I just came back from my 3rd visit to Hawaii, first visit to Hilo and the Big Island. Myself, my husband, our 3 children (ages 13, 3 & 1), as well as my mother and grandmother stayed for 1 week from July 22nd - July 29th and we had a wonderful vacation. If you are coming to the island, expecting the hustle and bustle of Honolulu, then you have come to the wrong place. But, if you are seeking rest, relaxation and a real home away from your home, this is the place for you. We rented the house and the Ohana. My mother and my 13 year old daughter stayed in the Ohana. Myself and my husband took the master. My grandmother had her own room, and my 2 little ones shared a room. There was plenty of space for everyone to retreat to their own areas, when they were ready, yet there was so much space for us to come together as a family.
Each morning, we would drink coffee out on the lanai and look at the beautiful trees out back. Walk all the way out in the yard, and you will find orange trees and lime trees. Keep on looking and you will find avocado and starfruit. It was fun to walk around the property looking at all of the tropical fruits and vegetation. I got took some really beautiful photos out there too! We cooked something in the amazing kitchen almost every day. Make sure to open all of the drawers in the kitchen before heading to the store. You will find all the cooking and baking supplies you will ever need, appliances plus more. Open the drawer in the family room area, and you will find decks of cards and family board games. Go back in the laundry room and turn around- you will find a cooler, beach bags & towels, boogie boards and swim equipment. That laundry room even had laundry detergent, Oxiclean and some Resolve stain remover. I was really pleased with the quality of the sheets, and surprised at how cool and comfortable the house was, despite the fact that there is no air conditioning. All of the finishes were high end, from the main sink and garden sinks in the kitchen, the pull out drawers in the kitchen, the master bathroom's en suite who's shower could hold at least six people, and the fact that the Master took up the entire right "wing" of the home.
As you can see, our family had a phenomenal time. We travel a lot. We have stay in a variety of places across the world from Atlanta, Georgia to Stuttgart, Germany, from the Marriot to the Ritz, none will compare the home away from home that we found in the little city of Hilo:-)