I'm sorry but this place is a total dump! There is no hot water in the bathroom or kitchen, the…read moreshower is outside and has hot water but you can't adjust it while you were in the shower, you have to go outside to shower change the temperature go back in the shower which is around on the other side of a wall. Furthermore the room that I stayed in had a strippers pole in the middle of the room, an extension cord stretching across the room which is a safety hazard, and the worst bed I ever slept on! It must've been a 50 year old boxspring with a 4 inch foam topper. The final straw was the host gave me expired yogurt for breakfast. I checked out after the first night. The people who gave this place great reviews must've been staying in the other unit, otherwise this makes no sense. PS - no TV, no air conditioning, hard location to find on unpaved roads, and a long walk to the cabin from the parking area on the grass.

We stayed for a week here the beginning of February. We lost our home in the Lava Flow and were…read moreoff balance coming back to a different reality. The Enchanted Gardens turned out to be a nice place to stay. Off in the green hills but very close and convenient to Keaau, Pahoa, and even Hilo. Sherri is a beautiful welcoming host and she has gone out of way to make things homey. She did everything she could to make us feel comfortable. Yes it is rustic but that is the point. We don't expect sterile when we visit Hawaii. We want to experience and share the way others live there. Humble but warm and filled with Aloha! You make your visit what it turns out to be. We had a good time and would stay here again. Mahalo.

Our four-day stay at the Hilo Honu Inn was special - not just in the context of our week-long visit…read moreto The Big Island last week - but when compared to all vacations our family has ever taken. We booked the Samurai Room - with its Japanese themed furnishings and an unobstructed view of Hilo Bay from the sitting room. Our girls loved having their own room and separate beds, and my wife and I enjoyed restful sleep in the king-size bed, coquí frog chirps notwithstanding! We had our private parking spot, and all major attractions were a few minutes to half an hour away. Breakfast was a bowl of fresh fruit - lichee, mango, papaya, kiwi, grapefruit, melon - along with juices, lemon-infused water, tea, and fresh-brewed coffee, followed by something more filling, like banana-macadamia pancakes, quiche, French toast, or scrambled eggs and bacon. But the best part of breakfast was the conversation - with our hosts Gay and Koa - who we had all to ourselves for three of our four mornings. We talked for 2+ hours every day about Hawaiian flora and fauna, music, arts, history, language, and culture. Gay danced the hula for us and Koa played his favorite Hawaiian songs for us. They showed us their workshop - where they teach how to make feather leis, woodwork, ceremonial masks adorned with coyote teeth, traditional weapons made with tiger shark teeth, and countless other Hawaiian artifacts. I can go on and on, but that still won't do justice to what our stay meant to our family, so I'll share photos of what our girls wrote in their guestbook. Thank you Gay, Koa, and Hilo Honu Inn for a lifetimes worth of special memories. We will be back to stay with you next time we visit Hawai'i.

This was the best place I've ever stayed at!!! Gay and Koa, our hosts, made not only this stay but…read morealso my and my cousin's entire trip very special and memorable. They went several extra miles to make our stay comfortable. They were the definition of hospitality and made us feel very special. We stayed for a total of four nights. Every morning, Gay and Koa would make breakfast for us, which always included a generous bowl of fresh-cut tropical fruits and a glass of passion orange juice. The first day, we had scrambled eggs and bacon. The third day, we had macadamia nut and banana pancakes with Gay's homemade lilikoi syrup. The fourth day, Gay and Koa made us banana French toast. The second day, my cousin and I skipped breakfast because we were waking up early to go to Volcano National Park. Without being asked, Gay gave us an insulated bag to keep our food cold, made sure we had enough water, and gave us her homemade banana bread as an extra snack (which proved to be much needed during our hikes). I really appreciated her kindness and sincerity. On the days we did have breakfast with Gay and Koa, we talked for 1+ hours. I have learned so much about Hawaiian culture from them and feel so inspired by their passion to conserve Hawaiian culture, traditions, and natural environment. They gave us a tour of their workshop where they would koa woodworking and feather lei-making. They taught us about the history of the Hawaiian people and the meaning behind each of their artistic pieces. They also regaled us with stories about their lives, which were so interesting and riveting. As someone who loves to learn about different cultures and to listen to stories, I wish there had been more time in the day to just talk to Gay and Koa. They are a wealth of knowledge. My cousin and I agreed that staying and talking with Gay and Koa was the best part of our vacation! They treated us as if we were family, and I will miss them dearly.

Good selection of Hilo Vacation Rentals in town of Hilo (at Richardson beach in Hilo bay) and…read moreoceanfront houses south of town. All oceanfront or ocean view with beach access. The Richardson beach houses are called Beaches and Surfrider on the web site. Both are exceptionally well equipped with full kitchens, boogie boards, surf and snorkel equipment, wifi, BBQ's, game consoles, etc. Very clean and well maintained. Located in town and convenient to restaurants, shopping, attractions, and the best farmer's market in east Hawaii.

We just finished the sale of a property in Leilani Estates. Jared Gates and his team at Big Island…read moreHomes & Land handled everything for us and all was seamless from start to finish. In addition I would like to say that simply meeting Jared was a great experience and I'm going to miss being in touch with him from time to time. If you are looking to buy or sell on the Big Island eastside we would not hesitate a second to recommend Big Island, in fact you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't at least talk to them when deciding who to represent you. Tons of Aloha & Mahalo to Big Island Homes and Land!

Big Island repped me in a purchase of a home on the Big Island in 2019. My experience was…read morehassle-free and I will return to them for any future real estate services I might need -- buying or selling. I cannot recommend the folks at Big Island highly enough. I worked with Suzanne Paulsen, who is a God-send. She is both a consummate professional and a trustworthy confidant. She understood exactly what I was looking for and did not waste my time showing me homes that were not right. She anticipated my needs through the whole process, and always had my best interests at heart. I was continuously impressed by how well Suzanne knows the real estate market on the Big Island and how well connected she is. I highly, highly recommend anybody thinking of buying or selling property on the Big Island to call Suzanne at Big Island. It'll be the smartest move you'll ever make. She will be in your corner 100%! Just an incredible person, filled with Aloha!

I stayed at Loren's place when I first moved to Hilo several years ago. It's eclectic, clean and…read morehomey. The rooms are themed and fun. It was a great place to stay for a few weeks to get my feet settled on the island and also a great place to meet some people in the community. I would highly recommend!

If I could give 0 stars I would. We are staying in the jungle room paid $1200 for the month. They…read moregot our money and we get RATS BAD ELECTRIC & YELLED AT All because we asked for something to get rid of rats which my hubby had to screw in the wood at least 3 times to keep them out ....they then tried to kick my family out with no commendations....VASH had to step in a buy the toothbrushes the RATS chewed up .They could not even do that.....Balin is very passive aggressive and Loren just wants your money...Btw there is 6 year kid that will drive you nuts.

Hale Akule is a wonderfully quaint and amazing home. The space is light, bright, and airy. It comes…read morecompletely furnished, including a washer and dryer which makes it nice while on vacation. It has two bedrooms and one bath, as well as, a sleeper sofa and an air mattress, that we found convenient for our large family. The kitchen was well appointed and had everything we needed to stay in and cook meals, as well as an outdoor barbecue. It is located on the eastern shores of the Big Island of Hawaii. In a nice quiet, rural neighborhood complete with chickens and roosters. Our favorite thing about the rental, is that it has a covered lanai, that allows for enjoying nature and the beautiful half acre in which it sits on. We found a place we love, and we believe you will too. So the next time you're on the big island of Hawaii, stay here! You'll be glad you did, just as we were...

After much searching, my wife and I finally found (and agreed) upon this place, just off the beaten…read morepath between Hilo and Volcanoes National Park. We arrived to a wonderfully welcoming couple and a private ranch with stunning views of Mauna Kea. Our 'cabana' was wonderfully appointed and came stocked with some papaya in the refrigerator and Punalu'u Sweetbread in the cupboard. The private bathroom is nothing short of luxurious and the open dining lanai makes it a true Hawai'ian home. Our breakfasts were absolutely delicious featuring local fruits (some grown in the garden out back), fish, eggs from their chickens, and other organic ingredients. The best part, however, were the owners. They were so warm and welcoming and truly wanted to connect with us. We were not just another guest helping their bottom line, we felt more like long time friends visiting from the mainland, being treated to a Hawai'ian luxury retreat. If and when we go back to the Big Island, we're only going to stay here.

What a great place! Wonderful accommodations. Everything's new. Spotlessly clean. Everything was as…read moreadvertised. Leslea's breakfasts are great and it was great to get to know Leslea and Daryl. Convenient to Volcano Nat Park or Hilo City. We would definitely stay again.

Definitely a place you would want to consider when visiting the Hilo side of the Big Island. It's…read morean immense luxury Japanese themed four bedroom / four and a half bath home available for rental on Reeds Island, which is approximately one mile from the historic downtown Hilo. The gorgeous Japanese motif home is surrounded by a thick, lush rainforest, swimmable ponds and waterfalls. Staying at one of Hilo's few ancient hotels or motels or older homes with bed and breakfast options considerably pales in comparison. Of course choose to be lulled to sleep at nights by the thousands chirps from the coqui frogs (and the deep voice of a bull frog or two!) or be prepared and bring along some ear plugs. And don't forget to bring along a can of bug spray repellant. There are tons of mosquitoes outdoors! Take a look at some of the pictures they post on their website. True lush beauty!

Our family's first trip to Hawaii had our group of eight (seven adults and one 22 month old) on the…read more"older" Hilo side of the big island. Looking back on our trip, I am really glad this was the case. Hilo resonated with me personally, having spent much of my formative years in the warmer climes of Africa. The "perfume of green," the subtle sweet aroma of tropical flowers, and the cleanly saline breeze of the ocean are all welcome olfactory recollections. Tucked near the end of a serpentine (and at times single lane) road, one is presented with two gates. Mika Taki is behind the left gate. Fair warning: parking is PRECIOUSLY lean and narrow. (Seriously; pray your neighbor is a better driver than the visiting Canadian Of Counsel that side swiped our parked rental.) Anyway... Back to this awesome vintage Japanese-inspired estate. Basics: 4 bedroom 4 bathroom Sleeps 8 $214 / day $1,393 / week There is a large kitchen good for meal prep (though, if you miss out on the amazing rustic local eateries...you are robbing yourself of a not-to-miss experience). There is comfortable though limited seating to be found in the formal living room, but there is an additional sun room porch good for a lazy mid-day nap. We spent the bulk of our in residence time seated around the large glass dining table. There is also a glorious wrap around covered deck that I strongly recommend in the cooler air of an early dawn's light. The grounds and the exterior of the residence are well worth taking in. The lush green grotto is capped in a Nature's Solarium of varied palm and deciduous species and the steep drop off the back of the house makes for a glorious symphony of birds during the day and loquacious tree frogs at night. Wear your insect repellent religiously unless you do not value your hide. The fairly treacherous descent down the left side of the property does reward you with a bona fide WATERFALL. Vacation well, my friends!