage was very comfy. I would recommend more lighting in the kitchen and a microwave.It was fun exploring this side of Island. Mahalo
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 2 Nov 2025
Thank you for your comments and suggestions. We’ll look at more lighting in the kitchen, however, the solar system wouldn’t support a microwave oven. That’s just a limitation of being off grid.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

MARGARET B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Perfect in every way.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jacqueline W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Rainbow Cottage

We had an amazing stay. Lovely hosts and adorable cottage. It was located at the best location and had such charm! Would highly recommend!!
Stayed 5 nights in May 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

Carol T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Hard the pleasure of meeting one of the owners, David. He was very nice and provided some great recommendations. The view of the ocean and the sound of the waves was incredible. There is a lot to love about this place. To get disconnected requires a few considerations, you need to bring in your own drinkable water. There is water for showers and the such but no drinkable, cooking water. WiFi here is negligible and there is no TV. Lastly the home is on solar which i love but it can be impactful and overnight charging is discouraged. Overall we loved our stay and as long as you know what to expect it is an amazing stay.
View from the Lanai
Early morning view from the Lanai
View of the moon rise at the ocean directly in front of the home.  Beautiful!
Stayed 6 nights in Jan 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

david m.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Dream cottage

Perfect hawaii
Stayed 14 nights in May 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Gerhard D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

We loved every day of our stay.

This was our second stay at this beautiful property in a stunning location. We hope to return again.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Gordon F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Second stay!

When you want to come back agai n afrer staying at Rainbow cottage twice that says alot! Beautiful cottage and a perfect escape!
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Pam R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Celebration

This was an ideal vacation stay to shut out the world. It is the best vacation i have had. The house is amazing.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Larry S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Anniversary Trip

Calm, peaceful stay at the perfect location to celebrate our anniversary.
Stayed 6 nights in Oct 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

tanya m.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful cottage...beautiful setting...enjoyed every minute there

Clean private well appointed...porch has an close up ocean view...kitchen dining room too.. the sounds of the ocean waves truly lulled us tp rest and sleep on between our adventures.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Laurie E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

It is awesome.

We enjoyed our stay
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Karen S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Absolutely stunning house and view

This is an amazing off grid property, it is the most relaxing place we have ever stayed. To just sit on lanai and watch the water is the best. Super clean and hosts are very welcoming.
Stayed 10 nights in Jan 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Oliver H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This was such a fantastic off-grid getaway. If you enjoy the sound of crashing waves against the rocky cliffs 24/7, living in the jungle with fresh fruit trees and coconut trees, and hearing the sound of evening rain showers from the topical climate, then this is the place for you. My fiancé and I booked this 9 months in advance to go visit the Volcanoes National park (which is less than 45min away) and got to see Kilauea erupting!Also, booking well in advance will save you money as most hotels in the local area cost more than this vacation rental.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Karen S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A very beautiful home, so relaxing and wonderful

This is an amazing house, 2nd time staying here, absolutely love this place, just across from ocean, great views and can go to sleep with sound of the ocean
Stayed 6 nights in Oct 2024
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