This place lives up to its name - heavenly. It’s a beautiful home right on the water. Any closer and you would be part of the turtles that frequent the little beach by the home. We stayed here for 10 days and loved everything about it. It’s a home that is wrapped in nature and truly makes you feel like you are glamping on the Oceanside. Ali is an architect and you can tell from the quality of furniture, fittings and overall aesthetics that he is pretty damn good! I was swooning over all the amazing wood in the house and the super comfy linens and beds.
From previous reviews, it didn’t seem like too many families with young children visited so I feel compelled to share some facts if you are in our situation. We traveled as a family of 4. Our two kids are 6 and 2 and here are some things you should know before you decide to go here. BTW - you absolutely should.
1. The home is not baby proofed. The outdoor/indoor living makes the floors slippery so you will find yourself constantly telling your little ones not to run.
2. The house is on a ledge against the open (sometimes raging) sea. We absolutely loved the fact that there were no fences to obstruct any views but you will end up watching your kids like a hawk making sure they don’t jump or fall over.
3. If you are like us, you will probably end up cooking quite a bit in the lovely open kitchen. The house doesn’t have any spices and condiments beyond some salt and pepper so plan on either bringing some with you or buying at the local grocery store. We shopped at Island Naturals and stocked up on fresh produce mostly grown on the island, a large bottle of avocado oil and other basics.
4. You will see some creepy crawlers. Many are cute - like the adorable bright colored geckos. Some - not so much. Flying cockroaches frequent the place so be aware. We also saw the elusive Hawaiian cane spider the first night we got there that was absolutely terrifying at first.
We had the absolute best time and can’t wait to come back. Some things that we loved while in the area.
1. Da Poke shack: great lunch spot within walking distance from the house. Pick some poke up and come back to watch the the surfers enjoy the waves. And obviously look out for dolphins and turtles…we saw both multiple times.
2. Keahou farmers market on Saturday mornings. Amazing produce, great coffee and the best jam and preserves guy on the island.
3. If you are a runner - running to Old Kona Airport from the house. About a 10k round trip.
4. Snorkeling at Kahalu’u beach park
5. Watching the sunsets from the house.
We made memories for a lifetime and look forward to coming back soon.