Very nice house and location on water is great. Sheltered lagoon was good for kids to swim all day. Main apartment upstairs was pretty and kitchen was very functional. Lack of cell phone coverage was disappointing. Some maintenance needed to keep the house looking and working great. Window over laundry was broken, toilet upstairs was slow, and curtain/door to downstairs bedroom was breaking.
The only minor problem was the warm upstairs bedroom and the air conditioner did not work, I discovered the fan in the closet the day we were leaving. Next time I will stay longer!
We live in Hawaii but going to this destination feels like we are miles away.
We absolutely loved Hale Lokelani. The house was nicely furnished and well stocked. It was just as described. Best of all was the lagoon just down the back steps. Snorkeling with sea turtles and many tropical fish was an amazing experience. The turtles were present every day of our 7 day stay. We have stayed at 4 Kapoho rentals. All were nice but we're sticking with Hale Lokelani in the future.
Great location on the water, excellent house, good supply of various things in the kitchen, close to latest lava sites and other interesting places.House needs new chairs in the kitchen (some are too old and shaky). No cell phone service (at least, for Verizon) and no long distance service from the home phone - very inconvenient in some situations!
Only caveats: neighboring houses are close by, were not occupied most of the time while we were there except except for gardeners and brifly by anothe couple - may not seem so "away from it all" if they were occupied. The bedroom has poor circulation and gets pretty warm, could use a ceiling fan, or a floor fan to improve circulation - fan that was there was too noisy to use.
We knew it was going to be wonderful to stay at Kapoho, but did not expect to find ourselves enjoying such a beautiful home. The house is so charming and beautiful with all the wood....parkay floors, wood counters....and had everything we needed from cooking utensils and dishes to beach towels and snorkeling gear. We loved being here and will definitely come back if and when we are blessed to return to the Big Island one day.The house was very clean and welcoming.We did have a little difficulty getting the entrance gate to work....but that may have been because we are not accustomed to using such devices.
Our stay has set a bar that will be difficult to match. We found this to be one of the places that you tell only your closest friends. The whole set-up of the propertz right on a huge tide-pool, the condition and amenities of the apartment, the excellent taste somebody had when designing this place - we rate everything a full 5 stars.Thanks for making this jewel available - if it weren't for the 26 hour trip, we would be back more frequently!
Aloha! This rental home has just about everything you could want while on vacation. Truely a home away from home. From snorkel/float gear, curling irons, books, to even a picnic basket! It's there. We had a truely relaxing, peaceful time and even though there are houses close, we had the Lagoon to ourselves the whole time. Loved the cool ocean breezes/views even when it rained. (Smelled so refreshing) We couldn't find anything wrong with this vacation spot.
I felt like a visiter until I went into the water then I knew I was home. I wish my stay was not so short.
Hale Lokelani was a beautiful house in a totally unspoilt region of the Big Island. We had read the reviews but never thought it could be as good as it sounded. However it went beyond our expectations. The house really did have easy access into a beautiful private warm lagoon where the turtles came swimming with us every day. The house was beautifully appointed and the kitchen better equipped than any rental property we have ever been in, including our own weekender! Even down to lots of recipe books for those who really want to cook. And believe us once you arrive here you won't want to go far afield. But it was an easy trip to see the Volcano National Park and lava flowing into the Ocean at night. The house had a guest book and printed material which helped us explore some more local sights (which were not to be found in the general tourist guides). We have 4 children aged 15 to 7 and they all loved it. Our only regret....that we couldn't have stayed longer!
found anywhere in Puna.cheerspaul--- kona
Tide Pool snorkeling with Sea Turtles in your own back yard! Beautiful vistas, grand location. Very comfortable home!
Only two problems: The front door is swollen so much it needs brute force to open it (this was a problem when my brother rented this house several years ago). And, there is not electricity to the light over the dining room table. Otherwise, it's a great house in a wonderful location.
All amenities were great upstairs. Downstairs was quaint and comfortable. The views are phenomenal from the property. We have been very pleased with all bookings through Hawaii Holiday Vacation Rentals' Kapoho and have returned three of the last four years. Mahalo, Tim Bradberry
We really loved the house, especially for its unique location. It was very quiet around there and we felt like living at the edge of the earth. The greatest was snorkelling in the lagoon right by the house. There was a huge sea turtle living there! We saw it many times and even saw its house!
It was my father's 75th birthday surprise organized by yours truly and I didn't quite know what to expect from Hale Lokelani based on the online specs. It turned out to be just perfect for our family of 4 adults. We spent hours in the tidewater pools, snorkeling with the turtles and fishes. On sunny days we were amazed how warm the water temperature got with the thermal vents acting as heaters. We even got my father to snorkel for the first time in his life and he loved it (after being really hesitant and trying all kinds of excuses to get out of it). We had great fun cooking local food and eating fresh fruits and coconuts that fell from the trees near the waterfront. The house had ample space and supplies of bath and kitchen supplies for all of us to be comfortable and the assortment of snorkeling gear was very useful. The neighborhood was very nice and walking around we saw all kinds of trees and birds and the sea views from the rock wall was great. The neighbor's had tidepools for backyards. We all had a wonderful time and would love to go back again. Do eat at Paolo's Bistro in Paho if you get a chance and listen to the Kaloli band in the Punatic Internet Cafe - they are very good.
This was my family's first trip to Hawaii, we wanted to experience both sides of the island. It is a bit of a drive from Kona, but well worth the effort. This is a very unique enviroment. It is a little cooler than the other side, but does not get as much rain as Hilo. The water was alway very warm thanks to Pele. The snorkeling was great and the back yard access to the water was unbelievable. We swam with huge sea turtles everyday. If you can rip yourself away it is a close walk to the Champange Pond, awsome swimming. Also very close to the Kapoho tide pools, accessed from Vacation Land, very cool snorkeling in very calm and protected waters. My 6 year old daughter was able to learn how to snorkel very easily. Also very easy access to the volcano park, and to the location of the current lava flow. I would recomend this place to anyone considering a trip to the other side of the island. Mahalo
We were very pleased and impressed with our house. it was clean, comfortable, incredibly well-stocked. The area is remote and quiet which is just what we wanted
We had a great time here swimming with the turtles and enjoying the sites. The house was clean and the property managers responded very quickly both when making reservations and with questions we had once we were there. Thanks to everyone for helping make our vacation enjoyable and stressfree.
Please see our comments under 'Mauna Loa Shores 306'.
We were a little apprehensive when we first arrived; the location is very remote and their was a Gecko and roach welcoming committee (outside the house - not inside). But after a good nights sleep and waking to the beautiful sounds of the ocean, and then walking out on to the deck to the beautiful, private secluded warm cove all concerns disappeared. We spent 3 days laying on our private deck swimming with the turtles, fish and yes, non biting sharks! The water is very warm from the hot fresh water entering in from the volcano and the neighborhood is friendly and just a joy to walk through and enjoy the beauty at every turn.The house is very comfortable with all you will need to enjoy your stay, it is remote for a reason - you wanted to get away right? The gated entry keeps "tourists out and this is really a good location for seeing the lava flow down the road. Be sure to stop in at Kaleo's in Pahoa - awesome food - and Jeff at the surf shop can set you up with snorkel gear.The house kitchen and cabinets as well as the bathroom need updating and the beds are certainly not the Ritz but all in all we would stay here again and the property managers went out of their way to make sure we were happy with our stay.Also just be aware that the bedrooms downstairs are completely separate from the upstairs and require walking outside and downstairs to get to them- My teenage boys actually loved the privacy.
Hawaii is great for a lot of things. This property proved to be great to get away to a special place in the world. No hustle and bustle here! Don't pass up Lava Tree State Park.
It was a lovely spot and a great house. There were many thoughtful additions - the straw hats for example. Our only disappointment was with the downstairs bedrooms - there was not a double bed but rather two singles in the front room and the kitchen did not have a kettle (we are all tea drinkers) so those downstairs had to come up whenever they wanted a cup of tea. But as I say, the rest was so lovely that these disappointments did not matter too much.
The supurb location makes up for the property being a little run down and dated. There is a long flight of stairs up to the main living level, which is very spacious, open and pleasant. The kitchen is far better equipt than most rentals. The master bedroom has poor natural ventilation but there is an air conditioner for that room only. Views from front and back decks are breathtaking. Swimming in the ocean inlet has good access (stairs) from ther property...that's a rarity in this region. Sea turtles frequent the inlet and you can see them while swimming and even from the deck.we did not use the downstairs.
Only real drawback was not having cell service at the house and internet access. On the other hand, my wife was happy to not have those things for a change. Quality of the snorkeling was a bit imbellished. Yes there were turtles, but not much else, and the water wasn't as warm as suggested in the literature. The Hot Pool was a fun find, down the road to the south.
Its a great place to stay if you just want to relax, Kona where most of the activities are is about 3 hours away. But it is near Hilo, Lava Tree State Park and closer to Volcano National Park. The lagoons are nice for snorkeling but visibility is decreased by thermal inversion layers. Nice snorkeling in cooler water in vacation land a short walk or drive away. Cool turtles and fish. Overall very nice relaxing stay.
Not having internet (wireless) available is very annoyiny in this day & age.It was annoying that the water was cut off a few times but I realize that was not the management's fault.There wasn't any dishwasher soap when we arrived but the cleaning woman was kind of enough to bring us some. The market didn't carry it either. Chair in bedroom near desk has broken arms, kitchen chairs have broken webbing.Most other things were in good shape. We do like the spot and overall it is a great rental.
Hawaii is remote--and this place is in one of the more remote corners of the island. And that's exactly what we were looking for on our honeymoon. Nearly surrounded by water, reasonably close to Volcano National Park, but away from any hustle and bustle. So big thumbs up on location. The house itself is in good shape--but the appliances were a wee bit old and (biggest issue), there was no water filter for the tap water--which was pretty gnarly tasting. But on the plus side, you can literally walk out the back door into water. Having a full kitchen is a big plus as well--it's a good 20 minute drive to any place to eat, so hit the grocery store in Pahoa before checking in.
The beds in the house really need an upgrade. The furniture is pretty beat up too. The airconditioner in the bedroom is shot and as we've been there twice it gets super hot. The pond is obviously the best draw--- but honestly we might look elsewhere in Kopoho to rent because everyone in our group did not like the bedding. Cheers and aloha from Kona---
The property is in a wonderful location, right on the tidepools at Kapoho. Most of the properties in this enclave are funky and look to need maintenance, this property included. But the location was delightful, we drove up to see the volcano, were well located for night volcano viewing; found fabulous meals in nearby town; enjoyed the swimming. this was a nice contrast from the fancy modern condos on the Kona side...