Guests Reviews
Tranquil Hideaway with a Chefs Dream Kitchen
My spouse and I and our 6 month old son stayed in this beautiful vacation home and had a wonderful relaxing time! Firstly we arrived and found that there was a pack n play at the residence for our son to use (so helpful and thoughtful!). The kitchen had everything thing we needed to cook delicious meals in- and for sleepy new parents a state of the art coffee maker and coffee grinder allowing us to enjoy fresh Kona coffee first thing every morning. Reading on the front lanai in the mornings was very peaceful with the wind in the trees and relaxing in the shade of the back lanai in the afternoon heat was wonderful. The beach is a two minute walk away and very beautiful. Sleeping at night with the chirps of the coqui frogs is like having your own personal sound machine- very magical. And the bed!! So comfortable with the softest sheets imaginable. We loved uncle Roberts night market on Wednesday, Pahoa Fresh Fish and driving the scenic red road. Everything was well thought out and made our stay very relaxing.
Owner’s Response: Aloha Tys, Mahalo for your beautiful review of this wonderful home. We would also like to thank you for being such amazing guests. We hope you can return to Hale a Kimo Kali someday. Jamie
The House is beautiful has everything you need
We absolutely loved the house and quaint neighborhood. Just a couple blocks from the ocean in a very tranquil area. The southern part of the island has a lot to offer such as the volcano, cute little beaches and waterfalls. We found a couple of great restaurants in Hilo our favorite was Pineapples. Wednesday night go to uncle Roberts farmers market great experience great food live band. Mahalo 🌴
We really enjoyed staying in this house.
Beautiful House, Beautiful Garden
John W
Beautiful house, beautiful garden secluded in beautiful jungle, with everything (and more) that you could possibly need.
- Stayed: June 2017
- Submitted: June 23, 2017
- Source: VRBO
Manager response: Aloha, Thank you for choosing our home as your Hawaiian vacation destination. We love when our guests leave with a feeling of being at home. We hope you come again. Mahalo- Jamie
Wonderful place to stay beautiful house with style!
Leigh T.
Loved the beach which is a short walk away.Good food nearby at the Wednesday market. Best side of the island. Highly recommend. Thank you.
- Stayed: June 2017
- Submitted: June 20, 2017
- Source: VRBO
Manager response: Aloha, Thank you for choosing Hale A Kimo Kali for your vacation destination. We hope you consider coming back next year. Mahalo
Great House
This is a great house. Well appointed and comfortable. Jamie is very helpful and easy to work with. I loved being near the red road; it is an incredible drive. There are also great places to eat healthy meals not far away. The ocean is beautiful. The coqui frog did not bother us at all. Nature sounds never do. We would stay here again and recommend it.
Exceeded expectations !!
Toby & Letticia S.San Pedro, CA
To begin, we’ve been visiting Hawai’i and staying in rental houses for decades. James and Gary’s beautiful Hale a Kimo Kali is easily the nicest home we’ve ever rented. The house, grounds, furnishings, decorating and attention to detail are exceptional. The house is incredibly well equipped, any thing you could possibly think of that you might want or need is there for you. If you’re planning to visit Hilo side of the Big Island this is the house you want.
- Stayed: April 2017
- Submitted: April 25, 2017
- Source: VRBO
Manager response: Aloha Toby and Letticia, Mahalo for staying at Hale a Kimo Kali we are happy to hear you enjoyed your stay and look forward to you returning. Kind Regards, jamie
A clean, well-appointed retreat in a lush tropical oasis with sounds of the jungle all around. 3 covered decks with lots of furniture to relax in. Furnishings in a Hawaiian theme added to the experience. It’s a drive to get to any services except the beach, which is quite nearby. The two bedrooms on different floors with outside but not inside access worked fine for us as two retired couples. Worth a repeat visit!
This house is wonderful. Jim and Gary did a great job making it comfortable.
Loved the floor plan. House was very comfortable. We cooked dinner here each night and sat in the dining room (loved the space). The neighborhood was nice and great for strolls. We walked a couple of miles towards the northeast along 137 and checked out other housing developments. There were other folks biking, running and walking too. We enjoyed the slow pace on this side of the island. The house was like being at home. Jim and Gary have done an excellent job with the space. They had everything you need from flash lights to coffee grinders, shampoo, body wash, plenty of ice trays, cooler, travel coffee mugs for morning walks, etc. Kehena beach is a quick walk. Mornings seemed to be the calmest and less busy. Visiting volcano national park was excellent. We checked out the lava viewing at Kalapana but were not into renting bikes to be bike out there at night. I believe it was 8 miles round trip. You could pay to get dropped off 2 miles from viewing and walk or bike from there. Lots of great trails up at the park to see volcano sights too.
I would definitely return and recommend. This side of the island is a special place and this house was perfect.
Gorgeous home and yard, with beach close by
We quite enjoyed our stay. House and yard are gorgeous. Many geckos, birds and a cat around the property. Quiet neighborhood. No cell service at the house, but it is available once you get back on the main highway. Lots of things to do within short driving distance such as tide pools and hot spring, and the trailhead for the lava spout. Black sand beach is close by, it is a very steep climb down, but well worth it!! It is clothing optional, so there is a range of clothed to no clothes people. Beach is a 5min walk from the house. Jamie, the property manager, was super helpful and was very quick to get back to us with any questions we had with the property. I would definitely suggest staying at this house. We will definitely be back again.
Love this home!
This home is wonderful! It has a great location and it is comfortable & stylish. This kitchen is great to cook in! They even have a rice cooker.
Tons of out door space to relax in, steps from the beach & close to the walk or ride out to the lava. The second bedroom is very private & has it own entrance, bathroom, and lanai Both beds are very comfortable. There are mango,star fruit, banana, avocado, passion fruit tress right on the property. We picked fruit often. It was lovely. The house also felt very private. They neighborhood was also quite & friendly. The owners & manager of the property where helpful & attentive. We will be back!
Very comfortable home away from home
Spent week here with another couple-fantastic house with plenty of room and privacy for both couples. Enjoyed the many lanai’s. Spacious, clean and lots of nice touches. Staff was very courteous and accommodating. Close to Volcano park and everything on East side. Stayed on Kona side couple of years ago–this is better by far. I would return to this place in a heartbeat and recommend to anyone. Was able to visit park, Kona side, East side waterfalls, Hilo. Perfect place if you are interested in hiking out to the lava that is flowing into the ocean – it’s incredible!
We’ll be back : )
*****5 of 5
We spent a wonderful week at this rental in Kehena. Just as described in the VRBO listing, the rental was, well appointed, clean, well-maintained and comfortable, and the site was stunning–easily the nicest unit we have ever rented during our four visits to Hawai’i. Did I mention the beds? So comfortable!
We had meals at Luquin’s ( good Tex-Mex) and one at Kaleo’s Bar and Grill ( the food was delicious); both are in the town of Pahoa. We had an upscale Hawai’ian plate lunch served in a bento box at the Volcano House Restaurant in the National Park and are happy to report that the food there has been much improved, and the new decor is lovely. The view of the old crater from the restaurant remains impressive–no renovation needed there.
We always enjoy visiting the beautiful Hawai’i Tropical Botanical Garden north of Hilo and were happy to find that the sandwiches and smoothies at “What’s Shakin’?) just north of the garden were as good as we remembered.
Hilo is a charming town with it’s wonderful farmers’ market, which is fun and a good place to buy local fruits and vegetables. (The shopping malls with the usual stores in the newer part of Hilo can be useful.)
I definitely recommend the VRBO rental unit and Kehena on the Big Island for a restful tropical vacation.
A nice home & adventure in Puna
***** 5 of 5
My husband and I have visited the Big Island many times and have always wished to see the lava flowing. When we heard that the lava was flowing from Kilauea we quickly made plans to return to the island. Because of its proximity to Kilauea we decided to stay in Puna, specifically Pahoa. We came across Hale a Kimo Kali on HomeAway. The home is tucked away in the jungle and was just as it stated in its description. The house is private, comfortable and close to all the sites we wanted to explore on this side of the island. We would get up in the morning and take the short stroll to the nearby black sand beach and watch the sun rise. On some mornings we would have the beach all to ourselves or share it with a local resident doing their morning yoga routine. On weekends the beach does get busy with locals. We where informed about the coqui frogs in the area. My husband and I being nature lovers didn’t find their nighty chirping a bother. As the sun sets be prepared for their mating calls to begin. We booked a lava boat tour with Lava Ocean Adventures, located a short drive from the house. The two of us thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the tour and seeing the lava up close from the water was a magical experience for the both of us. Captain Shane was a wonderful tour guide. We would like to return again while the lava is still flowing and do a walking tour to see the lava. And when we do so, we would definitely plan on staying at Hale a Kimo Kali. We enjoyed our stay.
Submitted: Oct 7, 2016 Stayed: Aug 2016 Source: VRBO, from HomeAway
Owner’s Response: Mahalo for being our first guests at Hale Kimo Kali and we look forward to having you stay again. This home is so welcoming and comfortable. There are many things to do yet you still feel like you are away from all the hustle and bustle “this is old Hawaii” at it’s finest. Warm Aloha, Jamie