Debby and Mark have such a lovely slice of paradise! This is the perfect home base for exploring the Ka’u District and all the south side of the island has to offer!
The room is immaculate and the bed is super comfy. The shower has a handheld showerhead which was super helpful, and the bathroom even had a bottle of aloe vera for tackling the aftermath of my false optimism regarding sunblock choices - lol! The kettle was very handy for us, as were the microwave and mini fridge.
It is soooo quiet in terms of human activity, but you will enjoy the lullabies from the tree frogs and the songbirds alerting you that it’s time to watch the magnificent sunrise out the front door each morning. The stars are incredibly bright and visible when the sky is clear.
You’re a short drive from the Papakolea (Green Sand) Beach Trailhead, which makes it easy to get an early start before the wind and sun get too intense for an enjoyable hike. South Point Park is a wonderful place to watch the sunset — we even had a pod of whales join us for the show! Whittington Beach and Punalu’u Black Sand) Beach are also super close for exploring, sunbathing and spotting turtles and other sea creatures. You’re also only about an hour from the Volcanoes National Park main entrance, which means a much easier drive home than to Kailua if you stay after dark to see the lava glowing.
We appreciated all the farms and local produce and coffee everywhere we turned, as well as patronizing the local restaurants and cafes. If you are a late-night or fast food diner, you will be out of luck in Na’alehu, so you’ll need to plan your supper around that or plan on driving to another area like Oceanside, Captain Cook or Volcano if you’re eating after 5 or 6pm. Debby has left a list of recommendations and tips about the area to help you make your decisions on where to eat and what to do. We had no shortage of tasty options near or far, and found the portions at some of the places to be large enough we were able to microwave our leftovers for dinner too.
We stayed in this area, specifically because we wanted a slower paced experience with opportunities to visit the south side in more depth, and that’s precisely what we got. This is definitely a 5-star stay and we’ll book Debby’s place the next time we’re in the area (assuming we haven’t just sold all our stuff on the Mainland and decide to move here permanently- lol)!!