6 Reviews of Property 332317 in Waimea - Kamuela, Hawaii

We stayed in the Zen Hale and found the privacy wonderful! It is its own building, well appointed, clean and perfect for two. The location is just right for seeing the sights of the Big Island and enjoying lots of different beaches. We had a distant view of the ocean and lots of surrounding hills. Matt and Rose are great hosts - friendly, helpful and generous. This was our 7th trip to Hawaii and quite possibly our best.

My husband and I just spent a week at the Garden Hale following a week in South Kona. The Garden Hale was in a perfect location for exploring the north side of the Big Island, especially the excellent snorkeling in North and South Kohala. It is only about 15 minutes or so from some fabulous beaches including Mauna Kea, Mauna Lani, Waialea (69), and Hapuna which are great for both swimming and snorkeling. It is even closer to Kawaihae Harbor for kayak rental (1/2 day was $40 for a double kayak through Kohala Divers in Kawaihae). Being close to Waimea, it is also relatively painless to slip over to the east side of the island on a day trip. There are 2 large grocery stores in Waimea along with great restaurants, but I especially enjoyed buying produce from the Waimea Farmer's Market (on Weds and Sat) and a local farm (on Tues and Fri).

At 1800 feet elevation, the Garden Hale is at a perfect elevation for comfortable air temperature. Much cooler and more comfortable than the temperature at the Kohala water level, and drier and less cloudy than Waimea up the hill; this made for delightful sleeping conditions and fabulous star gazing. The bedroom has a comfortable bed, and is light and airy with a quiet ceiling fan for excellent ventilation. The kitchen is compact but worked fine for cooking simple meals along with the outdoor gas grill. The living area is spacious and also has a quiet ceiling fan, but is lacking in natural light so we didn't spend much time in it. We ate all of our meals and spent most of our downtime on the private lanai; the lanai faces east and was therefore perfect for drinking coffee and eating breakfast in the morning sunshine, and reading and relaxing in afternoon shade. There is a private garden off of the lanai, which was a source of entertainment as we watched the birds and a couple of industrious small field mice strip dead heads off of the flower beds. The lanai is also largely bug-free, which was very welcome to us after getting eaten by mosquitoes and ants in South Kona.

Matthew, the property owner, was warm, welcoming, and quick to assist with our questions and requests as we were settling in. He was also very helpful and responsive as I was planning our stay at the Garden Hale, and generously shared eggs, fruit, and vegies from his own chickens and garden with us. Thank you for a great week, Matthew!

Really nice & spacious place with separate master bedroom, large kitchen/dining/living room, delicious fruit ready to be picked in the garden. Matthew the owner was very pleasant and helpful with recommendations of all kinds. The washing & drying facilities and the gas grill were also very handy! Kamuele/Waimea is also an ideal location to explore the North of Big Island, including Mauna Kea.

The rental property was just what we needed to get our vacation off to a great start. It was out of the touristy area but close enough to enjoy the pristine beaches of the Kohala Coast. Close to town of Waimea to get supplies to cook in the kitchen with a wonderful array and use of herb garden on the property. Matt was a gracious host and was great with helpful hints for the island on our short stay. Would recommend to stay here, if looking to get away from the standard resort type accomodation. Room had all the amenities we were looking for as well and peace and quiet to boot. Thanks again and mahalo!