The Tree House was the perfect base camp for exploring the big island of Hawaii! It is a small, Japanese-style guest house with large screened windows, two balconies, and a screened sleeping porch, on a property that is so lushly planted with tropical trees and flowers, you would never know you are a few minutes from the town of Pahoa and within an hour or so of dozens of fascinating beaches and places, including and especially the Kilauea volcano and its recently deposited lava fields--a ubiquitous sight across the Puna District of Hawaii County. The friendly, yet unintrusive, hosts live on the property but out of sight of the Tree House and are excellent advisors on destinations, routes, and scheduling for daily adventures.
The kitchen and bathroom are on the first floor and the bedroom and sleeping porch are on the second floor. We shopped for groceries and refreshments at two excellent stores in Pahoa--the Malama Market, a supermarket with a nice deli and bakery, and Island Naturals, "The Natch," a one-stop source for all things organic and good and in bulk; check out the friendly custom-sandwich counter--and prepared several meals in the small kitchen, dining on the upstairs balcony. The compact bathroom has a sheltered outdoor shower, and a small washer-and-dryer stack is available. We enjoyed the nightly serenade by the Coqui frogs, the early-morning reveille of local song birds, and the remarkable, short rain bursts that occurred throughout the day and night, usually for no more than a few minutes.
Tips: Carry an umbrella or a light, breathable rain jacket with a hood because it will rain! There were almost no mosquitoes but a small bottle of insect repellent would be wise. Always carry drinking water on your drives. Visit the Sunday morning open-air Maku'u Farmer's Market north of Pahoa for fresh fruits and vegetables, prepared foods (the spring rolls are terrific!), and local arts and crafts. Kaleo is a very good restaurant in Pahoa; we twice made reservations well in advance and were glad we did. The Pahoa post office always seems to have a very long line, but the post office in downtown Hilo, an easy 40 minutes away, is worth seeing just for the historic architecture. Quaint post offices--and this is a shout out to the exceptional U.S. Postal Service--dot communities all around the Big Island. The main grocery store in Pahoa has a full liquor department. At many places we visited, cash was not accepted, presumably as a Covid precaution, so be sure to carry a credit or debit card.