OCEAN VIEW COTTAGE ON TWO ACRES NEAR HONOKAA TOWN

Before I discuss anything negative, I need to be clear, the view from the porch is fantastic. Through tropical leaves we watched the sun go down, a cruise ship slid by all lit up, and we read books overlooking the pacific.

The cottage itself was in need of some TLC. Plants were growing through the boards on the porch, the floor badly needs to be replaced, and we picked up a 6-legged pirate or two in our luggage. The kitchen was not the 'full kitchen' described, more of a dorm room kitchen really.

The location was great, we explored the north Kona shore, the Hamakua coast, and realized later we should have made our Mauna Kea trip from here. Be sure to check out Waimea for good food, and the KTA for groceries.

We absolutely loved our stay. It was the perfect location to explore the entire north end of the island. The cottage was immaculate, the bed was comfortable, the kitchen was great to prepare simple meals, and the porch was just wonderful. It was hard to leave every day, as we could have relaxed there all day! We loved walking around the little village, it was close enough to Waimea to go in for a nice dinner, and our Jeep afforded us the opportunity to drive into Waipio. We only spent 2 nights, but wished it had been many more. Sandy was very helpful and attentive and the entire experience was wonderful. We wish we could afford to purchase the whole property! Thank you so much for giving us 2 great days of relaxation and exploration. It was fabulous!

We stayed for 10 nights in February/March 2012 and went back for 5 nights in mid-March after very bad weather prevented us from getting to Kauai. I didn't see ANY whales from the balcony, but we did stare endlessly at the beautiful ocean...my only complaint is we had trouble many days getting away to go elsewhere, as the view was too beautiful to leave.... This is not a typical Hawaiian vacation stay: the beaches are a 45 min or more drive west (a list to pick from!) BUT you have so many other choices of things to do: drive through cattle country around Waimea and then into North Kohala along the ridge highway to Hawi (astounding...the road goes above the clouds! i saw 4 rainbows at once); go east to the Hilo area and see the botanical gardens (you won't see that kind of flora on the west side of the Big Island!!....VERY LUSH), or take in some history at the local Hilo museums, get to the volcano in an hour; walk in the nearby state park; take a day trip to Puna (gorgeous trees and east coastline, but a bit too wild west like for us; or drive along the Old Mamalahoa highway remnants between Waimea and Hilo: we kept stopping the car and gawking at truly real/old Hawaii. The road up/down the Waipi'o valley is a short but intense hike (steep), then maybe 10 minute stroll to a beach: no swmming but we did see surfers and whales...so quiet and beautiful. The town of Honaka'a is a lovely small town: locals were SO friendly to us, we felt like we were back home in small town Ontario. We bought lots of grass fed beef at JJ's country market (unfortunately there is no BBQ at the cottage, just a 2 burner thingy) and the grocery store in town is not much more expensive than Waimea; we also took in a movie at the old theatre...... Back to the cottage: it's essentially mostly windows & bamboo blinds on 3 sides and in the morning, the birdsong is wonderful...great foliage surrounds the place: i couldn't wait to roll the blinds up and gawk again, every day. I did not fold out the couch to test it as a bed but it looked like it might be more suitable for kids or others with very spry backs; our bed was very comfortable. In sum, a comfortable cottage for 2 adults and maybe 2 kids in a friendly town which is an excellent base for viewing the valley (we went 4 times), the local area and the north and north/west or north/east coasts generally. probably not suitable for kids due to distance from sea. kitchen set up is a bit awkward due to the 2 burner....