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LOOK! Kai Cottage coastal getaway in Pauka'a!

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Kai Cottage, ocean view cottage near Honolii Surf Beach
Kai Cottage in the coastal neighborhood of Pauka'a
Terrace/patio
Property grounds
Living area

Reviews

8.4 out of 10
Very good
2 bedrooms1+ bathroomSleeps 4

Popular amenities

  • Onsite parking available
  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Deck or patio
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Balcony or patio

Explore the area

View in a map
Hilo, HI
  • Place, Honoli'i Beach Park
    ‪17 min walk‬
  • Place, Rainbow Falls
    ‪9 min drive‬
  • Place, Port of Hilo
    ‪11 min drive‬
  • Airport, Hilo, HI (ITO-Hilo Intl.)
    ‪12 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

1 bathroom, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bathroom 2

Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

About this property

LOOK! Kai Cottage coastal getaway in Pauka'a!

Kai Cottage in the quiet Pauka'a neighborhood a few minutes drive north of downtown Hilo is the perfect vacation spot for exploring Hilo, Volcano and the eastern coast of Hawaii Island. This plantation era cottage, built in 1966, is designed to take advantage of coastal trade winds by sitting up off the ground and boasting ventilation windows and ceiling fans. There are nice ocean views across the street from the front lanai. Kai Cottage has two bedrooms, each with a queen sized bed. There is one full bathroom with a combination bathtub and shower located between the two bedrooms, plus a half bathroom ensuite with the larger bedroom. We host up to 4 guests.

The kitchen has a bar height table to seat 4 people comfortably. We have cookware and dishes for most cooking adventures! Enjoy lounging in the living room with a full view of the ocean across the street or on the small front lanai. If you're an early riser the sunrise can be extraordinary here! There is a TV for streaming your own accounts and WiFi is free.

From our location take advantage of the sites of historic Hilo Town like Rainbow Falls, Imiloa Planetarium, Hilo Farmer's Market, and soooo many great restaurants and lovely shops. Downtown Hilo is just a five minute drive from Kai Cottage. Every visitor to Hawaii Island must check out Volcanoes National Park which is a nice half or full day experience. To the north of Kai Cottage is the historic Hamakua Corridor. Visit Akaka Falls, try a cow cuddling experience, or a vanilla farm tour!

Book with confidence—this is a licensed, legal vacation rental managed by professionals with decades of local experience. Always double check that you are booking a place that is operating legally in Hawaii - no surprises, just aloha!
STVR: 19-365316
NUC: 19-1823
TA-021-648-2304-01
Our prices include all fees. No hidden fees.

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About the area

Hilo

Located in Hilo, this cottage is by the sea. Mokupapapa Discovery Center and Palace Theater are local landmarks, and some of the area's activities can be experienced at Port of Hilo and Naniloa Country Club. Pacific Tsunami Museum and East Hawaii Cultural Center are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with scuba diving and snorkelling nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking/biking trails and cycling.
View more Cottages in HiloOpens in a new window
Map
Hilo, HI

What's nearby

  • Honoli'i Beach Park - 17 min walk - 1.5 km
  • University of Hawaii at Hilo - 8 min drive - 7.2 km
  • Rainbow Falls - 9 min drive - 6.9 km
  • Port of Hilo - 11 min drive - 8.7 km
  • Carlsmith Beach Park - 16 min drive - 11.8 km

Getting around

  • Hilo, HI (ITO-Hilo Intl.) - 13 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Kozmic Cones - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Cafe Pesto Hilo Bay - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪The Temple Bar - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Puka Puka Kitchen - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪The Booch Bar - ‬4 min drive

Reviews

8.4

Very good

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. 4 out of 8 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 3 out of 8 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 8 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 8 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 8 reviews

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Check-in

9.6/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

9.0/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Oceans E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We had a great stay!
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 27 Apr 2026
We're so glad :-) Come stay again, anytime! Warmest Aloha, The Salt Water Hawaii Crew Salt Water Real Estate, Hilo HI
Verified

10/10 Excellent

HV Y.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The host did a great job in accomodating our requests and was readily available when needed. The property itself is beautiful...someone did a beautiful job of stone masonry in the backyard. Would definitely stay here again
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 4 Mar 2026
Mahalo nui for your review and kind words about our services! Our guests are everything, and we are always happy to help in any way we can :-) We hope to host you again if your travels bring you back to Hilo. Warmest Aloha, The Salt Water Hawaii Crew Salt Water Real Estate, Hilo HI
Verified

8/10 Good

H V.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Good location, fit our needs, host responded promptly. Fresh avocado was bonus and much appreciated!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 14 Jan 2026
We're so glad you enjoyed your visit! Come back anytime :-) Warmest Aloha, The Salt Water Hawaii Crew Salt Water Real Estate, Hilo HI
From a partner site

2/10 Terrible

Lloyd & Bridget H.

Great view and location, otherwise not so much

Rating Details: The property manager was adequately helpful. The vacation rental was very dirty. I was very happy with the location. I was very dissatisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I do not recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: The online pictures and reviews were not what we found upon entering the cottage for the first time. It was not clean or well maintained. We took our shoes off as we do at our home in CO. My white socks that I wore before unpacking my slippers were totally black on the bottoms. Our guest relations contact responded in a timely manner to our texts.
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Feb 2026
It is super unfortunate that you were here during the volcanic eruption that sent tephra and ash into the air and all over the houses we manage. Floors everywhere were dusty and we're sorry this affected your socks and your impression of cleanliness. All of our managed properties are professionally cleaned and inspected - and we offered to come over and redo the floors for you. We hope prospective guests will read other reviews because the house is comfortable and we keep it very clean - it's just an old beach house with soft vibes and lovely views. We hope we communicate this well and encourage folks who want to relax in a nice Hilo neighborhood to book Kai Cottage. Warm Aloha, The Salt Water Hawaii Crew
From a partner site

8/10 Good

Oleksandr L.

It’s alright

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was more than satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Cosy little cottage. There’s no A/C, only fans - but it was alright (we didn’t stay in during the day). There’s no dishwasher, but it’s fine if you don’t cook and eat a lot at the cottage. The furniture is old, but it works. What I’d suggest is to put clear labels on all the light switches or write instructions, because it’s confusing: what switch is for what fixture or outlets, plus the remotes and fans - we ended up flipping switches to get lights where we wanted them and still didn’t figure it all out.
Response from VrboOwner on 17 Dec 2025
Mahalo for your review, and for the suggestion about labeling switches. We are always grateful for tips from guests on how we can improve :-) We hope we can host you again next time you visit Hilo! Warmest Aloha, The Salt Water Hawaii Reservations Crew Salt Water Real Estate, Hilo HI
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Paleah M.

Perfect location, comfortable stay!

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was very satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Our family of four had the best time at this cute spot. Honoli'i beach is just around the corner! Quiet and peaceful neighborhood. The house is well appointed with extra linens, beach towels, a well stocked pantry and fridge with all the basics for home cooking. The washer and dryer helped so much too. The frogs are loud at night but we LOVED it - our own white noise spa soundtrack. We would definitely stay here again.
Response from VrboOwner on 20 Apr 2025
Mahalo nui for your review, Lauren! We are so happy that you enjoyed your visit and the conveniences that Kai Cottage provides. Come stay again, anytime! Warmest Aloha, The Salt Water Hawaii Vacations Crew Salt Water Real Estate, Hilo HI
From a partner site

8/10 Good

Samantha T.

July Vacay

Rating Details: The property manager was very helpful. The vacation rental was spotless. I was very happy with the location. I was satisfied with the condition of the vacation rental. Overall, I recommend this vacation rental. Reviewer Comments: Absolutely beautiful location - just minutes away from the most wonderful pebbly sand beach, Honoli'i Beach Park, where you can also play in a lagoon undearneath the Hawai'i Belt Rd bridge. You can see the ocean waves from the lanai and you really feel nestled into the forest. The house was super cute and well laid out. Cons include a lack of attention to detail of the house - cheap curtains don't do much against the morning sun, the front screen door was broken, and there weren't ceiling fans and the floor fans didn't do much to circulate the air unless pointed directly at you.
Response from VrboOwner on 23 Aug 2025
Mahalo for your review! I've alerted our maintenance team about the screen door, and we will let the owner know of your suggestions regarding blackout curtains and ceiling fans. We are so happy that you enjoyed your stay, and we hope we can host you again next time you visit Hilo! Warmest Aloha, The Salt Water Hawaii Reservations Crew Salt Water Real Estate, Hilo HI
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Karl W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2025
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